ROUTINE

 

On the first day of school, students can be dropped off at our Prep classroom between 8:30 and 8:40am. Please ensure that morning goodbyes are kept short and sweet to enable your child to transition into a successful day. If they are upset for any reason, we will ensure your child is fully supported as they become comfortable with their new peers and surroundings.

The following 'Arrival' information applies from the week 3 onwards.

 

ARRIVAL

Teacher supervision of the students 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 8.33am 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, Mrs Whittaker 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, I believe that it is important for Prep 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, I 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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                

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 fire and safety are met.

 

AFTER SCHOOL

During the first week, we ask that you collect your child from our classroom each day (unless older siblings are collecting them, or they are going to after school care).

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.

From Week 3 onward, all Prep students will be walked to the undercover area at 2:55pm. 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 I 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 THEM UP FROM THE UNDERCOVER AREA AND ARE RUNNING LATE, DON'T PANIC! I know that the school car park is a very busy place, I will walk them to the pick-up area ('white-post') and you can collect them from there.

 

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is vital in your child’s education. Each day provides valuable learning experiences that can’t be missed! I understand that your child will occasionally be sick as well as have scheduled doctor’s appointments. If you are aware of an upcoming absence, please either ring the school office, or log onto the parent portal and advise the school.  Alternatively, you can a note to school with your child (or email me) explaining the reason for the absence. Please include your child’s name and date of absence on the note.

 

DISCIPLINE

Behaviour management is vital in establishing a positive classroom environment. I expect that each child is well-behaved and courteous.  As part of an ongoing program, students will be taught about appropriate behaviours and expectations of behaviour.   This program is known as the "SERVE" Matrix.

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The SERVE matrix underscores the learning behaviours for St Bernardine's students in the classroom, in the school grounds and in the community.  The SERVE matrix makes clear the expectations we have for all students promoting productive learning.  Positive and productive learning only happens when students take responsibility for their own learning.  When students are safe and take responsibility for their learning, they can build internal accountability for maintaining our expected standards for positive and productive learning.  Furthermore, we recognise the crucial role relationships play at St Bernardine's and respect for all people and the environment is promoted through all interactions (St Bernardine's Catholic School Student Behaviour Support Plan, p.5).

 

Students are strongly encouraged to “own” (self-manage) their own behaviour, as are all school community members and to accept that all behaviour has consequences (positive and negative).

 

Please check the school website for more information on our whole school approach to behaviour management.

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K.I.T. FOLDERS (Keep in Touch)

To help with organisation, children will take home a KIT Folder each day. It is your child's home-school communication folder. It should be brought to school in your child's bag every day, and it returns home each afternoon. It is also used to carry important notes from the school. This folder is checked each morning so that I am aware of any important information or messages from parents.  

Children will need to establish the habit of returning the folder to school each day.

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LIBRARY BAGS

In much the same way as our KIT Folders, 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. Details of our library borrowing day will be posted on our blog each week.

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BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays are a special time of the year for each child! If your child would like to share a small birthday treat with the class, please let me know. Knives are not kept in our classroom and so we are unable to cut individual servings of cake for the class. Please make sure you send individual-sized items such as cupcakes or iceblocks. These treats will be shared either before lunch, afternoon tea or just before going home.

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INTERVIEWS

We will have timetabled interviews at the end of Term 1.  In Term 4, I will ask parents/carers if they would like to meet (although this will not be timetabled in the same way as Term 1).  Throughout the year, I may contact you to arrange a meeting if I feel I need to speak to you about your child for various reasons - this may include academic, social/emotional or behavioural concerns.  These meetings are a way of keeping you up to date and follow our schools "no surprises" philosophy. 

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If you would like to request a meeting with me at any other time, please don't hesitate to make an appointment with me via email or a note in your child's KIT folder. Open communication is essential in the successful education of your child!

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SNACK ATTACK

Each day we will be having 'Snack Attack'.  You will need to send a piece of cut up fruit or vegetable to school EVERY day each week. I ask that you send your child's fruit or vegetable in a clearly labelled, separate container, zip lock bag or paper bag (if you can't write on the fruit. e.g. banana). Snack Attack gives the students an opportunity to put some nutrition into their bodies and increase their energy to learn at optimum levels. Snack Attack should be small enough to eat in about 5/10 minutes.  

I will have a snack attack container available as your child enters the classroom every day.

In Prep 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.

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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 NOTE - This year we have some children in Prep living with extreme nut allergies.  If possible, please avoid sending any food that contains any type of nut.  

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Please avoid sending foods that contain food additives. Remember that if it comes out of a box, it will have additives. I encourage all children to eat a selection of fresh fruit (not pre-packaged pretend ‘fruit') during the day. I also recommend a sandwich and fruit yoghurt. In most cases, children won’t need any more than the above items. You will receive additional information about lunchboxes in the coming weeks. The use of containers to store fruit, yoghurt and sandwiches is an excellent way to role-model environmentally friendly eating habits.

 

Children need food that they can mange. Please teach and encourage your children to open their own containers, packets and juice poppers. If packets are difficult for your child to open, please place a small slit  in the packet so that they may tear it open independently.

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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 much more time-efficient than using water fountains.

 

TUCKSHOP

Our school tuckshop is open every day.

You can choose between ordering your child's lunch/afternoon tea online (before 8:30am) through the QKR app or through the old 'brown paper bag' system with cash. I highly encourage you to use the online system. If you ever forget to send your child with lunch you can order an emergency lunch through the app before 11:30am.

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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.

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UNIFORM

All Prep children are required to wear the correct school uniform.  All children will wear:

A school sports shirt
Shorts or culottes
Light blue ankle socks
All black leather or leather-look shoes
(if you choose to buy your child school shoes with laces rather than velcro, please make sure they know how to tie them)
A school hat EVERYDAY
Neat and tidy hair, tied back if long, as per the parent handbook information
Jewellery in accordance with the parent handbook
 

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 unless the appropriate forms have been filled in and we have been advised by the office.