Handbook

Our vision for Good Shepherd Primary is to be a school community that is:

• Gospel-centred, with Christ as a teacher and model for all our endeavours
• filled with hope, which reflects God's love for us and our love for each other
• a centre of learning which strives towards excellence in all areas of human growth

Our Mission at Good Shepherd Primary School is to be a centre of learning, which integrates Gospel Values and quality education, while focusing on the needs of the children in a complex and changing world.

This reflects our School Motto - the pursuit of Peace and Joy.

Our staff, in partnership with parents and carers, aim to provide students with positive attitudes and a love of learning.

Dear Parents,

We welcome you, your child and your wider family to Good Shepherd Primary School.

We consider it a privilege to join in partnership with you in the education and development of your child.

The quality of education we provide is a high priority for Good Shepherd Primary School, where we value and nurture the dignity of every person.

We also value and nurture the gifts and talents which each child, parent and staff member brings to our school.

We hope that all who come to Good Shepherd Primary School see Christ reflected in all that occurs in word and action, enabling this community to be Christ for others.

Kind regards

Tricia Carr
Principal

Good Shepherd Primary School was established in 1979 by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars and administered by the Poor Clare Sisters. The original Principal was Sr Julian Heath, who started the school with 23 students.

Since those early days, the school has grown into a vastly multicultural and vibrant school of over 780 children and 66 teaching and administration staff.

To accommodate such growth, the school has undergone major developments, and in 2005 a new Infants block was opened, comprising of eight new classrooms.

As a school community, we recall with gratitude the faith and dedication of the pioneer priests, sisters, teachers and parents of the Catholic community. This founding community laboured tirelessly to provide Catholic education, and the faith and Christian traditions we express and value today.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light and
Where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled, as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

School Hours and Supervision

Please note Staff Development Days may change. Please keep updated via our weekly school newsletter.

In the event of your child being absent from school due to illness, it is necessary that a note of explanation be forwarded to the class teacher on the day of your child’s return to school. In the case of absences of more than one day, a telephone call to the office indicating your child’s expected date of return is required. Prolonged absences from school due to illness should be supported by a medical certificate.

You may receive a SMS notification if your child is absent 3 or more days, or has a number of unexplained absences during the year. If you do receive a SMS, please follow the directions.

Should a student arrive late to school you are asked to escort your child into the school premises.  It is a legal requirement that all partial absences are recorded on the electronic class roll and an explanation provided by the parent/carer.

If you wish to pick up your child earlier than 2:50 pm please enter via the school office and speak to one of the school secretaries. Your child will be called for and will meet you at the school office.

If your child has an attendance rate of less than 90%, you will receive a letter from the school. Please see the “Compulsory School Attendance Information for Parents”.

Compulsory School Attendance Information for Parents

Exemption of Leave in School Time:
Leave from school for holiday/overseas trips in school time is not encouraged and must be explained in writing to the School Principal.

An exemption from attendance may be granted for leave taken due to exceptional circumstances (not holidays).

A leave form (“Application for Extended Leave”) must be completed at least 4 weeks in advance if over 4 working school days. Leave forms can be obtained from the school administration office. Leave during school terms is strongly discouraged.

Leave of less than 4 days needs to also be approved by the Principal. Please write a letter to your child’s class teacher outlining the details of the leave, including the first and last school day that the child will be absent.

In NSW, school attendance is compulsory for children over the age of six years until the minimum school leaving age of 17 years. Students must complete Year 10, and after Year 10 until they turn 17 years of age, students must be:

• in school or registered for home schooling, or
• in approved education or training (e.g. TAFE, traineeship, apprenticeship), or
• in full-time, paid employment (average 25 hours per week) or in a combination of work, education and/or training.

What if my child has to be away from school?

If your child has to be absent from school, you must tell the school and provide a reason for your child’s absence. To explain an absence, parents or carers may send a note, or email the school.

A small number of absences may be justified if your child has to:

• go to a special religious ceremony
• is required to attend to a serious and/or urgent family situation (e.g. a funeral)
• is too sick to go to school, or has an infectious illness.

Children need to arrive at school and class on time. Lateness to school or leaving early from school must be recorded as a partial absence.

Application for Exemption

If you consider that it is in your child’s best interests to be exempted from the legal requirement to attend school for any length of time, you must apply to the Principal for an exemption. The school will provide an Application for Exemption from Attendance at School form, and assist you to complete it, if necessary. The Principal will consider your application and decide whether to grant a Certificate of Exemption from Attendance at School.

