Starting Schools Open Morning

WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY

Fast Facts

WHAT: National Walk Safely to School Day

WHEN: Friday 10th May 2024

WHERE: In all primary schools across Australia

WHY: This national initiative aims to encourage children to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle by simply including a walk at some stage of the day. The event also promotes reduced car-dependency, greater use of public transport, cleaner air, improved diets and road safety to primary school children throughout Australia.

MORE INFO: www.walk.com.au/wstsd

Road Safety Information for Parents and Carers

Children up to eight years old should hold an adult's hand on the footpath, in the car park, or when crossing the road; an adult is defined as a parent, caregiver, grandparent, sibling in high school or older, other relative or neighbour, or other adult as advised by the child's parents/carers.

Children up to ten years old should be actively supervised in the traffic environment and should hold an adult's hand when crossing the road. More information for parents and carers can be found here: https://www.safetytown.com.au/town/teacher/

2024 Parent Handbook

Australian Early Development Census

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years. Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need. AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

GENERAL SCHOOL REMINDERS

Arriving Late or Leaving School Early

PLEASE NOTE that all students arriving late, or being collected early for an appointment, MUST REPORT to the Office to be signed in or out by a parent /guardian.

Parents, please note that students are not to be collected early from school unless they have an urgent appointment. School finishes at 3:10pm.

Compass entry is not required for partial absences (eg late arrivals or early pick ups). When you bring your child into school or pick them up, entering the arrival or departure in the Foyer Kiosk explains their absence. If you are picking your child up early for an appointment, please call or email the school office so we can endeavour to have your child ready for you to collect.

Attendance

Thank you to families who explain their children's absences from school. Please remember to reply to the SMS sent or contact the school by phone. The Office also sends a reminder email which you can reply to with an explanation. You can explain planned absences in advance by writing an email or phoning the school. Absences of more than 10 days require a form to be filled out to apply for "Extended Leave" which requires approval from the Principal.

Due to Government regulation, notification of your child's absence must be received no later than 7 days after your child's last day of absence.

Students must attend school regularly so they can achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options. Just one absence per fortnight adds up to 20 missed days per year; this equates to 260 days from Kindergarten to Year 6 or 1.25 school years!

Please contact the Office either by phone or email regarding attendance matters.

School expectations

SCHOOL UNIFORM - We wear it with pride!

At St Mary's we have high expectations with wearing our uniform with pride. We therefore seek parent and student support with wearing our uniform correctly each day.

Term 1 Summer Uniform
Clean tidy hair. Hair that is long must be tied back (general rule if it touches your shirt collar)
Uniforms are to be worn correctly and appropriately daily (if circumstances prevent this communication with your teacher is required).
General rule is no jewellery except for: watch, earrings studs or sleepers
No fingernail polish
No writing or drawing on self - arms, legs, hands
No writing or drawing on school hats
No chewing gum at school
All children are to speak politely and have outstanding manners
Swearing at school is not appropriate
No hands or feet. Students do not use hands or feet to hurt others.
Respect school and others property

Parent Messages for Students during the Day

Please make sure where possible you phone the school by 2pm with any messages for students to be given before home time. This would be greatly appreciated so we have minimal interruptions in class time.

Contacting Your Child's Teacher

Teachers welcome contact from parents, if you need to talk with staff please either contact the class teacher by phoning the school – 67724441 or email the school on smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Please do not expect teachers to be able to speak to you while they are on duty or once class has begun. If you require an urgent conversation, please phone the office on the above number so that a message can be delivered by office staff and the teacher will contact you as soon as they can.

School Hours

8:20am Doors Open & Student Supervision begins.

8:50am Classes start.

Students who arrive after 8:50 am will need to be signed in by Parents at the Front Office, if this doesn't occur parents will receive an unexplained notification for late attendance.

Thank you for signing your child in if they are late as this ensures our attendance records are accurate.

10:50am-11:30am First Break

1:30am-2:10pm Second Break

3:10pm Classes end

3:15pm Buses are loaded

3.10-3.20pm Pick up top gate Dangar Street

3:15-3:30pm Pick up Rusden Street.

All students are to be collected by 3:30pm.

After School Care is available for families from 3:10-6pm on site at school.

School Office Hours

The School Office hours are 8:20am - 4pm Monday- Friday.

Lost Property

Please make sure that you check and label or re-label clothing items so we can return items to their owners and please remember to rename items purchased from the Clothing Pool - if the previous owner's name is still on it, we will send it home with them!

Apart from many items of unlabelled uniforms we also have large amounts of unlabelled lunchboxes, lunch containers and drink bottles in our lost property baskets. It is impossible to return these items to students. Unnamed uniform items are donated to the clothing pool.

Clothing Pool - Term 2

The Clothing Pool will open on the following dates during Term 2 2024. If you require items, please contact the School Office on 67724441 or via email to book your time to attend. Please note that it will open Friday one week and Tuesday the next (9.30am to 10.30am):

Friday 10/5/2024 Tuesday 14/5/2024

Friday 24/5/2024 Tuesday 28/5/2024

Friday 07/6/2024 Tuesday 11/6/2024

Friday 21/6/2024 Tuesday 25/6/2024

Thursday 04/7/2024

Uniform Days

Monday

All children wear their school uniform

Tuesday

Kindergarten and Years 5 & 6 (stages ESI and S3) wear their sport uniform with yellow shirt

Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 wear their school uniform

Wednesday

Years 1, 2, 3, 4 (Stages 1 & 2) wear their sport uniform with yellow shirt

Kindergarten, Years 5 and 6 wear their school uniform

Thursday

All children wear their school uniform

Friday

All children wear their sport uniform with coloured house shirt

Canteen Menu

During the Winter months the Canteen will be serving the Winter menu. See below for Term 2 and Term 3.

School Fees

A gentle reminder that school fees for Term 1 were due on 8th March 2024. Please finalise Term 1 accounts as soon as possible.

After School Pickup

When picking up students in the afternoon from the Rusden Street entrance, please bring your family name sign so that we can call students as quickly as possible and it makes it much easier to identify families with the sign. If you require a new sign or additional ones please contact the School Office.

Buses: Students are supervised by teachers until their bus arrives in Jessie Street.

Esteem After School Care: Is located in our School Hall Building. Please collect your child by entering and exiting through the southern gate in Jessie Street.

Keep connected with what is happening at school through Compass & the Newsletter

Please make sure you are connected to COMPASS and receive the newsletter.

All families need to subscribe to the St Mary's COMPASS portal. Regular information comes from this site to families. Each parent is given a login. If you have lost your login details or are having difficulty logging in please call the School Office for assistance.

It is also really important to read the newsletter fortnightly. The Newsletter can be found electronically on COMPASS.

Manners Matter

Manners matter - not just some of the time, but ALL the time.

Students are encouraged to stop, look at the person speaking and use the person's name to ensure they are using their best manners.

Mobile Phones and other Electronic Devices

When students arrive at school they must hand in their mobile phone, smart watch or other electronic device at the school office. Devices will be returned to the students at the end of the day.

If a student doesn't hand their phone or device into the Office when they arrive at school, the phone or device will be removed from the student and kept in the Office for parents to collect.

All electronic devices that are brought into school are at the owner's risk. No liability will be accepted by the school in the event of loss, theft or damage of the device.

Complaint Management

Please see below a guide for parents and caregivers.

Community Information

ADIG

Benevolent Society

Big Chill Festival

ANTaR News

Armidale Basketball Association

Zero Emission Buses

The Smith Family Saver Plus

Art Classes