Office Hours: 8.30am to 3.30pm

Class Times: 9.00am to 3.00pm

Email: woonona-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: https://woonona-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Location: 5a Gray Street, Woonona NSW, Australia
Phone: (02) 42844316

Woonona Public School was established in 1882 and has a long, proud history of serving and working with the local community as a centre of educational excellence. The school’s motto,

“learning and working together” typifies our everyday aspirations, where staff, students and the community come together to share a love of learning and growing together.

Primary school is an exciting time in a child’s life and it is our goal to make that journey, for both the child and their family, a fun, engaging and highly successful one. Students are given a diverse range of opportunities to connect, succeed and thrive from their first day at school, and leave Woonona Public School well positioned to succeed at high school and beyond.

Our core school values underpin everything we do at Woonona Public School, with students taught and encouraged to display: Respect, Co-Operation, Effort and Responsibility in every aspect of their schooling. It is the school’s strong belief that these values will not just create a successful student, but a high functioning and productive member of society and we work collaboratively to ensure students learn these values and utilise them in their daily life.

Students are always being asked to reflect on three key questions; Where am I? Where do I need to go? How will I get there? Students at Woonona Public School are shown that learning is a continual process, where once one skill is learnt, the next learning journey begins. This cycle is one that students embrace as they progress and grow.

There is also a strong focus on teacher professional learning and improvement. Evidence shows that the quality of the teacher and quality of the teaching matters. Teachers should always aspire to improve and the school provides a great depth of opportunities for its teachers to connect with learning that is specific to their needs and in line with the school’s direction. Our three key questions; Where am I? Where do I need to go? How will I get there? do not just apply to our students, but to our staff and the journey they take as educators.

Woonona Public School is proud of its reputation as a pillar of the community and a centre of educational excellence. It is something that is grounded in evidence-based research and is supported by strong processes that are continually being refined and reviewed each and every day for the benefit of each and every student. Your exciting educational journey at Woonona Public School is about to begin and we look forward to sharing this special time with you and your child.

Mr Tim Fisher

Principal

Principal - Timothy Fisher

Deputy Principal - Alison Strinic

Assistant Principals/Teacher - Emma Phillips, Rachel Brown, Amanda Bleeker, Alanah Barnaby, Tristan Loosemore (relieving)

Instructional Leaders - Rebecca McLerie , Declan McMullen.

Business Manager - Karina Curry

School Administrative Officers - Kim Davis, Sharlene Hodson, Chris Belling

School Support Learning Officers - Kirstie Seymour, Roxy Dempsey.

Information Technology - Holly Vella, Sarah Rolfe

General Assistants - Suzanne Holz, Eric Seymour

Teachers - Matthew Argaet, Michael Arrighi, Helen Bailey, Melanie Beckinsale, Jacklyn Boyd, Rebecca Chesher, Robbie Coso, Rebecca Gibson, Darcy Heffernan, Belinda Kotevski, Elizabeth Macedo, Louise Ney, Nicole Partridge, Ben Samuel, Brooke Sibley, Laura Stewart, Lauren Lockyer, Katrina Bugg, Shania Tyrell, Lauren Lawlor.

Learning Support Teachers - Hayley Cheney, Edwina Smith

Library - Angela Carroll

Counsellor - Loretta Reid.

Listen to our students singing the Woonona Public School Song

Our communication platform is Sentral Parent Portal.

To receive any notifications please register for the Parent Portal by downloading the Sentral Parent app with Google Play or App Store and turning on notifications. Further instructions are available on our website https://woonona-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/

Features

• Daily messages such as excursions, school events
• Student reports
• Parent-Teacher interview bookings
• View attendance record
• Notification of student absences
• Future absence requests

General Information

• To register and gain access to the Parent Portal, please follow these instructions on our website - https://woonona-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/parent-portal.html
• Additional family access keys are available for both parents, please click on the link above for instructions.
• On the Parent Portal homepage, you will be able to view upcoming events for school activities. On the app you can view the calendar in a monthly format.
• For further assistance in using the Parent Portal app please use this help guide https://www.sentral.com.au/portal-app-help#guide

Daily SMS messaging to parents relating to student non-attendance will be sent at 10:00am each morning.

Any absence from school should be explained within 7 days of the absence. Our preferred method to notify the school of your child's absence is via the Parent Portal select the ‘Absence’ tab.

We ask that you advise the school and update your profile on the Parent Portal of any changes to your email address.

Future absence requests

If you are aware of pending leave your child will be taking, for example a family holiday, please add these dates and reason by clicking on the ‘Absence’ tab. Then click on the ‘+’ symbol in the top right-hand side. Kindly complete all fields on this form.

Alternatively, an absentee booklet is available from the administration office.

Please keep the school informed about any Family Law papers. It is the parent’s responsibility to provide the school with up to date court and interim orders in relation to custody and access. As per the Department’s policy the school is able to respond only to the orders it currently holds. If no court orders are available then the school is obliged to allow access to both parents.

Please be aware that there are students in our school with allergies to nuts. We ask that you give consideration to voluntarily agreeing not to send nut products, in particular peanuts and peanut butter to school.

