Important Information

2025

School Dates

Years One to Six commence school on Tuesday 4 February 2025.

Kindergarten commences on Wednesday 5 February 2025. Information regarding the organisation for Wednesday morning will be sent home early next week.

School Hours

Bell rings at 8:40am and finishes at 3:00pm. 

School office 8:00am to 3:30pm everyday. 

Morning and Dismissal Procedures

The school gates will be open at 8:10am as school begins promptly at 8:40am. On the odd occasion you are late for school, we ask parents to park and accompany their child(ren) into the office as parents are required to sign their child into school. 

All students will be dismissed at 3:00pm. Please ensure your child knows how they are getting home in the afternoon. A note will be sent home shortly via Compass for parents to indicate how students will be going home. 

In Henson Street a place has been designated for car drop off and pick up. The 'Car Pick Up/Drop off area' is a “No Standing” zone. Drivers must remain in the car whilst children get in and out. School bags are to be placed in the car and not in the boot. Please ensure children put on their seatbelts. 

Car number signs need to be displayed on your windscreen to assist teachers with calling your child. We ask parents to observe the road rules and be mindful of the neighbours when parking around the school. 

Please complete the form that will be shortly sent home via Compass of how your child will be going home each afternoon

StMM’s Before School routine

Our school gates will open at 8:10am. As part of our duty of care, supervision of students will commence from the time our school gates open. It is important that all students arrive at school on time, ready to begin our learning at 8:40am. Any student who arrives at school after 8:40am, we kindly ask parents to accompany their child into the school office to sign them into school. 

New Procedure for 2025

Upon arriving at school, students are to place their school bags in their class assembly lines on the lower playground and move quickly and safely to the soccer fields, where they can greet and catch up with their friends. All students are to remain on the soccer field area, where they will be supervised by the teachers on duty. 

As part of our school expectations, students are to walk and talk with their friends and are reminded that the morning is not the time for running or ball games. 

Once the music plays, students walk safely to their class assembly line and sit with their bags, ready for our assembly to promptly begin at 8:40am. 

Parents who accompany their child/ren to school are welcome to join our morning assembly. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students at St Margaret Mary’s, the soccer field and surrounding play areas are designated student only areas. 

Parents are encouraged to remain in the area near the silver seats on the lower playground during the morning and throughout our assembly.  We thank you for your continued support and cooperation in ensuring the safety of our community. 

In the morning our school gates will be closed at 8:40am, to ensure all students and teachers move to their learning spaces ready to start our day.

StMM’s After School routine

All students will be dismissed from their designated area at 3:00pm. The school gates will open at 3:00pm for parents to collect their child/ren and for Car Pick Up to begin. Supervision of students after school will finish at 3:30pm. If you are running late to pick up your child/ren please contact the school office. The school provides Ambrose, our after school provider and all parents are encouraged to register their children with Ambrose in case pick up cannot occur on time, as from 3:30pm staff have meetings and other commitments.

Please ensure your child knows how they are getting home in the afternoon, as we have many different arrangements for how students are dismissed including, parents picking up their children from the top playground, bus, after school care and Car Pick Up. 

Communication/Interviews

Should you require an interview with the Principal, Assistant Principal or a class teacher, please phone the school office to arrange a suitable date and time. Interviews with class teachers can only be made outside class time. Teachers on playground duty are there for the safety of the students. Parents are asked to understand that this is not the appropriate time to address a specific concern.

Parents need to contact the school office if students are to be picked up after 3.30pm due to an emergency. The office closes at 3.30pm.

Parents need to inform the office in the instance a student needs to be picked up from school early. Parents are asked to make arrangements to collect their child outside of recess and lunch hours. Recess playtime is from 10:50 - 11:20am and Lunch playtime is 1:30 - 2pm.

Change of Address and Contact Details

It is important for parents to ensure all information and contact details are up to date. 

Please notify the school office via email if you have moved house or changed your contact number. It is also important to update your emergency contacts. 

Photo Permission

At the time of enrolment, parents are given the opportunity to provide permission for their child’s name, photographs, voice (audio), image (video) and works to be published in hard copy or digital form on school and diocesan websites, school and diocesan social media channels, promotional materials, newspapers and other media for the purpose of promotion and communication of all CSPD activities and programs, training materials and resources. 

Only students with parental permission via their enrolment form will feature on the various social media platforms and school promotional materials. 

Parents who no longer wish for their child to have media placed on the social platforms are asked to send an email to the school notifying the change of permission by Friday, 14th February 2025.

Student Medical Information

Allergies

There are a number of children attending our school who have severe allergies to many different foods.  

We ask that you consider the children with allergies and ask that foods containing nuts are only send to school occasionally. Children are reminded not to share any food with another child.

Medical

Medical history relevant to your child should be discussed with the Principal and class teacher. If your child needs to take medication at school it is essential that the school’s medication form be completed and updated where necessary. These forms can be obtained from the School Office. No medication will be given to a child without the written consent of a parent/guardian.

All medication must be handed into the school office by a parent.