Dear Parents,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your family to Glenburnie Primary School Community. We view the primary years of schooling as vital to everyone and trust you will enjoy your partnership with the school in this most significant period. We are confident that your association with Glenburnie Primary School will be a positive one.
Glenburnie Primary School strives to develop the whole person – intellectual, physical, social and emotional. This is achieved through an atmosphere of care and support, nurturing your child’s gifts and wellbeing. It is also achieved through a close relationship between parents and school.
It has long been recognised that children learn at different rates. We allow for these different learning rates in all curriculum areas by giving children experiences suited to their particular stage of development and guiding them through various levels of difficulty.
Staff meet regularly to analyse aspects of the school's educational programme and to plan for improvements. Visits by other DECD personnel is encouraged and observation visits by staff to other schools plus attendance at training courses form part of the staff's continuing professional development. Our staff is committed to giving your child the best education possible in the light of current educational theory and by retaining the best of traditional strategies.
This booklet has been prepared so that you may gain a general overview of the school and its activities. It may answer most of your queries. If not, please do not hesitate to ask for clarification.
Sam Griffith
Principal
January 2017
VISION
At Glenburnie Primary School we share a commitment to pursue personal excellence.
Our vision is for a school where we:
· have a co-operative, caring, non threatening and safe environment
· have curriculum which is relevant, challenging, varied, success orientated and adequately resourced
· encourage parents to actively support their children
· have motivated, responsible and confident learners who respect each other
· have a very positive public image and continued strong community support
· cater for the individual needs of all children
· provide high quality teaching
VALUES
Glenburnie Primary aims to create partnerships with parents and the community that assist students to become active, independent learners with a strong sense of self worth and an enthusiasm for life long learning. Our school community strives to promote the values of respect, learning, healthy living and a sense of community.
ENROLMENT
In 2017 there will be one starting date for children starting school.
Children commence school at the beginning of the year if they turn 5 prior to May 1st.
Children that turn 5 after May 1st will begin school the following year
A child transferring from another school may be enrolled at any time.
New reception students will have two full day transition visits the term prior to them starting school. There will be consultation between parents, teachers and Kindergarten, regarding dates for children visiting school in the term prior to enrolment.
Reception teachers may also visit students at their kindergarten in the term prior to enrolment, to familiarise students with school staff in readiness for the following term.
It is possible for children under 6 years of age to be dismissed up to one hour earlier each day or only attend school for four days per week for a period of time, as some new children find it very tiring to spend the whole day at school when they first begin. It is Department policy, however, that any early dismissal of 5 year old students be at the request of individual parents, not a standard arrangement by the school.
THE SCHOOL DAY
8.10a.m. – 9.00a.m. Yard Supervision
9.00 a.m. - 10.45 a.m. Lesson time
10.45 a.m. - 11.05 a.m. Recess
11.05 a.m. - 12.50 p.m. Lesson time
12.50 p.m. - 1.35 p.m. Lunch (12.50 pm - 1.00 lunch is eaten in class groups)
1.35 p.m. – 2.25 p.m. Lesson time
2.25 p.m. – 2.40 p.m. Afternoon recess
2.40 p.m. - 3.30 p.m. Lesson time
Punctuality is important
The beginning of the day is an important learning time and so teachers try to begin the day on time. This means that when the bell goes at 9am the roll is called and classes commence.
It is important that children arrive at school with enough time to get organised for the day in order to begin learning at 9am. Children arriving after the roll is marked are recorded as late.
Supervision
Teachers provide supervision from 8.10 a.m. until 3.50 p.m. or until the arrival of the High School and Victorian buses for children who travel on those buses. Children who do not travel on these buses should not arrive at school before 8.15 a.m. or remain after 3.45 p.m. No child may leave the yard during school hours without permission.
Absences
If your child is absent from school you are requested to ring the school or send a note on the following day to explain his/her absence. If your child is to be away for more than 2 days, it would be appreciated if the school was notified.
The Principal has delegated authority from the Minister to approve applications for temporary exemption from school attendance for periods of up to one calendar month. Parents need to apply in writing for this temporary exemption.
All applications for temporary exemptions exceeding one calendar month and for permanent exemptions must be made through the Limestone Coast District student Attendance Counsellor.
BANKING
The is currently no school banking offered through Glenburnie Primary School
BUSES
A school bus may be available to:-
1. Children who live more than 5 km from the school.
2. Children who live less than 5 km from the school, provided they on the route and the bus has the seating capacity for them.
If the number of children using the bus exceeds its seating capacity, children living closest to the school will be the first to lose the right to travel on the bus.
A school teacher will supervise children using the bus before and after school. A teacher will see that children wait in an orderly manner before departure in the afternoon.
Children using the bus must conform to rules of behaviour, which will ensure its safe operation.
Such rules include:
1. Staying seated while the bus is moving.
2. Keeping noise levels to what the driver considers acceptable.
3. Conforming to the school rules eg. harassment, fighting.
4. Looking after the bus.
On the advice of the bus driver the Principal may suspend a child/children from travelling on the bus for a period of time for repeated misbehaviours.
