This newsletter is a friendly reminder from myself and the leadership team to inform and ask for your assistance and partnership in various aspects of school life. As a Christ-centred environment, we value safety, dignity, belonging, and the growth of learning in our community, inspired by the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
BIBLES
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Board for presenting each new family with their own Bible. The youngest child in each new family will receive these shortly. This tradition at Heathdale is a beautiful way to cherish the Word of God together as a community. I encourage you to spend some time reading and exploring the Scriptures with your child, as it provides a foundation for their spiritual growth and understanding.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
Staff are on duty at school from 8.10 am, and class starts at 8.30 am. After school, staff are on duty until 3.40 pm. We understand that parents may have work commitments and find it challenging to accommodate the school start and finish times, and we genuinely appreciate your efforts to ensure your child's prompt arrival and pick-up at school.
However, it has come to our attention that some parents are dropping their children off before 8.10am and leaving them here long after 3.40pm. We kindly request your understanding that teachers use the time before and after school to prepare their classrooms, have meetings and review lesson plans. As a result, they cannot be expected to be on duty outside of the current hours.
We recognise that everyone has different circumstances, which is why we have BIG Childcare available for all Primary-aged children onsite outside of duty times. If you are dropping your child off at school early or arriving late to pick them up, they may be taken to before or after-school care, and you will be contacted. For more information, or to enrol your child online, please visit BIG Childcare.
If you are onsite with your child and there is no teacher present, please understand it is your responsibility to supervise.
UNIFORM
This week, you will receive a reminder email from myself regarding the importance of adhering to the school uniform policy. We have noticed an increase in non-uniform items, such as coats, beanies, scarves, and tracksuit pants that are not supported in our Uniform Guide.
The school uniform plays a significant part in fostering unity and belonging among our students. It instils a sense of pride in and out of school, symbolising their commitment to representing our school values. In fact, I recently conducted an enrolment interview where a parent expressed their desire for their child to attend our school because of how our children represent themselves in the community! Without the uniform, their identity remains unknown.
Therefore, we kindly request that you ensure your child is appropriately dressed in our lovely and flexible Heathdale wardrobe items. For more information, please refer to our Uniform Guide.
RUBBISH
It is important for all our Primary school children that they get the play and nourishment they need during recess and lunch breaks. However, we have noticed as of recent that the overall look of the Primary school has left much room for improvement when it comes to rubbish handling. While every school faces this challenge, it appears that standards among our students have unfortunately dropped.
I would like to invite parents to support us by encouraging your children to take personal responsibility for maintaining a clean and tidy campus. Some practical ways that students can help are by:
- Using the designated rubbish bins provided.
- Taking any leftover food or wrappers home.
- Discussing the importance of picking up after themselves.
- Emphasising the impact of our actions on the environment, peers, and the overall cleanliness of the college.
- Encouraging children to get involved in the 'Keeping God's Creation Clean' project at school, inspired by our belief in stewardship and caring for the world God has entrusted to us.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work together to create a safe, respectful, and inspiring learning environment for our students. May the teachings of Jesus and the Bible guide us in our collective efforts.