GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
AN ALPHABETICAL LIST as of February 2008
The information on this page has been prepared with advice and
suggestions from Leadership, Teaching Staff, School Service officers and
Parents. We hope it makes your association with Stirling North Primary
School as informed and rewarding as possible. This should answer most of
the questions you may have about our school. If you have any other
questions, please don't hesitate to contact the school.
Whole school
assemblies are held fortnightly on a Monday at 9am. Assemblies provide
the opportunity for music, drama, acknowledging student successes and
the sharing of work. With examples of appropriate practices and efforts
being acknowledged at these assemblies, it is important that
parents/caregivers are encouraged to attend.
It is a DECS requirement that a reason is given for all student
absences. Therefore, please inform your child's teacher if your child is
absent (via a note in child's diary/communication book or a phone call
and state reason why child is absent). Then let Wendy in the front
office know either in person, or by phone. If your child has an illness
or there is a family reason for being absent over a long period of time,
please inform the school as soon as possible.
When a child is absent for three days without a reason, the school will
make contact. If your child has been absent without an explanation, you
will receive an Education Department form on which to provide the reason
for the absence to return to the school.
Once a child turns 6 years old, it is compulsory for them to attend school. Parents
are expected to send a note to explain all absences. Staff also
appreciate it if parents can ring the school to let us know if their
child will be absent on the day or for a particular period of time.
Messages can be left at any time with the Front Office staff and they
will pass it on to the relevant teacher. Teachers are obliged to monitor
student absence and lateness through their roll books. When concerns or
patterns emerge parents are contacted.
Children who arrive after 8:45am are required to sign in at the front
office and pick up a blue card to give to their class teacher to show
they have signed in. parents are required to give a written explanation
for all lateness.
The school day begins at 8:45am. All students should be in their
classrooms and ready to start lessons by this time. If children are late
to school they miss roll call, morning routines and other activities
that set the context for the day.
8:30am
-
Children are able to enter school yard.
No students are allowed
in the yard before 8:30am, when a teacher commences yard duty.
8:45am
- Lessons begin.
10:50am
- Recess starts
11:07am
- Recess finishes, pack away gear, drinks, toilet, line up
at classes
11:10am
- Lessons start
12:40pm -
Eating lunch bell
12:50pm - Lunch
playtime
1:27pm
- Lunch finishes, pack away gear, drinks, toilet, line up
at classroom
1:30pm
- Afternoon lessons begin
3:15pm
- School finishes
3:25pm
-
Yard Supervision Closes
3:30pm
- All students should be out of school grounds
The school bank
day is on Tuesday mornings for Bank SA, and Thursday mornings for the
CPS Credit Union.
All bank money should be sent with your child and given to the teacher
as soon as your child arrives at school. The bank boxes are then sent to the front
office where a member of Bank SA or CPS Credit Union will process them.
The boxes are then returned to the relevant teachers to return bankbooks
to the children. Please ask at the front office for the necessary forms
if you would like your child to develop good saving habits through the
use of the school banking service.
We have two areas, which have bike racks for children who ride bikes to
school. All bikes should be locked with a chain. Bicycles are stored at
the owner's risk. Children are allowed to ride their own bikes on the
BMX track at break times, but care must be taken. Any dangerous or rough
riding will not be tolerated. Helmets must be worn.
Class teachers send out a class newsletter at the beginning of each
term, outlining the term's activities and any relevant information.
The school newsletter is sent out every Tuesday. If you wish to receive
the newsletter via e-mail, please give your email address to Wendy in
the front office.
Notes are sent home via class diaries, or individual students, or
through the oldest child in each family.
If you wish to communicate with the school, you may:
*
Write in your child's diary
*
Write a note to the class teacher
*
Make an appointment to see class teacher/Wellbeing Coordinator/Deputy Principal/
Principal
*
Approach a Governing Council Member with your concerns
The most convenient times to ring staff are:
8:15 - 8:30 am, 10:50 - 11:10am, 12:50 - 1:25pm and 3:15 - 3:30p.m.
Parents are to avoid
trying to contact staff during lessons times.
Please try to avoid ringing with messages for your child/ren during
school times, unless it is an emergency.
Custodial parents are expected to provide the principal with information
about custody and access. This is important to ensure the safety and
well being of all involved.
No dogs allowed on the school grounds, (even on a leash) due to health
hazards from droppings, and children's safety.
