School policies play an important role in ensuring our school remains a safe, consistent and supportive environment for all members of our community. They provide clear guidelines for expectations, decision-making and day-to-day operations, and are a requirement set by the Victorian Department of Education. All policies are regularly reviewed and formally endorsed by School Council to ensure they remain current and relevant.

At last week's School Council, we reviewed and ratified four policies. Information about each policy, and the policies themselves, can be found below.

Camps and Excursions Policy

Camps and excursions provide valuable educational and social experiences for our students which are complementary to their learning. At Donvale Primary School, we value the rich opportunities children may enjoy by attending these activities.

All camps and excursions comply with department planning requirements and our children's safety is always foremost in our minds. Plans for each camp and excursion are carefully considered and they provide a rich array of experiences for our students as they pass through the years.

There were no major changes to the previous policy.

Education Sub-Committee reviewed the policy carefully and note key elements being:

the purpose for each activity is clearly communicated to our community
that costs are carefully considered when planning camps and excursions
that parent helpers and volunteers are suitable for the activity
student behaviour must align with school expectations and values when participating in these events.

Inclusion and Diversity Policy

Donvale Primary School's Inclusion and Diversity Policy exists to make sure every member of our school community is treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their background of personal attributes.

We strive to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive school environment which values the human rights of all students and staff.

Donvale Primary School is committed to creating a school community where all members of our school community are welcomed, accepted and treated equitably and with respect regardless of their backgrounds or personal attributes such as race, language, religious beliefs, gender identify, disability or sexual orientation so that they can participate, achieve and thrive at school.

This policy has no major changes since the previous version and Education Sub-Committee are proud of the rich and diverse community we enjoy on a daily basis at Donvale Primary School.

Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy

There are many occasions during the school year where Donvale Primary School staff photograph, film or record students participating in school activities or events, for example at sports events, classroom activities, concerts, excursions, assemblies, camps and/or other school events.

We do this for many reasons including to celebrate student participation and achievement, showcase learning programs, document a student’s learning journey, share experiences from camps, excursions or sporting events or communicate with our parents/carers and school community in newsletters and on Seesaw. There may also be occasions where we take images to support student behaviour management or to fulfil legal obligations.

Donvale Primary School also respects the privacy and wishes of our parent community for students to not be photographed or filmed without consent. At the beginning of the year, each family is given a consent form where they can inform the school of their preferences for students to be photographed or videoed. Consent can be withdrawn at any time and we ask families to contact the office should they wish to withdraw consent.

Education Sub-Committee discussed key elements of this policy including the need for our community to be mindful of the use of student photos and for the school to encourage parents filming students (at assembly, cross country and events where there are other students participating) to film only their own child as much as possible.

Sun Protection Policy

The purpose of this policy is to support sun protection behaviours at Donvale Primary School to minimise the risk of health problems from sun overexposure, including skin cancer.

One key alteration to the previous policy:

Students are now expected to wear sun protective clothing, specifically hats, from the period September 1 to April 30. This is a change from the pervious expectation of wearing hats for terms 1 and 4 only. Students may wear hats in May and August, especially on days of UV above 3.

Overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause health problems including sunburn, damage to skin and eyes, and an increased risk of skin cancer. UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of skin cancer later in life.

UV radiation:

• cannot be seen or felt

• can be reflected off surfaces such as buildings, asphalt, concrete, water, sand and snow

• can pass through light clouds

• varies in intensity across the day and the year (highest from mid-August to the end of April in Victoria, which covers most of the school year)

• peaks during school hours.

Sun safety is a shared responsibility and staff, parents and students are encouraged to implement a combination of sun protection measures whenever UV levels reach 3 or above. Information about the daily local sun protection times is available via the SunSmart widget on the school’s website, the free SunSmart Global UV app, or at sunsmart.com.au, or at the Bureau of Meteorology at bom.gov.au.

Parents may review the policy to see the ways in which the school address sun protection. We would also like to take this opportunity to remind families that they may provide their child(ren) with their own sunscreen for children to apply daily, especially in the cases of sensitive skin where students may need specific forms of sunscreen. Whilst there is sunscreen available at school, it cannot be guaranteed that it is suitable for all children.

The shade sails, which have been brought down for repair, cleaning and/or replacement will be returned to their locations later in the year.

All of our School Policies can be found on our website https://www.donvaleps.vic.edu.au

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