Notices/Reminders

Parent Payment Arrangements 2023

Newham Primary School is looking forward to another great year of teaching and learning

and would like to remind you of Newham Primary School’s voluntary financial contributions for 2023.

Schools provide students with free instruction to fulfil the standard Victorian curriculum and we want to assure you that all contributions are voluntary. Nevertheless, the ongoing support of our families ensures that our school can offer the best possible education and support for our students. We want to thank you for all your support, whether that is through fundraising or volunteering your time. This has made a huge difference to our school and the programs we can offer.

Within our school this support has allowed us to offer: 1:1 computers for 5/6 students, Kitchen Garden Program, Apps and programs, incursions and excursions, French cultural day, sustainability/ResourceSmart/Science, School Wide Positive Behaviours activities and musical instruments to name a few.

For further information on the Department’s Parent Payments Policy please see a one-page overview included in the attached parent payment arrangements notice.

Parent Payment Arrangement information was sent to families via uEducateUs and in hard copy form via students in 2022.  If making a voluntary payment, please ensure that the parent payment arrangement form is completed and returned to the school so that the payment can be receipted according to your wishes.

WORKING with CHILDREN CHECKS (WWCC) 

In preparation for the 2023 school year, could parents please ensure that their WWCC are up to date. Below is the section from the DET policy library on WWCC.

Working with Children Checks are legally required for child-related work.

If a person is engaging in child-related work, it is a legal requirement under the Worker Screening Act 2020 that they must, at a minimum, have a valid Working with Children Clearance unless an exemption applies.

Child-related work is defined in the Worker Screening Act 2020 as work that:

• involves an adult working with children under 18 years old (both paid and unpaid work)
• usually involves direct contact with a child or children, including physical, face-to-face, written, oral or electronic contact and
• the contact with the child or children is a usual part of the person’s duties and is not occasional direct contact which is incidental to their work.

An activity may be ‘child-related work’ regardless of whether the contact with a child is supervised by another person or not. This means even if a volunteer or visitor is supervised by a teacher, they must still have (and provide evidence of) a current Working with Children Clearance if they are performing ‘child-related work’.

It is a requirement that parent helpers have a ‘Working With Children’ check. Those of you who are involved with sports clubs, youth groups or the like, will probably already have obtained your WWCC. There is no charge for a WWCC for volunteers, it just involves a bit of paperwork (and a photo). If you would like to be a ‘reading parent’, or regularly help out with other class activities, a WWCC is required. Applications are done online and then processed through the Post Office. It takes a few weeks. You can name the school as the organisation where you volunteer, or another organisation if that suits you better. In the mean time, please continue to come along to school as usual. When your check comes through, take the card to the office so we can record the WWC number. Please come to the office and have a chat about this if you have any questions.

CAMPS & EXCURSION FUND 

The Camps, Sports, and Excursions Fund (CSEF) will provide payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports, and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. $125 per year is paid for eligible primary school students. Payments are made directly to the school and are tied to the student. CSEF applications open from Term 1, 2023. Forms are available at the office. Parents or legal guardians are required to submit a new CSEF application form each year.

School bells & arrivals

Morning YARD Supervision starts at 8.45am. This is an ideal time for children to arrive at school. This gives them time to unpack their school bag and get organised for the day, connect with some friends, and have a short play before the music reminds students that we are 'Ready to Learn'. This is an important work habit that is a part of our School Value of Responsibility. Being 'Ready to learn' means that all students will be in their classrooms by the time the music finishes! We commence class time at 9.00am. 

Late arrivals

Punctual attendance at school every day is extremely important. Late arrivals can be unsettling for children and also interfere with their learning . A late arrival means the child misses making social connections with their friends before the bell and misses part or all of their first learning activity for the day. Aim for arrival at school at 8:45am each day to give your child time to settle in before the bell. Our emergency management procedures require the following: 

• Always come to the office to sign students in if they are late to school. The students then receive a late pass to take to their classroom. 

• Always come to the office to sign students out for an early departure. Any early collection MUST be made through the front office where students will be called from their classroom to meet their parent/carer. 

• If your child has forgotten something and you bring it to school after the bell, please take it to the office. The object will be delivered to your child by staff.

To ensure their safety, students should not arrive at school before supervision starts. Students should not be dropped off and left unsupervised. Please enquire at School'sOut! about the Out of School Hours Care (OSHC ) service that runs daily before and after school. Before School Care operates for parents who need to drop off children before 8:45am.

