Parent Information Handbook
Contact Details
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
Sentral Parent Portal: TBA
Contacting Us
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.
Attendance and Absences
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 Sentral Parent Portal.
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
Before and After School Care (OOSH Club)
Buses
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.
Morning School Bus Route Map
Afternoon School Bus Route Map
Canteen
Our school canteen will not be in operation for the time being.
Please ensure all students bring lunch, recess, a water bottle and fruit for Crunch 'N' Sip each day.
Communication
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 'N' Sip
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.
Enrolment
Our school is happy to assist with any enrolment enquiries. Please follow the link to our enrolment page for detailed information.
Entering the School
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.
Financial Support
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
Under Construction
Kiss and Drop
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.
Kiss N Drop Procedure
Late Arrivals
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.
Leadership
Under Construction
Leaving School Early
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.
Learning and Support
Under Construction
Lost Property
Under Construction
Medical and Health Conditions
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.
Mobile Devices
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.
Money and Payments
Under Construction
Nut Aware School
We urge all parents/carers to be mindful that within our school community we have students with allergies. Please do not send food items containing nuts (eg: peanut butter, Nutella) to school. Please remind your child not to share food. We cannot guarantee there will be no nuts at our school, but we actively discourage all nuts, especially peanuts.
Office Hours
The school office is open between 8:30am to 3:15pm each school day.
Orientation/Transition
We will be holding transition days for our new Kindergarten students in Term 4, 2023. We will advise parents of dates. Please phone the school if you would like to enrol your child into Kindergarten 2024, so we can keep you informed of upcoming dates.
Parking
The front parking lot on Fairley Street is staff parking only. Parking is available on Rose Street, adjacent to the school.
Pedestrians - Including Bikes/Scooters
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.
Parents and Community Association (P&C)
Follow the link to our Murrumbateman Public School Parents and Community Association Facebook Page.
Membership Form - MPS P&C
Reporting to Parents
Under Construction
School Development Days
Term 1
Friday 27 January, Monday 30 January
Term 2
Monday 24 April
Term 3
Monday 17 July
Term 4
Monday 18 December, Tuesday 19 December
School Hours
Teacher Supervision on Playground | 8:30am - 9:00am |
Session 1 | 9:00 am - 10:00am |
Session 2 | 10:00am - 11:00am |
Eating Time | 11:00am - 11:15am |
Lunch | 11:15am - 11:45am |
Session 3 | 11:45am - 1:15pm |
Recess | 1:15pm - 1:45pm |
Session 4 | 1:45pm - 3:00pm |
End of School Day | 3:00pm |
Security
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.
School Map
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)
Sentral Parent Portal
Under Construction
Sick Bay
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.
Sport Houses
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.
Student Illness
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
Sun Safety and Sunscreen
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
Uniform
Follow the link to our Uniform Page for information about our school uniform.
Values, Expectations and Behaviour
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.
Voluntary Contributions
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. During 2023, any donations or contributions to Murrumbateman Public School will go towards our Lego kits, robotic kits and STEM equipment.
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!)
Visitors to the School
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.