Finishing Time Expectations

The safety and well-being of our children is our number one priority at Western Heights.

We are always reflecting - especially at the start of each new year - on ways we can improve our children's safety and well-being.

We have a strict safety system in place that requires parents or caregivers to collect a Vis Tab Sign Out Sticker before they collect their child from the classroom. Teachers have been instructed never to release children without seeing that Vis Tab Sign Out Sticker.

However, things have gotten a bit messy with end-of-day procedures. Quite a lot of parents are arriving quite early to collect their children. Quite a lot are going straight to class and collecting their child - well before the end of the day times.

Teachers know those parents as a general rule and have been releasing children.

This is NOT best practice; it's not really safe, especially if it is a Reliever Teacher in the classroom.

If many children are collected early, doing anything meaningful with the class will be hard. Children leaving early miss end-of-day Reflection Time - a time when the learning and experiences of the day are reviewed and reinforced. We want to reestablish Reflection Time and make sure it happens every day, happens well, and happens for all children if possible.

So, we are tightening up our end-of-day systems and practices as of Monday, 10 February.

We understand some families may be a bit put out by this, but I reiterate that this is for our children's safety, well-being and learning reasons.

Our side entrance gate will open at 2:39 - this is to ensure children don't run out the gate unknown and unsupervised.

If it is raining, the gate will open at 2:35, and a staff member will be on gate duty.

If it rains hard, the gate will be opened at 2:30 pm, and a staff member will be on gate duty.

Teachers have been instructed they are NOT to release children early under any circumstances without a Vis Tab Sign Out Sticker.

I will be available in our office foyer to help explain this. Your help ensuring grandparents and extended family members understand all this will be greatly appreciated.

One other challenge is children waiting on our playground to be collected. They can get a bit lost amongst all the After School Care children and can be hard for parents or staff to find.

In future, we want children who are waiting to be collected to ALL wait out in front of our school. Lisa Pasalic is out there and helps children find their parents. Again, this is a safety matter, and your support in this change will be greatly appreciated.