From the Office
Please contact the school office on 6423 1373 if you require any clarification.
Stay Connected – Download the New DCS Schoolbox App
To keep you informed of school news and information, Schoolbox is the main source of communication for DCS and to make this simpler we now have ‘One App’ through Schoolbox as our school app. This is the main way for you to receive communication from school - through DCS Schoolbox. (Please note the other DCS app which has been in use in the past from the App Store will no longer be in use.
Schoolbox now allows us to have use of its own app, downloaded directly to our device).
You will require your parent ‘Schoolbox’ username (this is usually the letter P or S followed by numbers) and then your Schoolbox password. For new families you will have received this information via email by our IT department.
Every parent and user will be required to download the new Schoolbox App on their device as we have rolled them together into one 'Application' commencing 2025.
Once you have logged into Schoolbox, follow the steps below to install the new Schoolbox app on your phone, or device, giving you easy access to news (including from teachers), learning moments, timetables, communication forms and school events.
Getting to Know You Interviews
At DCS, we start the year connecting our parents with the classroom teacher. Our ‘Getting to know your child’ parent and teacher interviews occur in the second week of term in 2025.
These Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 12th February from 3.30pm-9.00pm. Primary Team will be available to meet in the JILOA Centre and Alpha HQ and the Secondary Team will be holding their interviews in the Secondary classrooms.
The aim of these ‘Getting to know your child’ interviews is to provide an opportunity for you to meet with your child’s teacher right at the start of the school year and to discuss with them anything that can assist your child’s teacher to teach him or her more effectively. Students in Kinder - Year 8 do not need to attend. We encourage Year 9 students to attend these interviews alongside their parents, as this provides a valuable opportunity for them to take an active role in their learning journey.
For these interviews, teaching staff will not come prepared to discuss your child’s academic progress but will be able to give you their perspective on how your child has settled in to their class.
Interviews will be 10 minutes in duration. This is a significant time to share about your child and their interests. Please come prepared to give your teachers your email address and contact details, so they can be in contact with you this year.
As a school, we strive to continue to have parents informed of their child’s learning progress throughout the year. This involves having connection with the classroom or subject teacher from the start of the year, through these interviews. Later in Term One, parents will receive communication from the classroom or subject teacher on student effort and behaviour progress and work habits through the Term One interim reports. These will be sent home to parents by the end of Term One.
Discussions and chats with teachers can happen throughout the term, where you can partner with the teachers and communicate with them, via email, phone or, where no restrictions limit us, in person. The second formal interviews will occur in early Term Three to discuss the Semester One student achievements.
If you would like to make an appointment to discuss any aspect of your child's learning, please click here to book your times through Parent Lounge. We recommend booking early as spaces fill fast. When booking, particularly for families wanting both secondary and primary appointments, please ensure to allow enough time between appointments to meet with staff in different buildings.
If logging in to Parent Lounge for the first time, please use the unique user code that was emailed and use the 'Forgot Password' option to set your own unique password. If you then save this in your browser you will be able to simply log in again in the future.
Volunteers and Parent Helpers Course
DCS is committed to being a child safe school for our students. Each year we hold our Volunteers and Parent Helpers Course for our class parent helpers and volunteers working with our students. Parents, family members and volunteers who wish to volunteer at the school in any capacity or coach a DCS sports team are required to sit the ‘Working with Our DCS Children’ session. These are held to induct our parent helpers, and any volunteers, who wish to assist in our classrooms and around our school in 2025. As a school that is committed to protecting our children and has zero tolerance to child abuse, it is mandatory that any volunteer or parent helper in our school attend this induction session. It is important a volunteer or helper attends this course every 12 months.
The evening session for 2025 will have some similar content as in previous years (as is required), but will also introduce new concepts and information. This evening will be held in the Jiloa Centre on Monday 17th February commencing at 6:45pm. The first part of the evening will be for all 2025 parents and volunteers (both new attendees and ones who have completed the course in previous years). The second part of the evening will be to complete the training for first time parents and volunteers (who have never completed a DCS helper course prior).
