Please read below for some information on what has been happening and what we have to look forward to!
Kindy and Pre Primary Enrolments for 2020
We are currently taking enrolments for Kindy and Pre Primary classes in 2020. If you intend to enrol your child in either of these year groups, an application to enrol needs to be submitted to the front office by 26 July. We will then let you know if we are able to offer your child a place in either of those year groups by 9 August.
Please note: If your child is currently in one of our Kindy groups in 2019, whether or not you are in our local intake area, it is a Department requirement that you formally apply to re-enrol in Pre Primary for 2020.
Application forms to enrol in Pre-primary will be given to all current Kindy students next week. Please complete and send to the front office ASAP. Whilst you do not need to provide proof of identity if you have previously done so, you will need to provide updated copies of other items on the document list such as immunisation, proof of address and family court orders, where appropriate.
Whilst we would very much love to welcome all applicants into our school, unfortunately we cannot guarantee a place for students who live out of area. We will fill to our capacity by catering for students in the following order, as outlined in Department of Education Policy:
1. In-area enrolments; then, if there is still capacity
2. Out of area with a sibling at the school
3. Out of area with no siblings in order of closest proximity to the school.
Attendance
At Scarborough PS, we want your child to achieve their very best. To get the best education, they need to attend school every day. Developing a habit of going to school every day is vitally important so your child does not miss out on important ideas and skills they need for future learning.
At Scarborough we monitor attendance by reviewing attendance levels of individuals over 3 week periods. Where a child has fallen below 90% attendance in consecutive attendance periods without a reasonable cause (see below) the school is required to notify parents via a letter. In some instances, this is just information to alert parents to the fact their child’s attendance has dropped. In others, where persistent low attendance is evident, the school may ask for a meeting with parents to find a solution and lift attendance levels.
Some letters will be sent home to families next week. Please contact me if you have any queries.
It is important that children stay home when they are unwell, as is outlined below and again further on in this newsletter. Our monitoring system takes this into consideration, as it only targets students whose attendance is low over consecutive 3 week blocks. Hence, if your child misses a week’s school with the flu in one monitoring period but their attendance is at acceptable levels in others, then it would not be cause for alarm.
The Department of Education provides the following guidance and information on attendance:
Why is going to school so important for my child?
• At school, many concepts including literacy and numeracy are taught in a sequence. Missing school means missing out on learning – which can often make it difficult to catch up later. This is particularly important when essential foundation skills are being taught.
• Going to school every day helps children learn the important life skill of ‘showing up’ – at school, at work, to sport and other commitments.
• Research from the Western Australian Telethon Kids Institute shows that every day at school counts towards a student’s learning. Students who attend more, generally do better at school and in life.
When is it OK to not go to school?
An OK reason is one that prevents your child from getting to school. This could include:
• when your child is sick or unwell
• attending cultural or religious observances such as sorry time and funerals
• an unavoidable natural event such as flood waters or a cyclone
• an unavoidable medical appointment
It’s NOT OK to miss school if your child:
• is celebrating a birthday
• is going on a family holiday
• is visiting family and friends
• has slept in or had a big weekend
• is looking after other children
• has sport or other recreational activities that have not been approved by the school
• has appointments such as haircuts and minor check ups
Save These Dates:
· Fathering Project: Doubleview Bowling Club at 7pm on Wednesday 19 June. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/fathering-project-night-tickets-61977993848
· This term at SPS all classes have been working on projects around the topic of Aboriginal Culture. Learning areas have been integrated under the heading STEAM. Come along from 2pm on Thursday 27 June to an exhibition of some of the projects that our students have been working on.
