School Starting and Finishing Times

School starts at 9:00 am every morning and finishes at 3:30 pm each afternoon. If a child arrives after 10:00 am they will be marked as absent for the morning session. It is important that all children are at school by 9:00 am every day ready to learn.

Yard Supervision

We have staff on supervision duty in the yard between 8:45 am and 9:00 am each morning and 3:30 pm and 3:45 pm each afternoon.

No children should arrive at school prior to 8:45 am, as the gates will be locked and they will not be able to access the school yard.

At the end of the day, any children who have not been picked up will have to go to the office at the Senior School and the office staff will ring their parents. Children who have not been picked up at the Junior School will be walked to the Senior School by the Out of School Hours Care staff.

We also have two staff on supervision duty at both the recess and lunch breaks each day. The teachers wear fluoro vests so that they are easy for the children to see. Each staff member carries a first aid bag with them when they are on duty. This allows them to provide basic first aid for any minor cuts or abrasions. If a child is injured and requires more than a clean and a band aid they are sent to the sickbay where a staff member will administer the appropriate first aid. Parents will be contacted if required.

No Smoking, Vapes, or Dogs Permitted in the School Yards

As you can see on the signage at all of the gates, smoking, vapes, and dogs are not permitted in the school grounds.

We ask that all parents abide by the rules at all times.

School Uniform

Our school uniform is a colour-based uniform and as such the only requirement is that it is gold and royal blue. At Preston PS families can either purchase uniform through the school uniform shop or they can purchase items from stores such as Kmart or Target. The uniform does not have to have a school logo on it.

Items that are not school uniform include:

coloured long sleeve tops worn under short sleeve polos or dresses
windcheaters that have any logos other than our school logo on them.
Patterned tights or patterned knee length socks.

Children are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes. We recommend they wear runners on days that they have sport or PE. No open toed shoes are permitted.

All children, regardless of their gender, who have shoulder length hair or longer, must have it tied back. No children are permitted to wear makeup.

Second Hand Uniform

Thank you to all of the families who have donated uniform that they no longer require. If you have any uniform that is in good condition, please send it to school and we will endeavour to pass it on to other families. We always have families who are looking for second-hand uniform and it is greatly appreciated.

If you are in need of any second hand uniform please email the school at preston.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Please include your child’s size and grade.

Meeting Siblings

If you have children at both the Senior and Junior School, we recommend that the children at the Senior School walk to the Junior School to meet their sibling and parents at the end of the day. The children are very safe to walk to the Junior School as they are able to cross Tyler St at the crossing which is supervised.

Weather

As is typical with Melbourne, we have experienced a range of weather conditions this summer. When it is hot we endeavour to keep the children as comfortable as possible. We have air-conditioners in every room to keep everyone cool. We encourage every child to bring a drink bottle full of cold water to school each day. The children are permitted to have a drink bottle with a pop-top lid, which must contain water, with them during teaching times to ensure they stay adequately hydrated.

Depending on the temperature, we vary the amount of time the children spend outside during their break times. When it is raining or in extreme heat, the children stay inside and are able to do indoor activities of their choice.

Sharing Information With Your Child’s Teacher

From time to time, parents have information that they want to share or discuss with their child’s teacher.

If this is the case you can

email your child’s teacher through Compass
chat with them after school
make an appointment to meet with them if it something that might require more than a quick chat
call them however please be mindful that although the teachers do have access to the phone it can be difficult to talk to them throughout the day. We suggest you call before or after school.

CCTV Cameras

The School has CCTV cameras installed on both sites. There are signs on each of the entrance gates notifying anyone who comes into the school grounds that they are monitored. The cameras were installed with the approval of the Department of Education (DE) and the Preston PS School Council. The policy relating to the CCTV cameras is on our school website.

All of the cameras are located on the external parts of the school buildings. There are NO cameras inside any of the buildings.

School Newsletter

We publish a school newsletter that contains school related articles. It is very important that parents read the newsletter as it will keep you informed about what is happening in the school. The newsletter is our main form of communication with parents.

