Parent Information Booklet

Health and Wellbeing

At Toorak Primary School we are committed to supporting your child with their health and medical needs. Our First Aid Staff member provides support to students who are unwell or injured. Our Wellbeing & Welfare Officer monitors student attendance and supports families with accessing external agencies and programs.

 

Our wellbeing team is further enhanced with a team of allied health professionals who work with our staff and students. Our speech pathologist and Occupational Therapist work with our school 2 days per week. They assist with improving inclusive practices across the school.

Admission

Schooling in Victoria is compulsory from the age of 5 to 16 years. Students can be accepted in February if they turn 5 by the end of April of that year.  A birth certificate or other evidence of date of birth must be brought to the school when enrolling your child.  An Immunisation Certificate is also required. Please see our Enrolment Policy for more information.

Attendance

Daily school attendance is vital for young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don’t fall behind both socially and developmentally. Please click on our HERO program and  Attendance Policy  for more information

 

School participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for young people, by providing them with education and support networks.  School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community.

 

If your child is absent for any reason, the school must be notified. You are encouraged to enter a ‘parent approval’ through Compass, our parent portal. Alternatively, a call can be made to our absence line on 98272929 or an email can be sent to toorak.ps@education.vic.gov.au. You will receive an SMS at 10 a.m. if your child is absent without explanation. If you need to drop your child off late to school or pick up early, please visit the office to sign your child in/out via Compass Kiosk. 

Buddies 

All children in Foundation have a Grade 6 buddy. They get together each week and will do activities that foster personal and interpersonal development, as well as specific curriculum areas. Big buddies are very important as they assist the little ones to settle in. They are a support person in the school yard and throughout their first year at school. Buddies become very special friends and are a great support for our youngest school members.

Bullying Prevention 

Our school is committed to providing a safe and caring environment and culture that enables positive relationships to be formed amongst all students and staff and which encourages self-esteem, cooperation, personal growth, and a positive attitude to teaching and learning. The school’s Bullying Prevention Policy, in conjunction with the Cyber Safety and Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policies, inform the community that bullying in any of its forms will not be tolerated and that all students have the right to learn. 

We take this very seriously so if you become aware of any bullying, please contact the school immediately so that we can work together to address the issue. 

Child Safe Standards

All children have a right to feel safe and to be safe, including at school. 

Registered schools have an important responsibility for keeping children safe and protect them from abuse. 

All registered schools are required to develop strategies to embed a culture of child safety at the school.

 

Ministerial Order 870 requires all schools to meet the minimum seven child safety standards:

Standard 1: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

Standard 7: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

Standard 8: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

 

Our aim is to ensure that the Toorak Primary School community including; school employees, contractors and volunteers, parents and families, visitors and children has a commitment to keeping all children safe from harm in all physical and online school environments including excursions and camps. 

Extended Leave

For students going on an extended (more than 5 school days) family holiday, a Student Absence Learning Plan will be developed by your child's classroom teacher, with the expectation that the student completes the work while they are away. Parents are required to notify the school and class teacher in advance of this extended leave.

DET regulations will result in teachers contacting parents if a child is absent without explanation or if the reason for absence is unsatisfactory. We seek your support in this matter.

Extreme Weather Days - Wet, Hot, Windy 

If the weather is unsuitable for students to go outside, the school will work on a "Wet Day" timetable with supervision being provided inside. Please note, the importance of your child having appropriate clothing in winter on wet and cold weather days, i.e. raincoats and hats, waterproof shoes, gloves, warm hats, etc. Again, children do tend to find wet or muddy areas, so a change of clothing, contained in a plastic bag will save us phoning parents to bring such items if needed.  Similar arrangements are also arranged for days of extreme heat and high winds.

Head Lice

From time to time, students are found to have head lice.  When a case is found in a particular class, an email is sent out to each family in that year level. However, all students should be checked regularly at home.  It is very important to notify the school when head lice are found so that other families may be informed to minimise their impact. Confidentiality is maintained at all times. It is recommended that students with long hair wear it tied back. Please note that exclusion from school is reserved for cases where treatment is either not given or is ineffective.

Illnesses/Medicines

Sending a Child to School who Needs to Take Medication

Students who need to take prescribed medication (antibiotics, eye drops, etc) in school hours are required to have a medical authority form completed by their parents/guardians before the medication can be administered by staff members at school.  All medication must be delivered to the office in its original packaging with the child’s name on it as prescribed by the GP.

 

Unfortunately, some students attend school when they are unfit to do so.  If students are ill at school, parents will be contacted to arrange for them to be taken home.  Whilst it is understood that many parents find it difficult to make arrangements for care during working hours, the child's well being and the likely spread of infection must be considered.

 

The Principal is required to exclude children from school according to the following table, under the Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 2001 – Schedule 6. Note that the regulations require the parent or guardian to inform the Principal as soon as practicable if the child is infected with any of the diseases listed in the table, or has been in contact with an infected person. A child must be kept at home if he/she has any of the following illnesses. Click herefor the minimum period of exclusion from Primary Schools and Children's Services Centres for Infectious Diseases Cases and Contacts (Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019).

