Essendon North Primary School Parent Handbook

General Information for ENPS Parents and Carers

Office hours: 8:15am - 4:00pm │ Monday to Friday

Phone number: 03 9379 3979

Email: Essendon.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au

 

We operate an answering service after hours. Please make sure you clearly leave your full name, brief message and a return phone number.

Attendance

It is important that your child attends school every day. However if your child is sick, home is the best place to be. All absences are required to be entered into Compass  whether your child is absent from school due to illness or on extended family absences such as holidays.

 

At ENPS, we monitor student attendance closely for all children. If your child has been absent unexplained for a number of days in sequence, or in total across the year, our school Attendance Officer, or a member of the Executive or office team will make contact with your family. Remember every day counts at school. 

 

Please always let the office know if a family member has tested positive to Covid, and please ensure that household contacts are wearing a mask at school during the time their household contact remains infectious. Letting us know, helps us keep everyone safe and healthy.

Attendance Officer

All Department Regional Directors have been appointed as School Attendance Officers by the Minister for Education. 

 

To make a referral to a School Attendance Officer the Principal needs to establish that:

  • the student has been absent from school on at least five full days in the previous 12 months and the parent has not provided a reasonable excuse for these absences
  • measures to improve the student's attendance have been undertaken and been unsuccessful, or are inappropriate in the circumstances
  • a parent responsible for the absences can be identified (a single person to be the addressee of the School Attendance Notice).

If a School Attendance Officer is notified that a parent appears to be failing in their duty to ensure their child attends school at all times the school is open for the child's instruction, the School Attendance Officer will follow the steps outlined in Procedures for a School Attendance Officer - School Attendance Notices: for more details please refer to https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/attendance/policy.

Curriculum and Student Free Days

In accordance with Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) guidelines, we have four curriculum days per year. One of these days is the first day of the school year. The other three days are taken throughout the school year, as approved by School Council, to best meet the professional learning needs of staff. These curriculum days will be published during the school year.

 

TeamKids, the Out of Hours School Care Program, offers full day care on school curriculum days, where appropriate.

 

Throughout the year, certain days will also be allocated as student free days. Student free days are slightly different to Curriculum Days and are identified as professional practice days for teaching staff. 

 

We aim to give parents as much notice as possible of the timing of curriculum days to enable arrangements to be made for childcare. 

Dogs at School

Whilst Essendon North Primary School understands that many families in our school community keep dogs as pets, to ensure that our school remains a safe and inclusive place for everyone, pet dogs are not permitted on school grounds under any circumstances. 

 

Our school community is diverse, and may include people that are allergic or uncomfortable around dogs. We are also conscious of the health hazards that may be posed by dogs. We ask that families please leave their pet dogs at home or wait with their dogs four metres away from school gates.

 

Therapy Dogs 

Essendon North Primary School supports the use of therapy dogs for the benefit of our students subject to the conditions of our policy. The role of the therapy dog is to support the social and emotional needs of our students, under the guidance and supervision of their handler and other school staff. 

 

Essendon North Primary School uses a therapy dog through arrangements other than a Mental Health Menu Provider. 

 

Essendon North Primary School has a therapy dog who supports our student’s mental health and engagement. Our therapy dog is suitably trained and integrated into the school community. 

 

Recognised benefits from working or visiting with a therapy dog include: 

● reduced stress and anxiety, including decreased learner anxiety behaviours 

● improved physical and emotional wellbeing 

● improved self-esteem, empathy and interpersonal skills 

● improved relationship building and ability to pick up on social cues 

●improved attendance (for disengaged students or students at risk of disengaging). 

 

Examples of activities students may engage in with the therapy dog include: 

● petting and/or hugging the dog 

● speaking and reading to the dog 

● giving the dog commands that the dog is trained to respond to. 

 

Where possible, Essendon North Primary School will only engage with low-allergen therapy dogs. Essendon North Primary School will take care to avoid, where possible, contact between the therapy dog and students, staff, and visitors where the school is aware they have allergies to dogs. 

 

Staff, students and visitors are requested to notify the school of any health or safety concerns about the therapy dog. We are committed to consulting with students and parent(s)/carer(s) in relation to any such health or safety concerns so that appropriate arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Essendon North Primary School's Dogs at School policy can be found on our website.

 

We thank families for their cooperation in keeping ENPS' school grounds safe for all members of our community.

Excursions, Incursions and Community Engagement Events

Throughout the school year, students will have the opportunity to participate in relevant excursions, incursions and events . These events support the units of inquiry, curriculum areas or community engagement. You will be provided with advance notice of the date and cost of any excursions and requested to provide permission in writing through Compass. 

 

At ENPS, we actively promote opportunities for families to connect with our school and learning. Community Engagement is about actively being involved in special school days, events, celebrations. At ENPS we embrace and celebrate the diverse cultures in our school community. At the beginning of the year you will receive a calendar of whole school community and  fundraising events.

 

We encourage all families to be involved and be part of a caring, collaborative and inclusive school community. At ENPS we are all BRAVE, BOLD and CONNECTED!

Family Details

If you have moved house, changed phone numbers, changed your emergency contacts or changed your work status, please make sure you advise changes via the school email at essendon.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au.

Interpreter and Translations

At ENPS we have access to free interpreters to support parents and carers where English is an additional language (EAL). This service can be accessed for face to face, online or telephone support. Please let your child’s teacher know if this is a service of interest to your family. 

 

ENPS electronic handbooks and newsletters can be translated into multiple languages by clicking in the drop down language button at the bottom of each page.

Late Arrivals and Early Departure

If you require your child to leave school for any reason prior to the normal dismissal time, you must sign your child out at the school office via Compass Kiosk and the office will call your child to come to the office to meet you.

 

School commences at 8:45am and finishes at 3:15pm. The school gates are locked in the morning by 8:50am and in the afternoon at 3:30pm.

 

Please be aware that if your child is late for school they need to be signed in by a parent through the office via Compass Kiosk and make their own way to class. 

 

Students who are waiting at the gate to be picked up at 3:30pm will be directed to the office and then Out of Hours School Care for supervision. From 2023, all ENPS students will be expected to be registered for TeamKids, just in case of an emergency.

 

If you have appointments during the day, you may drop students off or collect early by coming to the school office and entering attendance details through the Compass Kiosk. It is best if you phone the school before entering the office, and always let teachers know a day prior or in the morning of any appointments.