Parent Information Handbook

Address: 2 Fairley Street, Murrumbateman NSW 2582

Email: murrumbateman-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Website: https://murrumbateman-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/

Phone: 02 6118 5300

Facebook: MPS Facebook Page

All families, exisiting or prospective are always welcome at our school. If you would like to request a time to discuss your child's particular needs please contact the office by calling 02 6118 5300 or emailing murrumbateman-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Please take the time to read our Communication Flyer which proivdes an easy guide to who to contact and the best way to contact them.

Regular school attendance is essential for the overall development of students and their learning.

Once enrolled in primary school, your child is expected to attend school every day of each term. It is important that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age.

Students who are regularly absent from school are at risk of missing out on learning the basic foundations in subjects, and may experience long-term learning difficulties. Where possible, parents are asked to schedule appointments for their child out of school hours. If your child is absent from school, the Department of Education requires you to supply an explanation of that absence to the class teacher. Please notify the school in writing or via the HERO App.

Parents are required to explain the absences of their children from school promptly and within seven days to the school. An explanation for absence must be provided to the school within 7 days of the first day of any period of absence.

All applications for extended absences must be approved by the principal beforehand. Early indication of absences is appreciated.

If your child has an infectious disease, it is important that they remain at home until they are well enough to attend school. They will require a medical certificate indicating that they can return to school.

Sometimes it may be necessary for parents to take children from school during the day. On such occasions, advance notice is appreciated and arrangements must be made for the collection of the student from school. Under no circumstances may a child be collected from school during school hours without notification to the office. The student must be signed out at the office by the person collecting the child prior to the student being collected from the classroom.

In the interest of overall safety, it is school policy not to allow students to leave the school grounds alone, other than at the end of the day.

Please note: Students WILL NOT be released to any adult who is not recorded as either a primary or emergency contact without consent from parents.

Please view the infographic below regarding attendance from the NSW Department of Education

The bus stop zone is located out the front of the Health Hub on Fairley Street. Students who need to catch a bus will gather in the hall space each afternoon and will be walked down to the bus stop with a member of staff. 

CDC NSW is our bus company.  Click here to access their website.

NEW CANTEEN

We’re thrilled to announce the grand opening of the school canteen at Murrumbateman Public School!

Let’s give a warm welcome to our wonderful canteen manager, Emily, who joins our dedicated EDG team, bringing with her a passion to create delicious meals and fostering a positive environment for students and staff at the school, as well our team members

Here’s to a year filled with nutritious meals and memorable moments at Murrumbateman Public School!

#MurrumbatemanPublicSchool #EDG #SchoolCanteens #WelcomeEmily

Our school canteen operates on a Thursday & Friday.

Please order via spriggy schools app

👉 https://www.spriggyschools.com.au 👈

Murrumbateman Public School is committed to building a positive learning environment through effective communication. 

At our school parents, carers, students, staff and the wider community can expect:

·       Communication from school staff will be timely, polite and informative.

·       Professional relationships with school staff are based on transparency, honesty and mutual respect.

·       To be treated fairly.

·       Tolerance and understanding are promoted as we respect diversity.

These procedures aim to:

·       Provide a guide to ensure that communication is purposeful, transparent and timely.

·       Assist parents, carers and staff to organise a time to communicate in a safe and confidential setting.

·       Ensure that the rights of the students, teachers and parents are respected. 

For further information please read the School Community Charter.

Crunch and Sip is a set time in our school for students to ‘refuel’ on fruit and salad vegetables and ‘rehydrate’ with water each day. Students who are not hungry and are well hydrated perform better in the classroom, show increased concentration and are less likely to be irritable and disruptive.

Children are encouraged to bring in a small container of fruit or salad vegetables to eat along with a bottle of water each day.

Our school is happy to assist with any enrolment enquiries. Please follow the link to our enrolment page for detailed information. 

Students are asked to enter the school via the back gate if walking, riding a bike or a scooter each morning. Parents who need to enter the school grounds must enter through the front gate and sign in at the office. 

If you are unable to pay school contributions because of financial hardship, you may be eligible for assistance from the school. Our principal will ensure no student or family suffers any discrimination or embarrassment over the inability to pay school items. Please contact the school for an application. 

Homework isn't compulsory at Murrumbateman Public School.  Homework gives students the chance to review and apply what they've learned in class, helping to move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. By practicing at home, students strengthen their understanding, build confidence, and develop important study habits that support lifelong learning.

