School Start Times

Below is the content of a letter I sent home to all parents today which is very important. We will not compromise when it comes to student safety. While our school grounds are relatively enclosed and 'protected' from the outside community we cannot take responsibility for the safety of children left unattended. Besides 'strangers' that could enter the school unnoticed early in the morning there is also the risk that students injure themselves or others through their own actions e.g. throwing equipment, playing games etc. Our staff cannot and will not take responsibility for student safety outside the accepted school hours.

SCHOOL START TIMES

It has come to my attention that there are a growing number of students arriving at school well before the start time of 8.40am with some students arriving as early as 7.30am. This poses a safety concern as children are left unsupervised for up to 45 minutes every morning. It is also very unfair on the child who must sit (not play) for a long time in the Hall which, at this time of the year, is very cold and uncomfortable.

Students should not arrive at school before 8.15am as we do not provide any formal supervision prior to this time. The only exception to this is on Wednesday mornings when we run a Breakfast Club commencing at 8.00am. Parents are responsible for the proper care and supervision of their child prior to this time. It is not acceptable to leave your child unattended at our school before these times.

The school does not provide before school ‘child minding’ or ‘baby sitting’ and cannot be expected to supervise students who arrive early. Parents who need to work should arrange alternate care for their child before school. This could include a relative, close family friend, neighbour or another reliable parent. There are also a number of ‘before school’ care programs which could be accessed if required.

Parents of Kindergarten and/or Pre-primary students are required to wait with their child and hand them over to the classroom teacher at 8:40am. Kindergarten and/or Pre-primary students should never be left unattended or in the care of another child.

The safety and comfort of your child is of utmost importance to us. For this reason we ask that you support the school in this matter.