Deputy Principal's Message
Attendance
Unfortunately our school wide attendance has taken a dip and has fallen below our target of 93%. One alarming trend that has made itself apparent is 21% of our students are attending school less than 85% of the time. If your child is missing 1 day per week of school, that equates to over 2 and a half years of their schooling life.
Here at school we have started contacting families of those students with poor attendance to offer support in getting your child to school. If for whatever reason you are having trouble to get your child to school, please ring the school and we will assist you. We have an amazing support team who are willing to help.
On a good note, as of last Friday 260 students had been at school every single day for 2020 so far. All students who have 100% attendance at the end of week 5 will be receiving our special attendance wrist band and partake in a massive group photo that will feature in our School’s lift out for the Bowen Independent paper. Keep it up!
Current Whole School Attendance
Stop, Drop and Go!
With the influx of recent complaints regarding parents/guardians using the stop, drop and go facility on Kennedy St inappropriately, here is a timely reminder of how to use this facility correctly and respectfully.
In the morning
• Keep left while queuing for Stop, Drop & Go.
• Stay in your car (this maintains a steady flow of traffic).
• Children must exit cars from the curb side only.
• Store your child’s bag inside your car; no-one should open boots at the drop zone.
• Give way when exiting the drop zone as cars may be circling.
In the Afternoon
• Your child waits under the shaded tree next to the entrance to the school. As you approach, your child will make his/her way to the car for a quick exit.
• Delay your arrival to minimise traffic congestion.
• Keep left while queuing for Stop, Drop & Go.
• Children enter cars from the curb side only.
• Store bags inside the car and not in the boot.
• You (the driver) must stay in your car.
• Give way when exiting Stop, Drop & Go as cars may be circling.
• If your child is not yet at Stop, Drop & Go, drive slowly on and circle the block to then re-join the que
• Do not double-park at any given point of time. This is an accident waiting to happen, especially with a number of buses using the same road.
Remember to be respectful and safe towards each other. Modelling these values to your children shouldn’t stop at the school gate.
We have had discussions with Bowen Police and they have committed to increasing their traffic patrols around BSS before and after school to monitor the situation. We hope this will ensure the safety of all of our students using this facility.