We have developed a bank of support resources that students can use at home to practice their maths and literacy skills. You can access the full suite of activities in your HERO app under the Homework tab.  We may not set homework but we provide simple actvities that students can do at home that reinforces key numeracy and literacy skills.  

Literacy Support Ideas

A 'Kiss and Drop' zone has been allocated at the front of the school on Fairley Street. Students will gather in the fenced off area at the front of B Block with a member of staff. Staff will guide students to their vehicle when it is their turn to be picked up. All vehicle transport must use the Kiss and Drop zone to pick up and drop off students. This zone operates as a no parking zone, which means you may stop to drop off or pick up children for a maximum of 2 minutes.

Students who arrive late must enter through the front gate from Fairley Street and report to the office to obtain a late slip. Students will be recorded as 'partially absent' on the official school register. All late attendance records count towards a students overall attendance rate. 

Under Construction

Parents and Carers who wish to collect their children early must report to the office and sign the early leaver register. All students will not be permitted to leave school grounds between the hours of 8:30am-3:00pm without an adult.

Under Construction

All lost property with names is regularly returned to students when found. 

Items unnamed or unclaimed are put into our lost property bucket for viewing throughout the term. If unclaimed by the end of each school term items will be cleaned and given to our clothing pool or disposed of. 

Please remember to label all items.

Please administer any medication your child requires before or after school. However, if a medical practitioner prescribes medication that must be administered during the school day, parents/carers must:

·       Complete a Student Health Condition Support request for approval by the principal

·       Supply the medication and any ‘consumables’ necessary for its administration

·       Provide up to date information as required

Medication must be in the original package or in a webster pack supplied by the pharmacy (preferred option) and have a pharmacy label clearly displaying the name of the medication, the student’s name and the dosage. A pharmacy label is also required for any ‘over the counter’ medications such as paracetamol or antihistamines. 

Medication should be delivered to the school office by an adult. Students must not carry medications at school unless there is a written agreement between the school and the student's parents/carers.

The administration of prescribed medication in schools is carried out by staff who volunteer and who are trained. Except in an emergency, only individual staff members who have volunteered and been trained will administer prescribed medication to students.

If your child has the need for an EpiPen, asthma puffer or allergy medication please see the Anaphylaxis and Allergies section for more information.

The NSW Government has banned mobile phone use during school hours at public primary schools and therefore the school strongly advises that mobile phones are not brought to school. The school accepts no responsibility for loss or damage. This also includes telecommunication devices worn on the wrist. All telecommunication devices including phones, tablets and smart watches must be dropped to the office each day. 

If you need to get in contact with your child throughout the day, please call the off 02 6118 5300 and we will be able to assist you promptly.

At our school, the safety and wellbeing of all students is a top priority. While we cannot ban nuts entirely, we ask parents and caregivers to be mindful of the serious risks associated with nut allergies. Nut allergies can cause severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in some children.

We encourage families to talk with their children about the importance of nut allergy awareness and to be respectful of classmates who may have these allergies. It is also vital that students understand the importance of kindness and do not tease or single out peers who bring nut products to school. Creating a supportive and inclusive environment helps all students feel safe and respected.

By working together, we can create a safer environment where all students can learn and play without fear.

Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our school community safe.

The school office is open between 8:30am to 3:15pm each school day.

We will be holding transition days for our new Kindergarten students in Term 4.  We will advise parents of dates.  Please phone the school 02 6118 5300 if you would like to enrol your child into Kindergarten, so we can keep you informed of  upcoming dates.

The front parking lot on Fairley Street is staff parking only. Parking is available on Rose Street, adjacent to the school. 

All foot traffic, including students walking with parents/carers and using bicycles and scooters must use the back gate to enter and exit the school. 

The Murrumbateman Public School P&C Association invites our school community to be connected, get involved & make a difference to our school. 

The MPS P&C is a not-for-profit organisation which was established to promote the interests of the school by bringing parents, citizens, students and teaching staff together. The MPS P&C aims to assist in providing facilities and equipment for the school and to promote the recreation and welfare of the students at the school.

The MPS P&C supports a range of activities throughout the school year including Mother's and Father's day stalls, a student disco, family BBQs and a community colour run! 

Formal P&C meetings are held once per term. If you're interested in getting involved please visit the P&C's Facebook page or sign up to 👉🏻 become a member👈🏻

Under Construction

School development days are used by schools to build on the knowledge and skills of our teachers, school leaders and school administrative support staff through a targeted professional learning program.