School finishes each day at 3:30pm. Please make sure your child knows who will collect them from school and where they will meet them. If you are delayed unexpectedly but will arrive shortly after the bell, you can ring the school and we will let your child know so they do not worry. Your child can then wait with the yard duty teacher. 

Afternoon YARD Supervision concludes at 3.45pm with student collections after this being done through the office. For these longer delays, your child will wait at the office for pick up from there. Should you require OSHC please call School'sOut!, and we can transfer your child to their care at the time.

After school you are welcome to come in and visit your child’s classroom until 3.40 pm. Please be aware that our staff have meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3.45pm.

STUDENT ABSENCE NOTES REQUIRED

 If your child is absent from school at any time you are required to contact the school, in person, by phone, through the uEducateUs app or by email, so office staff can inform your child’s teacher. Please give the reason for the absence. It is a legal requirement that the school receives an explanation for all student absences. The school will contact you if your child is absent and you have not provided an explanation.

BUS travel

The Department of Education provides a bus service for our zoned area situated north of the school. Only Newham Primary School students are on this bus, it is not a shared service. Beginning in Kyneton the bus follows a specific route through our zone. Students from outside the school zone are able to use this service if they are willing to travel to a bus stop along the scheduled route. There is a fee for students from outside our zone. Please contact the office for further information on the conditions of travel, the route and bus stops closest to you.

Could current bus travelers please notify the office early if students will not be on the bus on a particular day so that bus rolls can be amended accordingly.

School crossings & carpark safety

Please set the example and use the school crossings

At the entrance to our car park, show your children where to stand to check for traffic and explain how to wait until the cars have stopped before they move onto the crossing. Remind them to thank the driver for waiting with a smile or a wave. 

As a driver, please be aware children do not develop good traffic awareness until around the age of 11 years. They will not always make good decisions, and we need to be ready for the unexpected when driving near the school. 

Our Lollipop person/supervised Children’s crossing is up at the hall and allows students walking to school to cross safely. With plenty of parking available in the hall carpark there is no need to park on the roadside. There must be no exceptions to this, as accidents can occur in seconds. The rules are as follows: When a children's crossing is in operation (ie. when the flags are displayed), you must not stop: 

• on the school crossing 

• within 20 metres of the crossing on the approach side 

• within 20 metres of the crossing on the departure side You are not permitted to do a U-turn over the solid lines at a crossing.

Our main school carpark

Please be patient when parking and leaving from the car park. 

Move slowly and be vigilant when driving, reversing, and parking in our main car park. 

Please use the carpark according to our carparking policy.

NPS has the following rules in place in relation to the school car park to ensure the safety of all. 

• Students are to be walked by a parent/carer from the car park/car parked on the road to the school grounds and vice versa. Students are not to walk through the car park without an adult. 

• Students and families crossing the car park entry must do so using the zebra crossing. 

• No parking on the footpath and within one car length of the school bus parking area. Our    bus zone is a sign-posted area on Rochford Road, outside our top gate.

• No parking in the designated disabled parking spot without a valid permit. 

• Vehicles with trailers/horse floats in tow should park on the roadside. 

• Car park speed limit 10km/h.

• No overtaking in the car park or car park entry/exit. 

• Keep to the left upon entering and exiting the car park. 

• Cars to keep to the outer edges of the car park. Middle parking row to be formed upon outer parking becoming full.

Help to maintain the school’s good relationship with our neighbours, by always keeping clear of their driveways. 

Please advise all children riding bikes and scooters to and from school to leave from the main gate near our carpark crossing. Students using bikes and scooters must wear a helmet that fits correctly and is done up.

For everyone’s safety all children must dismount and wheel their bikes and scooters in the school grounds and on the paths beside the school.

Bikes and scooters are to be left in the rack behind the main fence at the front of the school facing the carpark.

Administrative & First aid requirements for students

Medications: If your student requires medication, it must be handed to the front office in original packaging with written instructions for dispensing. We are currently checking medication use-by dates and sending messages home. Please update medications required at school accordingly.

Asthma plans: Some students' asthma plans may also be up for renewal, please check with the office as we are sending messages home.

Contact Details: We are updating all student and family details. ACCURATE and CURRENT CONTACT DETAILS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY STUDENT. If you have updated your mobile number, email address or postal address, changed employment or employee please advise the office by message, email or phone.

VISITORS’ sign-in screen at office counter 

As part of our emergency procedures, we have a Visitors’ sign in screen at the office counter. Visitors who are staying for 15 minutes or longer must sign in at the office so there is a record of who is on the premises in case of emergency. This includes parent helpers who might be assisting with classroom programs such as classroom reading. If you have difficulty signing in, please ask for assistance. The sign-in screen works well for small groups of people. For larger events, classrooms will have a sign in sheet or there will be one on a table at the event entrance.

