Our School - Planning and Policies

 
 
 

School Priorities

O'Connor Primary School is a friendly school that values the support and participation of the school community. The staff are dedicated and enthusiastic in their endeavour to ensure the best outcomes possible for every student. This is epitomised in the school motto 'Friendship and Achievement'.  The school operates through its three year Business Plan which is developed in conjunction with staff and the School Board.

We are committed to a strong focus on Pastoral Care and Values incorporating lunchtime activities, football academy and clubs programs.  Complementing the priorities of English and Mathematics we have  Curriculum Specialist teachers and specialist Education Assistants to support students in the classroom.  A strong supporter of Classroom Management Strategies, teachers have the skills to engage students at the point of need.  The school utilises a variety of strategies for behaviour management which are developed under our Positive Behaviour Support process.  We have a number of whole school programs through literacy and numeracy to maximise the learning opportunities for all students.

The school grounds have been developed to optimise the space and make students feel welcome and comfortable at school.  Colourful murals and photos adorn external walls with messages of friendship, healthy choices, and working in harmony; making O'Connor a fantastic place to work and learn in.

The school operates under the 2017 to 2019  School Business Plan.
 

Priorities 2017

 

The following are our identified priorities.

  • Success for all students
  • Student Engagement
  • High Quality Teaching
  • Governance and Partnerships

 

 

Please see the School Busness Plan 2017 to 2019 for further detail and explanation.

 
 
 
 

Parent/School Communication

At O’Connor Primary School we believe that success in education comes in working in partnership with parents and the wider school community. We believe that all children and their families have the right to positive educational and life experiences and that clear communication between school, parents and pupils is a key factor in this. We have a commitment to improving parents’ understanding of our school and in encouraging parents to be active participants in their child’s education. Through communicating clearly and effectively with parents we will foster opportunities for parents to become involved in the life of our school. 
 
Traditional communication between home and school at O’Connor Primary has included;
            1. Informal - phone calls, face to face chats, emails
            2. Formal - parent/teacher meetings, open days, Learning Journey, Formal Reports
            3. Printed - Newsletters, parent notes and website.
 
Online communication between home and school is the use of digital telecommunication to convey information and ideas between teachers, students, parents, and school administrators. As the use of e-mail and the internet becomes even more widespread, these tools become more valuable and useful in education for the purposes of increasing learning for students, and facilitating conversations between students, parents, and schools.
 
To supplement the use of traditional communication between the school and parents O’Connor Primary uses the following on-line forms of communication;
            1. Website
a. General information about the running of the school
b. Specific classroom information about content and curriculum
c. Event information
d. Newsletter communication
e. Upper Primary homework on individual class pages
f.  Class letters and other general class information
g. Skoolbag App for use on mobile phones to link to the school website.    
            2. Text Messaging
                    a. Attendance
                    b. Urgent/important parent information
            3. Email
                              a. Newsletter alerts
                              b. Class letters and general information
                              c. Parent/teacher communication about individual children  
            4. Social Media           
a. Facebook page to alert parents of website updates, school events and other school information
 
Benefits
Creating modes for online communication can increase parent participation in their children's education, which in turn increases students’ interest in their learning. Online communication increases parents’ understanding of classroom procedures, philosophies and policies. Parents then feel more involved in their child's school and more connected to the teacher. In general, online communication improves parents’ attitudes toward conferencing with teachers and administrators.
This style of communication allows for more coordinated communication and greater flexibility. With email, parents can initiate conversations and express concerns to teachers and school officials easily. In addition, informal communication through email can reduce parents’ anxiety of meeting face-to-face with teachers and/or school officials.
 
The school aims to reduce print materials by 75% reducing the cost of photocopying and paper consumption. Savings will be redirected to student learning.
 
Challenges
Though most of the time, teachers and parents want to establish communication, there are some challenges that teacher and parents need to face together. The most common challenges involve the parent’s and teacher's ability to use the software, their access to consistent internet access and language barriers.
 
Guidelines for E-communication

                  1. Website
                            a. Media permissions will be gained on enrolment and updated when required.
                            b. Personal student information will not be used
                            c. Information will be regularly updated
                            d. Newsletters will be posted fortnightly
                            e. Calender of events will be updated weekly
                             f. Only current parents/carers will be ‘subscribed’ to the mailing list
                 2. Text Messaging
                            a. Attendance through SMS will be maintained according to Department
                               guidelines
                            b. Urgent/important information sent to specific groups via text when essential
                 3. Email
                            a. Email of newsletter and other information to ‘subscribed’ list of parents only
                            b. Individual parent/teacher communication when required
                 4. Social Media (Facebook)
                            a. Adherence to the Department Social Media Policy will be maintained
                            b. A Facebook page with limitations and safety parameters will be set up
                            c. Only newsletter alerts and school events will be advertised on the page
                            d. All posts will be monitored and removed immediately
                            e. Parents/carers will be informed and educated about these guidelines
                             f. Only current parents/carers will be ‘friended’
                            g. No students will be ‘friended’
                            h. Inappropriate comments will result in exclusion from e-communication

     

All e-communication will be monitored and accessed by specific identified staff. All access will be made through these staff.

 
 
 
 School Policy

 

 
Senior Clubs Policy
 
 

 

 

 Parent Survey 2016

 
As part of our review process for the school, we offer the opportunity for parents to complete an online survey. The information we receive will assist us in identifying areas we need to focus on and make improvements in.  There is space at the end of the survey for general comments and all information is treated confidentially.  Start survey here
 
Please complete the survey by Monday 11th March 2016. A aummary of the findings will be available soon.