Assistant
Principal News Flash
Stephanie Torchia & Ellen Paterson
Parent/Caregiver Opinion Survey
WE WANT OUR PARENTS / CARERS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation. Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.
The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 17 August to Friday 18 September 2026.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.
The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / carers who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to the school directly for survey guides in your language.
An email has been sent out to all families and we will have iPads available at Reception if you wish to complete at school.
Power to Kids in Schools
We're proud to be partnering with The MacKillop Institute to deliver Power to Kids in Schools. Power to Kids is a program that builds adult confidence to protect children from sexual harm. This is not a sex-ed program, and there’s no student-facing content. The program focuses on empowering the trusted adults in children's lives to recognise early warning signs of abuse, respond appropriately, and create environments where children feel safe to seek help. We know parents and carers are children’s first educators, so your voice matters. Please complete our short survey:-
- Follow this link to the short survey
2027 Class Placement Information
A parent/carer letter has now been sent home seeking important information to support planning for 2027 class placements.
We value your knowledge of your child and encourage you to provide feedback, including:
Preferred friendships or peers your child works well with
Intentions for dual enrolment or changes to enrolment for 2027
Information about your child's communication, personal care, emotional regulation, transitions, motivators and any additional learning supports that will assist us in planning the most appropriate learning environment.
Your input is an important part of our class placement process and helps us create balanced classes that best meet the needs of all students. Please return the completed form by Friday 21st August. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support.
Notifying student absence on XUNO
You can now notify the school of your child's absence on XUNO.
You can still continue to notify absences on the Student Absence Line: 0439 114 197
EXTENDED PERIOD OF ABSENCE APPLICATION FORM
As part of JSA's Attendance Policy, we formalise parent/carer requests for students seeking approval for Extended Absence of 5 or more days (previously 3 days or more).
If you wish to express interest or intentions for your child to be away for 5 or more days, please ensure to complete the 'Extended period of absence application form' below.
All applications for extended absences will be reviewed by the Sub School Leader and Principal. Parent/Carers will be notified via email after consideration of application.
Child Safe Standards
At Jacana school for Autism, every student has the right to feel safe, respected and cared for. Victoria's Child Safe Standards are 11 rules that all schools must follow. They guide how we work, who we hire, how we listen to students and families and how we respond when something goes wrong.
Please take some time to read through our Child Safe Standards Posters.