Responsibilities of the School Principal

Principals help to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of your child. They must also keep accurate records of student attendance. Principals are able to question requests for a child to be absent from school and are also responsible for deciding if the reason given for an absence is justified. Principals may request medical certificates or other documentation for long or frequent absences explained by parents as being due to illness.

When absences are unexplained by parents, or explanations are not accepted by the Principal, the school will work with parents to identify the reasons for non-attendance and put in place strategies, so the child can return to school. Principals may ask support staff or other agencies to assist.

What if my child continues to have unsatisfactory attendance?

It is important to understand that the NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC), on behalf of the State Minister for Education, may take further action in cases where children of compulsory school age have recurring numbers of unexplained or unacceptable absences from school. The following actions may be taken in these cases:

• Attendance Meetings
  Parents, and sometimes their child, can be asked to attend a meeting with school and Catholic Education Office personnel and, in some cases, DEC regional officers. The aim of the meeting is to help identify strategies to support the child and family, and remove barriers to non-attendance. Other agencies may also be invited, if parents agree.


• Compulsory Attendance Conferences
  If school attendance does not improve, parents and sometimes their child, can be asked to attend a compulsory attendance conference. The conference, which will be run by a trained conference convenor, aims to help the school, parents and other agencies to further identify the issue impacting on a child’s attendance. The outcome of a compulsory attendance conference is for the parties to agree to undertake certain actions to improve a child’s attendance. These actions are agreed in writing.


• Compulsory Schooling Order
  If previous attempts to resolve the issues of a child’s attendance are not successful, legal compliance can be sought through an application to the Children’s Court for a Compulsory Schooling Order. The aim is to assist a family and/or child to address the issues preventing satisfactory school attendance. This has the added enforcement of a Court’s powers.


• Prosecution
  If all attempts by schools, the Catholic Education Office and DEC regional support staff fail to improve a child’s attendance, action can be taken by the Local Court with the result of fines being imposed up to a maximum of $11,000.

Further information

Further information is available from

• Catholic Education Commission policy and information
  www.cecnsw.catholic.edu.au – search ‘student attendance’
  or http://bit.ly/zdLonM
  
  
• NSW Department of Education and Communities
  http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/leavingschool/index.php
   

Do you need an interpreter

Interpreting services are provided, where possible, for parents and carers who do not speak or understand English well and for deaf parents and carers who use sign language. For more information on interpreter services contact your school or phone the Telephone Interpreter Service and have them contact the school. The telephone number to ring is 131 450. Ask for an interpreter in the required language and the interpreter will call the school and stay on the line to assist you with your conversation. You will not be charged for this service.

In the interest of student safety, effective teacher supervision and Child Protection protocols, all visitors to the school, including tradespeople, visitors and parents/carers are asked to observe the following procedures.

Before assisting teachers in the classroom, on excursions, at sporting events or in any other capacity, all volunteers must be registered on the Building Child Safe Communities portal.

‘Building Child Safe Communities’ is a new initiative developed by the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese that enhances our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all students in our care.

We realise that many of our dedicated volunteers have already completed a Working with Children Check. Thank you for the providing this information to our school, however, this new requirement is in addition to the current WWC/APP number that you have provided.

If you are new to volunteering in the school, or you have already completed your clearance, please follow the procedures below to complete the online forms.

It is now a requirement that all volunteers and contractors complete an online undertaking form that confirms expectations in relation to behaviour whilst volunteering or contracting at schools, Catholic Out of Schools Hours Care, and Catholic Early Learning Centres. This undertaking form also seeks to determine the suitability of volunteers and contractors by requiring them to declare that they do not have a criminal history involving children.

Volunteers please note - all volunteer workers in schools are required to undergo child protection training. Visit the Parramatta Catholic Education Office website 'Building Child Safe Communities' for more information.

Thank you for assisting us in keeping our children and community safe.

Children are supervised on the playground from 8:10am.

When bringing children to school, please park in the Church carpark and walk your child through the school gates. Alternatively you can drop your child to school using the Kiss and Drop zone at the front of the school.

It is school policy that no child is to go to the car parks unless supervised by an adult, and procedures for collecting and picking up children are carefully followed for safety reasons.

The procedure for afternoon dismissal is based on the concern and safety for the children.

Walkers and cyclists must have a pass which is organised through the school office. Children are supervised to ensure safe exit from the school.

