ArdtornishPrimary School

StaffInformation Booklet

2010


ABSENCES

If you are going to be absent please advise the school by phone and ring for a reliever. Obviously the earlier you ring, the better chance you have of getting someone with expertise in a particular area. A relieving teacher can be obtained by ringing the Tea Tree Gully TRT Scheme on 83951575 by 7.00am. The Scheme’s answering machine operates 24 hours every day and teachers can phone to book a relief teacher at any time. TRT operators work 5.30-6.30pm (Sunday to Thursday nights), and 6.00-8.00am (Monday to Friday mornings). If you want to be guaranteed of obtaining a TRT you should ring the scheme by 7.00am, at the latest, on the day the TRT is required. Whilst it is not busy in term 1, by terms 3 & 4 it is often very difficult to obtain a TRT unless the calls are made early.

If you ring the scheme, speak up and talk slowly. You have one minute in which to leave your message – plenty of time to deliver the message slowly and clearly. It is important to let the TRT Scheme Operator know the school, the name of the teacher who will be absent, their year level, requests for specific TRTs, date TRT is required and any other relevant information. If a TRT is required for half a day, please indicate whether this is ‘am’ or ‘pm’. TRTs can be booked by fax. The fax number is 83961716.

You may know of a TRT who would like to fill in for you. If they are not registered with the Tea Tree Gully scheme, they will need to bring their letter of authority and their registration certificate with them. All TRTs on the scheme have already presented their letter of authority and registration certificate.

We do have some preferred regular TRTs who we use often and their names together with their phone numbers are available from the front office, and also distributed via pigeonholes at the beginning of the year. These people should be contacted directly.

Protocols for TRTs

Continuity of teacher and program is important.

As much as possible book the same TRT for your class. To ensure this you will need to book when possible in advance.

Negotiate/provide TRTs with -program for the day

yard duties, timetable, roll book, staff handbook, details of students with special needs - health, behaviour, learning

All of the above, except your program should be in your TRT box.

Ensure that the leadership team are aware of your absence.

When possible, inform the class of your absence and the name of the TRT.

If you know in advance you will be absent, please record this on the intranet along with the name of the reliever.

Where your class has NIT the TRT should consult with the deputy principal to be assigned other duties.

ARTS PROGRAM

Arts are highly valued at ArdtornishPrimary School.

Drama R-5 - specialist teacher

Instrumental Music – approximately 100 students involved with private providers

Recorder groups – trained by teachers or staff

3 Bands – trained by an hourly paid instructor (HPI)

Choir – trained by teachers or staff

Aerobics & Dance teams – trained after hours

Pottery R-5 – provided by HP1

Various performance opportunities are provided throughout the year with the major event being an annual music concert at Golden Grove Performing Arts Theatre.

ASSEMBLY

Assemblies are held in Week 3, 6, & 9 of each term. There is an Assembly Roster given out at the beginning of each school year and a copy of the roster is on display on the Staff Meeting whiteboard in the staffroom.

In fine weather whole school assemblies are held on the Junior Primary playground area in front of the stage or on the primary courts. In wet weather there are two assemblies, A & B. Classes attend either the A assembly at Friday 9.20 am or the B assembly on Friday at 10.20am as shown on the roster.

All classes along with their buddy class are responsible for the organisation of an assembly with dates as shown on the roster. The Assembly format includes the singing of the National Anthem, news from Senior Staff, Resource Centre news, SRC updates and performance items.

An assembly agenda form is to be circulated by the organisers to all classes prior to each assembly. Items from other staff and class items are included eg, presentations of awards, class work, songs, dances, etc. These forms are kept in a box labelled Assembly and located on the shelf above staff pigeonholes.

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BELL TIMES

8.35amSupervision in the school yard begins.

R-2 students enter rooms.

8.45amN.B. Children are not allowed into the classroom if the teacher is not present. On wet mornings children may go straight into their classroom following the sounding of the siren three times to indicate wet weather .

8.50 amSchool begins. Latecomers are recorded in the roll book.

10.50 amRECESS

11.10 amLesson time begins.

1.00 pmEat lunch – closely supervised (no bell).

1.10 pmLUNCH PLAY. The Resource Centre is open for quiet reading and games.

1.40 pmStudents prepare to return to class.

1.45 pmLesson time begins.

3.15 pmAll children are dismissed - the school yard is supervised for 15 minutes after the siren.

N.B.School is dismissed at 2.15pm on the last day of each term.

3.30 pmSchool yard clear of unsupervised students.

STUDENTS AT SCHOOL BEFORE 8.35 AM AND AFTER 3.30 PM

Before 8.35 am

Students must not be on school premises unless they are-:

In the Out of School Hours Care program.