A daytime option of this course will be run on Friday 21st February at 9:15am.If you are unable to attend either of these sessions, the school will advertise further times for sessions later in the year.
School Parking
School Parking
The following information will help you understand how we manage traffic flow around school drop-off and pick-up times.
Parent Parking:
Parent parking is accessed via the Lapthorne Close entrance. If you wish to get out of your car and walk your children in, please park in the left-hand side parking spaces as you come in the driveway from Lapthorne Close, or in the right-hand side parking spaces opposite ‘Kiss n Collect’ (you must use the pedestrian crossing if using right hand side of driveway). Alternately street parking is available on Lapthorne Close, Jiloa Way or in the streets surrounding the school.
Tip: If you are not in a hurry and would like to try and avoid the traffic, you may collect your children after 3:15pm and before 3:30pm. Most of the traffic has cleared by this time and you will be in and out in a flash!
Kiss N Collect (Zone only opens after 3pm in the afternoon):
The ‘Kiss n Collect’ zone is a designated area for parents to come and quickly drop off or collect their children. When using the ‘Kiss n Collect’ Zone cars should not be parked for longer than one minute and parents should not leave their car. When using the Kiss N Drop Zone please move as far forward as possible and do not leave gaps between cars. This allows us to accommodate more vehicles and keep traffic moving.
To help keep the driveway flowing, please do not park and wait in Kiss N Drop before 3:00pm (we will kindly ask you to park in a parking bay or return after 3pm). If your child/ren are not at Kiss n Collect within the one-minute waiting window, please drive around and come back through again. This helps to keep traffic moving and stops congestion.
If you wish to walk your children to the classroom or meet your children inside the school grounds at the end of the day, please park in the allocated spaces along the left-hand and right-hand sides of the driveway.
Administration
The parking bays marked with yellow paint in front of the main office are for Visitors, Special Guests and two-minute emergency student pick up only. Please do not park in these yellow bays to drop off and collect students at the start and end of the school day. The remaining parking bays are for staff parking.
School Oval
To help provide additional parking on the first busy days of school, we will be opening our primary school oval for parking on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 5th- 7th February, from 8:15am to 9:30am and 2:45pm to 3:30pm for parents to use when dropping off and collecting students. Please follow the guidance of the staff on duty in this area.
Student Medications
Does your child require medication to be taken whilst at school?
Whether medication needs to be taken on a short term or long term basis, (prescription or over the counter, such as Panadol or Nurofen) a completed medical form is required before we can administer the medication.
The medication MUST be in its original packaging with a pharmaceutical label attached. Please see the School Office or email admin@dcs.tas.edu.au if you require further information.
Asthma Medication
Due to current health regulations, children who may require a Ventolin inhaler must have a current Asthma Action Plan.
An Asthma Action Plan enables us to provide Asthma first aid to your child should the need arise.
Please make sure we have a copy as soon as possible. These can be obtained from your local GP.
Should you have any questions, please contact the School Office.
First Aid
From time to time, students may need to visit the school office for first aid treatment. If the reason for the visit is considered minor, such as: administering routine medications; applying bandaids to cuts/grazes etc, parents will be notified via an email. If staff believe an injury may warrant further investigation, a phone call will be made to parents.
Buses
Buses:
Kinetic are contracted by the State Government to provide a bus service for students. Any questions regarding bus routes and pick up times can be made by phoning Kinetic on 6427 7626. Maps are also available on their website:
https://www.wearekinetic.com/au/devonport-north-west/school-travel-devonport
From now until 30 June 2025, single trip student cash fares are $1.00. Students catching a dedicated school bus can purchase a sheet of 10 tickets for $8.00. These are purchased direct from the bus driver, using cash only.
If your child will be going home via the bus service, either regularly or semi-regularly, please let the office know. If there are any changes to end of day collection, please also let the school office know, either by email to reception@dcs.tas.edu.au or by calling the office on 6423 1373.
What Do I Do If?
The first point of contact relating to your child is the classroom teacher. We have a well-established culture of clear and consistent communication that our teachers establish both inside their classrooms and with home. This results in a positive learning community where we appreciate and value communication.
