Dear Parents and Carers,

As Principal of St Pat’s I am very proud of our school and our students. It is lovely to recognise that each day the vast majority of our students are in class following school rules and fully engaged in learning. On the playground, the vast majority of students are having fun playing and spending time with their friends. We also have some students each day who are learning how to participate respectfully in the learning community. We know that our children are between 5-12 years old. We know they are children. We know they are at school to learn. We know that making mistakes is expected. Some children each day are learning more about social skills, some about self-regulation, some about higher order thinking skills. We know this and respond to this.

Here are some statistics from this week:

Monday 9 children needed office support = 4%

That means 96% were happily engaged in learning and play.

Tuesday 6 children needed office support = 2.7%

That means 97.3% were happily engaged in learning and play.

Wednesday 5 children needed office support = 2.2%

That means 97.8% were happily engaged in learning and play.

Thursday 10 children needed office support = 4.5%

That means 95.5% were happily engaged in learning and play.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is office support?

This is the term we use referring to when a member of the leadership team supports a student with their learning or behaviours for learning /play and supports them to return to class for learning.

This may mean short term removal from class.

This may mean ‘in office suspension.’

*The statistics above do not refer to all of the positive engagements the members of the leadership team have with students who have play plans, learning support plans, behaviour support plans etc and visit to receive regular positive feedback, encouragement and check ins. 

Did my child need ‘office support’ today?

If your child needed support to follow the rules by spending time in the office you will know. You may be asked to come immediately to school. You may be phoned and informed. If you don’t answer you may receive an email with a follow up phone call/email/meeting. If your child came to the office and was supported for minor managed events you may not receive a call.

What happens to the other children involved in an incident?

We will never speak about your child to another parent. We will never speak about another child to you. We must follow Privacy Legislation. We will follow the school policy and procedures and individual support plans for each child.

Are parents in the community talking about my child?

The school is regularly made aware of parent communications beyond school that may name or infer the identity of another child. If the school is informed about an unfortunate circumstance such as this we will work to address these matters with the families involved. It is very important not to speak about other people’s children and perceptions or hearsay. 

What should I do if my child is worried about their learning or I am concerned about their learning?

1. Thank them for telling you. If concerned let your child’s teacher know.
2. Stop them talking – ‘It is not our business.’
3. Call your friend and tell them what your child said and ask what their child said.
4. Make a social post.

What should I do when my child talks about something that they saw or heard at school?

1. Thank them for telling you. If concerned let your child’s teacher know.
2. Stop them talking – ‘It is not our business.’
3. Call your friend and tell them what your child said and ask what their child said.
4. Make a social post.

What should I do when my child tells me about something worrying them at school?

1. Thank them for telling you. If concerned let your child’s teacher know.
2. Stop them talking – ‘It is not our business.’
3. Call your friend, tell them what your child said, and ask what their child said.
4. Make a social post.

What should I do if my child tells me something their friend told them that they had heard from someone else…..etc?

1. Thank them for telling you. If concerned let your child’s teacher know.
2. Stop them talking – ‘It is not our business.’
3. Call your friend, tell them what your child said, and ask what their child said.
4. Make a social post.

What should I do if I am concerned about my child’s learning, engagement, behaviour?

1. Thank them for telling you. If concerned let your child’s teacher know.
2. Stop them talking – ‘It is not our business.’
3. Call your friend and tell them what your child said and ask what their child said.
4. Make a social post.

ALWAYS CHOOSE A. If you need to discuss anything about your child and their learning and engagement please contact your child’s teacher and make an appointment with them. Thank you for not speaking about other people’s children. Thank you for your commitment to working together in the education of your child. Our community is stronger when we work together.

Blessings

Jo

Infrequently Asked Questions There is a need to address these questions as the school has been made aware of conversations beyond the school regarding staff and staffing at St Patrick’s.   Why did staff leave St Pat’s mid-year? One teacher moved to Queensland, one teacher retired, one teacher had been looking to change profession and was offered a position elsewhere, one teacher can now walk across the road to work and also have more time to look after her 3 young children. One support assistant took more hours in her other position and discontinued her school position.   Did any staff leave because of my child’s behaviour? No staff talked about specific students at St Pat’s or student behaviour when deciding on their move. In the event your child was part of the reason for a member of staff leaving, this has not been communicated. No staff member would talk about specific students for many reasons, but importantly because this would breach both professional conduct and confidentiality. The teachers and staff at St Patrick’s show absolute commitment to supporting the learning and engagement of each child.   Are staff leaving because of ‘naughty children?’ The teachers who join our team are professionals and dedicated to supporting all children including those who present with unmet needs each day. One teacher recently joined our community and decided not to remain because she felt she did not have the background and capacity to meet the needs of some of the St Pat’s students.