REMINDERS FOR PARENTS

NO SMOKING

SMOKING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS IS TOTALLY PROHIBITED

FRONT OFFICE ENTRANCE

Children are not to enter or leave the school via the front office entrance, unless accompanied by an adult.  Please ensure that your children are aware of this.

VPASS SIGN IN & OUT REGISTER

All parents and visitors to the school must sign in and out using the VPASS ipad that is located at the school office.  This includes any time where you will be present in the school for a period of time.  

The VPASS ipad also allows you to sign out children who will be leaving the school early (eg.dentist appointment, sickness).  If the child will be returning the same day, you will also need to sign them back in using the ipad.If you are bringing your child to school late, it is also necessary to fill in the late arrival section of the ipad. Office staff can help you if needed.

VISITOR DECLARATION

All Visitors, Contractors and Casual Staff entering a DOSCEL school will be required to complete a School Entry Declaration form.

SCHOOL ABSENCES

A written note is required to be sent to the class teacher if a child has been absent from school.  The note should state the date of the absence and the reason for the absence.  You can also email the school or fill in the absence form on our app, and it will be passed on to the teacher.   This information is required for the school attendance roll, which is a legal document.  In the event of long term absences, due to illness or holidays, a note is to be sent to the principal outlining the dates and reason for the absence.  The principal will then inform the classroom teacher.  This process will guarantee that children are accounted for and avoid unnecessary concern.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION CARDS

Please ensure that the your child's Emergency Information card is up to date as soon as possible. All students will have brought an emergency information card home.

If your child's medical needs change throughout the year, please notify the school. Please also ensure that you have at least 2 emergency contacts as well as parent details. It is important that we have a person to contact in an emergency that lives locally and is not a parent.  This person(s) is only contacted if we are unable to contact parents, who are obviously our first point of call.

Buses

Children travelling by bus will be dismissed from the classroom at 3.10pm and assemble at the front of the school at the Gumnuts gate.  After being checked off the bus list, the teacher will then walk them up to the bus pick up area and ensure they board the buses

Cars

Children being picked up by cars are to leave via the Raglan Street or Guthridge Parade exits.  Guthridge Parade is a no parking zone between 8.00 – 9.30am and 2.30 – 4.00pm.  The duty teachers will dismiss children as parents arrive.  Children are to use the school crossings where necessary and no child is to cross the road unaccompanied by an adult.  If a child being collected by car does not use the crossing, an adult must cross the road to collect them at all times.

The area along Raglan Street marked with white lines is a ‘kiss and drop’ zone only.  You may stop, drop off or pick up your children and immediately leave the zone.  You cannot park and leave your car.  If you do so you may receive a fine.  Police do a regular check of the area.

Please do not double park when dropping off or collecting children.  This is an extremely dangerous situation, which puts children at risk of an accident. Children will be discouraged from getting into cars that are double-parked.  Parents are asked to abide by the road rules carefully to minimise the risk of danger to the children.

We have had a few instances of parents arriving to pick up their child and coming to the office not knowing where their child is.  After some phone calls, the child is then found to have gone home with a friend’s parent.  This practice is not encouraged as it causes a lot of anxiety and could be avoided by notifying the office or leaving the child in the office so the staff can contact the parent that is running late.

After School Care

A form has been sent home asking for details of children attending after school care.  It is important that the school is kept informed of students using these services and any changes to your child’s routine.  If your child is booked into after school care but is not attending, please ensure both the after school care service and the school are notified.

Walking

If children walk home, it is important that parents advise them of the safest route home.  Please ensure that your child is old enough to walk home unaccompanied and is familiar with the road rules.

LUNCH BOXES

If you are sending your child to school with yoghurt, meat, cheese or any food that needs to be chilled, please include an icepack in your child’s lunch box.  No refrigeration is available.

SUPERVISION

Four teachers are rostered on for yard duty during recess and lunchtime.  In addition two teachers are rostered each afternoon from 3.15pm to 3.30pm to cover supervision from Raglan Street and Guthridge Parade exits.  Two teachers are on yard duty each morning from 8.30am to 8.55am.  Teachers are present in classrooms from 8.40am each morning and until 3.30pm each afternoon. 

No child is to arrive at school before 8.30am.  There is no teacher on duty prior to this time.  The school does not take responsibility for the supervision of children prior to 8.30am unless arranged with the Principal.

We ask that children arrive at school on time.  It is very disruptive to class routines if children are constantly late to class.  Vital information and important learning experiences may also be missed.

Children are to be collected no later than 3.30pm.

HEAD LICE
Please check your children’s hair regularly for head lice.  Head lice infestations are a common occurrence, particularly in primary schools.

• anyone can catch head lice regardless of their age, sex, or how clean their hair is
• head lice move from one person's head to another via hair
• head lice do not survive long when they are off a human head
• head lice do not live on furniture, hats, bedding or carpet
• head lice have built up some resistance to head lice treatments

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION
Parents are encouraged to contact the principal or staff members at any time to discuss your children.  It is vital that the lines of communication are kept open between home and school.  Please understand however, that staff members often have commitments before and after school, so it is advisable to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time, to ensure you receive sufficient time and attention.  This also prevents valuable class time being interrupted.
Prior contact needs to be made with the principal or class teacher, if a parent who does not normally have custody of the child and is unknown to staff, wishes to visit the child at school or, see the class teacher.  Please note that schools are obliged to adhere to custodial documentation.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS
Children should have with them all items that were outlined in the booklist.  In addition they need to bring an art smock and a library bag.  Parents are asked to make sure stationery requirements are updated as required. 
All purchased items are to be brought to school at the beginning of the year.  The teachers will store excess pencils, pens, glue sticks etc. and distribute them to the children as needed throughout the year.
All student belongings are to be clearly and permanently labelled.

EMERGENCY DRILLS
Emergency evacuation and lock-in drills are carried out regularly.  The assembly point for evacuations is the south west corner of the school oval.  When the warning siren (or continuous ringing of hand bells) sounds, everyone must report to the oval, be accounted for,
and await further instructions.    When the Lock-In siren is sounded all children and adults must return to the appropriate classroom or work area and follow the outlined instructions.  This includes all parents and other visitors to the school.

ASSEMBLIES
We hope to return to Friday 12.30pm assembly however this may not be a whole school assembly

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP

The uniform shop will be open by prior arrangement only. Please contact the school on 03 51441332

MEDICATION SIGN-IN REGISTER
Any prescription medication that a child must take during school hours must be signed in at the school office.  NOTE: All medication must be prescribed by a Medical Practitioner and have the child’s name and dosage on the bottle.