What do I do if I want to arrange an appointment to see a teacher?
Telephone the school OR
Send a note with your child OR
Email the class teacher OR
Call at the school office.
What do I do if I would like information about the Association or school governance?
Telephone the school OR
Email: board@dcs.tas.edu.au OR
Write to the Board President care of the school.
What do I do if I want information about uniforms or the DCS Community?
Please contact the school office.
What do I do if I want to make an enquiry re buses?
Contact the bus owners: Kinetic on 6427 7626
What do I do if I wish to see a Head of School?
Contact the office by phone OR
Email the school: reception@dcs.tas.edu.au
Write care of the school office OR
Call in at the school to make an appointment
What do I do if I wish to see the Principal?
Contact the office by phone OR
Email Chad atprincipal@dcs.tas.edu.au
Write care of the school office OR
Call in at the school to make an appointment
What do I do if I want to give feedback and do not know who to contact?
Phone the school office OR
Call in to the school office and they will guide you as to who to speak to
What do I do if I want to follow up about something that happened at school?
Always the first contact is with your child’s class teacher
For recurring issues, you can contact the Head of School for support. Mr Tom Evans (Primary) or Mrs Alison Moore (Secondary) support children and positive behaviours across all levels. If you have chatted with your child’s teacher and an issue continues you may contact their Head of School for supported suggestions. The Heads of Schools will also be in contact with parents at times when situations have been supported by them.
Who should I speak to should my child need additional support?
For Primary support
Classroom teacher
Kinder to Year 2 Wellbeing - Mrs Jessica Bellchambers
Year 3 to Year 6 Wellbeing - Mrs Anna De Haan
Head of Primary - Mr Tom Evans
For Secondary support
Subject Teacher
Year 7 - Mrs Richards
Year 8 - Mr Watson
Year 9 - Ms Coates
Wellbeing - Mrs Cox and Mrs A De Bruyn
Head of Secondary, Mrs Alison Moore.
If you have received or have specialist assessment documents please pass these to the team in either Primary or Secondary Wellbeing to have the information communicated with teachers to support your child.
What do I do if I wish to talk about learning and curriculum?
The first discussion is always with the class teacher.
If you would like a further discussion or to seek clarification on your thoughts on learning at DCS, you may contact the Heads of School and they may involve the Director of Learning and Teaching.
What do I do if I wish to speak with the Level Leaders?
Each level has team leaders supporting the learning within the team. If you have spoken with your child’s class teacher and wish for support about things within a teaching level you can contact the Learning Leaders:
Kinder Learning Team Leader: Mrs Lauren Heagney
Prep Learning Team Leader: Mrs Prue McCulloch
Year 1/2 Learning Team Leader: Mrs Claire Walker
Year 3/4 Learning Team Leader: Mrs Tammy Davies
Year 5/6 Learning Team Leader: Mr Travis Cruse
Specialist Team Leader: Miss Rebekah Shurley
Year 7: Mrs Mieke Richards
Year 8: Mr Marcus Watson
Year 9: Ms Rhiannon Coates
Or you can contact either Head of School:
Mrs Moore (Secondary) or Mr Evans (Primary) OR
What do I do if I want to make an enquiry re my fees?
Contact the Chief Financial Officer, Mr Ken Clarke, by phone on +03 6423 1373 OR email: clarkek@dcs.tas.edu.au
Further information can be found by visiting our website at:
Early Learning
At DCS we offer two fun and friendly Early Learning programmes. Come along and connect with others over a delicious hot drink while your children play. Please call the school office on 6423 1373 if you require further information.
Little Sprouts
Little Sprouts is a hands-on nature-based playgroup for children aged 3 and 4 years and is held every Thursday from 8:45am - 10:30am, commencing on Thursday 13th February.
Jiloa Juniors
Jiloa Juniors is held every Friday from 8:45am - 10:45am, commencing on Friday 14th February, and is for children from birth to 5 years with their carers.
We hope you can join us!