An application form is available from the front office for the school
dental service. When you collect your child's enrolment forms from
school you will be given an application form. The Dental Service is
situated on Flinders Terrace in Port Augusta and is available for check
ups and treatment. The Dental Service will post you an appointment card
with a time and date on it.
Parents must complete and return the Student Emergency Cards during the
first week of each year, or upon enrolment. The information provided
enables us to make contact with a parent or caregiver if students are
hurt or ill. Please let us know as soon as any of your contact
information changes.
Please let the school office know as soon as you decide to enrol your
child/ren or if you know of another family that wishes to enrol at Stirling
North Primary. All DECS schools are staffed on current and estimated
enrolments so it is important that we are able to keep our registers up
to date. When you enrol the Principal or Deputy Principal would like to
meet you to discuss your child's needs as a learner. Children may attend
school the day after they enrol.
.
Transition
Program
A
transition program is provided as pre-entry to school. Information about
the Transition program is given to parents via the Stirling North CSC.
The first visit occurs when the Reception class visits the Kindergarten for a
Reverse Transition visit, which usually takes place in week 5 (Week 6 in
Term1). The following week the Kindy Children (who are starting school
the following term) visit the school and a parent information meeting is
held in the staffroom. The transition visits gradually increase in time
until the child stays all day.
Reception
Stirling North Governing Council recommends that children beginning
reception for the first time do not attend on Wednesday of the 1st
five weeks to enable them to adjust to school routines more easily.
However, parents may choose for their child to attend each day.
Whichever options parents choose, they must advise the school prior to
their child commencing. If there needs to be a change to their option,
this needs to be discussed with the class teacher concerned.
Length of time
in Junior Primary (Reception - Year 2)
Children will generally have from between 10 and 14 school terms in
Reception - Year 2.
Transferring to
Stirling North Primary from another school
Whenever relevant and possible, we will contact your child's previous
school to speak with teachers so we can support continuity in your
child's education.
Transition to
High School
The High school runs a transition programme for Year 7 students. Around
the middle of the year, students will be given a tour of the high
school. Towards the end of the year they will participate in 2 days of
lessons at the high school and will be given a ride on the high school
bus to see where all the stops are.
When signing your child's emergency contact card/permission forms, you
give the school permission to take your child/children on excursions
within walking distance of the school. All other outings/excursions will
need additional parental permission slips signed. Aquatic Consent and
Medical Forms must be completed for any activities involving swimming.
There is great value in camps and excursions. School or class excursions
may include whole or part day visits to local venues, which reinforce
study undertaken at school.
School camps may include sleep-ins, bus tours or camps under canvas.
Camps and excursions can provide: shared learning for a whole class
which is most beneficial to social development; first hand experiences
which are the most powerful forms of learning; an enrichment of language
development by activities both prior to and following such outings; an
opportunity for children to develop independence and self discipline.
Parents will be given ample prior notice of an intended camp or
excursion.
Objectives and itinerary will be supplied by the teacher for parents
information.
Keeping costs to a minimum is a major consideration at all times, and
arrangements can be made with the Schools Finance Officer to pay by
instalments.
Consent forms must be signed by parents/guardians before a child is
allowed to attend a camp or excursion.
Children not attending camps or excursions with their class groups
MUST
attend school. They will be relocated in another classroom for that
period of time.
As the school is a P21 school, it is run by a Governing Council in
conjunction with Grant Ind - Principal. Meetings are held in
weeks 4 & 8 of each term on Monday nights commencing at 7.00pm in the
staffroom. Visitors are welcome.
The School's Sun Protection Policy requires children to wear a broad
brimmed or bucket hat of no less than 6cm. All children are required to
wear a hat of this type throughout the school year. The School's Sun
Protection Policy and the Yard Behaviour Management Policy includes a
No hat be in specified areas undercover. Bench time out is given to
those who play without a hat in the yard. Hats may be purchased from the
Front Office.
The school is air-conditioned and therefore we do not dismiss early on
hot days.
No child may leave the schoolyard during school time unless accompanied
by a staff member, parent or guardian.
When this is necessary, a note must be sent to notify that your child will be
picked up by the appropriate adult. Once a child has arrived in the
school grounds they will not be allowed to leave without written
permission. When a parent/caregiver is collecting a child, they must
report to the front office and the child will meet you there for
collection and the sign out book will be filled out.
