Canteen
The school canteen provides lunch orders ONLY Thursdays and Fridays and is outsourced through the Healthy Kids Association, with a menu that places emphasis on healthy foods with a high nutritional content. All orders need to be completed online using the Flexischools app.
Car Parking and Road Safety
Road safety and safe parking around our school is important especially at busy drop off and pickup times. Parents and carers are reminded to observe ACT road rules, speed limits and parking directions in the streets around our school.
Please follow ACT Road rules at all times. These can be found at Transport Canberra website Travel safely to School
Remember!
It’s okay to park a little further away and walk the rest of the way.
Consider!
Having a pre-determined meeting spot agreed on with your children so they know where to wait.
It is recommended that you do not park:
- at signposted ‘no stopping’ or ‘no parking’ zones
- in bus zones
- on zebra crossings
- in disabled bays
- on nature strips and across footpaths
Class Placements
Each teacher is responsible for the educational and pastoral care of a class group. Children are placed in classes according to age and individual need. Class groups are formed to achieve the most effective learning situation for each child.
Collecting Students and Late Arrivals
Parents collecting children for appointments or dropping children into school later than 9:00am are required to inform the Front Office. this Directorate requirement is a safety procedure in the school. Students who are late need to obtain a late slip from the Front Office
Communication between home and school
Our school recognises the importance of positive relationships between home and school, and we welcome the opportunity for open constructive communication. We encourage:
- Sharing knowledge to enhance the growth and development of your child.
- Developing positive relationships with families that are based on mutual trust and open communication.
- Developing a sense of belonging for the children, parents and staff.
Parents are welcomed to make an appointment to meet with staff to discuss their children’s development and progress or concerns throughout the year. Appointments can be made to speak with your child’s classroom teacher, year level executive, Deputy Principal or Principal by contacting the front office.
The Duffy Primary School Communication Policy 2024 outlines the expectations for effective two-way communication between home and school.
Parent Partnership Meetings
At the beginning of each year parents are invited to complete our “Parent Partnership Meeting” form, to share information with their new classroom teacher. The form helps teachers to get to know your child, their interests and strengths, and personal and family backgrounds. This is a good opportunity to share information about concerns you may have for your child’s learning and or previous experiences that will help your teacher to help you. You can also request to meet personally with your child’s class teacher.
School Newsletter
Our school newsletter is published on Thursday afternoons. We have three editions each term, weeks 3 , 6 and 9. The newsletter includes regular messages from the principal, coming school events, year level learning, P&C News, Directorate and community news. The latest issue of our newsletter is available on the school website.
Parent Information and Permission notes
To meet the school’s sustainability undertakings, we are moving towards electronic correspondence as our primary means of communication with much of our correspondence now emailed to families. Parent Information and Permission Notes relating to excursions, and / or requesting written permission or voluntary financial contribution will continue to be sent home in hard copy.
Complaints, Feedback and Enquiries
Complaints, Feedback and Enquiries
Hearing about your experiences is important to us. Complaints, feedback and enquiries help us improve our school, our procedures and our services.
If you have feedback or a concern about your child’s education, please begin by making a time to have a conversation with your child’s class teacher. You are also welcomed to contact your child's year level executive teacher, Deputy Principal or Principal if you feel your concern has not been sufficiently addressed.
ACT Education has a process in place to ensure all complaints, feedback and enquiries receive a reply in a timely manner, that we will listen to your needs, and treat you with respect. This policy can be accessed at https://www.education.act.gov.au/support-for-our-students/complaints-feedback-and-enquiries.
Learn more about how ACT Education will handle complaints in our Complaints Policy.
Compulsory Education and Non-attendance Management
Compulsory Education
The Education Act 2004 Chapter 2 Compulsory Education, Part 2.1, 9; states a child is of compulsory education age if the child is at least 6 years old and under the age of 17 years or completes year 12 whichever is first.
Under Chapter 2.2 Compulsory Education requirements Division 2.2.1 Enrolment, registration and attendance requirements, 10 (2) parents have responsibilities to ensure that their child/ren of compulsory education age are enrolled in an education provider and attending on a full-time basis. Or if they are enrolled in an education course other than a school, they must meet the fulltime participation requirements of the course.
For further information about this please visit ACT Education Compulsory Education student enrolment and attendance policy
Duffy Primary School Management of Non-Attendance and Regularly Late to School
Non-Attendance
After any 2 consecutive days (on the 3rd day or 3 days within a week) of non-attendance without explanation (unexplained), the classroom teacher will contact the parents/carers. The classroom teacher will also make contact for repeated non-attendance eg absent one day a week over a three week period.
After a total of 5 unexplained days in a term, the classroom teacher will inform their team leader who will contact the parents/carers.
If the total number reaches 7 unexplained days in a term, the classroom teacher will inform the Principal who will contact the parents/carers and discuss with them that the next step involves formal notification.
Upon reaching a total of 10 unexplained days in a term, the Principal will issue the parents with a letter. After this time, the Principal will continue to monitor attendance and provide further formal notifications if necessary.
Regularly Late to School
If a child is frequently late to school, the classroom teacher will contact the parents/carers to remind them of the importance of being at school by 9.00 am to maximise learning opportunities and to see if there is anything the school can do to support the family. If late arrivals continue to be an issue, please speak to your team leader who will contact the parents/carers.
For further information please refer to the ACT Education Directorate website to download the Education Act 2004.
Contact Information
To facilitate speedy contact with parents in an emergency, any change in home or work phone numbers, home address, place of employment or name of emergency contact should be notified immediately. Student information sheets are sent home at the start of each year to gather parent contact information for ready reference and should be returned promptly to the Class Teacher. the only exception is for new school enrolments. Parents of new students are asked to complete their sheets at the time of enrolment.
Contact Information - Updating your personal information
We regularly have cause to contact parents or carers of our students throughout the school day for many reasons including accident, illness and injury of students, to share information or make contact with you on behalf of your child. It is important that your contact information is kept up to date to ensure there is no delay in reaching you.
Our contact methods are via email or telephone (phone calls and SMS). It is important that we always have the most up to date contact information for parents and carers, and your emergency contacts.
Please let us know if you change any of the following contact information for yourself, other parents, carers or nominated emergency contacts:
- Telephone numbers (mobile, work and/or home)
- Disconnection of any telephone numbers
- Email address
- Residential address
Is is also important to advise the school of any changes in family circumstances such as:
- changes to the order of preference in which you would like us to make contact on behalf of your child,
- one or both primary contact people are temporarily out of contact,
- change in or removal of nominated emergency contact people,
- implementation or changes to shared custody arrangements.
To advise the school of any changes in this information please:
- Telephone or email Duffy Primary
- Visit the school front office in person between 8.30 am and 3.30 pm.
- Send a written note addressed to the front office via your child's classroom teacher.