Articles

Absences Add Up!

Did you know?

Being on time for school sets your child up for a great day of learning.
Even in Kindergarten, absences can cause children to fall behind in their learning.
Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it difficult to learn to read – a critical future skill.

Please take a moment to view this video featuring local community Leaders as they discuss the importance of everyone focusing on school attendance. Attendance Matters - United Way Regina

Click to view the full poster: Absences Add Up

#dontmissaday

Read more about Absences Add Up!

Vaccinations Up-to-Date?

Health officials are reminding parents to make sure children’s vaccinations are up-to-date. Free childhood immunizations are available for infants and school-age children in Saskatchewan to protect them against highly contagious and potentially serious diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough and chicken pox.

“It’s important to have your children vaccinated on time and on schedule to ensure full protection, especially in schools or other settings where they are most exposed,” said Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab. “Recent measles outbreaks in Europe and other countries are also a reminder that infectious diseases can spread quickly, through travel and coming into contact with unimmunized or under-immunized individuals.”

Routine vaccinations are free of charge and easily available in Saskatchewan at public health clinics (for pre-school children) and through school-based programs (for school age students).

Infants and preschool-age children are eligible to receive the following free routine vaccinations:

Diphtheria
Tetanus
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Polio
Haemophilus influenza type b
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella (chicken pox)
Meningococcal disease
Pneumococcal disease
Rotavirus

School-age children are eligible to receive the following free routine vaccinations:

Grade 6 students - hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis, varicella (chickenpox), human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine
Grade 8 students – tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) booster

Public Health Nurses review the immunization records of students in Grades 1, 6 and 8 to check if they are up-to-date for all age appropriate vaccinations. Parents will soon start receiving immunization information packages for children in grades 6 and 8.

If your child missed vaccinations or to check your child’s immunization status, contact your local public health office (link to http://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/public-health/public-health-offices).

Information on Saskatchewan’s immunization programs, the Routine Childhood Immunization Schedule, and vaccine fact sheets are available online at www.saskatchewan.ca/immunize or you can call your public health office or HealthLine 811 to inquire.

Note for media

Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s Chief Medical Health Officer will be available to respond to media inquiries on September 13^th after 1:30 pm.

For more information, contact:

Shelley Svedahl

Communications Branch

Saskatchewan Health

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-4083

Read more about Vaccinations Up-to-Date?

Ruth Pawson School Year Message

The Pawson Staff is excited for another school year. The first week of school the staff began to plan for another dynamic school year. The Big Rocks for Regina Public Schools were the focal point for our planning sessions.

High expectations for all students

Literacy achievement for all students

Climate of belonging

Authentic engagement for all students and families

Focus on attendance matters

Improvement and success… celebrating what we do well

Improvement of graduation rates and Indigenous students

Throughout the school year we will provide students with engaging activities that promote a culture for learning and a place where they long to be. In order for this to happen we need our students to be at school.

To encourage student attendance, the staff prepared a video that demonstrates a group of adults who care about their students and want them to come to school. We want our students to know, they matter to us, we want to see their smiling faces each day, and we are invested in their learning. If they attend they will achieve!