The consequence for leaving the school grounds without permission is to
spend time in the Time-Out Room. Parents will be notified. If they are
unavailable, the Police will be contacted.
Children may borrow books from the Library during library lessons or at
other times when the Library is open. The children require some form of
plastic or material bag to protect the books in transit to and from
school.
All lost property is taken to the front office and placed in a green
plastic garbage bin, which is kept in the small bathroom between the
Time-Out room and the Sickroom. It is advised that
hats/jumpers/jackets/lunchboxes/water bottles, etc be clearly labelled
with the child's name. Parents are asked to check for any lost property
regularly as at the end of each term all remaining items are given to a
local charity. Valuables, which are found and brought to the front
office, are kept in a safe place and can be claimed when the owner
identifies their lost property.
LUNCH ORDERS
The school canteen operates only four days per week, Tuesday to Friday.
THE CANTEEN IS CLOSED EVERY MONDAY! Children are to place their lunch
order in the bucket provided in their classroom. Monitors will then take
it to the canteen. At lunchtime, monitors pick up the ordered lunches
and take them back to class. A canteen price list is available from the
front office, and lunch order bags are available from the canteen. The
canteen is always on the lookout for more volunteers so if you have any
free time, please don't hesitate to let the school know.
If at any time your child needs to take medication at school, please
contact Wendy in the front office and she will administer the medication
at the correct time. Written instructions must be given to the school
with the correct dosage and other relevant information supplied. We
cannot dispense medications that are not clearly labelled with the name
of the medication, the times, dosage and name of the child.
This is very important so please contact the school for further
information. On enrolment, if your child has a medical condition that
requires treatment at school, you will be asked to fill in the relevant
Health Management Plan. It is your child's responsibility to come to the
front office for his/her medication.
Messages to teachers can be sent through the student diary or
communication books or in any note form. Telephone messages through the
school office to your children during the day should only be requested
on an emergency basis.
All money paid to the school for fees; class activities or school
programs must be sent in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the
child's name, class, amount and purpose. This can be paid directly to
the front office or placed by the child into the moneybox kept in each
classroom. This is then sent to the front office via monitors. Receipts
will be sent home via the child as soon as the money is processed.
Some music lessons are available to children in Years 5,6 & 7. Depending
on the instrument chosen lessons will either be held at the school or at
the Port Augusta Secondary School. All fees and costs associated with Music
Lessons are the responsibility of the parent/caregiver. Transport is
also the responsibility of the parent/caregiver.
The school newsletter is sent home every Tuesday via the youngest child in
a family. It is edited by the Principal and contains information about
the school's activities and policies. A diary dates section is included
to remind parents of upcoming events. To ensure that school / home
communication is at its best, parents are asked to check their child's
bag each Tuesday and to then read the newsletter. Class teachers also
send home class newsletters at the start of each term. If you would like
to receive your newsletter via e-mail, please let Wendy know your e-mail
address at the front office.
The school office (front desk) operates between 8:15am and 4:00pm.
Daily
The School's Finance Officer is (Marion Williams) and is available
during the hours of 8:45am - 3:30pm.
The school actively promotes and supports parent involvement and parent
participation. If you are willing to help with anything, please contact
the school. Some areas where parents can volunteer to help are: canteen,
listening to reading in class, transport, success room, fundraising,
catering, busy bees. You will be made to feel welcome in whichever way
you choose to help.
Ensure that your child/ren attend school and encourage them to be
involved in school and class activities and curriculum.
Know that students must have permission from a teacher as well as
parents to leave the school grounds.
Support students to wear appropriate clothing. For example a broad brimmed hat or
bucket hat, covered shoes or sandals (No
thongs, high heels, slip on
shoes, etc),
No
singlet tops and ensure shirts/dresses must cover shoulders.
Remind students to bring the equipment they require to do school work
each day.
Provide students with a healthy recess, lunch and water to drink for
the day.
Support the School Behaviour Management Policy. Discuss any concerns
with the class teachers and the Principal.
Make an appointment to discuss any concerns with your child's teacher as
soon as the concern arises. Negative comments you make about the school
and the staff may pass onto your child and possibly affect the way he or
she approaches the school/staff member.
Please make your child's teacher is aware of any arrangements if anyone
other than you, or a regular caregiver, collects your children. It is
best for written authorisation to be given if any changes occur.
