From the Principal continued

ACCIDENTS, ILLNESSES OR INJURIES AT SCHOOL

If your child is injured at school, they will be immediately referred to the First Aid room for assistance.  For serious injuries or sudden illnesses, parents will be telephoned immediately, and if necessary an ambulance will be called.  Minor injuries (cuts, grazes etc) are treated in the first aid room and the child returns to their classroom.  When a child receives treatment, they are given a note to take home to parents, which details the procedures taken.  We do not have a whole school policy to cover accident insurance. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s position on insurance for school injuries is set out below:

“Schools are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance for students.  Parents and guardians are generally responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs, unless the injury is caused by the negligence (carelessness) of a Department or school council employee or volunteer.

Student accident insurance policies are available from the private insurance market.  These cover a range of medical expenses not covered by Medicare.  They can be obtained by school councils on a whole-of-school basis, or by parents for individual students. 

If there is no whole of school policy, parents/guardians must be reminded at the start of the year and, ideally, prior to any school camp or major excursion that:

·         parents/guardians are generally responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs; and

·         reasonably low cost accident insurance policies are available from the commercial insurance sector."

EDUCATIONAL MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE (EMA)

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is provided by the Victorian Government to lower-income families to help with education-related costs.

If you have a child under 16, and you hold a valid Health Care Card, Pension Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible to receive the EMA. The allowance is paid in two instalments, one in March and one in August.

The payment is intended to assist with education-related costs such as; uniforms, excursions, textbooks, and stationery.

How to Apply: Contact the school office to obtain an EMA application form.

Closing Date: You need to obtain an EMA application form from the school office and return by 28 February 2014.

For more information about the EMA, visit http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/financial/Pages/default.aspx

PERSONAL GOODS BROUGHT TO SCHOOL

Personal property is often brought to school by students, staff and visitors.  This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it will generally not pay for any loss or damage to such property. Parents are asked to discourage their children from bringing to school any unnecessary or particularly valuable items.  If bicycles or scooters are brought to school, they must be individually padlocked onto the bicycle racks, which are beside the multipurpose hall.  Although every care is taken, the school cannot accept any responsibility for the safety of any of these items.

Heather Hill