Community involvement

Our school values strong partnerships with our families and community. As a parent or carer, you are an important part of our school community. We offer a range of services to support you and your family. Your time and support help make our school a better place for everyone.

Parents and Citizens Association (P&C)

Our Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) consists of parents and carers, teachers and community members. The P&C meets regularly to contribute to decision making, policy development and management planning, as well as fundraising.

The aims of the P&C are to:

Parents and Citizens Association meetings are run monthly and provide the opportunity for the parent community to stay informed of happenings within the school and any new developments occuring.

Meeting are held on the last Tuesday of the month (during school terms) at 7:00pm in the school library.

The P&C warmly welcomes all parents and carers.

Counselling for families

The school counsellor can assist when families undergo a trauma or big change. Contact us to make an appointment. For information in community languages, see school counselling service.

Outside of the education system, free telephone counselling services are available to support families who may be going through a difficult time.

Interpreting and translations

We will help you communicate with our school. If you’d like an interpreter for a school meeting, let us know and we will arrange one, if available.

If you don’t speak or understand English well and want to contact us, call TIS National on 131 450 and ask for an interpreter in your language. The operator will call the school and get an interpreter to help. This service is free.

For more information,  listen in your language.

Visit the department’s  translated documents  section for important information that’s relevant for your child’s education in many languages.

Volunteer at our school

We encourage parents to become actively involved in our school community by volunteering their time and talents. Parents involvement strengthens the school.

By volunteering, you not only enhance the learning environment but also connect with fellow parents, teachers, and staff, creating a cohesive and supportive community.

You can help by:

Contact us

background
light

Parent-teacher interviews

Parent-teacher interviews provide an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers.

Here are some tips to get the best out of your time with the teacher.

Arrange for an interpreter if needed

If you need an interpreter, let us know before the interview. Call 131 450 and ask for an interpreter in your language. The operator will get an interpreter on the line to help you. This service is free.

Do your homework

Take a few minutes before the meeting to jot down any questions or comments you have. Common questions may include:

Also, list anything that might be happening at home that may be helpful for your child’s teacher to know. If your child has seen a specialist for example, there may be some information that is important for the teacher or the school counsellor to know.

Go with a positive attitude

Approach the interview with a positive and relaxed attitude. Remember you and the teacher are partners in your child’s learning. Be clear and confident in raising any concerns and allow the teacher to answer or clarify your questions and worries.

Teachers want to help students achieve their best – you’re on the same team.

Walk away with an agreed plan

If the teacher raises issues about your child’s learning, development or behaviour, your goal will be to understand the plan to manage that during the school day and how you can help at home.

For example, if your child is struggling to pay attention in class, a behaviour diary which travels between class and home every day may be a good suggestion. The idea is the teacher updates you with a short, written account of your child’s day, so you can discuss it with your child each evening.

Ask the teacher what sort of strategies they have in mind and how you can help.

Plan to communicate

The parent-teacher interview is not the only time you can discuss your child with the teacher, but many parents and carers find it’s their only opportunity to visit the school. Ask the teacher how you can best communicate with each other in the future. Many teachers make appointments to see or call you outside of school hours. Others find email works well.

Between 8:30am and 3:30pm is non-stop for teachers, and their primary responsibility each day is to teach their students. Teachers can’t leave their class unattended to talk with you so it’s best to come up with a plan to stay in touch.

After the interview

It’s important to discuss the meeting with your child and really congratulate them on their strengths. If the teacher made suggestions of things you could do at home, discuss these with your child and commit to following through with them.

It can be easier to approach the teacher or the principal when you feel part of the school community. Volunteer if you can, or stay connected on social media or online.

Don’t let issues brew

Stay in touch with the teacher and the school. Make contact if a concern arises before or after the parent-teacher interviews. Let the teacher know what your concern is so they can prepare for your conversation.  For example if you’re worried your child isn’t making friends, the teacher may want to observe them in the playground before you talk. Or if you’re concerned your child isn’t performing as well as expected, the teacher may want to check last year’s notes, talk to colleagues or review assessment results.

If there’s something happening at home with your child or another family member, it can affect your child’s learning and behaviour at school, so please let the school know.

Get to know child’s year adviser

Once your child is in high school, the year adviser is a great point of contact when you have a question or problem that’s not specific to one subject area. For example if your child doesn’t seem to be on top of their homework (or says they’re not getting any homework) the year adviser would be the person to call. They can have a chat with the teachers involved and get back to you.

The same goes with social problems your child may be having. Year advisers try to get to know all ‘their’ kids on a more personal level and can keep an eye on how your child is progressing.

Seeking more help

If you’ve talked to the teacher and still aren’t satisfied with the outcome, you can always make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the head teacher, year adviser, assistant principal, deputy or principal. You can bring a support person with you to any meeting at the school. If you need the help of an interpreter, let them know when you make the appointment, so they can arrange to have someone on the phone or at the meeting to help you.

Parenting and teenage wellbeing

For more information on Parenting and teenage wellbeing, we have complied a list of helpful articles for your perusal.

A Parent's Role In Their Child's Education- Parental encouragement and support for learning activities at home combined with parental involvement in schooling is critical to children’s education.

Building Positive Relationships with Teachers - Positive parent-school communications benefit parents and teachers. The manner in which schools communicate and interact with parents and vice-versa affects the extent and quality of parents’ home involvement with their children’s learning.

Building Responsibility  - A responsible character is made up of our outlook and daily habits associated with feelings, thoughts, and actions

Building Self-Esteem and Ensuring my Child's Wellbeing- Here are some easy ways to help instill self-esteem in your child

Communicating Expectations to Teenagers- One of the things that define the teenage years for many parents is difficulty with boundaries and discipline. Teenagers are eager to assert their independence, and this can often conflict with the rules you’ve set for your family. Dealing positively with these conflicts is important and will set a good example for your teen as he or she matures into adulthood.

Creating the Right Environment for Learning at Home  - Parents can support and encourage their children’s successful learning by helping them create a positive study environment. Here are some of the ideas we give to parents.

Helping with Homework and Study  - Guide your child to do their homework using these tried and tested questions.

Helping Your Teenager make Responsible Choice- Throughout their teenage years, your child will be confronted with many difficult situations where choosing to make a safe and healthy decision may not be the easiest – or most obvious – thing to do.

Effective Parenting Styles  - Looking for the best parenting style to build a positive relationship with your child? Here’s a summary of three different parenting styles that may help you reflect on your relationship with your child.

Screen Time is Making Kids Moody, Crazy and Lazy  -6 Ways Electronic Screen Time Makes Kids Angry, Depressed and Unmotivated.

How Smart Phones Can Worsen Blue Feelings- People who swap electronic interaction for the real-life human kind find little if any satisfaction, a new study finds.

Setting Limits For My Teenager  -As parents, we expect to keep a close eye on our infants and young children to care for them and keep them safe. As our children grow into teenagers, they gain a great deal of independence. That is a normal part of growing up. So, it’s easy for us to believe that there is less need to pay close attention to our teens. But in order to keep them healthy, we must still keep tabs on them, set rules, and help them learn how to protect themselves.