In NSW, students must attend school regularly. This means all children of school age are legally required to attend school. If children miss out on school regularly they miss out on vital information, their learning routine is impacted and they miss out on building relationships with their peers.

Attendances are recorded daily and an ‘electronic roll call’ is conducted before the first lesson of each day begins. Children are not allowed to leave the grounds without permission or with unauthorised people.

If you are having difficulty getting your child to attend school regularly, you might like to talk to the school principal or stage supervisor.

At 8:55am students in Years 1-6 go directly to their class where they line up before entering with their teacher. Students in Kinder assemble on the synthetic grass area on the northern side of Building 6. At the end of recess and lunch, students line up at designated areas.

No running is allowed on the asphalt for obvious safety reasons.

Bicycles, scooters and skateboards are permitted at Woonona Public School. Students are to dismount and wheel all bikes, scooters and skateboards through the grounds. Bikes and scooters can be stored in the allocated bike racks at the back of the Administration building. All students must have helmets to ride their transport.

The Woonona Public School canteen is leased by Fresh Start Canteens.

The canteen is open Monday to Friday for recess and lunch and offers a healthy and affordable menu. Orders can be submitted at the canteen every morning before school starts and online ordering with Flexi-schools is available.

We want to keep all of our children safe. Parents are reminded to obey all parking and bus signs around the school. Please follow pick up and drop off zone regulations to avoid congestion and to maintain safety. There are 3 entrances to Woonona Public School – 2 front gates on Gray Street and the back entrance on Stewart Street.

Parents are not permitted in the staff car park, this is for all students' safety. Please keep up to date on the school’s pick up and drop off times via our website.

We have a number of communication methods for our families at Woonona Public:-

• School Website - primary source of information
• Fortnightly Newsletter – online at our website www.woonona-p.schools.nsw.gov.au
  
• School Facebook
• School Bytes
• Sentral Parent Portal
• Parent Teacher Interviews – held at the end of Term 1
  
• K-6 Seesaw
• 3-6 Google Classroom
• Parent Information Sessions
• Semester One and Two Student School Report
• Notes home – please check your child’s bag regularly and turn notifications on when registering for the Sentral Parent Portal and School Bytes. Please reply to notes promptly if appropriate.
• Phone call/Meeting -You may see your child’s teacher, Assistant Principal (Stage Coordinator), Deputy Principal or Principal. We request that you email the school to make an appointment so that we can ensure sufficient time is set aside for productive discussion.

During the school year there will be frequent opportunities to visit the school. Parents are invited to Stage Showcases, Easter Activities, Education Week, Sport Carnivals, Presentation Day and many other school activities and celebrations of success.

In our current enrolment forms, your consent will be sought to allow the school/Department of Education to publish photos of your child for the purposes of sharing their school experiences. The communications in which your child’s photo or video could be published include:-

• School website, class and stage Seesaw accounts
• Department of Education publications including the school newsletter
• Official Department and school social media accounts such as the Woonona Public School Facebook site.

Children arriving late (after 9:00am) must get a late arrival slip from the Administration office for their class teacher. These will be recorded as partial absences. If students have to leave the school during the day for an appointment, parents need to go to the Administration office to sign the student out. Class teachers will be notified and the child will be sent to the office with their bag. Parents are not to collect their child directly from the classroom.

Teachers respond to the learning needs of every student. Teachers can also refer students to the Learning Support Team for advice and support to help students reach their potential. Our Learning and Support Team (LaST) consists of the Principal, School Counsellor and Learning Support Teachers. It assists teachers to plan programs to meet student needs, develop Individual Learning Plans and plan effective use of support teacher time. Class teachers write Individual Education Plans for those needing extra support in learning or behaviour. The LaST supports them in planning, writing, implementing and reviewing the plans.

Our well-resourced Library supports teaching/learning programs throughout the school. Internet facilities enable students to develop and teach research skills to a high level. Each week, students visit the library. They are taught the correct use of the library and that reading can be a constant source of enjoyment, information and recreation. A library bag is required to protect the borrowed books.

All money and permission notes that your child brings to school must be placed in the ‘School Mail Box’ located in the foyer of the administration office. Please ensure that your child places the money and relevant forms into the mail box first thing in the morning. No change is available over the counter but can be sent to the classroom later in the day. Our preferred payment method is online through School Bytes (access through the school website) or by cash.

At the start of each term you will receive a term statement of account incorporating activities happening during the term that requires payment, eg. excursions, performances and sport. Student Assistance is available to those families dealing with financial hardship. Also, if you are having difficulty paying the term fees, we can organise small regular payments over a number of weeks. Please ring the administration office to discuss.

All students study the curriculum as set out by NESA - NSW Education Standards Authority.

All students K-6 take part in the study of:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Geography
• History
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
• Creative Arts

In addition there are a wide range of additional experiences that may be offered to students. These include:

• Creative Arts activities, which include music, dance, drama, art and craft
• Choir including Illawarra Choral Festival
• School Excursions linked to the curriculum
• School Camps for senior students
• Musical Performances, including Southern Stars
• Dance including the Dance Festival
• Public Speaking
• Sporting activities within the school
• Participation in primary school interschool sport and district sports trials
• School discos
• Film making
• Coding
• Talent Quests and Games Clubs run by our Student Representative Council
• Art Club & Environmental Club
• School Swimming Program
• Maths Olympiad and Writing Club for selected senior students

We encourage parent participation at many levels. Whatever way you would like to be involved, you are most welcome and your suggestions and input are highly valued.

