Final Uniform Orders for 2018

Our final uniform order for the year will cut off Monday 3rd December for delivery to our school office on Thursday 20th December (last day of term). This will be your last chance to purchase in preparation for 2019.

Orders can be placed and paid for via our online store

https://onlineshop.fcw.com.au/loch-primary-school/uniform-store

Prep and new students will be provided with a bucket hat by the school on commencement of Term 1.

For further information please contact Shareena in the School Office.

Parent Payments for 2019

This week you will receive details about Parent Payments for 2019. Parent Payments have been approved by school council and include Essential Learning items and an outline of the Optional Extras for the 2018 learning programs. Essential Learning items include an individual book pack and class supplies costed at $210.00 and swimming costed at $60.00. (Swimming details will be sent home shortly. The Swimming program has been scheduled for the beginning of Term 1 2019. The cost for swimming includes bus travel and entry to the pool. The cost of instruction is school based.)

Parent Payment forms for 2019 will be sent home this week and these must be completed and returned to school.

Parents are asked to return Parent Payment forms indicating payment options by Friday 7th December. This will enable school to order book packs and class supplies.

Payment in full for Essential Learning items is to be made in January unless a formal payment plan has been agreed to. Parents requiring a payment plan are to contact the school office to discuss options. It is hoped that families who are experiencing financial difficulties will contact us directly rather than leaving their payments unmet. In many circumstances we are able to assist.

Individual book packs will be available for collection on 29th January 2019. Parents are required to collect these from school and to take home their child’s items, clearly name them and return to school on the first school day.

Outstanding Parent Payments for 2018

Final accounts will be sent home this week and parents are asked to attend to these as a matter of urgency. Parent payments cover the cost of essential items for students. Students have been allocated their book packs and are using essential items in class every day. The school has paid for the purchase of these items and depends on parents to make their payments. If you agreed to a payment plan at the beginning of the year rather than paying upfront in February, your commitment to the payment plan would be very much appreciated. As always please do contact the office if you are experiencing any financial difficulties as we are able to offer assistance.

Student Absence from School

Please ensure that you notify the office or complete the absence / attendance details on COMPASS when your child is not at school. Notices advising parents of their child's non attendance at school were sent home last week. Parents have a legal obligation to notify the school of the reason why their child did not attend. You are able to complete the paper form and return to the school office or log on to COMPASS to provide your child's absence details. All families are asked to have their attendance information up to date by the end of August.

Student Illness

Families are reminded that students should not attend school if they are unwell. Students who are coughing and sneezing and full of phlegm are asked to stay home until well. In particular students who have been unwell with gastroenteritis are not to return to school until there has not been a loose bowel movement for 24hours. Please see the link to the school exclusion table.

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/infectious-diseases/school-exclusion/school-exclusion-table

Please be mindful of other students, staff and families and be aware that sending your unwell child to school often results in a cycle of many students and staff becoming ill. It is also highlighted to families that the Vanderland family is particularly susceptible to illnesses being brought home with life threatneing consequences for Elliot.

It is also timely to remind your children about good hygiene practices such as hand washing and covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing.

Attendance at school is important however if students are unwell they are unlikely to be able to concentrate and learn and highly likely to share their illness with other students and staff which then affects the attendance of many. Please do contact the office and let us know if your child is unwell.

Before & After

School Activities

There are a number of after school activities on offer this term. These have been arranged to provide further experiences for our children and to assist parents with child care. Parents are to book into these activities on a termly basis or on a casual basis.

Term bookings are to be confirmed and paid for via COMPASS
Casual bookings must be made at least the day before to ensure staff can be prepared
Children who are not booked in will not be able to participate.

Term Four activities include:

Monday: Cooking

Tuesday: Various Activities

Wednesday: Craft Hippies

Thursday: Art

Friday: Science

All activities are $8.00 per session.

Compass bookings will close on Friday 3rd August.

Before School activities can be provided on a needs basis. Please book in at least the day before for this program.

Little Loch Lyrebirds

Play Group

Due to demand from our families we have started a playgroup at school. This is currently being held on a Thursday morning (day may change dependent on family needs) from 9.15am until 10.45am in the Kookaburra Room. There is no cost for this playgroup however all participating families will need to arrange from membership with Playgroup Victoria.

Working With Children Checks

Working With Children Check

On August 1st 2017 amendments were made to the Working with Children Act. The Act now states that even if a person’s contact with children as part of child-related work is supervised by another person, they will still need a Working with Children check.

Loch Primary School’s Working with Children Check policy states that we require any person undertaking volunteer work at our school to have a valid Working with Children check. This includes helping out in the classroom, participating in working bees, attending camps, accompanying classes on excursions, helping at disco’s etc.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

*If you are volunteering at Loch Primary School and already have a Working With Children Check can you please present it to the School Office where they will take a photocopy and your name will be added to the School register.

*If you don’t have a valid Working with Children check you can fill the form in online and lodge it at Australia Post. The link to the website is provided below for your convenience.

http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/home/applications/apply+for+a+check/apply+in+victoria

Working With Children Checks are free for volunteers.

People who are exempt from holding a working with Children Check are:

Student volunteers (e.g. work experience students)
Registered Teachers who have a permission to teach from the Victorian Institute of Teaching
Police Officers
Visitors to the School (e.g. grandparents who visit the school for Grandparents Morning Teas, visitors who come to watch Assembly) The decision on which events require a Working with Children Check is made by the authority of the Principal.

TERM DATES

2018

Term 1: 29 January (school teachers start) to 29 March (Thursday) *

Term 2: 16 April to 29 June

Term 3: 16 July to 21 September

Term 4: 8 October to 21 December

Term Four Curriculum Days

Monday 15th October

Friday 21st December

Last Day of Term Four 2018

Thursday 20th December

Final Assembly 1.30pm

Dismissal 2.30pm

Colour Fun Run

Too Much Excitement!