PARENT INFORMATION
School Hours
The school office operates from 8.30am-4pm. Our school front and church gates open at 8.40am and close at 3.45pm.
School starts at 8.50am and students will be ready for pick up at 3.30pm.
Students are supervised before and after school once gates are open and until they are locked.
Prep parents please note:
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Prep students are picked up from the school playground and brought down by the teacher from the classroom at 3.20pm in Term 1.
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Preps have Wednesday off for the first 4 weeks of school.
Assembly
Every Monday morning school assembly takes place at 8.50am for approx. 15 minutes in the designated assembly area, weather dependent.
At assembly:
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Acknowledgement of Country is shared
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School prayer is read
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Principal makes school announcements for the week
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Student awards are handed out.
COMMUNICATION
Operoo
Operoo is an online platform used by St Anthony’s to deliver all school communication.
This includes the school newsletter, events and updates as well as permission forms for excursions and incursions.
We suggest both parents' emails are listed on Operoo.
How to set up your Operoo account/profile:
Step 1: An invitation to join the platform will be sent to you by email from Operoo
Step 2: Create a username and password.
Student Absence
Our preferred method is for parents/carers to click onto the Student Absentee Form on Operoo’s to let us know if your child will not be attending school, has planned appointments or holidays.
In addition, we suggest you email your child’s teacher directly and/or contact the office via email on office@saalphington.catholic.edu.au or on 9489 7936.
If the school has not received any formal correspondence regarding your child being absent, parents will be called, should parents be uncontactable your two nominated emergency contacts will be contacted prior to 10am.
By law, the school is required to call the police if no contact with parents or emergency contacts are made and a student is an unexplained absence.
What do I do if my child is late for school?
All students must be signed in as a late arrival by a parent/carer on the iPad located at the front office. Your child will then make their way to the classroom (escorted if required).
What do I do if I am going to be late picking up my child?
If you are running late to collect your child, please notify the office so we can notify your child and their teacher.
Can I send someone else to pick up my child?
If you need someone else to collect your child from school, you will need to notify their classroom teacher that morning and/or the school office in writing by email. If registered for OSH Club, please contact them directly to book your child in.
Excursions & Incursions
All permission forms will be sent digitally by teachers via Operoo. If permission is not granted, students will not be allowed to attend excursions or participate in incursions at the school.
UNIFORM
Purchasing your School Uniform
At St Anthony’s Primary School Alphington, we have an official uniform which all students attending school are required to wear at all times. The summer uniform is to be worn in Terms 1 and 4 and the winter uniform in Terms 2 and 3.
Our uniform supplier is Noone Imagewear located at 283 Lower Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe East 3089 or you can purchase online.
There is also a second hand uniform shop run by parent volunteers. For enquiries please contact the school office@saalphington.catholic.edu.au.
Uniform Pricelist
Please refer to Noone's uniform pricelist.
St Anthony's Primary School Uniform Policy
HELPING IN THE CLASSROOM
Parent Helper
All parent helpers are required to have a Working with Children Check.
A literacy helper request form is sent to parents in P-2 each term. A helpers course is offered in Term 1, and be undertaken before you can assist in the classroom.
Siblings are not permitted during helper time, this includes helping in the classroom and with excursions.
Working with Children Check
The Working with Children Check is a screening process for assessing or reassessing people who work with or care for children in Victoria.
All adults who access the school onsite and attend excursions require a valid Working with Children Check. A copy needs to be provided to the office.
How to apply:
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Step 1: Complete an online application form at www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
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Step 2: Provide proof of identity - you can do this either online, or in-person at a participating Australia Post outlet
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Step 3: Lodge your application at an Australia Post outlet
Photo Permission
If you ticked ‘yes’ to give your child permission to use images for video or publicity purposes that are open to the community they may be selected to appear on the school website, newsletter, flyers or billboard.
If you ticked ‘yes’ to give your child permission to use images or videos for social media purposes they may appear on the school’s Instagram and Facebook page.
This consent will remain applicable for the child’s duration at the school unless change of consent is made in writing.
LUNCH ORDERS
Classroom Cuisine offers healthy lunches delivered to the school on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s.
Order online via www.classroomcuisine.com.au no later than 8:30am on the day lunch is required.
View the menu here.
FAQs
When are school holidays?
Full details for this year’s school holidays can be found on the school calendar.
What if my child has food allergies?
Any students with food allergies must advise their teacher and provide an Allergy Plan to the office which will be kept in the classroom and sickbay.
What if my child requires medication?
Any students that requires medication must advise their teacher and provide a Medical Authorisation Form to the office, along with the student's medication which will be kept in the sickbay and administered accordingly.
Can I send in sweets/treats on my child’s birthday/special occasion?
A birthday can be celebrated by sharing non food items such as a balloon, pencil or sticker etc. No food is to be shared.
Can my child wear jewellery to school?
The only jewellery permitted to be worn is studs or sleepers in the ears, a necklace with a gold or silver cross and a watch.
Where do I park at school?
Parents are able to park on the school’s surrounding streets such as Austin Street, Arthur Street and Railway Place.
To help reduce congestion, there is a ‘Kiss n’ Go’ zone on Austin Street. You may drop off or pick up your child here, but the driver must remain with the car at all times.
Always ensure you are adhering to the parking signage and regulations.
Can my child cycle/ scoot to school?
Yes. We have a bike shed which is locked once school commences and is reopened at the end of the school day.
What do I do if I need to see a teacher?
You can email your child’s teacher directly with any queries or concerns you may have.
How can parents get involved?
St Anthony's Parents & Friends promotes a wonderful sense of community and spirit within the school. Parent volunteers organise school and community functions as well as social events, including our twilight fair held on the last Friday of February each year.
If you would like to be involved email hello@sapf.com.au
When are parent teacher interviews?
Formal reports are sent home at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2
Parent interviews are held at the beginning of Term 1 and the end of Term 2. Interview times will be sent via Operoo.
When are the sacraments made?
Our Sacramental Program is facilitated from Prep to Year 6, with Reconciliation at Year 3, First Eucharist at Year 4 and Confirmation at Year 6. If your child has not been baptised they cannot take part in the Sacramental Program. Should you wish for your child to be Baptised you can contact the Parish Office on (03) 9412 8439.
Where do I locate lost property?
All lost property is placed in a pull down cupboard located near the MacKillop Room entrance.
What protection do you have in place in regards to school technology?
Please refer to the Information Technology Acceptable Usage Policy and Agreement under the policies tab.
POLICIES
St Anthony’s Primary School, Alphington Policies.
St Anthony's is a school which operates with the consent of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and is operated and governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS).
MACS governs and operates 292 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese to continue the mission of Catholic education to proclaim the Good News and equip our young people with the knowledge, skills and hope to live meaningful lives and enrich the world around them.
Because the good work of educating the young is a co-responsible task led by every member of the Catholic school community, School Advisory Councils have been established to provide a crucial point of connection between the wider school community and school leaders.
This governance model was designed to ease the administrative burden on our schools and parishes, allow parish priests to focus on the mission of education in the parish, enable greater collaboration between schools and ensure greater consistency in school policies and procedures.