The Mobile Phone policy set down from the Department of Education & Training outlines that should families require a student to have a mobile phone at school it must be turned off and stored securely for the entire school day. It would be best to contact the school to determine and inform of the need for the phone onsite.  A mobile phone brought to school must be handed to the teacher at the start of the day for secure lock up and will be returned to the student at 3.30pm. (Mobile phones will not be required on school camps).

Valuable Possessions and Personal goods brought to school. 

Personal Items/property is often brought to school by students, staff, and visitors. This can include mobile phones, electronic games, calculators, toys, musical instruments, sporting equipment, and cars parked on school premises (including our carpark). The DE does not hold insurance for personal property brought to school and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.  We strongly advise that items that are valuable or precious NOT come to school. No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. 

Before and After School Care. Do you need this service? School’s Out! provides this service at our school.                                                                                                                                    Please contact them via their website; www.schoolsout.net.au or phone: 1300 329 106 

School Hats & sunscreen

Sunsmart Protocol. As an accredited sunsmart school we have a NO HAT, NO PLAY policy. It must be a SunSmart hat. Reminder: Baseball caps are not to be worn at school by students.  School broad brimmed hats are required to be worn by students when outside in Terms 1 and Term 4. Please refer to the Student Dress Code Policy.  If your child does not have a school hat, they can be ordered from our uniform supplier Newham Primary School – EduThreads.  

We encourage you to apply sunscreen to your child before school. We have sunscreen available if they need to reapply during the day.

Second Hand Uniform Stock

Don't forget second hand uniform stock is always available for purchase (gold coin donation). We have plenty of bomber jackets, windcheaters, fleece jumpers and vests and a couple of winter tunics on hand. If you're interested please contact the school office. 

There are also a few second-hand Reader bags and a school bag at the office for purchase (in good condition) with a gold coin donation. Be quick!

Lunch Orders

Wednesday and Friday are the school’s lunch order days.  Orders can be made directly at the Newham General Store on those days via their online ordering system or through the school.  If students submit their order via the school, they should do so by handing it to their class teacher or to the office (there is a basket there for collection).  To help reduce waste please consider purchasing a reusable lunch order bag from www.stickybeaks.com.au.  Lunch orders can be submitted using the reusable bag, money is kept separate from food (if paying with cash) and the order is delivered to school in the bag.  If ordering online you can still use the reusable bags, just drop them in at the General Store or in the collection basket at the office on the day of the order. Please ensure that your child's name is clearly visible on the order/bag. Lunch orders will be delivered to school at 12.30, in time for our revised lunch eating break.

Please also note that not everything sold at the store is available through lunch orders.

LUNCHES

Supplying utensils– If an item in your child s lunch box requires a spoon or fork, please remember to pack one in their lunch box.

Glass, either as a drink bottle, delivered lunch or  in a thermos, is not acceptable at school.

Food Allergies. We do not share food in our school to protect those who have food allergies. Please reinforce this with your student. Food they do not wish to eat should be taken home (Plastic and other food wrappings will be sent home in lunch boxes as well in support of the lost ability to recycle plastics).

Recognition of student birthdays by bringing treats to school to hand out, are best done with individually wrapped food items or even better, non-food items.

SCHOLASTIC BOOKCLUB 

We participate once a term and there is usually a two week turnaround from the due date. If your order the books as a gift and you do not want your child to see them , could you advise the office. Payment can be made online using the scholastic system, paying with your credit card. Please don’t pay into the school account. 

Classroom reminders

For the first 3 weeks FOUNDATION/Prep students DO NOT attend school on a WEDNESDAY.

Children in the junior grades, particularly Prep children, should have a spare set of clothes in the bottom of their school bag in case of a “toilet mishap.” If there are no spare clothes in the child’s bag, the school will provide a change. Please wash and return these school spares to the office after use.

Please remember to clearly label all items of clothing your child wears to school (it is common for second hand clothing to be found not labeled with the new owner's name - (instead it usually still has the previous owner's). This also includes, lunch boxes and drink bottles.

Instrumental music lessons in guitar and keyboard have started this week. If you are interested, contact the music teacher concerned (their information flyers are in the community section of this newsletter). Once accepted they will inform you of the day for your child’s lesson and arrangements for payment. The financial arrangements are made between you and the relevant teacher. Please make sure you pay the relevant teacher promptly. Alice Beveridge is the keyboard teacher and Aaron Moar is the guitar teacher.