FAQ's

What are the bell times at Copacabana Public School?

School begins at Copacabana PS with the first bell at 8.50am. The bell for lunch rings at 10.50am. Students have supervised eating time from 10.50 – 11.00am. At 11.00am a bell will ring for the beginning of play. Another bell will sound at 11.20am signalling second half lunch and a duty change for teachers. At 11.40am the end of lunch bell will sound, indicating to the students a return to class. At 1.25pm the bell for recess will go. Students have supervised eating until 1.30pm after which time they will be sent off to play. At 1.45pm recess finishes. The bell for home time goes at 2.45pm.

When are food breaks scheduled throughout the day?

10.00am – 10.10am - Crunch & Sip break

10.50am – 11.00am - Supervised eating time for lunch

1.25pm – 1.30pm - Supervised eating time for recess

What day will my child have SPORT?

Each stage will have a designated SPORT day which will be communicated to parents once students have been placed in a roll class.

What day will my child do Physical Education (P.E)?

Each class will have additional physical activity time throughout the week. This will be determined each year by the class teacher and timetable and will be communicated to parents.

What day does Copacabana P.S have school banking?

Every Wednesday a banking officer or delegated representative will be on site to process any student banking. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the banking affiliate organisation.

Will my child be involved in a school excursion or incursion?

Each year, teachers will determine whether groups of students will attend an out-of-school excursion or in-school incursion, dependent on the units of work being covered at school, curriculum requirements or appropriate supported learning.

Will my child have access to the Library?

Each class will have an allocated library time each week where students are able to borrow a book for take-home reading. Students are also permitted to spend supervised time in the library on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes.

Does Copacabana P.S have a uniform shop?

Copacabana has a fully stocked uniform shop selling both new and quality second hand uniforms. The uniform shop hours change each year and it is best to check with the school office for opening hours before attending. The Uniform shop is located, on site, behind the School hall adjacent to the staff carpark and can be accessed via the front entry to the school.

How much food do I need to pack my child each day?

Crunch and sip is a small 10 minute break scheduled for 10.00am each day. Students are encouraged to bring a small piece of fruit or vegetable to consume during this time. Ideas are endless but it need only be a small portion as it is a quick timed lesson break.

Do not be alarmed if your child brings home food at the end of a day. At the beginning of the year when school is new and students are excited and learning new routines, managing time is not their highest priority. They spend a lot of time talking to friends and value play time more than eating time. As the term progresses, and with the help of their teachers, they will learn to monitor and self-regulate their own eating habits.

What is Headstart as opposed to Best start?

HEADSTART - Each school has their own transition to school program that usually runs in Term Four of the academic year prior to the year a child is due to start school. Transition programs are run differently in each school, are often labelled differently and vary according to the needs of the school community. Usually, they share common goals that have benefits for the children, the parents/carers and families and for the teachers and the school.

These opportunities allow the school and its teachers to;

· work together with families and young children to help facilitate a smooth and seamless transition into school.

· make the school, including the environment and the expectations, comfortable and familiar for incoming students.

· involve families whilst recognising the importance of building strong learning partnerships between home and school.

Best Start - Best Start is one component of a NSW Government initiative to increase literacy and numeracy learning support in the early years. Knowing that children come with a wide range of experiences, Best Start provides teachers with a continuum to help ensure that we are teaching your child what they need to learn next. Through the Best Start process, teachers learn about each child’s school entry skills and understanding in literacy and numeracy. The Best Start testing is individual and usually takes place within the first five weeks of Kindergarten. Teachers ask a series of questions to gather information about children’s initial literacy and mathematical knowledge. This important information supports teachers in meeting children’s individual learning needs. It is also used to provide parents and caregivers with feedback on what their child can do and how they can best support their child’s learning. This information is then used to assist teachers to monitor children’s learning. All Kindergarten children undertake Best Start.

What are the six Key Learning Areas (KLA’s)?

The six major Key Learning Areas that your child will receive outcomes-based instruction in will include:

English, Mathematics, Science & Technology, History, Geography, Creative Arts (Music, Drama, Visual Arts) and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) 

What if I have trouble getting my child to school?

If you have trouble getting your child to school, talk to their teacher. They have lots of good ideas.

What if I am planning a holiday during the school term?

It is always ideal and more beneficial for your child’s education if the disruption to their normal school routine is kept to a minimum throughout the year. So much important learning occurs every day and it is often not possible to catch up learning gaps as a result of extended absences. Understandably, some families need to take their holiday break during term time because of work commitments and leave restrictions, but wherever possible it is more ideal to plan for holidays during the vacation breaks between terms or on weekends. If you are planning an extended vacation during the term, an application needs to be completed and submitted to the School Principal.

What do I do if my child is absent?

On your child’s return to school from a day of absence, a written explanation detailing the reasons why your child was not at school is required for the school’s attendance records. Alternatively, the school office can be contacted where they will note your phone call and the details of the absence. This is a mandated legal requirement in all schools. 

Are the toilets at school unisex?

There are two toilet blocks at Copacabana Public School, a senior toilet block and a junior toilet block. The Stage 2 and 3 students (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) use the toilets adjacent to the COLA area and the Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students (K, 1, 2) use the toilets closest to the Kindergarten classrooms. There are separate toilets for girls and boys. Make sure you visit public toilets at shopping centres and other places and let your child go into the cubicle by themselves so they can practice locking and unlocking doors, using urinals (boys) and turning taps on and off to wash their hands.

What happens if my child becomes unwell at school?

If your child starts to feel unwell during the school day, their classroom teacher will send them to the office with a buddy and an accompanying note and the First Aide Officer will assess their condition. Often they will spend some time in the ‘sick bay’ resting. Sometimes the child will be sent back to class, after an appropriate amount of time, and if their condition improves. If your child is clearly unwell or is in distress, the emergency contact listed on your child’s records will be called. In the case of a more serious emergency an ambulance will be called first followed by the parents or legal guardians.

What can I do to support my child’s literacy learning?

· Listen to your child read EVERY DAY

· Read aloud to your child

· Have a wide range of reading material at home, including fiction, non-fiction and computer based information

· Talk with your child about what they have read

· Make reading FUN!

What can I do to support my child’s numeracy learning?

· Link Mathematics learning to real life situation

· Number understanding is crucial to future success so talk about numbers and practise with numbers every opportunity you can

· Often there is more than one way to get an answer. Explore working with numbers

· Strongly encourage the process more than just getting an answer

· Make maths FUN!

What if I am running late or afternoon pick-up arrangements change?

Always be on time to pick up your child. Your face is the one they want to see the most at the end of the day. If you can’t be there, arrange for someone who can. Always contact the school office and let them know if you are running late or if afternoon arrangements change. The school has a paid before and after school care service located in a separate building within the school grounds. In emergency circumstances where you cannot make alternative arrangements and you are going to be more than a few minutes late, you should contact BAASC and organise for your child to attend the service that afternoon.

What do I do if my child is having a problem at school?

If your child is coming home from school with worries, concerns or is expressing some un-easy feelings or unhappiness, try and talk to them about what is happening. If you need to talk to someone from school, the best person to contact is your child’s classroom teacher. They have more ideas and understandings about what is happening each day in your child’s life at school and may be able to assist you with solving the problem and getting to the bottom of any issues. If you feel the problem goes beyond the classroom teacher, the next person to contact is the Assistant Principal and Supervisor of the Stage. You will need to contact the office to arrange an appointment.