School Hours
| First Bell | 8.40am
|
| Big Lunch | 10.40am - 11.15am Play
11.15am - 11.30am Eat
|
| Afternoon Tea | 1.30pm - 1.50pm |
| Children Dismissed | 3.00pm |
Punctuality
Children need to arrive at 8:30am - ready for an 8:40am start. Every effort should be made to have students arrive at school on time to prevent the disruptions caused by entering a class after lessons have commenced. Students who arrive late will report to the School Office with a parent or carer. If students regularly arrive late for school, contact with parents will need to occur. Students should be encouraged to develop the habit of being punctual, at the start of the day and for all classes. Likewise, all students should be collected by 3.30pm at the latest.
Drop Off and Pick Up of Students
In the interest of child safety, and for a trouble-free drop off and pick up, the following points need to be adhered to:
- No parents' cars are allowed in the school grounds at any time.
- Drop off and pick up zones are located on both Lilac Street and Eucalypt Street. Please adhere to the road signs defining the correct zones.
- There is a 'lollipop' crossing supervisor on duty from 8am to 8.45am and 2.50pm to 3.20pm in Lilac Street.
- All children and parents crossing Lilac Street are required to cross with the crossing supervisor. We ask that parents display the same road safety precautions as expected of the children.
- Children who need to cross Eucalypt Street must do so with the aid of an adult.
- All students must stay in the supervision of a teacher on duty until their parents /guardians arrive to collect them.
- At 3.30pm any students still at school will be brought into the front office and parents contacted.
Supervision Before and After School
It is strongly recommended that students arrive no earlier than 8:00am unless they are attending a supervised sport, or music practice. Until this time there is no supervision provided by our staff. From 8:00am - 8:20am all children are to gather in the Amphitheatre where they will be supervised. After 8:20am students may play in designated areas until the bell at 8:40am.
In the afternoon, students who are travelling home by bus should go directly to the appropriate bus waiting area. Students who are being collected by car must assemble in the designated area until the arrival of their parent or designated driver. Students will then be directed to the pick-up zone. Staff will supervise the collection of all students in the afternoon until 3.20pm. Any student still not collected by 3.25pm will be required to wait outside the Administration Block until collected. Students from P – 6 who are regularly late being collected will be instructed to attend Outside School Care.
Early Collection of Children
If a child is required to leave the school grounds, Any person collecting children from school at any other than the normal finishing time, must do so through the office. The child will be sent from the classroom with their bag to meet the person collecting them from the office.
Student Absences
It is extremely important that the school is informed of the movement of students during the school day. As a result, we would appreciate:
- A phone call to the school at the beginning of the child’s absenteeism, giving the reason.
- a note (signed by parent or known care-giver) or a phone call to indicate any change to daily routine e.g. leaving school early, being picked up by someone other than the person in the usual arrangement, arriving at school late, attending an appointment during school hours. No note or phone call means that the student follows the usual school timetable and routine.
Valuables and Money
The school strongly advises that students leave their valuables (e.g. mobile phones, digital hand held games, expensive toys, items of sentimental value etc.) at home. This prevents loss, stealing and damage to expensive items. Students should not carry a large amount of money around with them for the same reasons. Should such items be brought to school they are to be left at the front office before school and collected again at 3pm.
Emergency Procedures
The school has developed a comprehensive range of emergency plans including an Evacuation Procedure, Bushfire Alert and Lock Down procedure. Students are introduced to these procedures and will periodically participate in practices to develop confidence with them. All parents who may be on site at the school in the event of an emergency procedure – real or practice - are bound to participate in the procedure. In general, all evacuations will involve students, staff and visitors exiting an orderly fashion to set places on the oval or near Mercy Hall where rolls and staff and visitor records will be checked.
Wet Day Procedure
School hours do not alter on wet days. Arrangements are made within the school to accommodate students in the morning tea and lunch periods.
Smoke Free Environment
All Brisbane Catholic Education Colleges and schools, including St Mark's, are Smoke Free Zones. In line with various legislative requirements and especially the school's teaching about and commitment to healthy living, the entire site is a smoke free zone for all persons. Adult persons who do wish to smoke are requested and required to go at least as far as surrounding footpaths or other designated areas to do so.