Our school is proud to facilitate a caring learning environment, which enables students to continually grow academically, spiritually, physically, emotionally and socially.
I look forward to working with you and your children as partners to create a successful educational experience. This is your SURVIVAL GUIDE! Please refer to it if you have a question regarding our Year One procedures. If your question is not answered below, please do not hesitate to email me.
Here is an overview of general school procedures and our classroom routines:
Arrival
Teacher supervision of the students (in the undercover area) begins at 8:15am. Your child should only arrive at school after this time so that they are not unsupervised. If your child needs to be dropped off early, please make a booking with the Outside School Hours Care team.
An assembly bell rings at 8.35am each morning and your child should line up with our class in the undercover area when this bell rings. They should not stay with a parent during this time. If you would like to walk your child up to the undercover area, please ensure you have said your goodbyes before they line up.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO WALK THEIR CHILD TO THE CLASSROOM UNLESS THEY SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE FIRST. If your child is experiencing difficulties saying goodbye, either myself or an administration representative will walk them to the classroom and settle them. This is an important transitional strategy so that your child does not expect you to walk them to the room each day. Additionally, we believe that it is important for children to carry their own bags/belongings to the classroom so that they learn the valuable skill of independence.
It is very important that your child arrives at school on-time so that they can hear any messages for the day and participate in our whole-school prayer time. Additionally, we believe that arriving at school around 8.15-8.20am will give your child more opportunities to establish social links with their classmates before the bell rings. When a child is late it can affect their whole day. Every minute in our day counts. Please have your child at school on time each and every day.
On wet days the children will be collected from the undercover area at 8.30am as part of our wet weather program.
An assembly bell rings at 8.35am each morning and your child should line up with our class in the undercover area when this bell rings. They should not stay with a parent during this time. If you would like to walk your child up to the undercover area, please ensure you have said your goodbyes before they line up.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO WALK THEIR CHILD TO THE CLASSROOM UNLESS THEY SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE FIRST. If your child is experiencing difficulties saying goodbye, either myself or an administration representative will walk them to the classroom and settle them. This is an important transitional strategy so that your child does not expect you to walk them to the room each day. Additionally, we believe that it is important for children to carry their own bags/belongings to the classroom so that they learn the valuable skill of independence.
It is very important that your child arrives at school on-time so that they can hear any messages for the day and participate in our whole-school prayer time. Additionally, we believe that arriving at school around 8.15-8.20am will give your child more opportunities to establish social links with their classmates before the bell rings. When a child is late it can affect their whole day. Every minute in our day counts. Please have your child at school on time each and every day.
On wet days the children will be collected from the undercover area at 8.30am as part of our wet weather program.
Late Arrivals
If your child arrives at school after 8.40am, please do not drop them off in the drop-off area. Students arriving after 8.40am should be signed in at the office by their parent/guardian. Please do not bring them directly to the classroom as our attendance rolls are marked electronically and you will be redirected to the office so that adjustments to the roll can be made and your child will be issued with a late slip to give to me.
It is also a legal requirement that any parent or helper must sign in at the office if they are on the school grounds between 8.40am and 2.55pm each day. This is to ensure that requirements relating to both fire safety and student safety are met.
It is also a legal requirement that any parent or helper must sign in at the office if they are on the school grounds between 8.40am and 2.55pm each day. This is to ensure that requirements relating to both fire safety and student safety are met.
Attendance
Attendance is vital in your child’s education. Each day provides valuable learning experiences that can’t be missed! We understand that your child will occasionally be sick as well as have scheduled doctor’s appointments. After an absence of any kind, please email us (or send a note) explaining the reason for the absence. Please include your child’s name and date of absence on the note.
After School
Unless you have signed yourself in at the office (and are wearing a volunteer tag), please remain in the 'Parents Area' until 2:55pm, when the bell rings. If you see other parents entering the school grounds without a volunteer tag, please redirect them to the office.
Please ensure you have informed your child as to where you will be picking them up from in the afternoon (it may be the undercover area, the pick up zone - "white post" - or after school care). If your routine changes, please let me know via email or a note in your child’s KIT folder so that we can remind them. An "A" written on their hand will remind me that they need to go to After School Care!
IF YOU ARE PICKING YOUR CHILD UP FROM THE UNDERCOVER AREA AND ARE RUNNING LATE, DON’T PANIC! We know that school car parks can be very busy places. Children are encouraged to walk down to the pick-up area ("white-post") as children are are not permitted to stay in the undercover area unsupervised.
Please ensure you have informed your child as to where you will be picking them up from in the afternoon (it may be the undercover area, the pick up zone - "white post" - or after school care). If your routine changes, please let me know via email or a note in your child’s KIT folder so that we can remind them. An "A" written on their hand will remind me that they need to go to After School Care!
IF YOU ARE PICKING YOUR CHILD UP FROM THE UNDERCOVER AREA AND ARE RUNNING LATE, DON’T PANIC! We know that school car parks can be very busy places. Children are encouraged to walk down to the pick-up area ("white-post") as children are are not permitted to stay in the undercover area unsupervised.
Brain Break
Each day every student is required to bring a piece of cut up fruit or vegetable, in a separate labelled container, zip lock bag or paper bag, to eat during “Brain Break”. It gives the students an opportunity to put some nutrition into their bodies and increase their energy to learn at optimum levels.
