Canteen
Chapman Primary Canteen operates for online lunch orders and over the counter sales on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The canteen is run by a Canteen Manager, assistant and parent volunteers under the management of the Chapman Primary School P&C Association.
For information about the canteen including how to order from the online menu visit: Chapman Canteen
Car Parking and Road Safety
Road safety and safe parking around our school is important especially at busy drop off and pickup times. Parents and carers are reminded to observe ACT road rules, speed limits and parking directions in the streets around our school.
Please follow ACT Road rules at all times. These can be found at Transport Canberra website Travel safely to School
Remember!
It’s okay to park a little further away and walk the rest of the way.
Consider!
Having a pre-determined meeting spot agreed on with your children so they know where to wait.
It is recommended that you do not park:
- at signposted ‘no stopping’ or ‘no parking’ zones
- in bus zones
- on zebra crossings
- in disabled bays
- on nature strips and across footpaths
Choir
Chapman Primary School Choir meets weekly on Wednesday's before school (8.15 am to 9.00 am) in the Music Room. All students who are willing to make the commitment to attend rehearsals each week are welcome to join the choir. The Choir will perform at a number of events throughout the year including Floriade, Step into the Limelight (years 3-6), End-of-Year Concert, and an Assembly presentation. There is no cost associated with joining the choir, however contribution towards bus costs may be requested for any offsite Choir performances.
Communication between home and school
Our school recognises the importance of positive relationships between home and school, and we welcome the opportunity for open constructive communication. We encourage:
- Sharing knowledge to enhance the growth and development of your child.
- Developing positive relationships with families that are based on mutual trust and open communication.
- Developing a sense of belonging for the children, parents and staff.
Parents are welcomed to make an appointment to meet with staff to discuss their children’s development and progress or concerns throughout the year. Appointments can be made to speak with your child’s classroom teacher, year level executive, Deputy Principal or Principal by contacting the front office.
The Chapman Primary School Communication Policy 2024 outlines the expectations for effective two-way communication between home and school.
Getting to Know your Child
At the beginning of each year parents are invited to complete our “Getting to Know Your Child” form, to share information with their new classroom teacher. The form helps teachers to get to know your child, their interests and strengths, and personal and family backgrounds. This is a good opportunity to share information about concerns you may have for your child’s learning and or previous experiences that will help your teacher to help you. You can also request to meet personally with your child’s class teacher.
School Newsletter – The Communicator
Our school newsletter, the Communicator, is issued fortnightly on even week Friday’s. The Communicator includes regular messages from the principal, coming school events, year level learning, P&C News, Directorate and community news. The week 10 issue will include news from our specialist teachers. The latest issue of the Communicator is available on the school website from 3.00 pm on even week Friday's.
Term Overviews
Term overviews are sent home via email at the beginning of each school term to outline information relevant to your child's year level in the upcoming term including learning objectives, planned activities or excursions and timetables for specialist lessons.
Parent Information and Permission notes
To meet the school’s sustainability undertakings, we are moving towards electronic correspondence as our primary means of communication with much of our correspondence now emailed to families. Parent Information and Permission Notes relating to excursions, and / or requesting written permission or voluntary financial contribution will continue to be sent home in hard copy.
Parent Information Sessions
Parent Information Sessions are held at the start of each year where teachers and year level team executives provide an overview of the teaching and learning plans and expectations for the year ahead.
Complaints, Feedback and Enquiries
Hearing about your experiences is important to us. Complaints, feedback and enquiries help us improve our school, our procedures and our services.
If you have feedback or a concern about your child’s education, please begin by making a time to have a conversation with your child’s class teacher. You are also welcomed to contact your child's year level executive teacher, Deputy Principal or Principal if you feel your concern has not been sufficiently addressed.
ACT Education has a process in place to ensure all complaints, feedback and enquiries receive a reply in a timely manner, that we will listen to your needs, and treat you with respect. This policy can be accessed at https://www.education.act.gov.au/support-for-our-students/complaints-feedback-and-enquiries.
Learn more about how ACT Education will handle complaints in our Complaints Policy.
Compulsory Education and Non-attendance Management
Compulsory Education
The Education Act 2004 Chapter 2 Compulsory Education, Part 2.1, 9; states a child is of compulsory education age if the child is at least 6 years old and under the age of 17 years or completes year 12 whichever is first.
Under Chapter 2.2 Compulsory Education requirements Division 2.2.1 Enrolment, registration and attendance requirements, 10 (2) parents have responsibilities to ensure that their child/ren of compulsory education age are enrolled in an education provider and attending on a full-time basis. Or if they are enrolled in an education course other than a school, they must meet the fulltime participation requirements of the course.
For further information about this please visit ACT Education Compulsory Education student enrolment and attendance policy
Chapman Primary School Management of Non-Attendance and Regularly Late to School
Non-Attendance
After any 2 consecutive days (on the 3rd day or 3 days within a week) of non-attendance without explanation (unexplained), the classroom teacher will contact the parents/carers. The classroom teacher will also make contact for repeated non-attendance eg absent one day a week over a three week period.
After a total of 5 unexplained days in a term, the classroom teacher will inform their team leader who will contact the parents/carers.
If the total number reaches 7 unexplained days in a term, the classroom teacher will inform the Principal who will contact the parents/carers and discuss with them that the next step involves formal notification.
Upon reaching a total of 10 unexplained days in a term, the Principal will issue the parents with a letter. After this time, the Principal will continue to monitor attendance and provide further formal notifications if necessary.
Regularly Late to School
If a child is frequently late to school, the classroom teacher will contact the parents/carers to remind them of the importance of being at school by 9.00 am to maximise learning opportunities and to see if there is anything the school can do to support the family. If late arrivals continue to be an issue, please speak to your team leader who will contact the parents/carers.
For further information please refer to the ACT Education Directorate website to download the Education Act 2004.
Contact Information - Updating your personal information
We regularly have cause to contact parents or carers of our students throughout the school day for many reasons including accident, illness and injury of students, to share information or make contact with you on behalf of your child. It is important that your contact information is kept up to date to ensure there is no delay in reaching you.
Our contact methods are via email or telephone (phone calls and SMS). It is important that we always have the most up to date contact information for parents and carers, and your emergency contacts.
Please let us know if you change any of the following contact information for yourself, other parents, carers or nominated emergency contacts:
- Telephone numbers (mobile, work and/or home)
- Disconnection of any telephone numbers
- Email address
- Residential address
Is is also important to advise the school of any changes in family circumstances such as:
- changes to the order of preference in which you would like us to make contact on behalf of your child,
- one or both primary contact people are temporarily out of contact,
- change in or removal of nominated emergency contact people,
- implementation or changes to shared custody arrangements.
To advise the school of any changes in this information please:
- Telephone or email School Contacts.
- Visit the school front office in person between 8.30 am and 3.30 pm.
- Send a written note addressed to the front office via your child's classroom teacher.
Court Orders and Parenting Agreements
Parents have responsibilities to advise a school of any changes in family circumstances that may impact on relationships between the school and the parents and/or students. A copy of any court order should be provided to the school.
Documents are received in full confidentiality with relevant information shared only with staff who have direct care of your child while at school, including front office staff, executive staff and children's teachers.
Please contact the school to make an appointment to discuss the implementation of, or changes to current orders held at the school directly with our Principal.