The link to the newsletter will be emailed directly to your email address via Compass. We do not provide hard copies of the newsletter. We have used the most current email address that you provided us.

If you have changed your email address, please let us know. This can be done via Compass or you can email the School at preston.ps@education.vic.gov.au.

If at any time you would like to read the school newsletter it is published on the School website at www.preston-ps.vic.edu.au

Mobile Phones

All government schools are required to have a policy that complies with the DE policy on internet connected devices, including mobile phones, iPads, and smart watches.

Our policy is on our school website so could all parents please ensure they read the policy. Please be aware that children are not permitted to wear smart watches that have an internet connection to school.

The School and the DE take no responsibility for any lost, stolen, or damaged mobile phones, smart watches, or iPads.

Medical Issues

We currently have many students in the school who have medical conditions, including Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes etc.

It is vital that we have current management plans and medication for every child who has a medical issue.

All Anaphylaxis plans need to be signed by a doctor and parents to verify the information is correct and that we have permission to administer an Epipen if we need to. From time to time, children’s plans change so it is important that the school is kept updated on any changes.

Each staff member has Level 1 First Aid, Asthma, CPR and Anaphylaxis training. A number of staff also have Level 2 First Aid qualifications.

No Sharing Food

As we have students who have various allergies it is important that children do not share food at any time. Medical advice does not recommend banning foods as the children have to learn to manage their allergies. We ask that parents discuss the importance of not sharing food with their friends.

Personal Details

Have you changed your phone number, address, work-place or emergency contacts? If the answer is yes, have you informed the school? It is essential that we have current details for every student.

If we need to contact parents, it can be very frustrating when our information is not correct. If you need to update any of your details, you can do so on Compass or email us at preston.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Accident Insurance

Preston Primary and the DE do not have accident insurance for students and as such if a child is injured at school parents are not covered for any out of pocket expenses including, doctor, hospital or ambulance bills. Parents need to arrange their own insurance.

Parents, please be aware that if your child in injured, is having an asthma attack or if we believe they are in any medical emergency, we will always err on the side of caution and call an ambulance. If the ambulance takes the child to hospital, parents are responsible for the costs incurred.

Personal Belongings

If children bring expensive items to school, including balls or toys, they do so at parents' own risk.

If there is any damage to them, or they are lost or stolen, the school does not accept any responsibility. DE does not have insurance to cover teacher or student personal belongings.

Parents, please ensure you are aware of what of your child is bringing to school. All items brought to school must be clearly named. The school does not recommend children bring any expensive or treasured items to school.

SunSmart

Children need to ensure they come to school each day prepared for the heat of the summer days. They MUST bring their hat to school EVERY day as we have a “No Hat no Play” rule that we enforce from 01 September to 30 April.

We have recently updated our SunSmart Policy in line with the Cancer Council SunSmart Schools Program and students are now required to wear a hat on days when the UV factor is at 6 or above.

This new rule means that there will be days in Terms 2 and 3 when the children will be required to wear their hat. We suggest that the children have their hat in their bag every day.

Students must wear a school hat. Baseball hats are not permitted.

Parking Restrictions

All parents need to be aware of the parking restrictions around the school. Cars are not allowed to park or stop on the

West side of Bowden St,
East side of Foch Street

between 8.30 and 9.30 in the morning and between 3.00 and 4.00 in the afternoon.

There are no parking spaces in the streets surrounding the Junior School and in Foch St to allow parents to stop and drop off and pick up their children. You are not permitted to stop and get out of your car in those spots or park there.

Parents need to be aware that the restrictions are in place to ensure the streets surrounding the school are safe for all of the people who use them.

Please take careful notice of the parking restrictions as the Parking Officers do patrol the streets surrounding the school on a regular basis.

They will issue infringement notices to drivers who are not abiding by the road rules.

Lunch Orders

Lunch orders at Preston Primary School