School News
Class Parents 2019
Are you interested in being a class parent for 2019? Class Parents roles include welcoming new families to the school and being a point of contact for parents in the class for information about different school activities.
For all classes, but especially Kindergarten, we ask for parents who have already had children in our school and would be willing to welcome our new school parents to St Mary's.
Please contact the School Office if you are interested. For more information on the roles of class parents please refer to the school website http://www.stmarysarmidale.catholic.edu.au/community.php?id=79
Attention Parents & Carers
Did You Know that from 1 January 2019, thanks to the NSW Government, each school-aged child is eligible for a $100 #CreativeKids rebate to help subsidise the cost of creative & cultural activities - including music lessons, language lessons, drama and theatre classes, and even coding classes!!
The Creative Kids program is in ADDITION to the #ActiveKids rebate, available for each school enrolled child in the state, to help cover the cost of sports and active recreation fees!
Parents can now register with Service NSW to receive their $100 vouchers via the following links:
#CreativeKids https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/creative-kids
#ActiveKids https://sport.nsw.gov.au/sectordevelopment/activekids
School Fees
School fees have risen slightly for the 2019 school year. The new school fee structure for this year is as follows:
School Fees 2019:
Fees (including book & activity fee - $47/child/term) and building levy ($31/child/term)
Per Term
1 Child $420
2 Children $785
3 Children $1030
4 Children $1225
Families who pay their school fees by direct debit are reminded to review their periodical payment amount and increase it if necessary. Adjustment forms can be collected from the school office.
Any families who are having financial difficulty are reminded that they can make an appointment with the Principal to make arrangements for school fee payment.
School Fee Statements for this term will be sent out next week.
School Uniforms
In 2019 sport uniform days will be as follows:
Infants (Kinder - Yr 2) - Yellow Sport Shirt - WEDNESDAYS
Stage 2 (Yr 3 & Yr 4) - Yellow Sport Shirt - TUESDAYS
Stage 3 (Yr 5 & Yr 6) - Yellow Sport Shirt - WEDNESDAYS
All students - Coloured House Shirt - FRIDAYS
School Photos
This year we will be taking school photos in our summer uniforms! School photos will be held on Monday, 25 February 2019. Photo envelopes will be sent home with students soon. Family envelopes will be available from the school office.
Student Absences
Students are encouraged to be at school at all times. The need to travel during term time is recognised, however families are encouraged where possible to arrange family holidays for the scheduled school breaks.
Absences of less than 10 days require a note be written to the classroom teacher notifying them of an upcoming absence. Absences of 10 days or longer require an Application for Extended Leave form to be completed. These forms are available for collection from the school office. In the case of illness, a note explaining the child’s absence is required on the first day back at school.
Please note: an explanation can be in the form of an email, handwritten note, an eForm via the Skoolbag App or response to the daily SMS sent notifying parents of their child’s absence. While the school appreciates our families right to privacy, a response of “AWAY” to an SMS enquiry is not sufficient, as it does not provide enough information for office staff to enter the absence. “Travelling with family”, “attending family wedding”, “sick with sore throat” are examples of acceptable responses.
School Supervision
Please note that playground supervision commences at 8.25 am each morning and concludes with the departure of the last bus at 3.40pm. Parents are asked not to drop their children off at school prior to 8.25 am and to ensure they are collected by 3.40pm.
The school gates and doors are opened at 8.15 am. If children arrive prior to supervision starting, they are to sit in the school playground until 8.25 am when the teachers commence playground duty.
It is important that children are at school on time every morning as processes completed in the first ten minutes in classrooms establish the learning and activities for the day. Children arriving after the commencement of school or leaving prior to 3.10 pm must be signed in or out at the school office.
School Commences : 8.50 am
First Lunch: 10.50 am – 11.30 am
Second Lunch: 1.30 pm – 2.10 pm
School Finishes: 3.10 pm
The school office is open from 8.30 am – 4.00pm each day to assist with all enquiries.
Afternoon Pick ups...
All parents collecting their children after school are asked to park near the Rusden St OR Dangar St entrances. Parents/Careers wishing to pick their children up inside the school grounds at the end of school are asked to wait in the Infants quadrangle. Students will check the playground area on their way to the waiting area in the corridor at staffroom end of the Ursula building. To reduce congestion, parents/carers leaving the school via the Rusden Street exit are asked to use the ramp rather than the door near the infants toilets.
Only children catching the bus may exit via Jessie Street. There is very limited parking in Jessie Street and parents are asked not to use this entrance in the afternoon as it is too congested with buses after school.
Parents wishing to use the Rusden Street pick up area are reminded that the parking restrictions state that the No Parking zone is in effect in the morning (8am – 9.30am) and afternoon (2.30 pm – 4.00pm). During these times drivers can only stop for 10 minutes and must stay with their car (you cannot move more than 3 metres from the vehicle).
To assist with traffic flow at this time, please use your family name signs as this makes identifying your vehicle much easier for all staff. If you require a family name sign, please ask at the school office and one will be made up for you.
Teaching staff will let your child/ren know they may exit the school building, enabling you to stay with your vehicle.
Teacher supervision ends at 3:40 pm in the afternoon. After this time parents and carers will have to park and come into the school to collect their children.
We thank all parents for their cooperation with these arrangements to make the busy before and after school times as safe and streamlined as possible.
Canteen
Please be aware that the Canteen will be closed this Friday, 8 February due to the Swimming Carnival.
Whole School Assembly
The first Whole School Assembly for 2019 is on Friday, 22 February. 5L will be presenting at this Assembly.
Newsletter Contributions
Contributions for the next newsletter need to be emailed to smaadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au by 5pm, Tuesday 19 February 2019