GRPS Handbook

Updated 03/2024
This document is in constant revision. Please send any updates to
[email protected] and [email protected]

"Vitai Lampada, the torch of life"

Glenmore Road Public School 269 Glenmore Road Paddington NSW 2021 Australia
Tel 02 9360 4880 Fax 02 9361 4284 https://glenmorerd-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/
Principal Karen Sinclair
GRPS Handbook

What does a day at GRPS look like?

7:30am The Cottage opens (before school care)

8:50am Office staff arrive

School gates open

Morning drop off

9:00am
A teacher is on duty in the middle playground from this time

School Starts
9:25am Morning bell / class lines & morning assembly where brief
information is provided from teachers

Students head to classrooms and school commences.

9:30am
Cambridge St gates are locked

10:30am Fruit break at desk

11:30am-12:15pm Lunch break

12:15pm School recommences

1:35pm-2:05pm Afternoon break

2:05pm School recommences

School Day Ends

Kindergarten students collected from directly above the
3:30pm
basketball court near The Cottage
Older students collected in the middle playground

3:50pm Office closes

6:30pm The Cottage closes (after school care)

What is the curriculum?

The classroom teacher will schedule the weekly timetable each term . These will
be made available to parents each term via the school newsletter. You can
expect your child to be participating the following key learning areas each week:
• English
• Mathematics
• Science & Technology
• Human Society and Its Environment
• Creative Arts
• Personal Development, Health & Physical Education

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Where is everything located at the school?

Here is a picture of our school and some key areas to familiarise yourself with:

Where do I drop off?

• Students can be dropped to school after 9am. Supervising teachers are
clearly visible in high-vis wear.
• Students can access the school via Cambridge Street or Gurner Lane.
There is also disability access via Gurner Lane, however, this is not
authorised pedestrian access.
• There is a designated car drop off zone outside the school for morning
drop off on Cambridge Street. Parents and carers can only stop for up to
3 minutes and must remain within 3 metres of their car. Cars must not be
left unattended. Parking inspectors issue fines and drivers will lose
demerit points for disobeying these rules.
• Students should drop their bags outside their classroom upon arrival and
move to the playground.
• Students who ride their bike or scooter must wear their helmet to school.
Bikes/scooters are to be left in the designated area, however they are not
to be ridden in the school grounds.
• Kindergarten students attending The Cottage in the morning are
accompanied to the middle playground for supervision by the teacher on
duty. All other students are to make their way to the playground
independently.

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• At 9.25am students line up in the middle playground in their classes for

morning lines.

Where do I pick up?

• For students in Kindergarten the pick up area is the access road directly
above the basketball court near The Cottage which can also be reached
using the stairs from the middle playground toward The Cottage.
Students will only be dismissed to a parent or other authorised carer.
• All other students are collected from the middle playground.
• There is also a designated car pick up outside the school on Cambridge
Street. Drivers are to line up and collect their child when they reach the
top of the pick up line. Your child needs to tell their teacher if they are
being picked up by car. Students will be supervised by a teacher at the
pick up point. See the school’s policy on car pick up.
• Kindergarten students who attend The Cottage will be picked up by a staff
member from The Cottage. All other students are to make their way to
The Cottage to sign in.
• If you are running late to collect your child please contact the office to
advise them.

What happens if I am late or need to pick up early?

• You must first go to the office as it is a requirement that your child is
signed in or out.
• If your child is late to school you will need to collect a pink slip from the
office and sign your child in. Students will then walk up to the classroom
to minimise disruption.
• If you need to collect your child early from school you need to attend the
school office and sign them out. The office will contact the classroom
teacher and your child will be sent down to the school office.

What do I do if my child cannot attend school?

Non-attendance
• If your child cannot attend school you need to contact the school office to
advise them the reason for the absence. You can call or email on:

Phone: 02 9360 4880

Email: [email protected]
• If you do not advise the school office you will receive a message from the
school that your child was not marked as .

