310 Kalamunda Road

310 Kalamunda Road

MAIDA VALE WA 6057

Telephone: 9454 5260

Facsimile: 9454 5206

Email:

http://www.maidavaleps.wa.edu.au/.

The School

The Maida Vale Primary School was first opened on 12 February 1912 on a site some 1.5kms north west of the present day location. The building was a single weatherboard and iron classroom and the sixteen pupils were in the charge of the school’s first teacher, Miss Ida Lee. This first bushland setting was rather secluded and was not even serviced by a road.

In 1925 the building was relocated to the present site and since that time, the school has maintained a steady growth, commensurate with the housing development in the area.

The present day facility still enjoys considerable bush environment together with well-developed wooded lawn areas and the immediate proximity of the Maida Vale Oval Reserve, allows the use of extensive sporting facilities. Children are drawn from a varied catchment area and come to school either by private transport, bicycle or on foot. The school has considerable stability in staffing and, as with most government schools in similar locations, staff comprise in the main, of hills or nearby residents.

Most Maida Vale Primary graduating students attend Darling Range Sports College or Kalamunda Senior High School but other government and private schools are also accessed.

As a public school we are an integral part of ensuring we earn the respect of the community for the quality of education that we offer our students. To be strong in this we work at ensuring;

·  Every student is a successful student,

·  Sound teaching in every classroom,

·  Maida Vale is a school of first choice for our community.

By this we mean;

Successful students

We want all our students to leave school well prepared for their future. A successful education will equip them to prosper economically, be happy and secure in themselves, and contribute to their community. We believe in building on our students’ strengths so every student leaves school confident they can succeed. They need to be adaptable, resourceful and quick to learn. They need to be technologically competent, and adept at seeking out and using information to solve problems. They need to be able to think things through for themselves and show initiative.

We believe a well rounded education also builds character. That is why our teachers emphasise self discipline, hard work and doing one’s personal best. Students who understand themselves, learn to manage their emotions and get along well with others will be best placed to succeed in life.

Effective teachers

The best teachers are able to inspire in their students a love of learning. They build positive relationships with their students; they get to know them and are interested in their overall development and progress. They have high expectations of students in terms of both their standard of learning and their behaviour. They treat their students with respect and expect the same in return. They know that a safe and orderly environment is necessary for their students to progress well and so their discipline is firm but fair. Effective teachers are able to personalise the learning for their students. They monitor the progress of all their students and challenge each to take the next step in their learning. They are in the habit of constantly reflecting on how well they are getting through to their students and they search for better ways of teaching those students who are not responding.

Schools of First Choice

Finally, we want our students to have a strong sense of being part of a community. This begins with a feeling of belonging to the school community and later to the wider community. The most effective schools have their students at the front and centre in the way they operate. The question that most drives what they do is: what is in the best long term interests of the students?

They provide a friendly, welcoming and cared for environment with clear expectations of the standards expected. Teachers are supported in the delivery of interesting and stimulating educational programs.

Good schools are open and accountable, undertaking rigorous self assessments, setting themselves challenging targets for improvement, sharing information about their performance, and using that evidence to inform their improvement efforts. They have a strong school ethos and cultivate a sense of pride in the school and a sense of belonging and connectedness in the students. There are opportunities for parents to become involved and active encouragement for them to become partners in their children’s education.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The following items, in alphabetical order for your convenience, reflect school policy and operation.

Absenteeism:

Please ensure you supply the school with written explanations for children’s absences. A note should be forwarded to the classroom teacher when your child returns to school. We also have an electronic Absentee Form available on the school’s web page. This is a legal requirement on parents to provide an explanation for a child’s non attendance and will be retained at school. Any students attending after 9.30am will be issued with a late note from the office.

Accidents and Illness:

When children are very sick or are involved in accidents at school, it is sometimes necessary to send them home or to a doctor. We would urge parents to keep the “emergency details” on our records up to date so that we can deal with the sick and injured child quickly to relieve their distress. If both parents work, a third person should be listed. We should be able to contact you quickly in case of emergency.

N.B. If children are not well, please arrange for them to stay home. In cases where children are sent to the sick bay for an extended period, parents will be contacted. In instances of children suffering from serious allergies, parents should ensure the condition is entered on the child’s admission notes and an action plan is given to the school so that the class teacher is aware of the condition.

Arrivals:

·  Students should not arrive at school before 8.30am unless specifically requested by a teacher. Children arriving prior to 8:30am will be required to sit in the Courtyard area until 8:30am.

·  At 8:30 students (1-7) will be collected by a member of the Administration and taken to the undercover area.

·  Students will sit in class groups and will be collected by class teachers at 8:40am.

·  Students who arrive at 8:30am are to be delivered to the undercover area.

·  Students arriving after 8:40am can be delivered to the class.

·  Pre-Primary/ Kindy doors will still open at 8:40am and the usual routines will occur.

Students are expected to leave the school grounds promptly at the end of the day, unless otherwise committed. (e.g. choir).

Also note children are not to play with sport equipment and use playground climbing equipment before or after school unless directly supervised by a parent.

Assemblies:

Usually held every fortnight on a Friday morning. One class or the Councillors organise and perform the assembly. Specific details can be found in the newsletter or term planner. Parents are welcome to attend our assemblies.

