z   ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL

School commences each day at 9:00am. The first bell rings at 8:50am. Students should be at school by this time to allow them to settle down and prepare for the day’s lessons. 

Parents are kindly asked not to deliver any children to school before 8:00am unless attending prearranged rehearsals or practice.

Education Queensland’s policy does not require supervision before or after school. Students are to remain in the classroom areas and not play in the Adventure Play area or ovals.

 z   SCHOOL HOURS/ROUTINE

At 3:00pm students are expected to leave the premises immediately on dismissal unless involved in supervised sports practice or music rehearsals. Students who travel by bus or are collected from the Drop Off Zone are to wait at the supervised assembly areas. Further details in the Health and Safety booklet. Students are not permitted to use school facilities after school while waiting for parents.    

 z   SCHOOL – HOME COMMUNICATION

Weekly  Newsletter – This is an important communication between school and home. It is sent home every Thursday with the eldest student in the family attending our school.
 

·        Parent/teacher interviews (At the end of Semester 1, optional for Semester 2)

·        End semester reporting twice yearly

·        Parent/teacher contact over issues of mutual concern is strongly encouraged. A communication booklet is widely used in the younger age groups. Appointments need to be made at a mutually convenient time to allow teachers adequate preparation time, especially before school.

Parent Information Nights – Parent nights are held for each year level as early as possible in each new year. These nights allow parents to be informed or ask questions about teaching methods, classroom organisation, homework and learning content. They also allow teachers and parents to get to know each other.

Other nights will occasionally be held to help inform parents about specific curriculum areas, camps etc.

 Parades – Generally parades are held each week. 1^st Monday of the month a whole school parade is held at 9am then alternating Mondays at 1:30pm for Years P – 2, 3 & 4, 5/6/ & 7. Dates for these parades are notified via the weekly Newsletter.

 z   ADMISSION POLICY AND TRANSFER OF STUDENTS

Parents of students entering Year 1 from Sunnybank Hills State Preschool and other centres will have the opportunity to enroll their child in Term 3 prior to the commencement of the school year. Schools in this District now have a defined area for enrolments. Details of the enrolment boundaries are available from the school office. The school maintains a waiting list for students outside the defined area. For acceptance into Year One, a child must reach the age of five years by the end of December of the year preceding his/her enrolment. For acceptance into Preschool, a child must reach the age of four years by the end of December of the year preceding his/her enrolment. Therefore it is necessary for documentary evidence (for example, a copy of birth certificate, passport) to be available for sighting at the time of enrolment. 

A school transfer certificate is required when a student transfers from one State School to another within Queensland. Parents are requested to inform the school office as early as possible, either by letter or personal contact when a transfer is required. If possible, the name of the school the child will be attending should be advised. Library books on loan and school reading books should be returned before a transfer is issued. Personal books should be retained for use at the new school. 

If transferring interstate or to a private school, advice to the school office is also required. 

Year 7 students do not require a transfer to their Secondary School but notification of the Secondary School will be sought from parents towards the end of the year.

 z   PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

Students leaving the school during the school day will require their parent/guardian to authorise it (in person, phone or in writing). On all occasions, the collection/departing point for these students is via the school office or from their classrooms. No children are permitted to leave the grounds on their own or wait at the gates.

 z   VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS REGISTER

All visitors to the school are required to sign the Register in the Administration office. 

All volunteers (classroom, tuckshop, uniform shop etc) are required to sign the Register located in the room they are involved in.  

 z   CUSTODY – PARENTAL ACCESS

In these situations, it is imperative that the Principal be advised in writing as to the custody and access arrangements of the child/children involved. If a court order has been issued, then the Principal will ask to see this court order and to keep a copy in a confidential file.