Extended Leave
• An application for extended leave must be completed if you intend on
removing your child from school for more than 5 consecutive days.
• Exceptional circumstances for leave include attendance at family events
such as weddings and funerals and prolonged illness.

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What is The Cottage?

• The GRPS Out of School Hours Care is called The Cottage. It operates out
of the original principal’s cottage.
• It is a parent run not-for-profit before and after school care centre with a
parent executive and is well staffed, popular and very well organised.
• Vacation care is also provided in the school holidays. Bookings are taken
2-4 weeks before each school holidays.
• Students in all years are able to attend. The hours during terms times
are:
o 7:30am-9:00am
o 3:30pm-6:30pm
• Michele Smith manages The Cottage and you can contact her on 9361
3362.
• You need to register your child with The Cottage and you can book days
through the MyFamily Website/App once you are registered.

• You can find out more about The Cottage on their website including details
of the fees at: http://thecottageoshc.org/
• If your child is starting Kindergarten they are able to attend The
Cottage in the school holidays in the December/January before
they start school.

Are there any activities before and after school?

• There are a number of activities that are run before and after school at
commercial costs e.g. sport, karate, languages and chess. The list of
providers will be notified to families in the school newsletter and will also
be available at the office.
• If your child attends The Cottage you must give permission for a carer at
The Cottage to drop and/or collect your child to their activity. The Cottage
has the paper work for this.

What food does my child need to pack for school?

• In accordance with the policy of the Department, peanuts, tree nuts and
nut products are excluded from school activities. This does not include
foods labelled "may contain traces of nuts". Due to food allergies and
anaphylaxis our school has a no sharing food policy.
• Students should bring to school all the food they need for the day and all
containers labelled with their name.
• Your child should be given a realistic amount of food and ‘treat’ foods
limited as much as possible.

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• Fruit break is at the student’s desk for approximately 5-10 minutes.

Students should bring a piece of cut up fruit or vegetables. It is helpful for
the fruit break to be in a separate container so students can access it
quickly.
• Remember that lunches will not be refrigerated so an icepack in the
lunchbox can be helpful especially in the summer months.
• Students should also bring a water bottle labelled with their name.
• GRPS does not have a canteen but has a lunch order system from a few
external providers. Purchases must be made in advance via Flexischools
(https://www.flexischools.com.au/). You will need to register with
Flexischools and add credit to your account via credit card, PayPal or direct
deposit.
• You may also be asked to use Flexischools to pay for other activities such
as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts or any P&C school events.

What does my child need to pack in their bag for school?

• Students need to pack their lunch, drink bottle, hat, jumper, raincoat,
library bag (if it is library day). Kindergarten students will also have a
tartan bag (which contains their reader).
• The school has a ‘no hat no play’ rule. It is essential that students have
their hat.
• All items need to be clearly and permanently marked.
• Your child’s school bag also needs to be clearly identifiable, so a
keyring/accessory is helpful.
• Students should not bring treasured or valuable toys, jewellery or books or
dangerous items to school.
• It is recommended that no personal devices are brought to school.
Students are permitted to bring a mobile phone to school, but they must
keep it out of sight in their schoolbag and all phones must be turned off
between 9:25am and 3:30pm. See the school’s policy on mobile phone
use.

What happens if my child loses something?

• From time to time items of school clothing or lunch containers can go
missing. There are lost property bins in the middle playground that can be
checked for missing items. The Cottage also has a lost property bin.

What uniform does my child need to wear?

• There is strong support from parents and staff for the wearing of a school
uniform as it helps promote school pride and encourages the students to
feel part of a cohesive and supportive community.
• The school uniform should be worn each school day unless there is a mufti
day.
• Mufti days are held throughout the year, often in association with minor
fundraising activities. Information about these days is provided to
parents. Closed toed shoes must be worn on mufti days.