Bus travellers assemble in the designated area and are supervised by staff for safe exit on buses.

The children are to be collected by their parent/guardian each afternoon from their classroom until 2:55pm. After this, remaining children assemble in the Cola area under the supervision of teachers. Children are supervised by teachers until 3:15pm after which time their parents are contacted.

A school assembly is held each Monday at 8.30am for approximately 15 minutes. Parents and friends are welcome at this assembly.

Grade assemblies are also held that give children the opportunity to share their work, and give teachers the opportunity to give awards and acknowledge birthdays.

The acknowledgment of personal achievement and effort is demonstrated by:

• merit certificates and stickers
• Principal and teacher awards, positive comments and praise
• public acknowledgments
• teacher affirmation and rewards.

Our assessment and reporting procedures keep in focus our beliefs about children’s learning, and therefore employ several strategies to gather information and report student progress to parents/carers.

These include:

• student work samples
• Parent Teacher interviews
• NAPLAN testing for Years 3 and 5
• mid-year and end-of-year reports

The formal Mid-Year and End-of-Year Report is in accordance with Commonwealth Legislation. All parents are provided with the opportunity to request a parent teacher interview at the time of reports. Parents are requested to keep all reports in a safe place. They are requested at times for high school enrolment. Re-issuing of reports will incur a charge of $10.

This service is available at Good Shepherd Primary School and at the following centres:

• Good Shepherd COSHC - 0409 121 980
• St Mark’s Oakhurst - 02 9832 0378
• Mount Druitt Baptist - 02 9832 2331
• K.A.C. Mount Druitt - 02 9625 3027
• Rooty Hill Before & After School Care - 02 9625 3397

All these centres collect the children from the school grounds and escort them to their respective care places.

We love to celebrate your child's birthday. If you wish to bring something simple to share, please send cup cakes or donuts only - no lollies or drinks. Large birthday cakes that require cutting are not allowed. Due to food allergies, please ensure they are nut-free. If your child has any food allergies, please supply some alternatives that can be left at school for when these celebrations occur.

Please do not send hot food or take away food. Please also note that NO BIRTHDAY CANDLES are allowed.

Many children travel to and from school by bus. Parents are asked to regularly reinforce correct behaviour and good conduct on buses. All children in the Infants (Kindergarten, Years One and Two) are eligible for free bus transport to and from the school. Children in Primary classes who live 1.6 kms or further from the school are eligible for free transport. OPAL cards must be applied for online at https://www.opal.com.au

If a child loses his/her OPAL card, please search the Opal website to gain information regarding replacement cards.

We have an independent onsite canteen service for the convenience of families. Lunch orders can be placed and paid for online, or via the class lunchbox using a brown paper bag. The child’s name, class and order are to be written clearly on the outside of the paper bag. Classroom orders will be taken to the canteen each morning by 8:45 am.

All lunch orders will be delivered to the individual classes at the designated lunchtime.

For online canteen ordering, please go to spriggyschools.com.au. Price lists and menus can be found on the school website. Please see the school newsletter for additional 'Meal Deals'.

You are responsible for checking that the ingredients of what you order for your child are suitable for your child’s sensitivities or health issues.

The electronic school newsletter, 'Link', containing information about various school activities, is available every Tuesday. It is our way of keeping you informed of the various events taking place in our school. Subscribe to the newsletter on our school website. Paper copies are available for families with no internet access. Please contact the school office.

Parent teacher interviews are held during Term 1. This is an opportunity for parents to share their deep knowledge of their child with the classroom teacher. There is also an opportunity to discuss the progress of each child at the time of reports twice a year. You are welcome to see your child’s class teacher regarding his/her progress at other times. Simply arrange an appointment by ringing the school office or by writing a request.

Parents are always welcome to discuss matters of interest or concern with the class teacher, Assistant Principal or Principal. Please ring the school office to make an appointment.

Complaint Handling Policy

This policy supports responding to concerns or grievances raised by school community members.

Complaint Handling Procedures and Guidelines

This document outlines the options and the informal and formal process for raising concerns and managing grievances within our educational communities.

For further information and documentation, please refer to "About Us" - "Policies and Procedures" - "Catholic School Community" on this website.

Students and staff take part in various scheduled and unscheduled emergency drills to ensure the safety of the children. Evacuation maps are located in each classroom and learning space.

During the year, teachers take classes on excursions or have performers come to the school. These are planned to enhance a particular unit of work and form an important part of the children's education. It is important that all children attend excursions and we endeavour to keep costs to a minimum. Permission notes and money must be returned for a child to attend an excursion. Special assistance is available for those who find it a financial burden.

Our facilities for the treatment of injuries at the school sick bay are very limited, and so we ask if you are in any way doubtful about the fitness/health of your child for school on a particular day, that you make arrangements for his/her care at home.

Should your child become ill while at school, and it is considered that he/she should be at home, you (or the emergency contact) will be contacted to take the child home.

In the case of a serious accident, an ambulance will be called to attend to the child at school and transport to the nearest hospital. In such cases parents will be contacted immediately.

Once a week every class has a library borrowing session. After the children return their previously borrowed books, they may borrow some new books to take home.

Library Bags:

The children must have a library bag (to safely transport books to and from school). They cannot borrow from the library unless they have returned last week’s books and have a library bag.

Scholastic Book Club

This is an entirely voluntary purchase. Twice a term we distribute Scholastic Book Club’s specially compiled list of priced books to the children. Details on how to order the books are included on the forms. Please ensure your child’s name and class are on the order form.

Should students require any medication while at school, the medication should be left with the secretarial staff. Medication will not be administered without written parental permission detailing medication name, dosage and time/s to administer.

Students are sent to the office and receive the correct dosage, administered by the secretarial staff, who are fully First Aid qualified. Self-medication of Ventolin inhalers can be organised after written parental permission. Please see the office staff for details. Please provide the school office with an Asthma Action Plan from your doctor.

Anaphylaxis is a serious (potentially) life threatening and rapid allergic reaction.

Good Shepherd has a number of students who suffer a severe allergic reaction through contact with peanut based foods. Good Shepherd is a nut free school, and we ask that no family send in foods with their children that includes nuts of any description, including Nutella, peanut butter and all products containing peanuts or nut products. If you are unsure about any product, please refer to the contents section of the product to ensure peanuts and nuts are not present in the product.

If your child is Anaphylactic, please provide the school office with your child’s specific Anaphylaxis Action Plan, together with the relevant medication.

Common Childhood Illnesses

Infections are common in early childhood. Below are regulations outlining the length of time any student should remain away from school with a particular illness:

• Chicken Pox
  Exclude until fully recovered – minimum exclusion for 7 days after the first spots appear.



• German Measles
  Exclude until fully recovered – minimum exclusion for 5 days from appearance of the rash.



• Infectious Hepatitis
  Exclude until medical practitioner certifies recovery.



• Measles
  Exclude for at least 5 days from the appearance of the rash.



• Mumps
  Exclude until fully recovered – minimum exclusion for 10 days from the onset of the swelling.



• Streptococcal Infection
  Exclude until fully recovered.



• Whooping Cough
  Exclude until fully recovered – minimum exclusion for 3 weeks from onset of the whoop.



• Conjunctivitis
  Exclude until discharge from eyes has ceased.



• Impetigo
  Exclude until sores have fully healed. The child may return provided that appropriate treatment is being applied and that sores on exposed surfaces such as scalp, face, hands, or legs are properly covered with occlusive dressings.



• Head Lice
  Exclude until hair is completely cleaned: neither nit (eggs) or head lice being present. Children who have such problems may not be readmitted to the school without a note from the parents or guardian indicating that appropriate treatment has been given, and the eggs and/or lice have been removed.

For further information please visit the website  http://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/

Childhood Immunisation Schedule

Age: Immunisation

• 2 Months - Diphtheria/Tetanus/Whooping Cough/Sabin (Polio)
• 4 Months - Diphtheria/Tetanus/Whooping Cough/Sabin (Polio)
• 6 Months - Diphtheria/Tetanus/Whooping Cough/Sabin (Polio)
• 4 Years - Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio Infanrix-IPV

Office Hours

The school office is open from 8:00 am – 3:30 pm Monday to Friday during school terms. Financial transactions are taken from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm.
All messages for children should be received at the office before 2:30 pm.

Office Procedures

To assist with the administration of money matters at school, parents are asked to follow these procedures:

• Where possible send the correct amount.
• Place money in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the child’s name and class. Indicate what the money is for.
• Remind children to hand money to the class teacher as soon as they go into class.

See the school as “your” school. Encourage your child to participate in school activities and contribute their ideas and talents. Stay informed by reading the school newsletter, “Link”, and various communications.

