TERM DATES 2023

SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS 2023

Term 1

10th March - Whole School Plan - School Closure

Term 2

24th April - Student Fee Day

18th May - No buses - RE Curriculum/Scripture PD

Term 3

28th July - NCCD - School Closure

11th August - Staff PD - School Closure

Term 4

23rd October - RE PD - School Closure

WHO TO CONTACT IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS

If you have any concerns about your child or questions for teachers, the best way to resolve any issues or to find answers is to contact the teacher via the teams email in the first instance.

5/6's - senior@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

3/4's - middle@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

1/2's - junior@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

Foundation - kbrowne@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

All other queries can be sent through to Liz on principal@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

BELL TIMES

To minimise class disruptions, students need to be at school BEFORE the 8:50 bell

NO STUDENTS BEFORE 8.25am

8.25am - Morning supervision duties commence - children are not to arrive before this time please.

8:50—10:50 Morning Session (please be ON TIME)

11:00—11:30 Recess

11:30—1:30 Middle Session

1:40—2:10 Lunch

2:10—3:10 Afternoon Session

Please be on time when picking your children up from school.

Children are not to arrive at school earlier than 8.25am please. Morning supervision commences at 8.25am.

STUDENT ABSENCE

You are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day.

Please submit student absences on the day of the absence via PAM by 9.30am on the day, to avoid a call or *SMS from the office. *(Please note that the SMS messages are a no-reply service). If you are leaving a message on the phone, select option 1, give your child's name, grade and the reason for the absence. If no reason is provided, Parent Choice will be the default reason for the absence. If your child has been away for more that 3 consecutive days, a medical certificate is required.

Please avoid planning holidays or making routine medical appointments during school time and where possible, you should inform the school in advance of upcoming absences.

See below for Family Holiday expectations.

SUNHATS TERM 1 & 4 - “No hat, play under the shade”

In Term 1 & 4, St Laurence’s blue school sunhats are to be worn. Children will be asked to play under the verandah or shaded areas. Please note that it is not acceptable to have a frayed hat or have graffiti on hats. Hats are available to purchase from CDFpay for $10.

MESSAGES FOR STUDENTS

Please email (preferred option) or call with after school arrangement messages for students. This needs to be done well before 2:30pm. As you can appreciate the office is very busy leading up the end of the school day.

BUS PASSES

We are starting to get requests for bus passes. Unless it's a bus that a student normally uses, then passes will not be issued for students to use an alternative bus. The school bus system exists for students to travel between home and school. It's not a public transport system to be used for leisure. Hence, it is policy that things like sports training and social events aren't allowed for ad hoc travel. This is the same policy for all 6 schools in town that use the bus network.

AFTERNOON BUS ARRANGEMENTS

BUS TRAVELLERS: All bus travellers are on a checklist which teachers will take out during afternoon bus supervision. If your child is NOT travelling on their bus as usual please make contact with the school prior to 2:30pm to inform us that there is to be a change to normal after school bus arrangements. A note will be made on the checklist and a note put on their classroom tray. This will avoid teachers waiting/looking for children on their bus travel checklists.

What happens if your child does not know if they are on the bus: We go by the bus checklist. If you have not informed us of any changes, the child will do whatever they normally do. A quick email or phone call to school with changes will alleviate any worry or distress for your child.

TOWN BUS

This service is run by Winterhalter Bus Lines. For information regarding the town bus and for prices, please call them directly on 0428 551 145.

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

FAMILY HOLIDAYS: A Holiday Request form must be completed prior to holidays that are taken during school days. We do ask that you please make holiday plans during school holiday time. Forms available from the principal. Please email Liz O'Loughlin for your request form at principal@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

According to the Victorian Government regulations you must request to take holidays during term time. Please view the link below for for more information. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/behaviour/Pages/attendance.aspx

At St Laurence’s we aim to be supportive and as such have developed a holiday request form. Once this has been filled in and emailed back to me (Liz O'Loughlin), I will forward you an acceptance response form. This meets our duty of care and legal responsibility. It also leaves a paper trail when the annual attendance audit is conducted.

The acceptance response form will suggest some things that you can do during your holiday time that have an educational outcome - such as reading a map, taking photos and writing a sentence or two about exciting events, collecting and discussing items you have discovered during each day.

COMMUNITY NEWS

"Holiness doesn't mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith." - Pope Francis