BUSHFIRE ACTION
The School has 4 levels of bushfire alert.
1. Total Fire Ban (Level 1) (Proclaimed day of extreme fire danger.)
(Total fireban in district)
2. Fire in District (level 2)
3. Fire threatening school (Level 3)
4. Catastrophic Fire Warning Days – SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED
The procedures we have ensure that children are kept safe, calm and supervised in the event of a bushfire in proximity of the school's bus routes or threatening the school.
SOME MAJOR POINTS FROM OUR BUSHFIRE ACTION POLICY
ALERT DAYS AT EVERY LEVEL
1. (a) It is unnecessary for you to remove your child from school. The C.F.S. regard the safety of the children as the highest priority. Our Fire Policy has been developed by consulting CFS Officers, staff and parents.
(b) If you feel your children should be removed from the school you must collect them personally, or give WRITTEN permission for any other person to take them. (Dated the particular day of the fire). No students will be released without this condition being met. To remove children you must report to the front office (not the classroom). This enables an accurate central record to be kept of the whereabouts of every child.
2. No buses will be released from the school unless the all clear for the route has been gained from the CFS Supervisor or Police.
3. If a fire is threatening the school, all children will be assembled in the library and will remain there until the CFS Supervisor gives the all clear. The CFS has assured us that the library building would be a safe refuge, even if a fire burnt through the school area.
4. Teachers will remain with the children until it is safe for them to go home or be billeted in the case of the district being burnt out. If billeted the Police will know their whereabouts.
5. Children will be fed if a long stay at the school is necessary.
6. Parents may wish to make use of the school refuge.
Cars are to be parked on the oval leaving access in and out for other vehicles.
7. Children will be adequately cared for and no action will be taken to put them into a dangerous situation (Please DO NOT phone the school for details.) The School phone lines must be kept free of incoming calls.
8. Information regarding the fire will be sought from Mount Gambier Forest District.
9. Children should be discouraged from riding or walking to school on a day proclaimed of extreme fire danger as no child will be permitted to ride or walk home.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS/PHONE OR EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS
At Glenburnie Primary School the welfare of the students is of prime importance. In the case of illness or accident it is vital that the school is able to contact by telephone the parents or nominated contact persons of every child.
Staff responsible for doing this find it is most frustrating to be unable to reach anyone when students need outside and/or parental help, so the co-operation of all parents is sought in this area.
Would parents please also remember to keep the school up-to-date with current phone numbers and places of employment.
CONCERT
The annual school concert is held at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre in the last weeks of the school year. Each class performs an item followed by Year 7 presentations and farewells to families. All relatives and friends are invited to attend.
DENTAL CLINIC
If you wish to participate in this scheme, the appropriate information/consent form must be completed and returned to the school. The clinic then initiates a regular programme of dental checks, and is available for emergency work at other times. When emergency treatment is required phone the clinic. It is parents' responsibility to take children to and from the clinic at Mount Gambier Hospital.
EXCURSIONS AND CAMPS
Students are able to participate in a range of excursions, visits and camps to enhance the classroom learning program. These are selected and organised each year depending on the relevance to class programs and are subject to cost considerations and the availability of staff. Students attending share the costs associated with these activities. In circumstances where parents have difficulty with the money involved they are asked to contact the Principal so that individual students are not denied valuable learning experiences.
By regulation, the school is required to request a signed consent form before a child may take part in any school excursion. These forms will be distributed by the class teacher prior to any excursion.
HATS
In accordance with the Glenburnie Primary School “Sunsmart” Policy children are required to wear hats which shade the face, neck and ears during Terms 1 & 4 each year plus at any other time deemed appropriate by staff. Each child is issued with a Glenburnie bucket hat which is the only headwear to be worn at school. These hats are kept at school at all times.
Parents and staff are encouraged to model appropriate dress and behaviour regarding sun protection Students will be directed to use shaded areas before and after school while waiting for parents or buses.
HOMEWORK/PERSONAL LEARNING
Home learning can be an important and valuable extension of classroom learning.
At Glenburnie we believe that home learning is important to:
· practise skills taught in the classroom,
· develop study habits and organisational skills,
· develop responsibility,
· involve parents in the learning process,
· pursue extra or special activities.
The particular form of school initiated home learning for each class will be explained at the beginning of the school year by each classroom teacher.
Parents can help foster home learning in the following ways:
· Extend students' skills by joining clubs and/or participating in activities such as; sports, swimming, gym, scouts, drama and art workshops.
· Help students pursue personal interests such as; stamps, pressed flowers, bushwalking and collection and observation of natural phenomena, making models and lego technics.
· Help students prepare their class talks.
· Keep a scrap book on what they know about a given topic for the term. Add what they have learnt about topics at home or from the library.
A suitable amount of time to be spent on homework/personal learning each week night is:-
Year R - 3 10 - 15 minutes (Reading/Spelling)