PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Welcome to a new year...
It was wonderful to have our 39 Kindergarten students begin yesterday. The journey starts! We have had a quiet and smooth start in all classes. The students should be congratulated on their behaviour and manners.
This is our first formal newsletter for the year. I have included many "housekeeping" reminders this week... sorry for all the reading! I hope that you have settled back into the routine of school without too much trouble and I look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks.
School/home communication
Communication between home and school is really important to us. We don't always get it right but we try hard!
Daily:
Skoolbag App
Weekly:
On Tuesday we publish our newsletter electronically on Facebook and our Skoolbag app. If you would like it emailed or a paper copy sent home please contact the Front Office. We will print a copy for our Kinder families for the first 2 weeks.
If you have a concern
If you have a concern regarding your child please contact their classroom teacher/pastoral care teacher. Mrs Dal Santo in Primary and Miss Bailey in Secondary are also available to discuss concerns. I am also available. Please call in to the Front Office or contact me via email on jrainger@arm.catholic.edu.au. Holy Trinity also has a counselling service provided by Centacare. Jodie our counsellor comes 2 and half days a week. Forms are required to access this service. Please contact me if this is required.
Absences and being late
If your child is absent from school it is your parental responsibility to inform the school and explain the reason for the absence. This can be done in a number of ways:
Respond to our SMS sent to your mobile on the morning of the absence
Send a written note on the student's return to the class teacher/office staff
Use the absence tab in the Skoolbag app
Email at invabsences@arm.catholic.edu.au (please note this is a new address)
Phone the Front Office
If your child is late to school they need to come to the Front Office to sign in and receive a late note to give to their teacher. If you need to collect your child early please come to the Front Office to sign them out.
School fees
Term 1 fee accounts will be sent via email in the coming weeks. There is a number of ways to pay :
- In full by cash, cheque, credit card, EFTPOS at the Front Office by the due date.
- By Direct Debit through the school’s banker ADIG – forms available and a calculation of the amount due to cover the annual fees available from the Front Office.
- By setting up your own electronically funds transfer to the School Bank account: BSB 082-105 Account 001000467
- Please call the front office if you would like to make sure your payments will cover the total of the years account. Please include your family name/invoice number as reference.
It is the Parents/Carers responsibility to:
- Adjust Direct Debit payments so the amount covers the annual fees
- Pay the fees by the due date.
- Advise the school of address changes
- Make an appointment with the Principal to discuss any outstanding arrears or difficulties with payment of fees so alternative payment options can be implemented. Special arrangements are only made for one school year.
Parking around the school
Arrival and departure times from school can be very busy. Please remember that supervision does not commence until 8:30am and finishes with the departure of the last bus at approximately 3:50pm. Students enter and depart through the bus shelter entrance, kiss and drop entrance and the administration entrance. The staff car park and driveway are not to be used by parents and students for entering or departing the school. Parents may collect students from Mather St, the kiss and drop zone or by parking in Moore St and entering the school grounds. Please note that the Kiss and Drop zone is a no parking zone from 8:00-9:30am and 2:30-4:00pm. Between the time mentioned, drivers cannot leave their vehicles in these zones and walk into the school to collect their children. If you park in these zones between the times listed, you must remain in or near your vehicle (within 3 metres) Students who ride or scooter to school enter via the Administration Gate but must dismount and walk their bikes/scooters to the bike racks.
Student safety: WWCC and Declarations
Parental involvement in our school is greatly appreciated. You may be aware of the Child Protection (Working With Children) Act 2012 and its attendant requirements. This legislation endeavours to ensure that, as far as possible, people who may pose a risk to children are not employed or engaged in roles, or requested to complete tasks where they have a direct, unsupervised contact with children. It is essential that appropriate care and protection structures exist within our school to enable us to provide the safest possible environment for our students.
Therefore, as a volunteer at school we require either:
A Working With Children Check Volunteer Number available through
https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/
Parents or close relatives of a child at our school are exempt but must fill out a Working with children declaration for volunteers and contractors exempt from a WWCC Clearance. These are available at the Front Office.
We require all visitors to sign in at the Front Office.
Uniforms
The wearing of correct school uniform is compulsory and students are expected to arrive wearing it daily. A note is required if a student is not in correct uniform. Parents/carers are asked to ensure that each item of clothing is clearly labelled. Uniform is checked regularly by class teachers and executive. All items must be purchased from the School Uniform Shop, which is run by Alinta and is located next to the school canteen.
All students are required to wear enclosed black leather or strong vinyl school shoes. Shoes should have substantial soles (ie: a thumb tack would not cause injury to the wearer). Shoes should have laces or a buckle or similar mechanism. Riding boot style black boots are acceptable in early years. High top shoes are not acceptable. Slip on shoes such as ballet flats and canvas shoes are not acceptable. On sports days students are required to wear supportive sport shoes. They should have laces or a similar mechanism.
All students are required to wear the school hat (or cap for Secondary students).Dress lengths must be appropriate for both summer and winter uniforms. Shorter dress lengths are not permitted. Year 10 may wear their jerseys in lieu of their school jacket or jumper. Swimming costumes must be modest and a one piece for girls.Any articles of clothing worn under the uniform must not be visible. This includes hoodies. For PE in Secondary, students may wear their sports uniform, Year 6 t-shirt, Diocesan clothing or clothing close to our school colours. No tights are allowed.
Presentation and Grooming Requirements
Hair, which is shoulder length or long enough should be tied back for safety reasons. Haircuts should be neat. Unacceptable styles include but not limited to: motifs cut into hair, dreadlocks, cuts under Number 2 blades, rats tails and unnatural colours. Students with unacceptable cuts/styles/colours which are not in keeping with the school image may be asked to work from home until the cut has grown, or cut or the colour removed. Hair accessories such as ribbons, scrunchies, headbands etc should be discreet and in the school colours of blue or white.
Acceptable jewellery includes plain studs or sleepers maximum two per ear for girls, one plain ring, simple chain worn inside the uniform, one bangle/bracelet and one watch. Unacceptable jewellery include earrings boys and facial piercings. Makeup should be limited and natural tones only. Nails should be short and natural polish only.
Looking forward to seeing you...
At our Induction Mass, tomorrow at the Sacred Heart Church at 9:15am
At the P and F meeting on Wednesday at 5pm in the Meeting Room in the Front Office
At our Swimming Carnival on Thursday from 3pm
At our K-6 Parent Meet and Greet on Monday evening from 5:00pm