Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Friends of Prospect High School,

Inter-High Cross Country

On Tuesday Prospect High School participated in the Inter High Cross Country Carnival. All students represented the school with pride and gave their best. I would like to acknowledge the following results.

Jack – 3rd Grade 7 Boys

Griffin – 2nd Grade 8 Boys

Georgia – 3^rd Grade 8 Girls

Zoey – 1st Grade 10 Girls

Jada – 2nd Grade 10 Girls

Congratulations and well done to all who represented Prospect High.

Transition

Students and parents of Prospect High School’s feeder primary schools (Hagley, Summerdale, Bracknell, West Launceston and Glen Dhu) have been enjoying a variety of activities this term. Our students have been visiting primary schools and giving an overview of our learning programs and opportunities. Many groups of students have been taken on tours of our school and uptake of parent tours has been excellent. Interested students were able to compete in our cross country and Hagley were recently treated to some science activities. Many thanks to our transition team, in particular to Mr Bergamin, Mr Poke and Mr Willard for your work.

Attendance At School Matters- Making Every Minute Count!

It is vital that students attend school every day. A sense of purpose and commitment is achieved with regular attendance. Every child has a chance of success with their learning when they attend regularly. Please encourage your children to value their education and help them become organised and attend every day. Under Tasmanian law, you must make sure your child of school age is enrolled and attends school all day, every school day unless they have an acceptable reason. Illness, doing work experience or competing in a school sporting event are acceptable reasons for being absent from school.

The DoE Attendance Policy states;

“Consistent attendance at school is critical to achieving positive educational outcomes and keeping students engaged in their learning. Parents/guardians have a legal obligation to ensure a child is enrolled in and attending school or is registered for home education. “

Higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Hence regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. They learn better, make friends, are happier and have a brighter future.

Please avoid keeping your child away from school for: birthdays, shopping, visiting family and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, haircuts, etc. Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

Parents/carers must let the school know the reason why your child has been absent.

The following chart highlights the impact of non-attendance over time. The chart shows the cumulative effect of persistent non-attendance over a child’s years of schooling.

Please make every effort to assist your child to be on time to school and not late. Lateness can cause students to feel embarrassed, disorganised and anxious. They miss important notices and reminders at the start of the day from the daily notes. They also miss important interactions with friends and teachers. This is often the most productive time of the day however, it can be hard for students to become engaged in learning and settled when they arrive late and cannot take advantage of this valuable learning time.

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she is not late and makes the whole day count, every day.  If you are having problems getting your child to school for some of these reasons, please contact the Care teacher, Grade Leader or Senior Grade Leader as soon as possible for advice and support.

Kind regards

Lee Barker

Principal