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Volume 3 - 1st March 2007 |
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Ph: 8381
7166
Email: Website:
Inside this issue............ |
Last week it was bought to my attention that a number of students had their mobile phones at school in their bags, so I feel it is timely to remind families about our Mobile Phone Policy. We acknowledge that students may need to bring their phones to school for a variety of reasons, particularly safety issues before and after school, however phones can present some real problems as well, in the school environment. If phones come to school they need to be labelled and dropped off in the morning at the front office. Our policy states that "communication during the school hours of 8.30 to 3.15 will only be done through the school's phones, with the knowledge of office or teaching staff. Where appropriate this can be done in a private and confidential environment. Students may access their voice or SMS messaging service after 3.15 and outside school buildings...Happy Valley School will take no responsibility for phone security or storage unless phones are given to office staff for storage.....parents and students need to be aware that the use of a mobile phone by a student in school hours will be seen as a behaviour management issue." This policy has been made clear to students and is posted on the school Intranet so that students can access it at any time. Highlighting this policy is meant as a preventative measure not because we are responding to a particular incident. Technology is presenting many interesting possibilities, but also some interesting challenges, so we need to ensure that here at Happy Valley we anticipate what these challenges are, and keep in "front of the game."
Families should have received a note about this day during the week. Unfortunately the weather is going to be very warm on Friday (tomorrow) so therefore we have decided to postpone this until Monday of next week. I believe that it is important for our students to participate in community service and events of this kind are ideal in that they promote great community values and give students a chance to contribute locally to a global issue. Environment issues are "hot news" at the moment and I read recently where children often feel overwhelmed and powerless when they hear talk about problems as big as global warming. By participating in cleaning up our school, the Panalatinga Reserve or near-by streets, students are showing that they can have some control and take positive actions that help our environment. Thank you to teachers and particularly Helen Whisson for organisation of the day. Permission is covered by the Consent Form signed by parents under the Short Excursions / Reserve Studies section. This form only needs to be filled out once now, not annually unless student circumstances change.
There are two areas near the school that become heavily congested and dangerous at the beginning and end of the school day -- Greenbriar Avenue on the northern side of the school and Education Road. We regularly hear of near misses of students, and inappropriate parking and use by drivers in these areas.
The arrangements covering these two thoroughfares are different.
Continued next page......
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