Marion Williams, our school Finance Officer, is able to advise you
regarding these matters. Please drop in and see her if you have any
concerns. Arrangements can be made to pay school fees by instalments.
All State Schools are in School Watch. Please report any suspicious
activity to the Port Augusta Police Station on: 86 48 5020.
The school colours are navy blue and yellow.
Governing Council
has introduced a compulsory student school uniform and
we
encourage all students to wear clothes of these colours. We have a small
number of windcheaters available for sale,
and Polo
T-shirts can be ordered through the front office (in the colour of navy
& gold). Please
call in to the front office and se Wendy or Marion who will be willing to help you. We also have a
small number of second hand uniform items for sale. If your child has
outgrown his/her uniform and it is no longer required, we are always
trying to replenish our stocks.
When you enrol your child at school, you will be asked for the following
information:
The name of two people, besides yourself & partner, who are generally
available for us to contact in the case of an emergency.
Your Doctor's name and phone number and your Medicare Number.
Any medical condition or allergy that may affect your child at school
This information is vitally important to us.
If your child is sick, please do not send them to school. They often
become distressed and would be more comfortable at home or with a friend
or relative. Colds and flu are very easily spread when children come to
school sick.
In general, if your child is unwell or has an infection, you or your
emergency contact will be required to take him/her home., Therefore it
is important that current phone numbers for home, work and your
emergency support are accurate. We will ask for these to be checked
periodically.
In the case of injury, accident or illness at school, an authorised
member of staff will take the following action:
Administer the necessary first aid. If follow up is needed, inform the
parents by phone or in writing,
Contact parent or emergency contact person to collect the child or
negotiate appropriate action,
If no contact can be made, check the child's medical record, then
arrange for appropriate treatment. Note: parents are liable for any
cost incurred,
Complete an Accident Report Form as soon as possible after an accident.
Asthmatics should keep their own puffer with them at all times. A
labelled spare should be given to Wendy to keep in the First Aid
Cupboard.
If an ambulance is needed, costs incurred will be the responsibility of
the parents.
Please keep the school updated with your current work, home and mobile
phone numbers and let us know of any changes to your emergency contact
numbers. This enables us to keep up to date records of important
information affecting your child's welfare. (Please only write emergency
contact numbers of those who live close to the school, e.g. The Port
Augusta and Stirling North area. It is no use to your child if you put
down a contact that lives in Adelaide or the like, as they will be
unable to assist us.)
Infectious
Diseases
Measles, Mumps, Chicken Pox, etc:- We also need to know if your child
has caught any childhood diseases. Because these diseases are quite
contagious they carry with them exclusion periods from school. Family
members may also be excluded for a period of time if a brother or sister
is infected. Please check with the Front Office.
Disease Recovery Period
*
Chicken Pox ~ 7 days from the appearance of the spots
*
Hepatitis A ~ Notifiable! Minimum exclusion: 5 days after treatment
began
*
Measles ~ 7 days from the appearance of the rash
*
Mumps ~ 10 days from the onset of the symptoms
*
Rubella (German Measles) ~ 7 days from the appearance of the rash
*
Whooping Cough ~ Excluded for 4 weeks unless medical certificate of
recovery is produced
*
Head Lice or Scabies ~ Absent until effective treatment is carried out
*
Ringworm, School Sores, Tinea ~ Excluded until effective treatment has
been carried out
*
Conjunctivitis ~ Excluded during the acute stage of the infection
Head lice
If your child contracts head lice please contact the school for
information about how to treat it. Do not send your child to school
until they have been treated. You will also need to wash all bed linen,
towels, toys, and hairbrushes, etc in the home in hot soapy water. It is
a time consuming process to get rid of lice in a school and therefore
head lice are best treated early before more children get them and the
cycle continues. The school will inform you of any occurrence of head
lice in your child's class.
SAPSASA. South Australian Primary Schools Amateur sports Association
is a unit of the Department of Education and Children's Services. SAPSASA is committed to improving the quality and quantity of sporting
opportunities available to primary school students in South Australia.
SAPSASA Sport is characterised by fun, enjoyment, participation,
competition, challenge, character development and social interaction.
Friday afternoon sports runs for 8 weeks of each term. One sport is
chosen for the term and competitions are with other Port Augusta Schools.