An onsite, privately run Out of School Hours Care service operates daily, before, after school and in school holidays.

Places are always in demand and the centre is Child Care Benefit (CCB) approved and not for profit. To find out more, download the 'Our space OOSH' flyer or contact

Christine or Alison @ Our Space OOSH

• mobile 0413 941 416
• email ourspaceoosh@gmail.com

The Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) of Woonona Public School brings parents, staff and other members of the community together, to advance the best interests of our great school and its students. The P&C plays an important role in supporting the school through parent volunteer sub-committees which support the programs and activities that the school is involved with. All parents are invited to participate in the activities of the P&C. Together we support and encourage the school to provide a positive learning environment.

P&C meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month @ 6.30pm.

Email details: enquiries@wppc.com.au

Before School

• Students in Years 3 to 6 proceed to the primary asphalt playground and play until it is time to go into class
• Kinder to Year 2 students move to their area on the northern side of our two storey building after 8:30am
• A teacher is on duty in this area for the 25 minutes until students line up.

Early Arrival

Students are requested to arrive at school no earlier than 8:30am, as there is no teacher on duty before then. All students arriving early are to sit on the Stage 2/3 lunch seats until the first bell.

Recess

Students eat recess under the supervision of teachers. Time is given to eat, go to the toilet and play.

Lunch

For the first ten minutes of lunch, classes eat under the supervision of the class teachers. On the play bell, students proceed to the appropriate play areas. There are numerous teachers on duty throughout lunch.

Morning and afternoon

Roads & Maritime Services Crossing Supervisors ensure the children cross Gray Street safely. A drop off zone exists on Gray Street.

Wet Weather

During wet weather, students arriving between 8:30am and 8:55am are to proceed to classrooms.

School Development Days are pupil free days. These take place 4 days at the start of Term 1, 2 days at the start of Term 2 and 1 day at the start of Term 3 and Term 4.

School supply lists are sent home at the end of the year. These lists are also available on our school website.

Uniforms are available from our Uniform Shop. The shop is run by the P & C and volunteers process the orders each week.

Second hand uniforms can be purchased through the uniform shop as well. Prices start from $2.

The uniform shop coordinators have advised that the sports shorts run large and the waist of the culottes are small. Exchanges for incorrect sizes are available but please try on all clothes before removing tags.

How to purchase uniforms

The most efficient way of ordering your uniforms is through the online store.

Alternatively, if you wish to pay with cash, you can use an order form and return it to the front office.

• Orders are filled weekly by our P&C volunteers and either delivered to your child’s classroom for them to bring home or you will be sent an SMS when your order is ready for collection.
• Caps are available to purchase from the front office for $15, cash only.

To contact the uniform shop, please email enquiries@wppc.com.au.
This email is monitored weekly during the school term. If you require more urgent assistance with uniforms, please contact the front office.

• Royal blue cap with school logo on the front

Please note: For safety reasons, studs, sleepers and watches are the only items of jewellery to be worn to school. Shoelaces are to be tied up in the usual way.

The following Special Religious Education (SRE) and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) classes are offered at Woonona Public School:

Catholic SRE is provided by The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong. For more information about The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong SRE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong website.

Christian SRE is provided by SRE teachers from different Christian denominations and churches. The approved providers in this combined arrangement are Northern Illawarra Ministers Fraternal. All Christian SRE teachers are authorised and trained by an approved provider.

SEE is provided by Primary Ethics. For more information about SEE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the Primary Ethics website.

During the time that SRE/SEE classes are being held, students not attending will be located in a separate space and will participate in meaningful stage appropriate activities.

Students who become sick or injured during the day are sent to the sick bay in the Administration office where our staff monitors their condition. If necessary, parents or the nominated contact person are telephoned. Please ensure that your contact details are up-to-date by using our 'Change of Parent/Emergency Contact Details' form available from the Administration office.

Medication can only be administered by staff, who must volunteer to do so. Parents need to complete the 'Request for medication to be administered at school' form if medicine is required. The form is available from the Administration office. All medications are stored in the Administration office and must not be left with the student.

All students with serious health conditions, such as Asthma, Diabetes and Anaphylaxis are required to provide a Health Action Plan from their Doctor that must be updated annually by a doctor.

All medications need to be clearly labelled with the child's name, medication name and dosage required. Medication needs to be in date and replaced on expiration.

Further information on Administration of medication.

The school recognises individual and class success through a number of school initiatives:

• “Citizen of the month” awards and
• Weekly class awards ensure positive reinforcement and recognition is a regular part of our school ethos.

The Student Welfare Policy is designed to ensure our students are always in an environment that is safe, engaging and promotes a strong sense of self. Our Student Welfare Policy encompasses the practices of the school to meet the personal, social, emotional and individual needs of all our students.