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• The uniform is sold at the P&C run uniform shop, open from 8.45 - 9.45am
on Wednesday mornings during term time. Some second hand uniforms
are also available for sale.
• Uniforms can also be ordered online via Flexischools.
• Uniforms are also sold on Orientation Days for new Kindergarten students.

Uniform Guidelines
Boys Summer (Terms 1 & 4) Girls Summer (Terms 1 & 4)
Shorts Summer
dress

Short sleeve Skirt & short

polo sleeve polo

Boys Winter (Terms 2 & 3) Girls Winter (Terms 3 & 4)

Winter Winter tunic
trousers

Long sleeve Long sleeve

polo polo

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Accessories
Backpack All students need to bring the
school backpack.

Library bag All students need a library bag.

Kindergarten students will
receive a bag at the Orientation
and the cost will be on Term 1
invoice.

Hat The school has a ‘no hat no play’

policy. Hats are to be worn at
morning lines and also when
students are in the playground.

Zip jumper This can be worn in summer and

winter.

Rain jacket This is useful when it is raining

and students are walking to and
from school.

Footwear Footwear should be black and

suitable for safe work and play at
school (note: Kindergarten
students will wear them for sport
as well). They can be buckle, tie
or velcro and can be runners,
mary-janes or old-style school
shoes.

Navy socks Navy socks are worn in summer

and winter.

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Navy tights Girls can wear navy tights in

winter in Terms 2 & 3.

Sports uniform
T-shirts Sports t-shirts are worn to the
school sporting events e.g.
athletics carnival, swimming
carnival and cross-country
running.

There are four houses.

Bradley – Blue
Duxford – Yellow
Elfred – Green
Juniper – Red

All new students are placed in

a house at the start of the
year and will be notified in
Term 1. You should purchase
the sports t-shirt after you are
notified.
Sport year Students in Years 3-6 play
3-6 sport every Friday. There are
particular GRPS uniforms for
each type of sport e.g. soccer,
rugby.

What is the School Buddy Program?

• GRPS has a school buddy program for Kindergarten students. They will
have a buddy from Year 6. This will assist the transition to school
particularly in the early weeks.

How do I find about what is happening at the school?

The school will communicate with families in the number of ways including:

Calendar
• The school calendar is available on the school website.
• The terms dates will be provided in the calendar including any Staff
Development Days. These are held on the first day of Terms 1, 2 and 3
and the last two days of the school year. Students do not attend on these
days.

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Newsletter
• The school newsletter is published each week and a link emailed to
parents.
• You need to subscribe to the newsletter via the school website:
https://glenmorerdps.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe
• It is very important that you make the time to read the school
newsletter as it provides updates about what is happening at school.
• Archived copies of the newsletter are available on the school website:
https://glenmorerdps.schoolzineplus.com/schoolnews/archive

Class Teachers
• Class teachers will email families from time to time to advise them about
upcoming school events.

Class Parents
• Class parents are assigned at the beginning of each year and organised by
the P&C. Any parent can volunteer to be a class parent. They oversee the
class list distribution and will email families to notify them of upcoming
class gatherings and P&C events.

P&C
• The P&C meets monthly on Wednesday evenings, anyone can attend the
meetings.
• The P&C will notify families of upcoming school events via the school
newsletter.
• They also have a notice board at the school to notify families of upcoming
events.

Class Lists
• The P&C arranges class lists at the beginning of the year so you can
communicate with other parents in your child’s class.

How do I understand my child’s progress?

• All families are welcome to contact the school at any time during the
school year to arrange an appointment to discuss their child's progress.
The best time for an interview is generally after school.
• A goal setting meeting with the teacher, parent and child occurs during
Term 1. A follow up meeting occurs in Term 3.
• Parents will receive written student reports which are sent home at the
end of Terms 2 and 4. These reports provide an indication of student
achievement as assessed by the classroom and support teachers.

What can I do if I have concerns about my child?

• All families are encouraged to contact their class teacher at any time
during the school year to discuss their child’s needs.