This is to ensure that school personnel comply as far as possible with requests in relation to:-

1.        Granting or refusing access to child/ren during school hours,

2.       Providing certain information to the other party. 

 z   LOST PROPERTY

Each week all articles of lost property found in the grounds and covered play areas are forwarded to the school  office. Once a week any unclaimed belongings are sorted. Identifiable articles are returned to the relevant student through their class teacher, whilst unnamed articles are stored until the end of the term for possible claiming. After that, all unclaimed school items will be given to the Uniform Shop as Secondhand clothes and unclaimed general items will be donated to our Lifeline Bin. Please call at the school office if wishing to check unnamed clothing.

 z   STUDENT BANKING (COMMONWEALTH BANK DOLLARMITE ACCOUNT)

Though not compulsory, students from Year 1 upwards are encouraged to bank weekly. Early in the new year parents of Year 1 students will be advised when banking starts for their children. Enrolment forms to open accounts will be sent home. A parent volunteer conducts school banking each Thursday with deposits being made via EFT. Each classroom teacher will collect/return the student’s bank book.

 z   CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS

Parents are given timely notification as to when class photographs will be taken each year. The formal school uniform is the usual dress requirement for these photographs.

 z   STUDENT PERSONAL RECORD

The school keeps a computer and card record of students’ names, addresses, telephone numbers etc ensuring the Administration is able to contact parents in the event of illness/accidents.

 To ensure that these records are accurate, parents are asked to advise the school immediately in writing if any of these details change:-

1.        Mailing and home address

2.       Telephone numbers (home, work, mobile)

3.       Family situation

4.       Emergency contacts (other than parents).

 z                  TELEPHONE CALLS

Students are not permitted to make telephone calls concerning items/materials which may have been forgotten. Office staff will make calls on behalf of students in emergencies only. Mobile phones are not permitted at school. If students need a mobile phone for after school, please have student leave it at the school office for safekeeping until the end of the school day.

 z                  UNDESIRABLE ITEMS

Parents should ensure that their children do not bring to school such undesirable items as pen knives, toy guns, valuable toys and/or jewellry. Dangerous items will be confiscated immediately. Possession of items considered to be at risk (eg valuables) will bring counselling from teachers. ‘Fad’ toys eg. Pokemon, Digimon items are not to be brought to school at all.

 z                  EXEMPTION FROM CLASS ACTIVITIES

Should a parent desire that a child be exempted from school activities eg. Physical Education, sport (that may seriously affect the child’s health) a note must be forwarded to the child’s teacher stating the length of time that this exception is to be effective. Any parent wishing for their child/ren not to participate in Religious Education lessons needs to put this request in writing to Administration.

     z               EXCURSIONS/CAMPS/PERFORMANCES/ART/CRAFT AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

From time to time educational excursions are organised to reinforce work undertaken at school. For these excursions etc, students are expected in most cases to meet the cost of transport and admission fees where applicable. No student is permitted to participate without the written consent of parents. Detailed information is forwarded home at appropriate times throughout the year.

 When forwarding payment for these activities please ensure that relevant permission slips and money is enclosed in an envelope clearly marked with:- name of student, class, activity and amount enclosed. Each class teacher collects the envelopes and forwards the cash collection bag to the office for receipting. An official printed receipt is attached to the envelope and returned home via the student.

z      UNIFORMS

The wearing of a uniform encourages a closer and deeper association with the school. The school recommends that parents make every effort to have their children attired in correct school uniform. For excursions, full school uniform should be worn.

 For sun safety, a broad brimmed hat is a compulsory part of the school uniform. School hats are available from the Uniform shop. Our school policy is “No Hat, No Play”.  This policy was devised by the school community in 1997 and re-endorsed by the P & C in 2001. The policy is enforced within the school Code of Conduct. Caps are not acceptable.  Please see P & C information for further details on the school uniform.

z                  BOOK AND STATIONERY REQUIREMENTS

Year level booklists are forwarded home with each student towards the end of each year. This is a prepaid system through the uniform/bookshop.  

z       BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE

This service is offered by outside providers. 

z                  TUCKSHOP