General Information

General Office / Reception

Office Hours: Mon-Thu 8:00am - 4:00pm

Friday 8:00am - 3:30pm

Telephone: 9801 9700

The General Office is always the first point of contact for parents/visitors/contractors when attending the school or making contact with staff or students during school hours.

All visitors to the College must sign into and out of the College using the Compass touchscreen kiosk in the General Office. Appointments are recommended for teachers and can be made by email or telephone.

2023 Staff Contacts

At Wantirna College, we encourage our parents to make contact with their child’s Transition Support teacher (year 7 and 8) or their child’s Explore teacher (year 9-12) as their first point of contact. If you need to elevate your concern or query, please contact your child’s relevant Year Level Leader.

If you need to elevate your concern or query again, please contact your child’s relevant Sub School Leader. If the issue or concern is still unresolved, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s relevant Sub School Assistant Principal.

Please find our Staff Contact List attached:

Staff Contacts 2023.pdf

Student absences

In line with the Government’s commitment to compulsory attendance, the College is required to ensure all absences are recorded pursuant to DET guidelines. It is the responsibility of a student’s parent/guardian to explain why their child is absent/late. This can be done using the parent portal on Compass, by written note, by phone call to the General Office or by face-to-face conversation with a staff member. Given the convenience and security the Compass portal offers for this important part of college life, this is the preferred method.

If your child has missed a SAC or been away for more than a couple of days, then they will be required to supply a doctor's certificate.

Arriving Late to School

Students are expected to be at school at 8.30am. The first bell rings at 8.40am and classes begin at 8:45am. If you are aware your child will be late to school, parental approval should be submitted in the Compass portal, or by notifying the General Office.

To maximise learning time, students arriving late head straight to their timetabled class where the classroom teacher will update the roll and mark them as late. Where a parent approval hasn’t been submitted on Compass prior, the absence will be shown as an unexplained absence until an approval is submitted. Should a written note from a parent be provided with the student when they arrive, it should be brought to the General Office at recess or lunchtime and it will be entered in Compass.

Throughout the school day, again, to maximise learning time and promote the importance of being punctual, students arriving late to any class will be recorded as late. Parents are asked to have a conversation with their child about the importance of being on time to class, and then acknowledge/clear the unexplained late arrivals in Compass by using the ‘Parent Choice’ reason, assuming no other reason is suitable.

Early Departure from School

If a student has an appointment and needs to leave early, parents should enter an approval in Compass and select the appropriate reason from the list of options stipulated by DET. The approval appears on the class roll to alert the classroom teacher, and the student will be excused from class when they ask to leave at the designated time. Students should then attend the General Office to be signed out. If a parent provides a written note on the day, this should be taken to the General Office before school or at recess, and it will be entered into Compass. Students will not be permitted to leave class without an approval entered in Compass.

If you need to collect your child unexpectedly, please contact the General Office.

Year 12 Study Periods

Year 12 students coming to school for their study period in period 1 or remaining onsite for their period 4 study period must sign in at the General Office.

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop is usually open on Monday and Thursday from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm.

They are also open on the first Saturday of each school term from 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm.

As the start of the year is a busy time they are also opening on Wednesday from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm during February.

Enquiries to: uniform@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au

Direct Phone: 9881 7168

Library Hours

Monday to Friday:

8:15am to 4:00pm

Lost Property

Please label all your school items.

All Found Property should be taken to the General Office. If it is labelled, it will be returned to it's owner.

Unlabelled Lost Property should be taken to Mason House and can be collected by students Tuesday to Thursday, before/after school and during break times.

Please search there for your uniform items, pencil cases, books etc. Valuables will be kept at the General Office, ie: phone, watch, etc...

Student Pick up and Drop Off

We are fortunate to have the local council owned car park right next to the school (next to the ECA) which staff use to capacity each day. It has recently had the lines repainted and is now a one-way loop - "No entry" signs will be installed over the coming weeks. Invariably, we have reports of near-misses of people walking through thecarpark, so it is timely to remind families that the carpark is not a drop-off/pick-up zone.

The best drop off and pick up points for the college are:

The designated drop off and pick up zone on Harold Street in front of the Home Economics rooms
Georgian Gardens (street opposite school crossing on Harold Street)
Amesbury Avenue (fenceline along the bottom oval)
Templeton Street (South of the roundabout)
Saxon Street (off Harold Street)

Please be aware that stopping your car in the carpark, however briefly, to let passengers in or out is double-parking and can attract a large fine. For everyone’s sake, please do not drop off or pick up your students in the carpark.

College Vision

Wantirna College is committed to educating our students to be inquiring learners with high levels of literacy and numeracy, prepared to be global, ethical citizens in the 21st Century, capable of showing resilience and flexibility of thinking, willing to show initiative and take on challenges throughout their lives.

College Policies

The College has a vast array of documented policies that guide our practice. Please follow this link for College Policies:

https://www.wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au/parents/school-policies

Wantirna College

Principal:

Kevin Murphy

Assistant Principals:

Andrew Lewis, Carrie Wallis,

Natalie Manser and James Doble

Business Manager:

Peter Cameron

Sub School:

Senior School

Tim Pearson

David Black

Darren Hoogkamer

Middle Years

Nathan Rogers

Janelle Cavarra

College Captains:

Olivia Beveridge

Zarak Durani

Sophie Evans

Callum Forster

College Council President:

David Cartwright

Parents of Performing Arts Chairperson:

Nicholetta Rigano