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• The School Counsellor is at the school one day a week for support of
students with learning, behaviour or social adjustment issues.
• Parental permission is required before the School Counsellor can assess
your child but informal observation in the classroom may be carried out as
part of a preliminary assessment of the need for formal assessment.
• Parents can refer their own students to the counsellor and forms are
available through the principal. The Counsellor usually contacts parents
after student assessment.

Is there learning support at the school?

• There is a Learning Support Team that can assist students with learning
difficulties.
• The Learning Support Team is made up of class teachers, the principal,
the School Counsellor, the Executive Team and support staff.
• The Learning Support Team meets regularly to review the progress of
students who have identified learning, social or emotional difficulties, or
students who are identified as gifted and talented.

What are some of the things that happen regularly at the school?

There will be a number of activities and events during the year that students will
be involved in and many opportunities for parents to attend events.

Additional classes
• Library – students will have a library class each week where they can
borrow a book. They will need to bring their GRPS library bag to borrow a
book.
• Scripture/Ethics – GRPS offers Special Religious Education (“SRE”)
classes in Catholic, Anglican, Jewish, Ethics (Years 2-6) and Buddhist
(Years 3-6). Parents and carers are asked to advise what class they would
like their child to attend. SRE is not compulsory and students not
attending will be cared for appropriately.

Assembly
• This is held every Thursday at 2:50pm and alternates between a K-2
assembly and Years 3-6.
• From time to time there will be whole school assemblies. This will be
notified in the school newsletter.
• Certificates are awarded at assemblies (for awards and birthdays) and
class items are performed.
• Parents are very welcome to attend. Each class will perform an item
during the year and parents and carers are particularly encouraged to
attend on these occasions.

Other annual events

• Easter Hat Parade

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• Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals

• Book Parade – students dress up as their favourite book character during
Students’s Book Week
• Spelling Bee
• Public Speaking Competition
• Grandparents Day
• End of Year Recognition Day. Prizes and presentations are awarded to all
students on this day
• Other annual events may include dance performances, Wakakirri, school
concert performance, School Spectacular, Strings Ensemble and Band
performances
All events will be notified in the school newsletter and parents and carers are
encouraged to attend.

How can my child celebrate their birthday at school?

• If you would like to celebrate your child’s birthday with their class you are
welcome to provide cupcakes or ice-blocks to have at the end of the day.
Please advise your classroom teacher. Please take into account allergy
needs.

What are the ways I can get involved with the school?
There are a number of ways you can get involved with the school:
• Classroom Parent Helper – parents as partners in education are
appreciated. Your skills and expertise are valued. Help can be given in
many areas: reading, craft and maths. If you would like to help, just let
the school or class teacher know and complete the necessary paperwork
available from the office.
• P&C Member or just come to the meetings to find out what is happening.
The P&C meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm in the
staffroom. The P&C discusses fundraising activities, issues of concern, the
school uniform shop, school projects and parental feedback.
• School Council – is a body that supports the school principal and is
attended by elected parents, staff and a community member. The School
Council meets at least once a term to formulate school policies and to
discuss the budget.
• Volunteer at events such as sports carnival or swimming carnival.
• Gardening Club meet on alternate Wednesday lunchtimes 11:30am-
12:15pm. Holiday care is also required for our chickens.

What are the school fees and when do I pay them?

• Fees include costs for sport, excursions (including transport), school
education programs e.g. Reading Eggs, Mathletics. Fee letters will be
emailed to parents each term.
• There is also an annual voluntary contribution each year. Although this
contribution is voluntary the fund is very beneficial to the school as it is
used towards meeting some of the costs of resources and materials used

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by the students each year. The voluntary fees can be made in full or
instalments.
• As some fees are for additional activities which cannot be carried out
without financial contributions, the school will actively follow up any
outstanding monies owing so that your child can participate.
• Any financial hardship and individual circumstances should be
discussed directly with the principal who will endeavour to take
these into account. This communication is strictly confidential.

