Additional Information
Additional Information
School Hours
Friends’ Early Learning: 7.30am - 6.00pm
Kindergarten: 8.45am - 3.00pm
Prep - Year 6: 8.45am - 3.15pm
Structure of the Day
Session 1
Classroom Programs: 8.45am - 10.50am
Morning Break
Supervised eating: 10.50am - 11.00am
Play: 11.00am - 11.40am
Session 2
Classroom Programs 11.40am - 1.40pm
Afternoon Break
Supervised eating: 1.40pm - 1.50pm
Play: 1.50pm - 2.10pm
Session 3
Classroom Programs: 2.10pm - 3.15pm
(3.00pm for Kindergarten)
Contacting the Primary School Office
The direct phone line for the Primary School Office is 6210 2228. Emails can be addressed to primaryschooloffice@friends.tas.edu.au.
Contacting Friends’ Early Learning
The direct phone line for Friends’ Early Learning is 6210 2276. Emails can be addressed to feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au.
Absences
When children are absent from school for any reason, parents are requested to contact the Primary School Office before 9.00am. The office will advise the class teachers. If no reason is given, unapproved absences are followed up by a phone call to ensure the safety of children. If children are to be away for an extended period of time, parents are asked to formally write to the Head of School, Mark Febey. Recent changes to the State Education Act require schools to record absences during term time due to holidays as an “unapproved absence” for the purpose of your child’s attendance record.
Late Arrivals
Children who arrive at school after the beginning of class (8.45am) will need to sign in at the office to ensure the attendance record, which is electronically marked in the classroom, is amended.
Leaving the School Grounds
All children leaving during the school day will need permission in writing from a parent and will need to be signed out at the Primary School Office. If someone other than the child’s parent is to collect them, please include this information in the written advice.
When children return to school after leaving the grounds (e.g. for an appointment), please ensure that they are signed back in at the Primary School Office before returning to their class.
Visitors and Volunteering at Friends’
Because child safety is at the core of the School’s values, we strive to create an environment where all children feel safe. As such, we have a range of ways that we achieve this for all that come on campus or who are engaging with children –
• visitors are escorted by a staff member at all times;
• volunteers are registered, and
• everyone signs in electronically before proceeding onto the campus.
If you are visiting the School, please sign in at the Primary School Office. Once signed in you will be met and escorted by a staff member while on campus. While visitors do not need to hold a Working with Vulnerable People Registration to be on campus and/or engaging with children, you will not be left unsupervised with children.
The School has many opportunities for parents and the wider community to volunteer at Friends’. This may be helping in the classroom, accompanying an excursion, coaching or support students or with co-curricular activities. All volunteers need to complete a volunteer registration form and further information about this process is available here.
Supervision Before School
The School provides supervision for students in the bark chip area outside Walpole, from 8.30am until 8.45am. Before School Care can be arranged for students at school before 8.30am. Please refer to our Outside School Hours Care section.
Supervision After School
Given the location of the Primary School and the amount of traffic in all adjacent streets, we ask parents of children from Prep to Year 4 to help us keep their children safe by picking them up from the bark chip area or the drive-through zone. These are the only areas supervised by staff after school until 3.35pm. Year 5 and 6 children may make other arrangements, as we understand their need to be more independent. These arrangements need to be known by the Primary School Office and class teacher.
Children catching buses wait with the duty teacher in the bark chip area and are dismissed to walk to the bus stop at 3.30pm. This ensures that they do not have to wait on busy roads. We recognise that some older children leave school independently to either walk home, meet up with siblings at the High School or walk to parents’ work places. A form is emailed via Operoo to all families at the beginning of the School year asking for each child’s usual after school arrangements.
Children going to After School Care go directly to the Frank Wells Hall. Kindergarten students are to be picked up from Kindergarten at 3.00pm or if going to After School Care students will be collected by staff.
Outside School Hours Care
Guided by the Mytime Our Place framework for Outside School Hours Care, the School runs Before and After School Care and Vacation Care programs at the Primary School.
Hours of operation are 7.30am – 8.30am and from 3.00pm – 6.00pm. For information contact Friends’ Early Learning on 6210 2276. Temporary bookings may be filled if numbers allow, by calling 6210 2276.
Medical Care
The School uses Operoo to manage medical information and permission forms. Operoo is a parent-controlled electronic medical form for schools, clubs and groups with a duty of care. It provides parents with the opportunity to update medical information promptly and accurately while providing the School with instant access to the emergency information provided by you.
Canteen
The Canteen uses FlexiSchools, an on-line ordering system operating in over 1,400 schools throughout Australia. It is a simple on-line ordering system allowing you to order each day or, if you choose, for up to the whole week. Families register themselves on the FlexiSchools website. The registration process only takes a few minutes and parents can begin placing orders immediately.
To begin the registration process, go to www.flexischools.com.au. You will be asked for an email address and soon after full instructions will be sent to that email address to guide you through the short registration process. The website contains the menus for the Argyle Street Campus Canteen and your on-line order is sent to the Canteen staff each morning for preparation and collection at lunch time. Orders can be placed on-line any time up to 9.00am on the day required.
If there are any problems, the FlexiSchools customer service team is always ready to help. Email help@flexischools.com.au or phone 1300 361 769, 6.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Nut Allergy Safe Practices
Due to the frequency and severity of nut allergies amongst children, The Primary School seeks to be a nut free zone. As such, we ask parents to avoid packing any nut-based product in their child’s lunch box. Food items, which state they ‘may contain traces of nut’, are acceptable. We believe that the health and wellbeing of all the children who attend our School is of paramount importance.
Excursions
Each class undertakes excursions throughout the year. Information about excursions is communicated in What’s On and by email. For excursions outside the Hobart area, outside normal school hours or overnight, a specific permission form is emailed through Operoo.
Gatherings
Children participate in a variety of Gatherings and Assemblies throughout the year. Gathering times vary each year in response to timetables. The Primary School Assembly takes place fortnightly from the first week of each term. These are held in The Farrall Centre with Wells and Walpole Assemblies held on the alternate weeks. Families are warmly invited to attend. Regular student Gatherings are held in the Quaker Meeting House for Kindergarten - Year 6. They focus on Quaker values, queries and reflection through silence.
Lost Property
Lost property is kept in a trolley outside the Frank Wells Hall and outside the Year 3 classroom near the Music Room. Unclaimed items will be stored for one term. After that time they will be disposed of to a suitable charity. All clothing, books and other equipment brought to School must be clearly and indelibly marked with the owner’s name. Please refer any queries to the Primary School Office.