School Update

The start of the school year is always an exciting and busy time.  For parents and carers, it is a time when we need to reset our daily routines after the holidays, a time for extra-curricular activities to commence and for us to familiarise ourselves with new faces and schedules. 

It can therefore be helpful to have a refresher of our school schedules and operations, and for those new to the school, we hope it is helpful to outline some of the basic information for you. You are always welcome to email us on montmorency.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au with any further questions.  Our website is also a source of information for parents. 

School Timetable

8:58 am              Music followed by bell

9:00 am              3 x 50 minutes teaching blocks

11:30 am            Bell - Lunch eating time (supervised in classrooms) begins 

11:40 am            Bell - Lunch play begins outside

12:27 pm            Music to come in

12:30 pm            2 x 50 minutes teaching blocks

2:10 pm              Bell - Recess play begins

2:40 pm              Music to come inside

2:40 pm              1 x 50 minutes teaching session

3:30 pm              Bell / School finishes

Whole school assemblies - Held every Wednesday fortnight from 2.45pm to 3.15pm. These dates can be found on the calendar on the school website and in Compass. Parents are welcome to attend. 

Absences – Absences should be logged via Compass as soon as possible. You are also welcome to email your child’s teacher however you must still log absences in Compass. If you intend to take an extended holiday you will need to email the school email address as well as your child’s teacher. 

Late student drop off and early pick up – Please sign your child in or out via the kiosk at reception. 

Afternoon announcements – if you are running late or need to give your child after school instructions, please call the office by 3.15pm on the day. We will call your child’s name over the loud speaker at 3.25pm. They are to attend the office after the bell and staff will pass on your message at that time.

Parent/Teacher Communication - Parent/Carer contact with the school is encouraged to discuss issues of concern.  Parents may contact staff by school phone, email or Compass, and are encouraged to do so during the hours of 8.30am – 4.30pm. Our school policy requires they respond within 2 working days. If a meeting is required, a mutually convenient time should be arranged. In Terms 1 and 3, 3-way conferences involving parent, teacher and child participation will be held, and written Student Reports are provided at the end of Terms 2 and 4. 

Class Parent Representatives - parents are invited to volunteer for the role of Class Representative of their child’s class.  Ideally each class will have 1-2 Class Reps.  As a Class Rep you will be asked to liaise between the class teacher and parents/carers of your child’s class in order to set up a WhatsApp communication group for parents/carers to share information and coordinate social activities and to call on parents to help in class or other related school activities.  This scheme allows parents to meet others in the school community.  Anyone who would like to be included in the chat group will be offered the opportunity to complete the contact form soon. If a chat group has already been set up, we ask that you complete and return the form regardless. 

Before and after school Care (OSHC) – Our Camp Australia coordinator is Jennifer and you can find information about the program on our website.  See the flyer for Term 1 in the Community Information section of this newsletter.