Office Hours: 8.00am – 4.30pm

Sun Protection & Hat Expectations

As part of our commitment to student health and wellbeing, our school follows the sun protection guidelines of the Victorian Department of Education, which are based on daily UV levels.

Do students need to wear hats in winter?

During the cooler months (May to mid-August), UV levels in Victoria are typically below 3. When UV levels are low:

Students are not required to wear hats during outdoor play or activities.
Students may choose to wear a hat if they prefer, for comfort or personal sun protection.

When are hats required?

From mid-August to the end of April, when UV levels are higher, students are expected to wear a sun-smart hat (broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire style) during outdoor activities.

Supporting Sun-Smart Habits

We will continue to:

Educate students about sun safety and UV awareness.
Communicate reminders at the start and end of the sun-safe season.
Promote sensible sun protection behaviours appropriate to the weather and UV conditions.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe and comfortable throughout the year.

Office Staff + Roles

Jessie Storm: Business Manager: School Council, Finance, Fundraising (Mon-Thu)

Jo Taylor: Finance Administration: Events, Payments, SSB, CSEF (Mon, Wed, Fri)

Nahla Said: Student Administration: Enrolments, Medical, Compass (Mon – Fri)

Tania Levens: Administration: Newsletter, Facilities, OHS (Tue – Fri)

(**please email Newsletter items directly to Tania at bell.ps@education.vic.gov.au)

Annual Permission Forms

Annual consent for ‘Local Walking Excursions’ and ‘Digital Technology Acceptable Use’ is communicated on Compass, appearing in a green banner on your Compass dashboard in the same way that events do. Parent/carer consent for their child/ren must be provided here annually at the start of each school year.

All new families to Bell can provide consent for ‘Publication of Student Work + Images’, which is also communicated on Compass, appearing in a green banner on your Compass dashboard. Parent/carer consent for their child/ren must be provided here. This consent will remain in place throughout your child’s enrolment at Bell, unless consent is withdrawn in writing to the school. If you do not consent for your child’s photos/schoolwork to be used on any platform and complete the Compass permission form expressing this, school staff will be made aware of your child’s photo permission status via a symbol on your child’s Compass profile.

Assemblies

All Assemblies are held on Friday afternoons at 2.50pm in the gym. A Compass Notification will be sent to parents to advise if there is a cancellation.

Attendance/Absences

Student attendance is recorded twice daily by classroom teachers, at 9:00am and 12:20pm. Any student arrivals or departures between these times must be processed as late arrivals/early departures at the office on the Compass Kiosk.

If your child has been marked absent on the morning roll, the parent/carer listed as Adult A on your child’s enrolment form will receive an automated SMS at 9:45am with a link prompting you to add an attendance note on Compass. If your child will be absent for the entire day, please add an attendance note as soon as possible, ideally on the same day that your child is absent. If your child will be arriving at school later that day, please disregard this SMS as you do not need to add an attendance note; your child’s attendance will be accurately amended when you sign them in at the office (more info on late arrival/early departure process below).

Upcoming planned absences (eg family holiday during term time) should be added via your Compass portal in advance. Please note that the Compass app is only accessible within Australia. If your child has been absent for 3 or more school days with no attendance note added on Compass, or an attendance note with the reason ‘Parent Choice’, you will receive contact from the school enquiring about your child’s wellbeing/explanation for their absence and requesting that you update their attendance on Compass.

Bikes/Scooters

Students who ride bikes or scooters to school must park them at one of the three designated bike rack areas during the school day (next to the shed near the South Oval, next to Room 13/Gate 4, or next to Room 19/Gate 5).

Bikes/scooters cannot be left in other areas, including around access gates or pathways. In the interests of safety, bikes and scooters cannot be ridden by students, siblings or parents/carers inside the school grounds between 8:45am and 3:45pm.

We also ask that parents/carers and students take particular care to keep the surrounding footpaths on Scotia Street and Oakover Road safe when arriving or leaving the school on bikes/scooters.

