Communication
We believe that open communication is important to foster and maintain positive and productive relationships between residential staff, families and students.
Residential staff will communicate with parents at the beginning of the year and during term time about how their child is settling in and coping with life away from home. Parents are encouraged to contact Walker House staff at any time to discuss any issues of concern, or indeed to pass on any positive comments.
Several forms will require completion before a student begins boarding. The information they provide is used to ensure that each individual receives the best possible care at the boarding house.
They are:
Medical Consent Form
Please complete this form carefully, as the information provided will help us create the Operoo profile for each resident. This profile enables students to participate in excursions. If you have any questions or concerns, we warmly encourage you to reach out to us directly. The more we know about your child, the better we are able to care for them.
Activities Consent Form
Walker House staff regularly organise and conduct social activities for students. Students will also organise their own activities during free time. Parents are asked to indicate which activities they give permission for their child to participate in. All activities are risk assessed for safety and suitability.
Transport Consent Form
Walker House staff are authorised by the School to transport students in School-approved vehicles to and from approved activities and events. These may include medical appointments, co-curricular commitments and leisure activities throughout the week and on weekends. On occasion, other parents or responsible adults may assist with transporting students. Such arrangements are subject to appropriate parental consent and approval from senior Walker House staff, taking into consideration the circumstances of the journey, the suitability of the driver and the wellbeing and safety of the student.
Driving and Travelling in Cars
Boarding students bringing a vehicle to Walker House must inform boarding staff and complete a Driver Agreement Form, which requires approval from the Director of Boarding. Students must hand in their car keys on arrival, which will be held securely in the boarding office. Vehicle use may be approved for specific purposes, such as travelling home, attending extracurricular commitments or other approved activities. Each use must have prior approval from parents or guardians and boarding staff, with all movements recorded through REACH.
Student drivers are limited to one passenger per journey, in accordance with Walker House requirements and Tasmanian road rules. Transporting another boarding student requires prior permission from both students' parents or guardians, communicated directly to boarding staff via email or text message to the Walker House duty phone, and approval from the Director of Boarding.
Boarding students travelling in a vehicle driven by an adult who is not a family member must have appropriate parental or guardian consent.
Use of Visual Images
In recording Walker House events and activities, informing the public and promoting the School, we regularly use images of students and staff. In particular, we use images of students in:
- Focus (School newspaper)
- Echoes (School yearbook)
- School website
- School calendar
- The Friends’ School social media pages
- ‘Walker House' Private Facebook Page
Several of these sites and publications can potentially be accessed worldwide and permission from parents is sought to use these images.
School Insurance for Computers
The School issues each student with an Apple Macintosh Laptop or iPad. This computer is insured by the School within Tasmania. We understand that students living outside Tasmania may need to take their computers home during holiday breaks. If a student takes the laptop home during the holiday breaks, parents must pay for any repair or replacement costs. This form provides parental consent for this to happen.
We ask that you notify us of any changes to the information contained in these forms and contact the Director of Residence if you would like to discuss any aspect of these forms.