Parents are invited to participate in the Parent Group. This group organises social and fundraising activities for the school, as well as supporting the educational wellbeing of the school.

Parents are invited to a number of parent education opportunities that cover a range of topics, such as helping children to read, child protection, kindergarten transition, and reporting.

Many opportunities are available to become a helper in the school. Parent support is essential in building our community.

A copy of the Pastoral Care and Student Management Policy can be found under "About Us - Policies & Procedures - School Based Policies".

Photographs are often taken by staff members at special school events and excursions. On occasion, these may be published in promotional material, in the school newsletter, in newspapers, shown in school displays or placed on the school website. If you do not wish your child’s photograph to be published in any way, please notify the school in writing. Uploading of pictures/videos to social media of students that are not your own child is NOT allowed without prior permission from the Principal.

Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta, sets the Diocesan school fees and building levy. In addition to these fees are the two school-based resource fees.

All school fees are payable in the first three terms of the year. They may be paid by cash, money order, cheque, credit card, (in person or over the phone) BPay or Post Bill Pay. Flexible payment plans are also offered at the start of each year. Other payment arrangements may be accepted.

Please contact the school office for further information.

Six days are set aside each year for the staff to come together for professional and school development. These are ‘pupil-free days’, which means the children do not attend school and parents are asked to make arrangements for the supervision of their children. Parents will be given advance notice when a staff development day is held. There is usually one staff development day per term, as well as one day at the commencement of the school year and two at its conclusion.

All teaching staff are allocated 2 hours per week release from face to face teaching for planning and preparation of the class program. During this time, your child’s class are engaged in PE/Creative Arts with a specialist teacher.

Before school supervision commences at 8:10 am. No responsibility can be taken for children arriving before that time. Children arriving before this time are expected to sit in the designated area. Supervision is provided for children during class and play times during the school day. Staff supervise children waiting for buses, walkers who cross driveways in the immediate vicinity of the school and those waiting for collection by parents.

Children are supervised by teachers until 3:15 pm after which time, parents will be contacted. It is the parents/carers responsibility to ensure children are collected before 3:15 pm every day.

The correct school uniform should be worn at all times, in order to maintain the standard and tone of the school. If, for any reason, a child is unable to wear any part of the correct uniform, a note should be sent to the school.

Parents who have difficulty securing uniforms for their children may like to make this known to the Principal, who will try to arrange some assistance.

Parents are asked to please ensure that children attend school in accordance with uniform expectations.

In addition, the following expectations apply to students at Good Shepherd. Hair is a very important aspect of your child’s appearance. Children must have appropriate haircuts. Coloured hair is not permitted, nor should hair be cut in steps or stairs, or have any other symbols, lines or patterns. Long hair needs to be tied back. Green or white ribbons or scrunchies are permitted. No rat’s tails or mohawks are permitted. Short hair needs to be of a consistent length, no shorter sides.

Jewellery is also important to your child’s appearance. Only one plain sleeper or stud is to be worn in each earlobe. No other earrings are permitted. One signet ring is permitted and a cross and chain or other symbols of our faith are permitted. Any other jewellery is not permitted, nor is makeup of any description.

School uniform items are available from Lowes, Westfield’s at Mt Druitt. Lowes are the major supplier of uniforms for the school.

New school hats, tights, socks, school bags and library bags are available from the school uniform shop, as well as a selection of used uniforms. This is a voluntary service run by the Parent Group.

NO HAT/ NOT PLAY

The school has a policy in place to protect the children from the harmful rays of the sun. If a child does not have their school hat on before school, recess, lunch or for outside activities, or sports, they must sit in the shade and cannot play in the playground. School hats are available for purchase from the school office or the school uniform shop. 

The School Green Beanie is acceptable but not as a substitute for the School Hat.

Children must wear their hat after school, as they leave.

SUMMER UNIFORM

WINTER UNIFORM

SPORTS UNIFORM

In cooler weather, a bottle green uniform tracksuit is worn, and a white skivvy may be worn under the white polo shirt. For assistance in tying a school tie, please click on the following video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnJUo173GaQ

Good Shepherd Primary School provides technological facilities/resources for its students, for educational purposes. These uses are determined by the syllabus documents for all Key Learning Areas. School Technological facilities and resources are not provided for social or recreational purposes.

Introducing students to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is a common partnership with parents/carers, students and the school. To be able to use technology at our school, students and parents need to sign an Acceptable Use Policy, which will be sent home.