Classroom Cuisine (Lunch Orders)

Our school lunch orders are via Classroom Cuisine (classroomcuisine.com.au) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (no lunch orders on Tuesday). Once you set up your account with Classroom Cuisine, all ordering is done via their website. Lunches can be ordered in advance, or up until 8:30am on the morning you are ordering for.

Please note that if your child has a lunch order, they will still need to bring a fresh fruit/vegie snack for the morning session, and they should also have something small (eg: a muesli bar) in case the lunch order delivery van is running behind schedule. Classroom Cuisine are generally very efficient and are almost always here in time for the first break (11.30am), however sometimes heavy traffic or other unforeseen circumstances may delay this.

Compass School Manager

Compass is our main platform for communication (Newsfeeds), so it is imperative that you download the Compass App on your phone, or use a browser on your computer, and set up your Compass Parent Portal. A link to support documents for Compass can be located on the school website under the Communication tab.

The username provided to each family remains the same for the duration of your child’s education at Bell PS. The password can be changed by you, or a replacement password can be provided by the office if forgotten.

Please ensure your contact details are always kept up to date as this is the information we use to contact you.

The Compass Parent Portal is to be used by parents/carers to enter a reason for your child being absent from school for a full day or more only (not late arrivals/early departures- see below).

Daily Structure

8.45am: Yard Duty starts

8.50-9.00am: Get ready and head to class

9.00-11.30am: Sessions 1, 2 + 3

11.30-11.40am: Eating Time

11.40-12.20pm: Play Time

12.20-2.00pm: Sessions 4 + 5

2.00-2.10pm: Eating Time

2.10-2.40pm: Play Time

2.40-3.30pm: Session 6

3.30pm: Home Time

3.45pm: Yard Duty ends

Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular opportunities in instrumental music (keyboard, guitar, violin, ukelele), sport, singing/dancing and coding are facilitated by external providers, during class time or after school.

Please contact the provider directly if you are interested in enrolling your child into an extra-curricular lesson. All correspondence, payments, arrangements, etc are made directly with the company.

A list of providers and their contact details can be found on our website under the Community tab.

Home-School Partnerships

Please be aware staff have meeting commitments every Monday and Thursday straight after learning time finishes at 3:30pm. Staff will do their best to be available for brief chats about straightforward matters in the 8:50-9:00am organisation time, as well as directly after school on afternoons when there are no staff meeting requirements. However, more complex conversations must always be booked in advance at a negotiated time that suits both parties.

Late Arrivals, Early Departures + Authorised Pick-ups

Any late arrivals (after 9am) or early departures (before 3:30pm) must be processed through the front office. Your child must be signed in/out on the Compass Kiosk and the corresponding card should be taken to give to your child’s teacher, indicating that you have completed the arrival/departure process.

To ensure the important details of a late arrival or early departure are correct, please do not allow your child/ren use the kiosk at the front desk.
Children arriving late MUST be walked to their classroom by a parent/carer.
If your child will be collected early for any reason by someone who is not their legal guardian, the school office must be informed in advance as your child cannot be signed out in these instances without authorisation from a parent/carer.

**Late Arrivals (arriving any time after 9:00am)

IMPORTANT: Do not enter these on your Compass Parent Portal

Late arrival must be entered by parents/carers at the School Office ONLY - before taking your child to their classroom. If you wish to advise the teacher of a late arrival in advance, please email.

Please note that the list of late arrival reason options on the Compass Kiosk come directly from the Department of Education and we are not able to edit them. If none of the available reasons are accurate or it’s “just one of those mornings”, please use the ‘Parent Choice’ option (yes, we know it’s not your choice and no, it doesn’t flag anything negative on your child’s attendance record!).

Upon signing your child in via the Compass Kiosk at the front office, take an orange late arrival slip from the front counter to give to the teacher; this makes them aware that you have signed your child in, updating their attendance on the class roll.

