GENERAL NEWS

UNIFORM CHANGE OVER

Please note that all students are now expected to be wearing the full school winter uniform. 

Remember that our second hand uniform shop is open during school hours.  There are many good quality items in various sizes available.

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS   

Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th June

Our annual school photographs will be taken on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th June. These are always very busy days so please mark these dates in your family calendar. Please ensure your child is at school on time as we need to stick to a very tight timetable in order to get all of our photos completed. Please note that there are no make up days should your child be absent for any reason.

All students need to be dressed in full winter uniform, including tie, polished shoes and hair neat and tidy. Girls with long hair should have their hair tied back with bottle green ribbons as they would routinely wear for a normal school day. 

Specific information will be sent home for parents and carers to order their child's school photos in the coming weeks. 

We have noticed in the past year an increase in child protection related requirements when it comes to children and their images being taken.  If you have a child/ren who cannot have their photo taken or be a part of the group photo, or can be a part of the photos but not have their name mentioned, please notify our office staff or Mrs McSweeney as soon as possible to ensure we apply these protection measures.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY

Friday, 17 May 2019

To promote exercise, reduced car pollution, but most importantly, safe road-crossing skills, we encourage our students to walk safely to school on Friday 17th May with their parents/carers.  If you do not live close to the school perhaps you could park a block or two away and enjoy walking your child to school. Our school leaders and Mr Clery will meet you at the gate as you participate in this great initiative.

Safe walking!

ACCESS AND EGRESS

St Nicholas School has recently reviewed our student access and egress policies and procedures. This review was conducted as the continued safety of our students is of paramount importance.

The aim of the review was two fold. Firstly, to determine if our procedures were compliant. Secondly, the review was seen as an opportunity to look at possible alternative arrangements in our continued desire for best practice.

Our review was conducted in collaboration with Tamworth City Council, Tamworth Police and the  Armidale Catholic Schools Office WHS/Compliance Officer.

The review found our current procedures are not only compliant, though completed with the safety of our students as number one priority.

Below you will find two maps which clearly outline student egress procedures. Please take the opportunity to review our procedures.

Finally, I ask our parents to please utilise each area correctly, so as to avoid bottlenecks and with an understanding they are in place help keep our children safe.

CHANGE TO THE DAILY TIMETABLE

This term we have changed our daily timetable to ensure both our Primary and Infant students are having access to a 120 minutes of uninterrupted Literacy as mandated by our Catholic Schools Office. Please note our new structure which ultimately affects our Primary classes the most. 

The new times are as follows.

8:45am-10:45am - 1st Session - Uninterrupted Literacy Block.

10:45-11:20am - First break  (PRIMARY)

11:20-12:50 - 2nd Session - Maths & Religion (or any other planned learning activities inside and outside the class).

12:50-1:25pm - Second break (PRIMARY)

12:25-2:55pm - 3rd Session - Remaining Key Learning Areas 

2:55pm - Home time bell and dismissal.

We will keep you all updated with any further changes!

FREE WORKSHOP

MOBILE PHONES AND STUDENTS

Here at St Nicholas School, students are not permitted to use mobile phones whilst in our care. However we do appreciate that some students have phones to make communication with parents easier especially after school hours. Our policy is that all students with phones, ipods or other electronic devices must hand these in at the office to Mrs Grady at the start of each day and collect them at the end of the day. If phones are used inappropriately by any student they will not be permitted to bring it to school.

SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS

All parents need to be aware our supervision of students does not begin until 8.15am each day. We are becoming increasingly concerned that children are being dropped off and left on their own, unsupervised by parents before this time - often up to half an hour earlier. This is not a safe or acceptable practice. We cannot be responsible for any accident or potentially harmful incidents occurring. Please organise alternative care for your child if your child requires supervision before 8.15am.

SCHOOL STUDENT TRANSPORT SCHEME (SSTS)

For information visit https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts