Welcome to the Flinders View Primary School Parent Information.  Our school has many very positive features, which will play an important role in a child’s learning and development.

As a Health Promoting School we promote student health and wellbeing by providing enjoyable learning opportunities for every child to; explore their identity, develop skills in confidence, persistence, organisation and getting along and ability to make healthy choices.  

This page will provide you with information on how our school operates and how you can be involved in your child’s education. 

Yours sincerely,

John Sutton

Aboriginal Education Team

Our Aboriginal Education Team consisting of an Aboriginal Education Teacher (AET) and at least two Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs) are available to support student learning and communication with Aboriginal families.   

Accidents / Sickness

All teaching staff and SSO’s are trained in First Aid. Teachers on yard duty carry a first aid bag which holds emergency first aid supplies. Details of student accidents and sickness are entered into a Sickroom Book and a note taken home. Parents/caregivers are notified as soon as possible of any serious injuries or illnesses or when it is necessary to send unwell students home. Please keep sick children at home to prevent cross-infection.

 All Stars

Teachers recognise students who try hard with their behaviour and learning by selecting 2 Students per week as “All Stars”. They attend a session on Fridays in Room 9,10 involving a choice of fun learning activities with the Counsellor and members of the Aboriginal Education Team.

 Assemblies

Whole school assemblies are usually held on Mondays at 9am. Parents are encouraged to attend. Certificates of achievement are presented, birthdays celebrated, important information shared along with class work displays. 

 Assessment & Reporting

Formal written reports are sent home at the end of terms 2 & 4 with teachers reporting on English and Mathematics plus two other subject areas.  3 Way Conferences and Open Nights are held in terms one and parents are encouraged to organise a time to meet with classroom teachers at the end of term 3 for a review of their child’s progress. 

Attendance / Lateness

Attendance at school is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. Parents are required by law to contact the school when their child is absent or late.

Class teachers record student lateness and absences. An SSO attempts to make contact with families where children are absent without explanation. The AET, AEW’s and Counsellor are available for attendance support.

Unexplained absences of 3 or more days are followed up by letter, phone or home visit. We must notify DECS for continual unexplained absences.

• Early Leavers  - Parents / caregivers need to fill in the Early Dismissal Book at the Front Office to receive an Early Dismissal note for the classroom teacher. Students will only be released into an adults care when this procedure has been followed, including sickness and behavioural reasons.
• Students removed from school during the school term - Parents wishing to take their children out of school for an extended period such as holidays must obtain permission from the Principal to do so.

Bell Times

Camps and Excursions

It is expected that all CPC-7 children will have the opportunity to go on a camp at least once during their Upper Primary Years and participate in at least one out of school excursion per year.

Junior Primary students may be involved in a sleepover in preference to a camp. Consent from parents/caregivers is necessary before any student leaves the school grounds.

Canteen

Our canteen is open for recess and lunchtime. As a Health Promoting School and in line with recent Education Department Guidelines, we are reviewing our menu to ensure we are supporting students’ healthy eating. Students order their lunch in the classroom and eating time is 12:45pm to 12:55pm in classes. Students must have written permission from their parents to leave the school grounds for lunch. Going to the shop is not encouraged. We welcome parent involvement in our canteen. You may like to offer suggestions for our healthy food menu or help with food preparation. Emergency lunches are available in the Aboriginal Education Room. 

Car Parking

Parents are requested to park out the front of the school or across the oval at the shopping centre when dropping off or picking up their children. As well as being unsafe driving into the Staff Carpark, accidents involving parents cars are not covered by Education Department insurance. A carpark is available only for cars with a Disability Permit displayed.

Communication Book / Diaries

All students are issued with a communication book/diary for recording homework and to communicate with home. Please use and sign the book regularly to help with the communication process between teachers and parent/caregivers.

Computers / Information Technology

Each class has access to at least 1 classroom computer as well as computers in the Computer Room, Resource Centre and Aboriginal Education Room. A group of lap top computers are also available for classroom use. Staff use Information Technology including Digital Cameras, Video Cameras and Scanners across the curriculum and support the development of student ICT skills across all year levels.

CPC (Child Parent Centre)

Our CPC operates on Monday (Full Day) 8.45am – 3pm, Tuesday (2 half sessions) - 8.45am -11.30am and 12.15pm – 3pm, Wednesday (Full Day) and Thursday mornings. Students are enrolled into Reception at the beginning of each term. A transition program operates in the second half of each term to support students moving to Reception classes. An Early Years Transition Policy has been developed to support your child’s success in starting school.  Playgroup operates in the CPC on Friday mornings 10am –12pm.

Duty of Care

Every teacher has a  “duty of care” towards all students under his or her supervision. We appreciate parental support explaining to their children the importance of listening carefully and following teacher instructions about rules and practices which are designed for the safety of all students.

Emergency and Evacuation Procedures

It is important that all members of the school community are familiar with the school’s emergency procedures. Emergency Procedures are displayed at all exits. These include evacuation procedures and assembly points. A practice evacuation drill is held regularly.

 Emergency Parent Contacts

We ask all parents/caregivers to please keep us updated with your latest emergency contact details. This is extremely important in the event of accident or when following up school behaviour incidents. We also like to contact you with positive information about your child’s learning and behaviour as we work together to support their learning. 

Fridges

There are fridges in classroom block wet areas for students to keep drinks and food cool. 

Governing Council

We encourage you to consider becoming a member of our Governing Council to be directly involved in decisions about your child’s education. Meetings are held at 7pm on Tuesday evenings once per month.   

Hat / Sunsmart Policy                        NO HAT – Stay Inside

FVPS is a Sunsmart School. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their child wears sunsafe clothing to school which appropriately covers the body. Students are required to wear a broad brimmed, legionnaires or school approved bucket hat outside at all times.

Homework

Teachers negotiate homework expectations with students and parents.

Library Borrowing

Student Borrowing can be done during class lesson time or at lunchtime. CPC-3 Students are allowed to borrow up to 3 items and Year 4-7 students up to 5 items for a period of 2 weeks. All Library returns should be done first thing in the morning.  

Lost Property

Please encourage your students to have equipment, hats and clothing labelled. Lost property is stored in the Aboriginal Education Room.

Mandatory Reporting

All employees of DETE have a legal obligation to report suspected cases of child abuse to FAYS. Staff do not decide whether or not the issue is child abuse. All staff and volunteers are required to participate in the necessary training related to the reporting of child abuse, with refresher sessions conducted at least once per year.

Medicines

Staff check information about students requiring medicine or special treatment. Medicines brought to school must be in the container dispensed from the pharmacy and are stored in a locked medicine cabinet at the front office.. Instructions on the label for correct dosage or any doctor's instructions will be strictly adhered to. Students with Management Plans have information including a photo displayed in the staffroom. 

Money Collection

Money for School Fees, visiting performances, fundraising, camps, excursions etc. should be handed in to the front office by students between 8:30am and 9.30am.  

Music

Instrumental music tuition is available for Year 5, 6 and 7 students. Currently we have a few wind instruments available for hire. Please see staff in the front office for details. 

Newsletters

A weekly newsletter “FVPS Viewpoint” is published for the school community on our website and is also distributed each Wednesday to the oldest member of each family. Should your child be absent or unable to collect their newsletter, please pick one up from the front office or go to our website at…………. www.flindersview.sa.edu.au 

No Relief Teacher / Class Splits

If a relief teacher is not available to cover a teacher absence, the class may be split for all or part of the day across the other classes. We try to split classes in the fairest possible way in consultation with staff and students. Absent teachers leave work for the students to continue with in their absence and follow it up on their return.

Non-Instruction Time (NIT)

Class teachers receive 3 lessons of release time every week. NIT is designed to provide teachers with planning and preparation time and to attend to work related issues including meetings that cannot be dealt with at other times. The Music and PE teacher provide NIT.  

Parent Concerns

If you have a concern, we ask that you;

1. Arrange a meeting to discuss your concern and possible solutions with the most appropriate staff member.
2. If necessary meet with most appropriate support staff member (Special Needs, Counsellor, AEW etc., possibly along with the teacher.
3. If necessary a meeting with the Principal or Deputy Principal will be arranged.
4. As a last resort, staff from the District Office may be involved to help reach a satisfactory outcome.  

Parents and Friends

We encourage parents to meet with each other to share ideas, learn more about their child’s learning, fund raise and support each other in their parental roles. Check the newsletter for times and dates when Parents and Friends meet. 

Physical Education

As a Health Promoting School we involve all students in fitness and PE lessons. Please encourage your child’s involvement and ensure they have sandshoes to wear. 

School Card

Please see our Finance Officer, Bev for the latest information about School Card eligibility. 

Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are held each Tuesday after school.

Student Behaviour and Learning

Please refer to our FVPS School Behaviour Code for an outline of Staff, Student and Parent responsibilities for behaviour and learning. Teachers create a positive classroom environment to support student success as they develop positive behaviour and learning. Student Certificates are awarded by staff each week at assembly for outstanding achievements.

We encourage parents and teachers to work closely together to help their child make responsible choices about their behaviour and learning. Please notify your teacher of any issues or problems your child is having that may affect their learning such as grief, medical conditions or changes in family living arrangements.

The Principal, Deputy Principal and Counsellor work as a team to support students, parents and staff solve any problems through counselling, mediation and consequences.

Harassment is not tolerated at this school. Class teachers include social skills learning throughout the curriculum. Building on the “You Can Do It Framework”, we are now implementing “Values for Life” across the school.

When a student is exited, parents are informed about the reason for exit and action taken to help the student make positive behaviour changes. When a student is suspended, a re-entry meeting is held involving a member of the schools leadership team, the child and their caregiver to plan strategies to assist the child in a successful re-entry to class.

Student Free Days / School Closure

All schools have at least 2 student free days per year for staff training and development. There is usually 1 school closure each year which ties in with a local day of significance.  

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons are held in term 4 each year. Reception to Year 2 students have 5 lessons and Year 3 to 5 students 10 lessons. Year 6 and 7 students have aquatics. The school subsidises the cost to encourage full student participation.

Toilets

The CPC has toilets available. The JP toilets are accessed from the outside of the CPC toilet block. Primary students year 4 –7 access the toilet block outside the library from the walkway. We encourage all children to follow hygiene processes including using the toilets in a sensible manner and washing their hands afterwards. 

Uniforms

Governing Council expects that parents will ensure their child wears appropriate sunsmart clothing in school colours of Bottle Green and/or Maroon. Students have been involved in choosing our uniform and hats. They are available for sale from the front office. If your child is unable to wear a uniform for any reason, please notify the Principal.

Visitors

All visitors are required to sign in and out at the front office in line with Occupational Health and Safety regulations. 

Wet / Hot / Extreme Weather Policy

Wet weather during recess and lunch breaks - two sirens will sound and students remain in the classroom.

Hot weather (an advertised temperature predicted to be 38 deg C or above – there is no play on the Oval or Playground at Lunchtimes. The buildings area and air conditioned rooms including Library, Computer Room and Room 9 and 10 are supervised by staff. Excursions such as SAPSASA, Aquatics and Swimming are also cancelled.