**Early Departures (departing any time before 3:30pm)

IMPORTANT: Do not enter these on your Compass Parent Portal

Early departures must be entered by parents at the School Office ONLY - before collecting your child from their classroom. If you wish to advise the teacher of an early departure in advance, please email.

Upon signing your child out via the Compass Kiosk at the front office, collect a green early departure slip for the teacher; this makes them aware that you have signed your child out and will be reflected on their attendance for the day.

Lost Library Book Procedure

If your child has lost a school library book, please follow the steps below:

1. On the Qkr! app, select Bell Primary School -> Payments -> Lost library book

2. Make a payment of $5 per lost book

3. Email a screenshot of your receipt and child’s name to bell.ps@education.vic.gov.au

4. School staff will then remove the lost/overdue book from your child’s library account

Lunch Utensils

If you are sending your child/ren to school with delicious food that requires a spoon or fork, please include a spoon or fork in their lunchbox!

Medication/Medical Plans

All student medication (except for personal asthma kits, more info below) must be provided directly to the front office:

In its original packaging (all medication)
With your child’s prescription label legible (if prescription-only medication)

All medication, including creams and ointments, must be stored, administered and recorded at the office. Students are not permitted to keep or self-administer any medication with them during the school day.

You will be asked to fill out a form at the front office regarding your child’s medication dosage and times. You do not need to fill in a medication form if your child’s medication corresponds directly to a current medical plan that has already been provided to the school (eg: EpiPen listed on their Anaphylaxis Action Plan).

Anaphylaxis: A current Anaphylaxis Action Plan (reviewed annually), completed by a doctor, must be given directly to the school office. A school-based Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plan is required to be reviewed and signed annually with your child’s teacher.

Asthma: Asthma medication (eg: Ventolin and spacer) stays with your child in their classroom. A current Asthma Plan (reviewed annually) must be provided to the school office. A school-based Student Health Support Plan is required to be reviewed and signed once only.

Allergies: If your child has any known allergies, an Allergy Management Plan will need to be provided to the front office along with any medication they may require to manage their allergies. Anaphylaxis, Asthma and Allergy Management Plans should be reviewed every 12 months and parents/carers will receive a courtesy reminder one month prior to the review date.

Administration Officer, Nahla Said, is the main contact person for all student medical needs.

Sick Bay

If your child visits Sick Bay during the day, they will come home with a First Aid slip detailing their injury, first aid provided, and the staff members on yard duty.

If your child has sustained a minor head bump where they have been assessed/monitored by a staff member and are not displaying any further signs of injury, an automated SMS will be sent to parents/carers advising them of their child’s head bump. This is in accordance with the DET’s First Aid policy and ensures that further monitoring can take place at home.

You may receive a phone call from the staff member in Sick Bay if your child is unwell/injured and requires collection, or if the nature of their injury may require further monitoring at home after school. In the event that your child needs collecting and neither parent/carer can be reached, school staff may get in contact with one of your child’s emergency contacts.

Supervision

The yard is supervised before school from 8:45am and afterschool until 3:45pm. Please ensure that if your child needs to be at school prior to 8:45am or after 3:45pm they are enrolled in out of school hours care (Team Kids- booking information is linked on our website). Children cannot be left in the school grounds outside of these times without the supervision of a parent/carer for safety reasons and supervision compliance. Any child who has not been collected by 3:45pm will be brought to the front office to wait for parents/carers.

Please ring the office if you are going to be late to collect your child or a time-critical message needs to be given to your child (eg last minute after-school care booking).

TeamKids

To enquire about enrolling your child/ren into TeamKids for Before or After School Care, or any Curriculum Day or Vacation Care Program, please make initial contact at either www.teamkids.com.au or 1300 035 000.

Payments/Consent – Excursions, Incursions & Camps

Details of events, excursions and activities are communicated on Compass, appearing in a green banner on your Compass dashboard. Parent/carer consent and payment for their child’s participation must be provided here prior to the listed cut-off date.