Sitting in the courtyard area outside the Science Room.

Supervised by a parent/caregiver.

After 3.30 pm

Students should not be on school premises without adult supervision. In unusual, emergency circumstances, students must

be in view of the office.

BINS

A Staff member takes responsibility for the schools bins and student bin monitors empty bins at the end of lunchtime and

replace them. Student monitors are supplied with gloves.

BOOKCLUB

Scholastic Bookclub sends pamphlets to issue to each child in the school. There is a range of books, posters, videos and

CD Roms to choose from. The school receives one bonus point for every dollar (roughly). We are able to use these bonus

points to purchase books etc. for the school.

There is the Lucky Bookclub which is aimed at Junior Primary, mainly Reception – Year 2 children; the Arrow Bookclub which is Middle Primary, mainly Year 3-Year 5 and the Star Bookclub for Upper Primary, ie, Year 6 & 7. We also occasionally receive pamphlets specifically for computer use, ie, CD Roms. We receive the Bookclub issue twice per term. Bookclub pamphlets are sent out to each classroom with the required amount of each edition. There is also a pamphlet for teachers which includes teacher resources, books, etc. Money is payable at the Finance Office window for book purchases on an individual basis. The books generally arrive about 7-10 days after the due date.

BUDDY CLASS

Each class has a buddy class from a different section of the school, eg, JP/UP. Buddy classes are responsible for organising the assembly when it is their turn on the roster. Classes are encouraged to work with their buddy class and negotiate activities they would like to be involved in during the year.

Time-out in Buddy class is also used for students as part of the classroom behaviour management procedures.

CANTEEN

The school canteen is open on every day except Monday to provide snacks, drinks, recesses and lunches. A price list is sent home approximately once per term (due to price changes) and is also available from the canteen supervisor. Junior Primary students are not allowed to go to the canteen at recess time, therefore their ordering is done via the classroom before lessons commence each morning.

CARPARK

Staff are encouraged to park in the allocated spaces available in the staff car park. Please do not park in the Kindergarten car park spaces. Parents are not allowed to use the staff car park as a drop-off/pick up zone between 8.15am and 4.00pm but OSHC parents may use the car park outside of these times. The car park is OUT OF BOUNDS for students at all times. There are car parking restrictions on Saarinen Avenue.

CLASSROOM BUDGETS

Class budgets can be used by staff only for consumable items. Orders must be placed through the School Finance Officer. Small items bought by teachers at other times will be reimbursed on presentation of tax compliant receipts to the Finance Officer. Requisition forms (green) are in the staffroom in a display unit.

CLASSROOM SUPPORT

Classes are provided with SSO and teacher support. This is negotiated at the beginning of each year. Class teachers negotiate with SSOs and specialist teachers how they can best utilise this time to meet the needs of students. See School Support Officers for more information.

COMMUNICATION – PARENTS

Monday is Newsletter and notices day.

We use the following methods to communicate with parents:

  • School newsletters – sent home with the youngest child in every family, every second Monday in even weeks.
  • Various notices pertaining to school and community events.
  • Class newsletters are sent home by teachers
  • Acquaintance Night – held by the class teacher with all the parents from the class early in the year. Details of curriculum, class routines, expectations, homework are discussed.
  • Parent/Teacher interviews – end of Term 1 or beginning of Term 2 and end of Term 2/beginning of Term 3.
  • Written reports – Terms 2 & 4.

COMMUNICATION – STAFF

ArdtornishPrimary School has a large number of staff. It is important that everyone is kept informed. All staff are asked to maintain communication through:

  • Daily Diary on the Intranet
  • Pigeon Holes
  • Staff Meetings
  • Staff Bulletin – Published Fridays
  • Various other meetings. Minutes of meetings are kept in the staffroom for easy access by all staff.

COPYRIGHT RULES

All staff are reminded that resources may be subject to Copyright Rules. Check with Resource Centre if unsure.

CORRESPONDENCE

All formal correspondence with outside agencies or groups needs to be viewed by the Principal prior to dispatch. Any correspondence with parents which may be controversial should be discussed with the Principal prior to dispatch. All such correspondence must be on school letterhead.

CURRICULUM

Each staff member has a copy of the DECS SACSA Frameworks and the companion documents for specific curriculum areas. There are many other support documents available in the staff section of the resource centre. Literacy & Numeracy Benchmark Charts have been provided to all teaching areas.

EARLY DISMISSAL

Students are dismissed an hour early on the last day of each term. Please follow-up with a telephone call to parents of any students not picked up early on the last day of a term.

