Below is some important information for parents. For further information related directly to our school, please click on the button to the right to download our Parent Handbook.
Parents as Partners
There are many ways parents and other adults who play an important role in a child’s life can be involved with their children’s education at home, at school and in the community.
As a parent, or an adult who plays an important role in the life of a child, your involvement in your child’s education at school and at home shows your child that you value education.
Teachers can see that you care about your child’s learning. You can provide teachers with the most reliable source of information about your child. The partnership between you and your child’s teacher is a powerful one.
Here are some ways you can be involved in your child’s education each year at school:
- Meet the teacher. Tell them about your child’s interests and hobbies. Let them know how and when it is best to reach you. Ask them how you can support your child’s learning at home.
- Arrange an interview with your child’s teacher through the school office to discuss academic progress, behaviour or any concern you may have. Our teachers are happy to take time to talk with you. It is important to make the effort to get to know your child’s teacher early in the year. Let them know how they can contact you if you are working. Making the effort to talk with the teacher shows your child that you value what happens at school.
- Join the P&C Association. Attend meetings, held at convenient times, usually once per term, during the school year. The P&C supports the school in many ways and all parents and interested parties are urged to attend these meetings. As a group, see how you can help the school reach its goals.
- Volunteer your time to help at school. Even working parents are able to spend some time helping at school. Taking a day off work to help at a sports carnival shows your child that you think school activities are important. Our Breakfast Club program is always looking for volunteers to assist students in making breakfasts from 8.30 – 9am each morning in our Home Ec room.
- Join our school Facebook page and our Parents of Northampton DHS Facebook group. Keep up to date with the latest happenings in the school as our pages are regularly updated with notices, photos, and school events.
- Contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns about what’s going on with your child at school. Don’t discuss problems only with other parents outside of the school. Be fair and get all sides of the story. Talk with the teacher first and then follow the correct process if you need to get more information or make a complaint.
- Know your parent representatives on the School Board and express concerns and issues to them for discussion at School Board meetings.
Parent / School Communication
FACEBOOK, NEWSLETTERS & NOTES
School newsletters are the main means of communication between the school and home. All families will receive a digital copy emailed to them every Wednesday, unless requested otherwise. You may need to check your child’s school bag to make sure they are remembering to hand you any notices from school. We are also on Facebook.
PARENT / TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Parents are encouraged to keep in touch with their child’s teacher if they have any concerns about what’s going on with their child at school. For more lengthy discussions or serious concerns, parents are asked to make use of a formal interview to avoid disrupting classroom learning. If the teacher wishes to discuss your child’s academic progress or behaviour, you will be advised by direct contact or letter.
All interview times are made through the school office to ensure everybody is available at the agreed time.
REPORTS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
In line with our Assessment and Reporting Policy, the school will issue two formal reports for students. Term 2 – Semester One Report and parent interviews if required. Term 4 – Semester Two report.
CHILDREN TRANSFERRING
Parents are requested to give us one week’s notice in writing when children are about to leave our school or transfer to another school. This will provide adequate time to enable the staff to ensure that all records, books, medical cards, reports, and so on have been completed or checked prior to the child’s departure.
VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL
For the safety of the children, the school insists on all visitors and/or parent classroom helpers coming to the office to sign in. This also assists Admin to know how many people are on school grounds in case of an emergency.
All visitors, including parents, must register their presence at the school office before attending to their business within the school. Visitors spending time within the school must have a “Working With Children” clearance or sign a Confidential Declaration Form.
SAFETY WHEN SETTING DOWN OR PICKING UP STUDENTS
Motorists should be considerate in parking when depositing or collecting children. The pick-up and set down point is in the car park adjacent to the Community Centre. Please reverse park if parking along the school fence. Bus students will be picked up and set down at the front of the school in the bus bay. Parents are asked not to use the staff / visitor car park for the purpose of depositing or collecting children. This is a student safety measure.
Student Care
STUDENT SERVICES: Educational Psychologist, Speech/Occupational Therapist and Child Health Nurse
The services of an Educational Psychologist are available to the school. Children may be referred by the school or by parents. Information about referral procedures may be obtained from the Principal.
DENTAL THERAPY UNIT
The Dental Therapy Unit provides a free, continuous preventative dental service for each enrolled child from Pre-Primary to Year 10. The Dental van visits Northampton on a biennial basis, eliminating the need for parents to drive their children to Geraldton for check ups. Should your child require dental work, please call the Dental Van on 0429 077 716 and they will direct you to a school dentist in Geraldton.
ACCIDENT OR ILLNESS
Minor accidents are treated at school. In cases of more serious accidents or your child becomes ill, we will contact you at once. Please ensure that we have up to date contact information. It is most important to have an emergency contact number to ring. Children who are obviously ill before school should not attend. As only basic facilities are available at school for children who become ill, parents will be contacted and asked to take the child home as soon as possible.
SICKNESS
Parents are asked not to send children to school who are obviously unwell. They can become very distressed and when this occurs valuable time is spent contacting parents to have the child picked up or, in the extreme where parents cannot be contacted, the school has an obligation to engage medical authorities to deal with the matter.
If parents need to pick their child up early due to sickness or an appointment, then they must sign the student out on the iPad in the office.
COMMUNICABLE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The following diseases require exclusion from school: Chicken Pox; Conjunctivitis; Diarrhoea &/or Vomiting; Hand, Foot and Mouth disease; Head Lice; Influenza; Measles; Mumps; Ringworm; Rubella; Scabies; School Sores; Trachoma and Whooping Cough. Check with the Principal for the length of exclusion in each case. If in doubt consult your doctor. Parents will be asked to collect their children if they are suspected of having an infectious disease.
The Health Department provides policy and guidelines on a range of conditions and diseases. This information can be accessed at www.public.health.wa.gov.au/3/284/3/notifiable_comm.pm