In Year 1, we encourage children to eat healthy food. Some examples of foods to bring include: fresh fruit such as apples; mandarins; cut up oranges; seasonal fruit (stone fruit in the summer months); cut up watermelon; bananas; pears; cut up kiwi fruit; grapes; cherry tomatoes – the list is endless. Vegetables such as carrot and celery sticks; snow peas; cooked pumpkin and sweet potato squares; fresh broccoli florets are just some possibilities. It is an opportunity to be inventive with food.
We ask that students not bring any packaged or processed food as we are promoting healthy, natural foods. Children's “Brain Break” should take about 5 minutes to eat in the morning. We sit down for "Brain Break" around 9.30 (timetable permitting).
Lunch
Food choices impact heavily at school. What children eat will affect how they behave, how they perform at school and how they interact with others. Diet is important not only for physical health, but also for optimal mental development and functioning.
Please avoid sending foods that contain food additives. Remember that if it comes out of a box, it will have additives - don't believe the packaging! Additives can negatively impact behaviour and general well-being. We encourage all children to eat a selection of fresh fruit (not pre-packaged pretend ‘fruit') during the day. We also recommend a sandwich and fruit yoghurt. In most cases, children won’t need any more than the above items. The use of containers to store fruit, yoghurt and sandwiches is an excellent (and cheap) way to role-model environmentally friendly eating habits, rather than plastic wrapping.
Children need food that they can manage. Please teach and encourage your child to open their own containers, packets and juice poppers.
Additionally, please ensure that your child brings a drink bottle of water (NEVER cordial) to school every day. We have scheduled drink breaks during the day and access to a water bottle inside the room is a lot more time-efficient than using water fountains.
Please avoid sending foods that contain food additives. Remember that if it comes out of a box, it will have additives - don't believe the packaging! Additives can negatively impact behaviour and general well-being. We encourage all children to eat a selection of fresh fruit (not pre-packaged pretend ‘fruit') during the day. We also recommend a sandwich and fruit yoghurt. In most cases, children won’t need any more than the above items. The use of containers to store fruit, yoghurt and sandwiches is an excellent (and cheap) way to role-model environmentally friendly eating habits, rather than plastic wrapping.
Children need food that they can manage. Please teach and encourage your child to open their own containers, packets and juice poppers.
Additionally, please ensure that your child brings a drink bottle of water (NEVER cordial) to school every day. We have scheduled drink breaks during the day and access to a water bottle inside the room is a lot more time-efficient than using water fountains.
PLEASE NOTE THAT LOLLIES ARE NOT TO BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL.
Tuckshop
Our school tuckshop is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Please click here for our ordering procedure.
Please carefully consider the food that you order for your child from the school tuckshop as we aim to educate the children in making healthy choices in their lives.
Home Folders
To help with organisation, children will take home a Home Folder each night. These folders contain such things as homework, notes and home readers. Children will need to establish the habit of returning their folder to school each day.
Communication
Our main form of communication will be via the classroom blog and Twitter. Any messages between home and school can be sent via email at nbecker@bne.catholic.edu.au If you would like to discuss anything with me I am happy to make appointments before or after school.
School Newsletters/Notes
Newsletters are available each fortnight via ‘Enews’. You will need to register with the school office so the newsletter will be emailed to you. If you require a paper copy of the newsletter you will also need to let the office staff know. As mentioned above, other notes will be placed in your child's home reading folder.
Specialist Lessons
TO BE ADVISED!Our class library lesson is every Thursday. Please ensure that your child brings a library bag to school on this day. Our class PE and Music lessons occur twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday). Sports uniforms are to be worn on these two days.
Library Bags
Students MUST bring a library bag to protect borrowed books. We use a ‘No Bag, No Borrow’ policy. If you do not have a Library bag you could use an old pillow case or a heavy duty plastic bag.
HELPFUL HINT: It's a really good idea for you and your child to brainstorm a special 'forget me not' place to help them remember their library bag. Children in the past have suggested keeping their library book and bag on their bookshelf at home or straight back in their school bags.
Birthdays
Birthdays are a special time of the year for each child! If your child would like to share a birthday treat with the class, please let me know. Our school prefers that individual cupcakes for each class member or water ice blocks are distributed on birthdays, rather than large cakes (as knives are not kept in the classroom). These treats will be shared just before our afternoon tea break. There are 29 children in the class.
Uniform
All children are required to wear the correct school uniform. All children will wear:·
- Day uniforms are to be worn three days per week, on special occasions and for educational excursions;
- Sports uniforms are to be worn on the designated HPE days each week and for sporting carnivals and special sports events;
- Light blue ankle socks;
- Black leather or leather-look shoes;
- Hats: Our school follows the “NO HAT, NO PLAY” rule. Children MUST have their hat at school each day as this is a Sun Safe issue;
- Neat and tidy hair, tied back if long as per the parent handbook information;
- Jewellery in accordance with the parent handbook.
NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER TO NAME YOUR CHILD'S BELONGINGS CLEARLY TO PREVENT DISTRESS.
Medicine
For the safety of all students, there are rules and regulations regarding medicines. If your child requires medication, he/she will go to the office to have it administered. Parents must personally bring all medication to the office and fill out the appropriate medication form. Medications of any nature will not be accepted or administered in the classroom.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
We will have timetabled Parent/Teacher Interview at the completion of Term Two. If you would like to request a meeting other than the timetabled conference, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment with me via email at nbecker@bne.catholic.edu.au or a note in your child’s Kit Folder. Open communication is essential in the successful education of your child!
I wish you and your child a very happy year in 1 White!