Behaviour-Management of Students:

Our school enjoys a good reputation in the community because high standards are expected of our students. Discipline is fair. Each class has a system of rewards and sanctions agreed upon by students and the teacher. Reinforcement of action taken at school in the home environment is vital with home and school conveying consistent messages.

The Behaviour-Management Policy is available on request or on the school’s website (http://www.maidavaleps.wa.edu.au/).

Should you have any queries pertaining to your child’s behaviour, this should be addressed to the class teacher in the first instance, or to a member of the Administration.

Bicycle Safety:

Children are required by law to wear a cycle helmet. Make sure bikes are placed in the racks and locked/chained up. Walk bikes within the school grounds.

Bullying:

Our school does not tolerate any form of bullying which includes teasing. Expecting a child “not to dob” strengthens the bully’s power base and is therefore strongly discouraged. Bystanders are therefore seen as part of the problem. Consequently any form of bullying should immediately be discussed with the class teacher or a member of Administration, which enables appropriate counselling. For more information, please see our anti bullying policy.

Camps and Excursions:

Camps and excursions are an important part of school life. Every effort will be made to:

1.  Provide adequate notice of camp or excursion.

2.  Notify parents of the cost and include a brief statement as to the purpose of the excursion.

Signed parental permission must be obtained on each occasion. Unless advised otherwise, the school uniform is to be worn on excursions.

Community Services:

Some useful numbers are listed below.

School Nurse – A full health appraisal ie vision, hearing etc of your child will be conducted by the nurse during the year. The nurse can be contacted on 0404 894 321.

Department of Community Development – Can be contacted for support and information on 9222 2555 or 9274 9411.

Family Help Line – 24 hour confidential counselling and information for families. Phone 9223 1100.

Crisis Care – 24 hour emergency phone service for children, youth and families in crisis. Phone 9223 1111.

Complaints Procedures:

The school endeavours to ensure that complaints are resolved promptly. Please refer to the Complaints Management Policy available from the office for procedure details.

Consumables:

Before each term commences, please check with your child/ren as to which consumables (such as pencils, pens, erasers, coloured pencils, textas and glue), may need replenishing.

Dental Therapy:

A government therapy unit based at Edney Primary School provides this service for our school. The centre can be contacted on 9454 4034.

Emergency Contact:

Up to date contact information is vital should an emergency occur. If any change occurs in family details, please inform our registrar immediately.

Enrolments:

Children of primary and pre-primary, including kindergarten, age may be enrolled at the school between 8.35am and 3.15pm on any school day.

Head Lice:

Please advise the school of any cases found. Head Lice information sheets are available from the front office. Children identified with head lice are required to be sent home. Return to school is allowed once treatment has commenced.

Homework:

Our school policy encourages regular homework for all children with parental support and supervision, which are vital for positive attitudes towards homework. If you have any questions or your child is experiencing difficulty in completing homework in a reasonable time frame, please contact your child’s teacher immediately. All students are expected to Read, practice Sight Words and tables every night.

In Years 1 - 3 In addition homework may also include projects, home based research and work not completed in class when ample time has been given.

In Years 4 -7 Homework is a parent controlled event. Teachers may provide additional work, dependent on year level, but will always respond to requests for additional work.

Kindergarten:

Further information can be obtained from reception.

Legality of Access – Custody Arrangements:

A copy of the Family Court Order must be supplied to the school so staff members are aware of family arrangements, restricted access etc. Written documentation is always required by the school.

Library:

A library bag must be provided or children will not be allowed to borrow books. Each class has a timetabled period in the library and will be encouraged to borrow and read books regularly as part of the school focus on literacy. Parents are asked to assist children in the process of borrowing, reading and returning books on the due date.

When children leave school, due to relocation of address, etc., parents must ensure that all books that are the property of the school (including library books) are returned.

Lost Property:

We have a lost property box which is outside Rooms 2 and 3. Retrieval is more likely if all items are clearly named. Items not claimed from the lost property box will be disposed of at the end of each term.

Valuables:

Responsibility cannot be accepted for lost or damaged valuables. Consequently children are to leave valuables, mobile phones, ipods and other personal toys at home.

Lost Resources:

After a reminder notice, an invoice will be sent for lost resources such as library books or videos. Responsible behaviour is encouraged in our school policy, which includes responsibility for personal and borrowed property.

Medications:

Regulations demand that notification is received of all prescribed medications to be taken at school. These are to be handed in at the office enabling supervision at the prescribed time. The exception is inhalers, which are best kept with the child and therefore are immediately available.

Unfortunately Staff are NOT permitted to administer over the counter medications such as Panadol, asprin etc. and these are never provided to the children by staff members.

Please note: You must inform the school if your child has any particular medical conditions which may affect their daily health and well being eg allergy to bee stings, asthma, diabetes etc.

Medical Matters:

A qualified nurse services the school and is available for referral and consultation (see Community Services). When children have contracted communicable or infectious diseases please adhere to the required period of exclusion from school.

Money:

§  Children bring money to school for many purposes – lunch, excursions etc. It should not be left in school bags or desk trays. Children are to be responsible for any spending money brought to school.

§  Please send money for excursions etc in an envelope clearly marked with student name, amount enclosed and for which activity payment is for and return to the front office.