What is the Positive Behaviours strategy at Glenmore Road?

• Students at GRPS are expected to be Responsible, Respectful Learners.

• When students demonstrate core school values (responsible, respectful,
learner) or learning characteristics (resilience, perseverance, confidence,
collaboration, organisation or self-reflection) they will receive Class Dojo
Award points.
• Students need to obtain 50 points for a Bronze Award, 100 points for a
Silver Award and 150 points for a Gold Award. When students receive all
their Awards they received the school medal.
• Students award points will continue to accumulate form the previous year.
• WOW awards will be given to students who demonstrate exceptional
learning behaviours. These will come from the principal and are awarded
at assembly.

Will my child get homework?

• Kindergarten students are expected to read their reader each night.
Students will receive access to Reading Eggs, an online platform, to
further their reading capabilities.
• Class teachers in Years 1-6 set homework on a regular basis. Homework
may vary in nature, but it is an expectation that students read at home in
every grade.

• See the school homework policy for more information.

What music and sport options are available at the school?

The school has a strong creative and performing arts program. The following
opportunities are available:

Music
• Directions in Music, an external provider, coordinate a music program for
those who wish to participate. Opportunities exist for Junior and Senior
Band (from Year 3 onward) and Junior and Senior String (from Year 1
onward).
• In the Junior Band students are matched to a woodwind, brass or
percussion instrument. The band participate in a small group tutorial with
a professional tutor and attend a combined full band rehearsal.

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• Students have private lessons as well as participating in the groups. As

students progress in their playing they can be promoted to the Senior
groups.
• The band performs at local community events and may enter band
competitions such as the Yamaha Music Festival. Band camps or days are
organised to further develop the band program.
• Music concerts are held throughout the year to profile the band, ensemble
and music program at school.
Dance
• Students (Years 3-6) may participate in Wakakirri and the Schools
Spectacular performances.

Sport and PE
• Students participate in physical education and sport every week. There is
an extensive sport program and a variety of different sports offered.
• The K-2 students learn skills in sports such as basketball, AFL, soccer,
gymnastics and dance. An external provider often provides these lessons.
• The Year 3-6 students have the opportunity to compete against other
schools in an inter-school sport competition known as Primary School
Sports Association (“PSSA”). These team games vary from summer to
winter and include touch football, basketball, netball, soccer, rugby union
and league. Training sessions for these sports are held before school or
during the lunch hour. In summer, sport is on Friday mornings and in the
winter it is on Friday afternoons.
• The school also offers non-competitive sporting options (including multi-
sport and development squads) for students that are not participating in
PSSA competitions.
• The school participates in local and regional inter-school sports
competitions and has a learn-to-swim program for younger students
(Years 1 and 2, Term 4).

What leadership opportunities are there at the school?

• Students in all classes will elect class captains each term and each class
will also elect two representatives as delegates on the SRC for the year.
The SRC meets with a member of staff once a fortnight to raise issues of
concern and to plan student-initiated activities. The students ensure
issues raised by their classmates are discussed and improvements are
made to the school where practical and possible.
• Each year a Leadership Team is elected by the students. The Leadership
Team consists of 2 captains, 2 vice captains and 4 prefects. These boys
and girls represent the school on formal occasions.

What happens at the start of a new year?

• During Week 1 of the new school year students return to the classes of
their previous year (with their previous teacher). Year 1 students are
unlikely to have their Kindergarten teachers during this time as they will
be conducting Best Start Interviews for the incoming Kindergarten

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students. Year 1 students will be in their original class with an alternate

teacher.
• Once school numbers are finalised and classes allocated, students move to
their new classroom (typically on the Thursday of Week 1) at which time
they will meet their new class teacher, room and a different mix of class
mates.

Further Information
Please refer to our website and also the A-Z on our website for further
information.

We look forward to your family joining our school community.

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