Please contact Jo Taylor (Finance Administration) or Jessie Storm (Business Manager), if you need to discuss a payment plan or seek financial assistance. Discussions will be kept confidential, and we always aim to support families who need it so that all students can participate in school activities that incur a payment.

Families who hold a current Health Care/Pension Card are eligible to apply for CSEF – Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund. This program provides $150 of credit per Primary School student per year that is automatically applied to any camps, sport, and excursions that your child attends. At the end of each school year, any unused CSEF money will remain in your child’s account for the following year. CSEF application forms can be found on our website or collected at the office and must be submitted in the first half of the school year.

Payments – Parent Contributions

Annual parent/carer contributions (formerly school fees) are available to be paid at the start of each school year through Compass. Information is sent out in the first week of school regarding these contributions and detailing the recommended amount per student (this may vary depending on year level). This amount can be adjusted to suit individual circumstances- you can pay a larger amount or a lower amount if you wish. While parent/carer contribution payment is not compulsory, receiving these contributions each year is an important part of being able to provide shared school supplies, specialist class supplies and maintain subscriptions to a variety of learning programs. If you would like to include additional donations to one of our school funds (Library, Building, Grounds), you can do so through the contributions portal.

Phone Calls/Voicemails

If school staff are unable to reach you via phone and you have a message service available, they will leave you a voicemail message detailing the reason for their call and whether or not they require you to phone back. If you receive a missed call from the school, please wait a moment for a voicemail message before calling back (if necessary). Please do not call the school saying you have a missed call.

There are many phone sets across the school that all access the same lines out, but incoming phone calls only come to the front office, so ensuring you listen to the message first means that admin staff can direct your call to the right person.

Uniforms

All Bell Primary School uniform, including hats and bags, are available from PSW online at psw.com.au or from their store at 12 Strathalbyn Street, Kew East. PSW can be contacted on 9768 0381.

The Second-Hand Uniform Shop is operated by parent/carer volunteers on the far side of the basketball court and is currently open between 8.45am-9.15am on Wednesdays and 3.15pm-3.45pm on Fridays. Please note that the Second-Hand Uniform Shop is strictly cash only (gold coins + small notes please).

Any good condition second-hand uniform donations can be taken directly to the Second-Hand Uniform Shop during the above times, or to the front office at any time. Logo items only for tops and jumpers/jackets please!

Families who hold a concession card or who are experiencing temporary financial hardship are entitled to access free generic uniform items and uniform vouchers through a government program called State Schools’ Relief. Please contact the office if this applies to you and admin staff can provide order forms.

Working With Children Checks + Volunteer Inductions

Parents/carers who intend to participate in any volunteering with the school (eg: classroom support, excursion/camp attendance etc) must hold a current Working With Children Check card and provide a copy to the front office.

Admin staff maintain a Family Volunteer WWCC register so you will not need to present your card each time you volunteer at school. If you are a current VIT card holder, you can provide a copy to the office in lieu of a WWCC.

**Onsite activities (eg parent reading)

Parent/carer volunteers must sign in at the front office Compass Kiosk and wear a Visitor lanyard while they are at school. You must sign in/out and return the lanyard to the office before leaving.

**Offsite activities (eg excursions)

Parent/carer volunteers do not need to sign in on the Compass Kiosk, however you must still come in through the front office to let admin staff know that you are present before heading to the classroom or designated excursion departure point.

Onsite activities for which you do not need to sign in at the office are Celebrations of Learning, Getting to Know You meetings/Parent-Teacher conferences (out of school hours) and school assemblies.

Even if you don’t have your name down for any volunteering on the immediate horizon, we strongly suggest applying for a WWCC as soon as possible - a Volunteer WWCC is free! Click here to apply for a WWCC.

PLEASE NOTE: All school volunteers must also have completed the Child Safe/OHS Volunteer Induction, accessible on our website, in the past 12 months.

FUNdraising