Official School Hours

We advise that supervision begins at 8:30am until the last bus leaves the school, and we ask that if you need your child/ren to be at school earlier or later than these designated times, that you arrange this with the Principal or another staff member. Class begins at 8:50am and concludes at 2:55pm.

Office Hours

The office will be open between the hours of 8:30am - 3:30pm. When the office is unattended, an answering machine will take a message, and your call will be returned at our earliest convenience. If the Office is unattended when you visit, students, parents and visitors are asked to ring the bell at the reception desk.

School Principal

Parents are always welcome to discuss any matters with the Principal. You are encouraged to contact the Admin staff to arrange a suitable meeting time.

Visitors and Volunteers at School

All vistors and volunteers must enter the school via the front office and sign in at the Compass Kiosk. Your diligence in this matter is greatly appreciated, as this is in accordance with our Child Protection Policy.

Change of Details

It is important that at the beginning of each school year, you notify the school of any changes of address, contact numbers, family circumstances, medical details, bus information and any other relevant information by sending an email to bogadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au or updating on your Compass Parent Portal. Please ensure that you have an emergency contact listed in the event that we are unable to contact either parent.

Absentee Notes

Sacred Heart must keep a register of enrolment and daily attendance of all children at the school. To comply in accordance with the Registration Systems and in the best interest of students, documentation to substantiate the reason for absence is required. An appropriate reason must be recorded; otherwise, the absence will be recorded as unexplained. Therefore, it is necessary for the school to have an explanation as soon as possible, whenever your child is absent from school. If your child is absent and the school hasn’t received a phone call or an explanation of absence by 10am, an SMS will be sent via Compass requesting an explanation. If your child's absence is still unexplained on a Friday, a letter will be sent via Compass asking that you explain their absence. If an explanation is not provided within 7 days of the absence, an unexplained absence will be recorded. A note may be provided in the form of a written note, email or via the Compass App.

Late Arrivals & Early Leavers

The school gate will be closed at 8:50am, when the first bell rings for the start of learning. Late arrivals must be accompanied by parents/carers to the office to sign in on the Compass Kiosk. Similarly, if you are collecting your child early, please sign your child out on the Compass Kiosk at the office. If someone else is collecting your child other than an authorised person, please let the office know either verbally or by sending in an email before this happens. No student will be allowed to leave the school for any reason with another person unless advised by their parents/carer.

School Uniform

All students should be dressed in full school uniform at all times in accordance with the School Uniform Policy. If there is a reason your child is not dressed in uniform, please provide a note. This includes wearing the school hat.

School Fees

Armidale Catholic Schools bill School Fees on an annual basis and the standard payment terms are 10 monthly instalments from February to November. Parents are issued a yearly Tax Invoice/Statement in Term One, and monthly statements are issued thereafter. Parents may continue to make regular payments, by BPAY, Compass Payment Centre or EFTPOS (at front office). However, the preferred payment method is BPAY, which has the Biller Code and Reference in the top right-hand corner. Any questions regarding School Fees should be forwarded to Ms Traynor or Mrs Leanne Herden on 02 6743 4656 or email: bogadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Medication

If you wish the school to administer any prescribed medication, you must first report to the office to complete the necessary paperwork.

Long Term Medication

If a child is to be given regular long-term medication at school, it must also be handed in at the office in the original container, with instructions written on the Long Term Medication Form. (This form must also be completed yearly or if medication changes).

If your child has asthma, an allergy or anaphylaxis, they must be diagnosed by a doctor and have an Action Plan available for the school. This must be updated after their review.

Short Term Medication

If a child is to be given medication for a short term at school, it must also be handed in at the office in the original container, with instructions written on the Short Term Medication Form. The medication is kept in the office and given to the child at the appropriate times during the day. (Please don’t just send in medication without a note).

Both short-term and long-term medication forms can be collected from the Office.

Bus/Pick Up Information

It is important that bus or pick-up arrangements for your child are confirmed at the beginning of each year to ensure we have the most up to date information. Please notify a staff member as soon as possible about any changes so that our records can be renewed and/or confirmed. If changes are made for pick-up or bus travel on the day, parents must phone the office or speak to a staff member before the home bell at 2:55pm. If your child / children will be attending OOSH, please email bogadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au to confirm set days so that all staff members are aware.

Communication

Our main forms of communication are via the Compass Portal and the School Newsletter. Communication between individual staff and parents will be via email on the Compass Parent Portal (contact class teacher). Our Facebook page is used for highlighting events. Please ensure that you are logged into your Compass App and it is working correctly. Notifications should be turned on, and please ensure the app is undated when prompted. If you have any issues with your app, please contact the Office for assistance.

Parents may also communicate with each other on the Sacred Heart Parents Facebook Page.

** Both the Sacred Heart School and Parent Facebook pages should be used in a respectful manner and are regularly monitored.

Permissions

When an event permission is sent out via Compass, it will have a due date. Permission notes and any payments will be sent out via the Compass App. If your preference is to pay for events with cash, please inform Admin staff as they will need to print the event permission note for a parent/carer to sign.

Collection of Monies

We endeavour to collect all payments required for events through our Compass Pay system, however there will be times that this is unavailable or not possible. If the time arises that you need to send cash to school, please ensure that the correct money is placed in an envelope, clearly marked with your child's name and the activity/event. This will ensure that all money is correctly collected and marked against your child's name.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THESE MATTERS! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY OF THE ABOVE MATTERS OR HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL AND WE WILL ENDEAVOUR TO HELP WHERE POSSIBLE.

GOOD FOR KIDS, GOOD FOR LIFE

Good for Kids continues to support our school in promoting a healthy lifestyle for our students , with a focus on improved health and wellbeing for students, staff, and community.

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