Information Handbook

Wartburg

State School

Information Handbook

2017

CONTENTS

Welcome / 3
Staff / 4
School Details / Calendar / Pupil Free Days/ Public Holidays / 5
School Organization / Specialist Teachers / 6
Mission Statement / Values / Beliefs / 7
Enrolments / Attendance / 8
Arrival and Departure / Medicines / Head Lice / 9
Serious Injury / Illness / Book Club / Book List / Conveyance Allowance / 10
Curriculum / Custody / Dental Therapy / Electronic Student Banking / 11
Fire Drills / Homework Hygiene / Library / Lockdown Drills / 12
Money / Newsletters/Parent and Community Help / Parent-Teacher Interviews / Personal Property / 13
Playgroup /Problems and Inquiries / Responsible Behavior Plan for Students /School Buses / 14
School Uniforms / 15
Sports / Summary of Established Procedures / 16
Sun Safety / Transfer of Pupils/ Tuckshop / Use of School Facilities by Community / Valuables / 17
Visitors / PC / Website / 18

WELCOME

Dear Parents / Guardians

We are pleased to welcome you and your child to Wartburg State School. We sincerely trust that your child’s education at this school will be a rewarding and meaningful experience. If your child is to gain maximum educational and social benefit from the time spent at Wartburg, it is essential that School Staff and Parents work together as partners, for we have an important role to play and will be far more effective as a cooperative team.

Your child loves to feel that you are also involved in someway in the functioning of his / her school. We, too, would welcome and, in fact, need your active participation in school life. You may like to become involved in:

• Attending school functions
• Sharing any special interest or ability with groups of children
• Assisting with transport for sporting events
• Helping with maintenance of our grounds and gardens at working bees or in your own time
• Attending monthly P&C Meetings
• Helping with Tuckshop

If you have any concerns about school related matters please contact the school and we will be happy to discuss these issues with you. It is only through open communication that the best for all children can be achieved.

This booklet is intended to provide you with an understanding of the policy and organisation of our school. I trust that you will become active members of our school community and help us to build a school based on the finest education principles.

Yours in Education

Nicole Sherwood

PRINCIPAL

2017 STAFF

PRINCIPAL Nicole Sherwood

YEARS 3-6 TEACHERSNicole Sherwood, Debbie Hills

YEARS P-2 TEACHERJulie Barnett

INDONESIAN TEACHERPeta Swan

MUSIC TEACHERVicki Ladlow

PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERStuart Lane

LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHERDebbie Hills

GUIDANCE OFFICERClaire Parson

ADMINISTRATIONVicki Stringfellow

TEACHER AIDESDianne Jewell

Kylie Johnstone

Charlie Hay

CLEANERRose Mandall

GROUNDSCARECharlie Hay

WARTBURGSTATESCHOOL

ADDRESS:585 COAST ROAD

BAFFLE CREEK QLD 4674

TELEPHONE:07 4156-6134

E-MAIL:

OFFICE HOURS:8:30am – 3:00pm (Mon, Tues, Wed)

WEBSITE:

SCHOOL CALENDAR 2017

Term 1Monday 23January – Friday 31stMarch

Term 2Tuesday 18April – Friday 23 June

Term 3 Monday 10 July – Friday 15 September

Term 4 Tuesday 3 October – Friday 8 December

STUDENT FREE DAY

Term 4Monday 16 October (Week 3)

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Australia Day HolidayThursday26 January

Good FridayFriday 14 April

Easter MondayMonday 17 April

ANZAC DayTuesday 25 April

Labour DayMonday 1 May

Bundaberg Show DayThursday 1June

Queen’s BirthdayMonday 2 October

Christmas Day HolidayMonday 25 December

Boxing Day HolidayTuesday 26 December

SCHOOL ORGANISATION

8.45amClass Meeting – Marking of Roll, collection of notes, money and any special announcements.

Munch and Crunch (Fruit and Nuts). This provides an opportunity for students to refuel their bodies before optimum learning time.

9.00amInstruction commences (morning session)

11.00amLunch. Students are to be seated for first 10 minutes, whilst eating lunch.

11.25amWarning Bell – Toilet, Drink and Line up for class

11:30 amInstruction recommences (middle session)

1.15pmAfternoon Tea, students are to be seated whilst eating

1.25pmPlay

1.55pmWarning Bell – Toilet, Drink and Line up for class

2.00pmInstruction recommences (afternoon session)

2:55pmInstruction concludes

SPECIALIST TEACHERS

Music lessons will be conducted on Fridays

Years P-3 10:30am - 11:30am andYears 4-6 9:30am - 10:30am

Health and Physical Education lessonsoccur onFridays

Years P-3 9:30am – 10:30am and Years 4-6 10:30am – 11:30am

All students will be involved in these lessons.

L.O.T.E. lessons will involve students in Years 3-7.

The language studied at Wartburg is Indonesian.

L.O.T.E. lessons will be conducted on Tuesday Years 5-6 9:30am-11am and

Years 3-4 11:30am-12:30pm.

Guidance Officer is on a ‘needs basis’ and as such does not have a regular timetable. The Guidance Officer will contact the school office before arrival.

