12 May 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Please take the time to read my message about attendance today – it’s really important, a critical issue that we need to work together on to ensure we are best meeting the needs of your child(ren).

Although we all got through the challenging three years of Covid, one thing that was, and continues to be noticeably affected, was our school attendance. We simply have more and more students not showing up to school every day, and we are concerned about that. We acknowledge that during the last three years families were being asked to keep their child at home if they were unwell, (and thanks to all of you who tried and continue to keep our community safe when members of your household had covid, or covid symptoms by following this request).

The flipside of prioritising health, has been a massive increase in student absences in our school. In fact, compared to the state absence average, Snug students miss considerably more days that the average school. It is of course obvious that when students miss school, they also miss that days learning, and the cumulative affect of many days issued can be large gaps in student understanding. Of course, our teachers always work hard to meet students at their points of need and plug any of these gaps in their learning, but nothing substitutes regular attendance at school with students actively engaged in their learning alongside their peers, in a continual process of extending knowledge and understanding. Because of the time missed in the last three years, it is more critical now, than at any time in recent memory, that students regularly and consistently attend school.

This of course, is not always easy, and I also want to acknowledge that many parents and families are managing challenging elements of mental health with their children. Since the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in students experiencing anxiety – and naturally, when they are feeling these pressures, want to stay home and be with their loved ones. Unfortunately, while it can seem like the right thing to do to for you, parents and caregivers, to allow your child to have a day off if they are feeling anxious or reluctant to come to school, it can and often does have adverse consequences for the child. Students can develop attachment issues, and create a dependence on a parent or parents or caregiver; we have seen students who are not attending become increasingly anxious about coming to school as they miss learning, and feel like they are falling behind their peers; increasing time away can result in students drifting out of social groups, or becoming increasingly disconnected from their classmates, and this becomes another concerns, stressor, and another reason not to want to attend; students who have previously been given permission to stay home can become distraught and upset when the expectation is that they must come to school (that is, when the goal posts shift), unsure of why they have to go to school today, when they didn’t have to yesterday. So where at all possible, we need to work together to ensure your child comes to school.

As stated, we have worked with a lot of families in recent times in supporting them with anxious children, and in some cases supporting them to get to school. We have numerous supports that we can put into place when working with families and young people to ensure they come to school, and have a positive experience when they’re here.

If you have a child who might be experiencing this anxiety, or showing signs of reluctance to attend school, please let us know. We can then work with you, and your child, to develop an agreed approach and suitable supports so that they attend Snug, and flourish here. After all, that’s what we all want.

Kind regards

School Attendance

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for school attendance success:

• Make sure your child goes to school, every day. Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.
• Get them excited for school If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that. The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can: spend time with their friends and teachers, create new and fun experiences, find their interests, learn new things, open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world). Share these positives with your child.
• Talk to your child about school Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.
• Celebrate the milestones Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.
• Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.
• Know when to seek help There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school. For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website: www.anything.tas.gov.au

Kind Regards,
Blair Curtis
Principal

Kath’s Spot

Isn’t it interesting that even as we grow older I think we still need challenges to keep us striving towards our best. Do you agree? Even if it is working towards being able to run 5kms, or read a book a month.

As an adult, I often find myself making sure that I don’t lose myself to just carrying out the role of a parent. I work hard to hold myself firm to having goals and values that I am striving to achieve outside of parenting. That’s not to say I also have goals in my role of being a Mum, but I also need something seperate for me to be working on myself, in order to keep myself sane amongst all the chaos sometimes!!

Our students have been working on the habit of the mind of excellence. In particular, organising themselves in their learning, including setting their own challenging goals. I want to encourage all of us to be leading by example by setting challenging goals and working towards them too. Maybe set a goal, write it on a piece of paper and put it on the fridge, and ask the kids to check in with you about how you are going with it. They are learning at school about helping each other to be accountable, and I’m sure they would love to help you succeed in achieving your goal too. Pick something that’s challenging but achievable, and make a plan for making it happen. Does it involve training, steps, getting help? Write out some steps and then tick them off as you have achieved each of the steps.

As you demonstrate what it is to work towards excellence, you are helping your children to see what it means to push through hard stuff… and sometimes it is really hard… but we need each other to win in life. Maybe this could even be a family exercise of working on a family goal, or each choosing something they want to work towards. I look forward to hearing how it is all going, and remember Michael Jordan said “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.”

Many Blessings

Kath Dolliver
Chaplain

Class in Focus – 5-6A Heard

Kitchen-Garden News

Kitchen

Lunch Provision options for next Wednesday:

Garden

TERM 2 ROSTER

Volunteers always welcome, classes start at 2.00pm.

REGISTRATION TO WORK WITH VULNERABLE PEOPLE (RWVP)

A reminder that volunteers will need a Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP). Details are here if you need to apply:

Little Sprouts and Little Movers

Snug Primary School Website

If you haven’t already, please take the time to check out our website:

You will find many helpful links including:

“Our School Calendar”

“How to Report an Absence”

“Newsletter Archive”

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) information and enrolment forms, Early Learning (Little Sprouts Movers and Little Sprouts Explorers) term plans and contact forms, Health information and various enrolment forms and documents (Travel, Medical and Asthma forms, Uniform policy etc) and lots more!

Outside School Hours Care

2023 Information and Enrolment (Including Re-Enrolment)

2023 Enrolment and Re-Enrolment information is now available from the office and OSHC. There is new and important information that families need in these packs, so please be sure to collect one ASAP. Thanks!

Be You

Kingston Library

Coming Events

For more information please see our school calendar by clicking the link below:

Community Notices

2023 TERM DATES