Glebe Public School has been lauded in the media for its exceptional success in engaging its students and in increasing attendance rates!
Congratulations to school Principal Vicky Pogulis and her staff for their efforts and the relationships they have built with the community. These include the Glebe Society, Centipede Before & After Care, parents, Glebe Police and local businesses. Individuals have also provided assistance by way of classroom and financial support.
Below is an extract from a Sydney Morning Herald article, 13 February 2014:
Vicki Pogulis commented on a time when not a single student at Glebe Public School had a perfect attendance record but over the past decade the principal has watched as one-time truants have been transformed into eager learners.
Almost one-third of the school’s 130 students is Aboriginal and its student attendance rate of 93 per cent is regarded as a major achievement. Glebe Public School is already exceeding the proposed 90 per cent attendance rate benchmark with Ms Pogulis saying it comes down to establishing strong networks with the local community.
‘We teach the children reading, writing and ‘rithmetic – the good old-fashioned three Rs’ she said. ‘But we also observe an equally important set of three Rs – that’s relationships, relationships, relationships. We have really good strong relationships with the staff, the students and the community.”
The school has an ‘attendance bus’ that collects children from their homes and brings them to school. Red Cross provides breakfast and prizes are awarded for being at school on time. Parents and carers are involved in programming and policy-making, resulting in a curriculum that engages the children.
Similarly, the home-school liaison officer and the Aboriginal school liaison officer take a supportive approach. ‘They are part of the community’ she said. The school has also achieved another target of the program, that aims to end indigenous inequality by 2031, with its above average performance in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).’
If you wish to volunteer at the school, visit the website, http://www.glebe-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/
Glebe is a real community!
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