WELCOME BACK TO TERM FOUR

Where has the year gone? We’re already in the final term of the 2024 school year and a lot is happening. I hope everyone had the opportunity to rest and relax over the term break to help set themselves up for the home run.

We’ve finally received the Certificate of Occupancy for our new building, and our Grade 1 and 2 students are now getting comfortable in the new classrooms. It’s an amazing learning space and the teaching staff and ESO’s have done an amazing job moving and setting up the classrooms.

This term students will be participating in Kinect2Dance every Friday with Bree and her sidekick Kyle. The dance workshops have been really well received by students and we look forward to the showcase concert to be held towards the end of the year.

Our Grade 4 students are currently preparing for the Sacrament of the blessed Eucharist in partnership with their parents, the school and the parish. We pray for all our students as they embark on this important part of their faith journey.

EVERY DAY OF SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.  

We want all our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. The research clearly shows that each missed day of school is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower academic success than their classmates.  It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school.  

In Victoria, school is compulsory for all children aged 6 - 17 years. Whilst its inevitable that there will be sometimes student absences occur in any school year, they still need to be monitored. The main reasons for student absence are:

1. Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

2. Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s teacher in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.

3. “Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.  

4. Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

5. School refusal - School-refusing children will experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school.

FACT: BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR ONE DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

# Inform the school of your child’s absence

# Speak with your child’s classroom teacher and find out what work they need to do to keep up.

# Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

# Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible. Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer.

# A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Training Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s.  

# If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get your child to school 

TOP ATTENDANCE TIPS FOR PARENTS

Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support

• Remember that every day counts

• There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness

• Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day

• Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea  

• Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term

• Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and well-being.

Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and well-being. Further information  For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/studentmanagement/attendance/Pages/improveattendance.aspx 2

SUMMER UNIFORM

All students should now be in summer uniform. This means school hats are compulsory for all students, no hat, no play. St Ita’s is a Sun Smart school and has set policies in place to help protect all students. Parents please ensure your child’s name is on their hat and reinforce that it’s school hats only. Students without hats will play in designated shaded areas. 

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

1. Monday 4th Nov - Pupil free day
2. Tuesday 5th Nov - Melbourne Cup
3. Monday 18th November - Planned Colour Run in school grounds
4. Tuesday 17th Dec - Last day of term 4