 

Students suffering minor injuries or illness are attended to by the classroom teacher or in sick bay and returned to class, and kept at school until home time.  If your child visits sickbay you will receive a Compass notification. If the child appears to need home care or medical attention, the school will contact the parents.

On time Arrival

The school places great importance in all students being at school and on time as we understand the value of this for overall well-being. When students are late:

  • They miss instructions and important learning situations
  • It can generate feelings of unsettlement that may last through the day
  • It disrupts and unsettles the class and teaching flow

If your child arrives after 9am or leaves before 3.30pm, a parent must bring them to the office to sign in/out on our Compass Kiosk. 

Positive Behaviour

At Toorak Primary School, there is a consistent and positive approach to encouraging appropriate behaviour.  We are committed to the strategies of:

  • Providing positive reinforcement to improve self-esteem
  • Acknowledging and celebrating student achievement
  • Expecting individual students to take responsibility for their own behaviour
  • Providing support and supervision in the playground
  • Encouraging understanding and awareness of the school rules

The Toorak Student Citizenship attributes are: 

  • kindness
  • honesty
  • friendship
  • responsibility
  • respect

Toorak Primary School uses a Restorative Practices approach to support students and encourage behaviour that is supportive and respectful. 

 

Calmer Classrooms and the Zones of Regulation are utilised daily in all classes to support the emotional regulation of students.

School-wide Positive Behaviour Support

Our school is a part of the school-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) framework. SWPBS aims to assist schools improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for students. We are a Respectful Relationships lead school and promote and model respect and equality. We utilise the Respectful Relationships program to teach students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

Parenting programs, presentations and guest speakers are examples of ways we offer wellbeing support to our school community.

Smoke Free Zone

All Department of Education schools are smoke-free zones.  The smoking of cigarettes is banned inside all buildings and is not permitted on school property or within 4 metres of the school entry points.  All visitors to the school are expected to comply with these requirements.

Student Health Care Plan

The Student Health Support Planis a document to be completed by parents and the school for all students with an identified health care need (including Asthma & excluding Anaphylaxis). Please complete as much as possible and return on the first day of school. We will then complete the rest of the document indicating the school support and the roles and responsibilities specific to your child’s needs. 

 

Allergies/Anaphylaxis

Allergy to certain food items or to insect stings develops in 1-2 percent of the general population. Exposure to these substances (allergens) may cause anaphylaxis. The most common allergens in school-aged children are eggs, peanuts, nuts, cow’s milk or bee or other insect stings, and certain medications. 

If you know that your child suffers from an allergy, please provide an action plan and complete a Student Health Care Plan for the school in case of an emergency. If your child is anaphylactic, two Epipens are to be kept at school, one for the classroom and one for the first aid room. 

 

Please note, it is the parents/carers responsibility to provide up to date action plans with a recent photo to the school on or before the commencement of term one.

 

Asthma

Students who suffer from asthma are able to participate in all school programs, providing their asthma is managed appropriately.  It is essential that parents provide the school with an action plan and Student Health Support Plan annually for their child’s particular needs and medication.  This should cover:

  • medication requirements
  • emergency procedures
  • emergency contact telephone numbers

An increase in air pollution may irritate an asthmatic student's airways and increase the potential for asthma.  Pre-medication on days of high pollution may be advisable as a preventative measure.

 

School Nurse Visit - Foundation

Each school in term one receives a visit from a nurse from the Department of Human Services.  During the visit, the nurse will:

  • perform health assessments on all Foundation students
  • assess/investigate as appropriate, any students referred by the classroom teacher or parents because of suspected social, emotional, behavioural or physical problems
  • monitor the progress of students for whom there were concerns during the last School Nurse visit

Parents are encouraged to discuss any problems with the School Nurse.

A confidential record card is sent home when students are to be seen by the nurse.  Parents should complete the card and return it, sealed in the envelope provided.  The envelopes are retained unopened at the school awaiting the arrival of the nurse.

Student Code of Conduct

The Toorak Primary School community is committed to the Child Safe Standards. We provide a safe, happy and positive learning environment, which meets the needs of all our students at all levels of their primary school life.

The code of conduct for students is consistent with Department of Education guidelines and regulations.  It is based on the principles of:

  • The right to be safe
  • The right to work, learn and play without interference or harassment
  • The right to be valued and respected

The Principal and Staff have the responsibility to implement the code of conduct fairly and consistently.

Parents and guardians have the responsibility to support the school in its efforts to maintain a productive teaching and learning environment.

The students have the responsibility to work, learn and play to the best of their ability and to be polite, fair and well behaved. Click here to view our student engagement policy.

 

School Responsibilities

Students are expected to:

  • Play safely
  • Care for yourself, others and property
  • Resolve problems calmly, sensibly and fairly
  • Respect the rights of others
  • Work as well as they can and allow others to do the same
  • Take responsibility for their behaviour
  • Follow t instructions of staff or any adult in charge of an activity

Each year teachers and students will establish classroom agreements that are consistent with school responsibilities.