EDUPORTAL

If you are having problems logging onto

Contact ICT Customer Support Centre

Phone 8204 1866

Email

You need to be able to access

NAPLAN Datamart

SACSA Achievement System

Log on at least once per term to ensure that your password is active.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION ROUTES

See Separate sheet that is displayed in each room

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES : BELL - see Emergency Procedures

ARDTORNISHPRIMARY SCHOOL

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

LISTEN FOR THESE SIRENS / BELLS

EVACUATION OUT OF BUILDINGS TO THE OVAL

-MANY short blasts that go on for some time.

SHUT IN

-ONE very long continuous single blast

Followed by a loud speaker instruction

WET WEATHER / VERY HOT WEATHER

-3 short blasts of the siren.

EVACUATION PROCEDURES – CRISIS PLAN – ‘FOR SHUT IN’

CRISIS PLAN - SHUT IN

In the event of an emergency where students and staff need to be kept inside, the following will apply.

  • The front office will be the centre of all communications. Staff are to let the front office know of any situation which requires a "shut in". No other calls should be made by staff.
  • A long continuous single siren/bell will sound after which an announcement will be made through the speaker phone / individual phones.
  • All students and staff are to stay in the class or room they are in and shut the door. Lock external doors.
  • Any student outside is to go immediately to the nearest supervised room and go inside and shut the door.
  • The front office will monitor the situation and:
  • Call for any outside help
  • Contact classes when necessary/able
  • Deal with the situation.
  • A short 'normal' bell will sound the all clear and normal business can resume.

Staff should:

  • Shut the door and windows of the room. Keep students away from doors and windows.
  • Supervise the class and any student who enters because it is the closest room.
  • Call the roll.
  • When the Office staff contact you inform the front office or the student's class (where possible) when there are other students who have entered in their class for shelter.
  • Keep calm and keep students calm (if possible seat children on the floor and read them a story).
  • Listen for any intercom message or phone call (where there is a phone).
  • Resume normal procedures when the all clear (a short normal siren/bell) is given.
  • Come to the staff room at the end of the day or at the next break to debrief the situation.
  • DO NOT CONTACT THE OFFICE – THEY WILL CONTACT YOU.

Students should

  • Sit down and listen for the teacher's instructions.
  • Immediately go into the nearest room if they are outside. There they should let the teacher know. If there is no teacher because they are in an empty room, they must wait for the all clear single normal siren before they leave the room.
  • When the all clear is given, if a student has not been with a teacher, that student must return to their normal classroom or to the front office to report that they are safe.

Parents Should.

  • Stay in the room they are in and listen for the teacher's instruction
  • Immediately go into the nearest room if they are outside and wait until the all clear normal siren before they leave the room
  • Not take their child(ren) outside even if it is for an appointment until the all clear has been given.

A "shut in" may occur if there is an unsafe situation outside where evacuation is not a suitable response, eg, a dangerous dog; a police chase.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION

There is an evacuation plan in each room. Everyone should leave the buildings in a quiet and orderly fashion. Belongings should not be collected. The assembly point is on the lower oval – the primary oval. Class teachers will call the roll and information about student presence or absence will be immediately provided to the Principal or Deputy Principal. No one is to return to the buildings until they are directed to do so by the Deputy Principal or the Principal.

EMERGENCY RECORD FORMS/CONTACT WITH PARENTS

At the beginning of each year emergency contact details are updated on EDSAS. If the situation is serious and we are unable to contact the parents or the other nominated contacts, the child will be taken to ModburyHospital.

Parents are advised that it is a good idea to have ambulance cover in case of emergency. In cases of serious illness or accident high priority is given to contact with parents.

Remind parents who change address or telephone number during the year (either home or at work) to let the school know as soon as possible.

ENROLMENTS / TRANSFERS

These are handled by the front office staff. Staff are requested to inform the principal and/or front office staff if a child is leaving the school.

EXCURSIONS AND CAMPS – Learning beyond the school

Excursions and camps are a part of the total classroom programme and provide consolidation of concepts and skills which apply to many areas of the curriculum. They are highly valued by the parents who expect they will happen. Relevant forms are located in Perspex display units in the staffroom (near window). Please complete the green GST declaration form and give it to the Finance Officer. Check with the Finance Officer about last date to pay and costings for excursions and campsbefore notes are printed and sent home. You will also need to complete the excursion camp checklist form. Year 6 students attend an environmental camp and year 7 students an aquatics camp. Payments can be made at the Finance Office window every school morning between 8.30am and 9.30am or via the school’s website (Bizgate).

FIRST AID

Each class has a first aid bag with a supply of band aids etc. for minor injuries. Please take this bag outside for sporting activities and yard duty. Any children with serious injuries need to be taken to the front office for SSO assistance. If students cannot be moved send an emergency card to office. Confidentiality of information of serious health conditions for students needs to be maintained. This information is found in the back of your Roll Book.