Parents are asked to provide transport when the Stirling North teams
play away. The Area Coordinator selects which sports the children will
play each term. Years 4 -7 do athletics and swimming. Years 5 - 7
participate in everything else.
Children are offered swimming lessons in term four of each year. Junior
Primary Students go for one week, Primary Students have two weeks.
Children in years 5, 6 & 7 have the opportunity to choose between
swimming and aquatics. Aquatics are held in Term 1.
Sports Day is usually held in term 3. The students are divided into four
houses (Teams), Minchin, Brown, Saltia and Elder. At the end of the day
the team with the most points wins the Shield. Junior Primary children
participate in modified games whilst Upper Primary children participate
in discus, shotput, long jump, high jump, etc in the morning. Running
races and relays are held during the afternoon.
All DECS schools are
SMOKE FREE ZONES,
which means
NO ONE
is allowed to smoke on school grounds. All parents are asked to
respect this policy by not smoking when visiting the school and
participating in a school activity.
Teachers constantly monitor student's progress. Each year students are
assessed in aspects of Literacy and Numeracy. Students who the teacher
considers are not progressing are identified and given extra support.
Parents are informed if this is happening and are often involved in
providing extra support at home as well. When student progress is cause
for serious concern, support from the DECS Special Education Unit is
requested by a teacher (or parent through the Principal). The Student is
assessed by a Guidance Officer. This assessment is followed up by a
parent/teacher/Guidance Officer meeting, where an educational plan that
is best for the individual child is developed.
If you have any concerns, please make an appointment to see the
Principal, Deputy Principal or the Student Wellbeing Coordinator.
As required by DECS, class teachers maintain a Pupil Record Folder for
each child. The folders contain enrolment information; copies of student
assessments and reports; any relevant documentation related to a
student's learning needs and special education programs; and any medical
information provided to the school by you or your child's practitioners.
The Pupil Record Folder serves as a cumulative record of your child's
schooling. The contents of the folder are only used on a need to know
basis. If your child transfers to another school the folders are passed
on. In line with Privacy Principles, upon written request, the folders
are made available for your and your child to look through.
STUDENT VOICE
The ‘Student Voice
Executive’ is the Student Leadership team at Stirling North Primary
School. Ten upper primary students hold a meeting every week to talk
about school issues and organise exciting whole school events.
Our main roles are
to:
·
Represent the ideas of the
students in our school
·
Present the Student Voice
report at Assembly
·
Keep the Kangaroo Cup
score up to date (our School Values House Team competition)
·
Reward students who have
achieved all 9 Values with prizes and certificates
·
Organise whole school
celebrations (eg. casual clothes days, movie afternoons)
·
Organise and run lunchtime
activities
·
Organise fundraising
activities for charities (eg. Loud Shirt Day, Jump Rope for Heart) and
our school
Parents, Caregivers, Relatives and Friends are asked to abide by the
following guidelines when dropping off and picking up children.
Dropping Off and Picking Up: please do not allow your children to exit
or enter your car from the roadside. Insist they use the other side.
Please ensure that you stand and wait for your child on the school side
of the road so that they do not run across the road by themselves. If
you take the time to walk just a little further, they will be so much
safer.
Do not park in the Staff Carpark or let your children walk through this
area. It is very hard to see a child in amongst the cars and for this
reason walking through and parking in the carpark is banned.
Please do not park on the school side of Railway Station Road, between
the NO PARKING signs. We have this no parking area for a reason, and it
is to keep your children safe.
Cars are not allowed to park in the area in front of the Front Office,
as this is a flow through area and must not be blocked.
Listed below are the current term dates
for South Australian schools.
| |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
| Term 1 |
29 Jan - 11 Apr |
27 Jan - 9 Apr |
27 Jan - 1 Apr |
| Term 2 |
28 Apr - 4 Jul |
27 Apr - 3 Jul |
19 April - 2
July |
| Term 3 |
21 Jul - 26 Sep |
20 Jul - 25 Sep |
19 Jul - 24
Sept |
| Term 4 |
13 Oct - 12 Dec |
12 Oct - 11 Dec |
11 Oct - 10
Dec |
Parents should ensure that valuables and large amounts of money are not
brought to school. Any money should be carried on the child's person and
not left in school bags or on desks, or alternatively given to the
teacher for safekeeping.
|