The Speech-Language Pathologist visits per term.

Mission Statement

At WartburgStateSchool we aim to provide an environment where children can realise their intellectual potential and develop the skills of self-reliance and awareness of others. Our values and beliefs are founded on four key principles: Safety, Respect, Responsibility and Learning.

Vision Statement

A shared commitment to deliver quality curriculum, through highly effective practises to ensure continuous improvement in student achievement.

Values

• Importance of the individual
• Cooperation
• Loyalty
• Honesty
• Independence
• Rights of the individual
• Contributions of staff, parents and individuals
• Initiative
• Shared decision making
• Learning
• Professional development of the individual

Beliefs

• That education is a life long process
• That children learn actively
• That children construct their own learning
• That children learn at different rates
• That students, parents and teacher are part of a team
• That the school is one of the central points of the community
• That children learn by a variety of activities

GENERAL INFORMATION

ENROLMENTS

PREPARATORY YEAR

From 2007, all Queensland children have access to a full-time preparatory year of education before starting Year 1.

Children must be six by 30 June in the year they enroll in Year 1. This means that Queensland children will be starting school at about the same age as children in other states.

Birth date / Eligible for Prep Year in / Eligible for Year 1 in
Child born 1 July 11 to
30 June 12 / 2017 / 2018

Other Year Levels: On transfer from another Queensland State or Private School,Wartburg School will request a transfer note from your child’s previous school. Children from interstate and overseas will be placed in an appropriate year level after discussion with the Principal.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance at school is compulsory for all children. Regular punctual attendance at school is essential. Absences from school must be explained by a short note (needs to be dated), telephone call or personal contact from the parent / guardian. Please be aware that Education Queensland keeps track of unexplained absences.

If a child has to leave the school before the end of the school day a written note or personal contact explaining the circumstances is necessary. When your child needs to be taken home by someone other than yourself, please notify the office. No child will be allowed out of the school grounds unless the above is adhered to. The safety of your child is our main priority.

Students who are absent from school for more than 10 days (e.g because of illness or family holidays) require an exemption. Principals may approve exemptions of less than one year where there is an appropriate reason.

Refer: WSS Attendance Policy

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

If you drive and deliver and / or pick up your children at this school, please drive carefully near the school. There will be other children about at 3.00pm and we need care from everybody. Please use designated car park areas.

CHILDREN SHOULD ARRIVE AT SCHOOL NO EARLIER THAN 8.10AM AND SHOULD DEPART PROMPTLY AFTER DISMISSAL UNLESS PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOL ORGANISED ACTIVITIES.

NB: Staff members usually arrive at approximately 8:10am. The safety of your child cannot be assured until after 8:10am. If you arrive to drop your child off early it is the responsibility of parents to ensure there are staff members present. It is unreasonable to expect staff (or our school) to accept responsibility for the safety of children if they are dropped off without staff being at the school.

MEDICINES AT SCHOOL

It is important that medicines be prescribed for administration during school hours only when it is absolutely necessary. Check with your doctor first to see whether it is necessary for the medicine to be given while at school.

The staff at school will only give medication to pupils if the original prescription is on the correct bottle sent along with the pupil.

Crown Law Office indicates that staff should not accept instructions from parents. NON-PRESCRIBED MEDICINES WILL NOT BE GIVEN. This includes items such as aspirin, panadol, cough mixture and cough lollies. Asthma puffers can be left at the school office. Parents must send written requests if they require teachers to administermedicines. Medication should not be stored in student’s bags in the event that other students may take it and endanger their health.

HEADLICE

From time to time headlice are a problem for children. Anyone, adults or children, can get headlice but unless everybody is aware of the need to check their children’s scalps each week, it can be hard to control infestations. Effective control of headlice is not possible unless all parents are cooperative. This means regular inspections of children’s hair and treatment (when needed).

Some steps that our school has taken to combat headlice are:

• Students are not allowed to share brushes, combs, hats and hair ribbons etc

There is no overnight cure but treatment presently available, if properly applied, will kill the lice. Treatment needs to be followed up in seven days incase of just one egg being missed. We suggest the whole family be treated, and other house items (hats, pillowcases, sheets, towels – upholstered furniture) be treated at the same time to prevent reinfestation. Please notify the Principal if you become aware of infestation in your class/es so we can minimise the spread of headlice.

SERIOUS INJURY

If your child is seriously injured at school and

requires hospital attention, an ambulance will be called. Every effort will be made to contact parents. Please make sure any information doctors, mobile and home telephone numbers are kept up to date.

ILLNESS

When your child is ill please do not send him or her to school. This usually spreads the illness and the child generally has a miserable day and is unable to concentrate on learning. It also means that we have to comfort the patient. We have limited facilities to manage sick children for extended periods at WartburgStateSchool.

BOOKCLUB

Each term we run bookclub. Order forms are sent home to the eldest in the family. A bookfair is held once a year, usually in October.

BOOK LIST

Each class has a book list of items that students will require. Please ensure that your child / children has all their items labelled clearly with their name and year level. This will help identify items if they become lost.

CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE

Primary students who live more than 3.2km from school or more than 3.2km from the bus route are eligible for an annual payment from the Department of Transport to assist with costs to and from school, or to and from the bus route.

Application forms are obtained from:

The Department of Transport and Main Roads

P.O. Box 5096, CENTRAL QLD MAIL CENTRE, QLD. 4702

The allowance is paid on a per vehicle basis twice a year.

CURRICULUM

At Wartburg State School students engage in The Australian National Curriculum for English, Mathematics, Science and Humanity and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Civics & Citizenship and Economics and Business), The Arts, Health and Physical Education (HPE), Technology and Languages Other than English (LOTE).

CUSTODY

A parent with legal custody of children following a marriage separation is responsible for advising the school of that status. While we act in ‘loco parentis’ during school hours, we need to know to whom we are legally entitled to surrender the children at 3.00p.m.or earlier if requested. This information must be sighted by the school.

DENTAL THERAPY

All children attending this school are eligible for free dental treatment at the School Dental Van. For emergency treatment (i.e. pain or swelling), please contact the Bundaberg School Dental Service administration office on telephone no. 41502243 for direction to a van at a nearby location.

ELECTRONIC STUDENT BANKING

The Commonwealth Bank offers children under 12 years of age a banking system through the school. Banking is usually completed on a Wednesday. Information is available through the office.

FIRE DRILLS

Each term fire drills are conducted so that students and staff can practise appropriate evacuation procedures. This is a requirement by Education Queensland. Staff instruct students on how to leave buildings appropriately and demonstrate where to assemble incase of an emergency.

FACEBOOK

The Wartburg State School Administrator of the school facebook page is managed by a member of the school staff outside of school hours. Facebook is another method of communication and school news extended to parents and the community, as well as being useful during local area emergency flooding.

HOMEWORK

All students will have homework from Monday to Thursday each week. Work set will be within the capacity of each student and will usually include both written and non-written components. Homework set will, in most cases, revise and consolidate previous work. Homework when developed and maintained throughout the Primary years, will create in students the level of self-discipline, individual pride and reliability, which will be essential for success in their secondary education. Each class has a slightly different approach, which is determined at a class level.

HYGIENE

Cleanliness and personal hygiene are vigorously encouraged at school. It is only fair to other children with whom they come into contact with, that open sores, boils, etc, be covered before they come to school.

LIBRARY

Students will be encouraged to borrow books from the resource centre. Loans are for two weeks, but may be extended if students need more time to finish reading the book. Books are a valuable resource and consequently we encourage students to take great care of them. If students return books in an unsatisfactory manner, you will be expected to either replace the book or pay for replacement. STUDENTS WILL NEED A LIBRARY BAG. These bags will help keep the books in a satisfactory condition when books are being moved between home and school.

LOCKDOWN DRILLS

Each term lockdown drills are conducted so that students and staff can practice appropriate lockdown procedures. This is a requirement by Education Queensland.

MONEY

Occasionally, it will be necessary for children to bring money to school for specific purposes. Any money collected (preferably the correct amount as change is not kept on the premises) should be received at the school in a sealed envelope labelled with the child’s name, amount and purpose for which it is collected. Students are required to hand money to the office at the start of the day. Please ensure money is sealed and labeled before handing in.

NEWSLETTERS

The ‘Wartburg Wire’ is published at our school, and it is through this publication that parents are kept informed about the latest happenings at the school, the Parents and Citizens’ Association activities, and what is happening around Wartburg. This publication is given to the eldest member in each family. The newsletter is printed on a weekly basis. It is also uploaded onto the website each week.

PARENT / COMMUNITY HELP

Parent / Community help is always needed and valued in our school. There are a variety of ways that you can help with the functioning of our school e.g.

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• Tuckshop
• Assisting in the library
• Coaching of sports

• P&C Member
• Fundraising
• Classroom assistance

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We would truly appreciate anyone who can donate some of their time to help out at school. If you are interested in assisting in any way at the school please contact the Principal.

PARENT AND TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Semester Reports will be sent home at the end of each semester. Parent / Teacher conferences will also be offered each semester. Incidental interviews can be arranged mutually (through the office) by parents and teacher should the need arise, these are useful in monitoring your child’s progress.

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Please make sure that all articles of clothing and other belongings are clearly marked with your child’s name. Marking of property is essential for two reasons:

1. The number of lost and unclaimed articles which we accumulate each year is truly amazing.
2. Recovery of property whose ownership is disputed is much easier if the article is clearly marked with the owner’s name.

Any lost property that is not claimed at the end of each term will go to a charity organisation. Please note that children and parents are responsible for all personal belongings.

PLAYGROUP

Playgroup meets each week on Tuesday at Wartburg State School. Activities commence at approximately 9.00am and conclude at approximately 11am. Playgroup is designed for children aged 0 – 5 to interact and have fun socialising with others, as well as parents having time to get together. If you are interested in joining playgroup contact the school office.

PROBLEMS AND INQUIRIES

If you have any problems or inquiries do not hesitate to contact the school on 41566134. If you wish to see the Principal or a Teacher, please telephone to arrange a mutually convenient time.