School Attendance

Day Commencement:

Our learning time at school commences from the moment our young people walk through the gates/door at St Mary of the Angels.

Whilst we provide opportunities for our parents and carers to engage in our learning spaces and we welcome parent interaction, the commencement of the day is a time to avoid teacher conversations and lengthy drop offs.

Some expectations for Drop off at St Mary of the Angels Guyra are as follows:

Arrive on time.

Tardiness can create anxiety for children. Late arrival hampers a child’s ability to;

have access to all learning time,
establish a constructive cycle of activity, and can
interrupt the flow of the classroom.
Our young people also miss opportunities for leadership in the classroom.

If you are running late, please let us know. Our academic day begins at 8:50 am.

Drop off

Be quick and cheerful. We recommend a prompt drop off and pick up, and expect this to be done at the gate of the school. Lengthy drop off/pick up can cause confusion and anxiety and disrupt other children in the classroom or playground.

We are also fostering independence. We expect that our young people will be allowed to walk independently into the classroom to drop off their bags and commence their social learning and play.

Do not walk into the classroom unless necessary. Our primary classrooms are designed for independence building, we want your child to feel confident that they can do it themselves.

Have your child carry his/her belongings into the classroom from the bus or gate.

Additionally, the time before learning commences is the time that our skilled helpful adults are preparing for their day and engaging with our young people. If you have the need to have a discussion with your child’s classroom educator/s, please make a time with the Front office by seeing Naomi or Amber at Reception, emailing guyadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au, or calling (02) 6779 1661.

Pick up

Safe Collection Expectations for BUS/PICKUP Safety:

Here at St Mary of the Angels, we work hard to help our young people get to buses and to their parents/carers as quickly as possible in an afternoon. Thank you to those people that support these efforts by ensuring they follow the norms that have been set for effective and safe collection.

Please ensure that all other helpful adults who collect your child are aware of the Safe Collection Expectations.

If you are collecting your child from school:

If you would like to talk to friends/ other parents/ educators: please park across the road on the roundabout, exit your vehicle and cross the road to the school.

If you are completing a quick collection:

Please DO NOT exit your vehicle

Please DO NOT engage in conversations with other parents/carers/educators that prevent the smooth running of the car collection line.

Please move up the parking space to ensure that more parents/carers can fill in behind you.

Please do not park at the entry of the car park, as this creates a bottleneck and does not allow for buses to get away in time and for students to be collected safely.

If you are asked by another parent/carer or educator to please move up the collections line, please listen and respect others by complying with the collection norms.

Attendance:

Students who have been absent for 20 days and 40 days will receive a letter from the school highlighting the number of absences the child has had over the course of the school year.

Sustained absence from school is certainly a cause for concern for parents and teachers, however please note it is a requirement that we send these letters from the school. If your child's teacher was concerned about your child's social/emotional or academic wellbeing they would have been in contact prior.

We also understand the content of the letter does not read well in our current context, when we are asking parents to keep children home with flu like symptoms etc.

At St Mary of the Angels we will continue to expect and encourage all students, to stay home if they are ill.

What if my child has to stay away from school?

If your child has to be absent from school, you must inform the school and provide a reason for your child's absence.

A small number of absences may be accepted by the Principal. For example, if your child has to

Attend a special religious ceremony
Is required to attend to a serious and/or urgent family situation (e.g: a funeral)
Is too sick to go to school or has an infectious illness.

How can you provide a reason for absence?

There are a number of options available to notify the school:

Compass
send an email to guydmin@arm.catholic.edu.au
send in a written note OR
call the school on 67791661

School Supervision

Supervision hours commence at 8.30am in the morning and conclude at 3.20pm each afternoon. Please ensure that your child is not arriving to school prior to 8.30am or being collected from school after 3.20pm. Outside of these hours, school staff will not be available to supervise students.

For students arriving earlier then 8.30am there is NO supervision available meaning that there is a significant risk with cars and the school buses pulling into the grounds. Please ensure that your child is not walking, riding or arriving to school prior to this time.

Please note that if you are dropping off a student after 8:50am you must accompany your child in and sign them into the school at the office.

Please read over this information regarding 2024 school travel.

Keep connected with what is happening at school through COMPASS & the Newsletter

Please make sure you are connected to COMPASS and receive the newsletter.

All families need to have login credentials to the COMPASS portal. Regular information comes from this site to families. Each parent is given a login. If you have lost your login details or are having difficulty logging in please call the School Office for assistance.

It is also really important to read the newsletter fortnightly.

Library Borrowing Days:

Please encourage all children to return and borrow each week. Pack their book the night before and they will never forget.

School Fee Schedule - UPDATED

Thank you to our School community for your continuing payments of school fees. With many families in difficult times, we are very fortunate that everyone makes the greatest effort to pay school fees which supports the education of all students. Thank you.

We ask parents to ensure their fees are up to date. School fees are a crucial economic requirement to ensure all our students can access the curriculum and be provided with improved educational outcomes. Money collected from school fees is directed towards the children of today. Any family requiring assistance with school fees is encouraged to contact the school office.

Please see below the updated School Fee Schedule commencing 2024.

Techone - Options for paying

As we have now fully transitioned to the new finance system Techone, there are new ways in which you can make payments to the school, this includes BPay, CompassPay and EFTPOS. You can make payments for School Fees and Events via the Compass App. Please contact the School if you require assistance with the Compass App.

Working with Children Check

Anyone coming into the school as a volunteer for example if you are attending school excursions, helping out at sporting events (swimming carnival, athletics carnival or cross country), assisting with P&F events or anything that involves children, we are required by law to have your working with children check on file. This WWCC lasts 5 years and are free to obtain under the volunteer section.

You can apply for this through the Service NSW website by clicking on this link https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-working-children-checkIf you have to obtain or renew your WWCC please email this to our school admin email guyadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au along with your date of birth as we require this for the check to be verified. If we already have your current WWCC on file you do not have to resend this to the school. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions. Thank you!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Click on the link below to subscribe to our newsletter directly. This might be handy for family members that want to stay up to date with what's happening around the School.

School TV

SPECIAL REPORT: The Wellbeing Barometer 2024

The Wellbeing Barometer survey has proven to be an invaluable tool for schools, providing insights into the state of youth mental health and wellbeing. Whilst last year’s results focussed the spotlight on areas of concern, there were also many highlights that demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of students and emphasised the necessity of prevention strategies.

Participating in this year's survey, will assist in identifying areas of strength and concern, as well as pinpointing opportunities for early intervention. Previously gathered information has helped support families as they navigate difficult conversations that enable understanding and foster connections to build relationships.

This survey is part of an ongoing, longitudinal study, with the results being instrumental in tailoring support for students and their families. Participation is strongly encouraged, as it provides a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over the past year. Its aim is to capture a comprehensive picture of young people's lives, allowing for a tailored approach to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete a survey for each of your children. This will help us determine the nature and extent of your concerns and how best to support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.

Acquiring the skills for future independence, taking healthy risks, and giving young people the opportunity to emancipate from parents, are key developmental tasks that are essential if we are to stave off the impact of mental illness in the future. Please reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you or your child, please reach out to the school or seek professional medical advice.

Please see below link to our SchoolTV for further information.

https://stmarysguyra.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2024-au

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