Welfare
At Kingston Heath Primary School, we pride ourselves in being a friendly, inclusive school where families and visitors feel welcome from the moment they enter our community. This begins with the Foundation Transition from kindergarten and transcends beyond the formal primary school years. We find many students continue to take an active part in our school community well after their Year 6 graduation.
Our school values are the PYP Learner Profiles of Caring, Open-Minded, Reflective, Balanced, Courageous, Knowledgeable, Principled, Inquirer, Thinker and Communicator. Each class creates an Essential Agreement which fosters student agency in establishing classroom norms and expectations. The school provides a nurturing setting where all members feel a sense of belonging, are valued, respected and free from discrimination and harassment. We have a longstanding commitment to providing every young person with the right to complete their education in a safe and supportive learning environment.
Our school promotes student agency by empowering students to take responsibility for their actions through positive behaviour management strategies and Restorative Practices. The most profound learning experiences occur when there is a healthy relationship between the teacher, student and parents. Restorative Practices assists teachers, students and parents to build, maintain and restore relationships and help build capacity to enable students to self-regulate behaviour, build empathy and contribute to the development of the whole child.
Student Welfare
We aim to develop self–esteem in all students. This is a key element in all curriculum and school activities. A whole school is currently being developed using Restorative Practices. Student Wellbeing is vital for student learning to occur and is therefore, a priority at Kingston Heath Primary School.
Attendance
There is a direct link between attendance and achievement.
If students miss the basic skills in the early years of schooling they often experience learning difficulties later on. Children need to attend school regularly to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.
It has been shown that poor patterns of attendance in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
Poor attendance makes it difficult for students to form positive friendships with their peers.
An 80% attendance rate is the equivalent of missing
- 1 day per week OR
- 40 days per year OR
- Over 2 1/2 years of school from Foundation – Year 12
An 85% attendance rate is the equivalent of missing
- 30 days per year OR
- 2 years of school from Foundation – Year 12
An 90% attendance rate is the equivalent of missing
- 1 day per fortnight OR
- 20 days per year OR
- Over 1 year of school from Foundation – Year 12
Student Attendance
It is important for all students to be at school every day.
It is also important that children are at school on time. Arriving late is upsetting and unsettling for both the child who is late and their class. For safety reasons children arriving late to school are asked to attend at the office to be signed in. A Late Pass will be issued before they go to class. It is a legal requirement that teachers mark the time of arrival/departure on their roll sheets each day.
Extended Family Holidays
If there is some known reason which requires your child to miss school for an extended time (eg. operation, overseas trip, etc.), parents are asked to discuss the matter with their Classroom Teacher first and then inform the Principal. You will need to complete a written form notifying the school of the details.
We urge parents to use the school holiday periods for their family holidays if at all possible and to avoid having their children miss classes immediately before and after scheduled holidays.
Absent Children
If your child is away for any reason, please report absences using Compass, alternatively you can notify the school, on the day, by phone and then provide a written explanation to your child’s teacher on their return to school. It is a government requirement to have all absences explained. In the case of unexplained absences, proformas will be sent home each term for you to complete. If a child is to be away longer than a week please keep the school informed. The school is required to report any unexplained absences to Department of Education and Training.
Taking Children Out of School for Appointments
When parents/guardians are picking children up early from school for appointments, personal reasons or sickness, children must be signed out at the office and an early dismissal pass for the class teacher will be given to you. Children cannot be released by teachers without this formal process being completed.
Please note: The school must be clearly informed in writing of custody arrangements and access agreements in regard to picking up children from school. Notes must also be provided when any student is picked up from school by adults other than their parent/s.
Emergency Information
Please make sure you provide the school with two Emergency Contact numbers. It is very important that these are kept up to date with any changes in home, business and emergency contact phone numbers and addresses.
Health
Health Information
The school needs to know if your child suffers from a medical condition eg. Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy or if he/she is allergic to anything such as nuts, stings etc. Each child with an ongoing medical condition eg. Asthma, ADHD, Epilepsy, severe allergic reactions and long-term seasonal medical conditions such as Hay Fever require a Medical Condition Management Plan to be formulated by a doctor in consultation with parents. Copies of Medical Management Plans will be kept with medication. Medication delivery devices eg: Asthma nebuliser pumps and spacers are to be provided by parents.
Medication
If student medication is required to be administered at school, a Medication Permission must be completed. Medications must be in original containers, clearly named and labelled with exact dosage requirements and will be stored in the school’s sick bay.
Infectious Diseases
As infectious diseases spread quickly, a child must be excluded from school for the period mentioned or until a medical certificate is provided.
Chickenpox
Until all blisters have dried.
Note: Some remaining scabs are not an indication for continued exclusion.
Conjunctivitis
Excluded until discharge from eyes has ceased.
Diarrhoea
Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours.
Impetigo (School Sores)
Exclude until appropriate treatment has commenced.
Measles
Until fully recovered.
Pediculosis(Head Lice)
Excluded until the day after treatment has commenced.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
5 days after starting antibiotics treatment.
Ringworm, Scabies
Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced.
Rubella (German Measles)
Until fully recovered and at least four days from the onset of the rash.
Streptococcal (Including Scarlet Fever)
Excluded until child has had antibiotics for at least 24 hours. Until a medical certificate of recovery is produced.
Worms
Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours.
Infections
If your child has an infectious disease, such as Scarlet Fever, Meningococcal Infection, Tuberculosis, Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever, please phone the school so that other parents may be informed (confidentially, of course).
Certificate of Immunisation
Prior to entry to school, the parent/guardian of a child is required to provide a certificate of immunisation issued by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and can be obtained from Medicare.
If an outbreak of an infectious disease occurs at the school, children who have not been immunised, or their immunisation is incomplete, will be sent home until the danger has passed.
Family Court Orders
Copies of all Family Court Orders are required for all students who have custody and access arrangements as negotiated legally within the Family Law Court. The school can only act on these orders as literally presented. The school acts on behalf of the child according to legal, written documentation.