The dates are determined by the department. Always check with your local school as dates may change. 

Parents and carers should not send their children to school on school development days.

2025 school development days

• Term 1: Friday 31 January to Wednesday 5 February
• Term 2: Monday 28 April and Tuesday 29 April
• Term 3: Monday 21 July
• Term 4: Monday 13 October

2026 school development days

• Term 1 :Tuesday 27 January to Friday 30 January
• Term 2: Monday 20 April and Tuesday 21 April
• Term 3: Monday 20 July
• Term 4: Monday 12 October

2027 school development days

• Term 1: Thursday 28 January to Tuesday 2 February
• Term 2: Monday 26 April and Tuesday 27 April
• Term 3: Monday 19 July
• Term 4: Monday 11 October

Check with your local school as some dates may be varied.

Unauthorised people are not permitted in the school grounds. All parents and community members are asked to protect our school by reporting suspicious or unauthorised activities to the Police or School Security on 1300 88 00 21. 

A Block 

Administration Building - Please report to the front office to sign in when entering the school. 

B Block 

Learning building 

C Block 

Learning Building

D Block

Community Hall and OOSH Service (Big Childcare) 

Students who become ill throughout the school day will be sent to sick bay. A parent or carer may be called to pick up the student after their condition is assessed. If a condition is considered minor, the injury will be treated and the student will be returned to class. You will receive notification if your child attends sick bay.

If a condition is major or there is an emergency, the school will call the NSW ambulance service. 

We have three sports houses at Murrumbateman Public School named after the Mountain Ranges surrounding the Murrumbateman area.

1. Midgee (Orange) 

2. Mundoonen (Purple) 

3. Cullarin (Teal) 

Students will be randomly allocated to a sporting house. All family members will be allocated to the same house.

Students should not attend school if they are unwell. In accordance with NSW health, parents are reminded not to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms. Students who are ill may pass on infection to other students and staff

The school encourages responsible attitudes towards protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.  Cancer Council NSW recommends that when ultraviolet levels are 3 or above sunscreen should be used in conjunction with other forms of sun safety such as clothing, hats and shade.

Families are encouraged to:

Ensure that their child has sunscreen applied before coming to school

Send sunscreen to school with their children for either self-application, or in the case of students with a disability, application by staff at key points during the day

Supply a roll-on style applicator for easier application, particularly for younger students

Follow the link to our Uniform Page for information about our school uniform. 

Our school values are:

Be Curious - Curisity keeps leading us down new paths

Be Inclusive - Inclusive classrooms lead to inclusive societies

Be Your Best - Being your best is more important than being the best

Murrumbateman Public School is commited to providing safe, supportive and responsbile learning environments for everyone.  Promoting the learning, wellbeing and safety of all studnets is a high priority at our school.  

For more detailed information click here.

Murrumbateman Public School has an ethos of inclusion and equity. As such we will not be asking parents to send in individual school supplies. We are working towards providing all students with the equipment and tools they need to engage in their teaching and learning. In addition, our zones of learning will require students to move around the learning spaces. We will have resources available at each learning zone to reduce the amount of time students need to ‘find’ their own equipment and it will save students having to move their belongings continually throughout the day. Some of the resources we will be providing include writing materials, exercise books, stationery, craft materials, pens, pencils, art equipment; subscriptions to teaching and learning programs Wushka (a reading program) and SoundWaves.

We are seeking a $100.00 voluntary contribution per student to support the purchase of student equipment. Each year we will have a focus area for school contributions.  Any donations or contributions to Murrumbateman Public School will go towards our equipment and resources for the students to use at school.

It is important to note that this contribution is voluntary. Every child will receive the same level of support in their learning.

We have also implemented a “Donation Station” for those who may want to contribute in other ways. To best support the school, we have a list of items that students will use throughout the year and the teachers always find them useful in their classrooms. Please feel free to support our Donation Station. All proceeds will go towards the education of every student at Murrumbateman Public School.

Ideas for donation station items include tissues, play doh, whiteboard markers; Artline permanent markers, highlighters, coloured pencils, Bostik glue sticks (these have the best stick factor!)

Parents, contractors and external visitors must sign at the front office and follow NSW Department of Education regulations in accordance with Health & Safety and Child Protection guidelines.