General Information

South Australian Term Dates

Department for Education Internet Page

Click here for the DfE Internet Page

Attendance

We believe that good attendance at school supports future success. Please contact the school as soon as possible when your child is absent from school so that teachers can be informed. We ask that students arrive at school after 8.30am and prior to 8.50am so they don’t interrupt learning time. Students are not allowed on site before 8.30am.  Students who arrive after 8.50am must sign in at the Front Office before heading to class.  If you know you will be away for extended periods or even a few days up to 3 or more during term, please obtain an Exemption Form from the front office.  This could include family medical, family holidays or cultural reasons to name a few. If you visit the doctor with a sick child it is also beneficial to request a sickness certificate.

Emergency Contacts

At times it is important for the school to contact parents/ caregivers or other nominated emergency contacts. Please download and complete the emergency contact form and return it to school or email dl.0175.info@schools.sa.edu.au as soon as possible if any changes occur. It is also important to let us know of any changes to this information as it occurs, especially changes to Telephone numbers e.g. mobiles.

Click here to access - HAS Parent Emergency Contact Document

Health

If your child requires specific medical support please inform the school as soon as possible. Department guidelines require a Health Support Plan to be developed in consultation with the child’s medical practitioner before medication can be used at school. Designated staff will supervise children taking this prescribed medication. Click the following tabs to access the documents required - 

Individual First Aid Plan 2023

Non Specific Health Care Plan 2023

ASTHMA CARE PLAN 2023

Health Support Agreement 2023

Oral Eating and Drinking Care Plan 2023

School Bus Information

Hawker Area School operates a school bus using the guidelines established by the Transport Service Unit of The Department for Education.

The Governing Council in liaison with the Principal will be responsible for bus issues relating to the school.  Should you have any bus issues then you need to contact the Principal to discuss them.  

The Bus Committee is made up by the Principal, Governing Council Chairperson and three parent representatives. The Principal will chair meetings of this committee.

Students attending the Hawker Childhood Services Centre will be carried on the bus in accordance to Department for Education Development Policy. Individual approval must be given in writing by the school's Principal granting permission for pre-school students to travel.

All parents with children travelling to school on the bus are issued with a current Bus Timetable at the beginning of the year and sent updates as required.

Changes to the route must be arranged through the Principal and will go to the Bus Committee for recommendation and then to the Governing Council for endorsement before being sent to Adelaide for approval. This takes time and will not happen quickly. Suggestions or concerns must be in writing and addressed to the Principal. They can be discussed with your bus committee representatives.

Travelling on the Bus

The driver needs to be notified, by the parent either verbally or in writing when the students will not be on the bus on any given day. Parents / Caregivers should advise the driver on the night before or between 6.30 am and 7 am on the day. Parents may also contact the school front office during open hours to notify of students not being on the bus. The driver can be contacted by phone.

The timetable, as published, is to be maintained. In the morning the driver will wait at a stop for two (2) minutes past the published time, if they have not had prior information from the parent. The driver will then leave the stop and maintain the schedule. Parents arriving after that time will need to transport children to school or catch the bus along its route.

In the afternoon normally the bus departs as soon as all students are on board or at 3.15pm whichever is earliest.

Parents need to be approximately 3-5 minutes early to collect children from bus stops as it may be running early due to some children not being on board. On occasions the bus may run late.

The driver of the bus will not allow students to get off at another stop rather than their normal stop without prior written or verbal advice from the parent to the driver or the front office. *Verbal advice via the student is not acceptable.   

The bus driver cannot authorise other than school children to travel on the bus. Parents wishing to arrange for other passengers to travel on the bus must do so through the Principal via the school front office, which then provides this information to the bus driver. This will then give these passengers legal cover while on the bus.  

Where seat belts are fitted to a school bus it is Department policy that all students must wear belts at all times when the vehicle is travelling. It is not the driver's responsibility to ensure that students are correctly seated and the seat belt is in place.

Children must be secured in their age appropriate restraint - 4-7 years a child safety seat with an inbuilt harness or booster seat; 7 years and older - booster seat restrained with a seatbelt or correctly fitted adult seatbelt.

Legislation requires that buses shall not carry any parcels, goods, luggage (other than hand luggage), newspapers or mail weighing more than 20 kilograms except in in-built storage compartments. They cannot be carried in the passenger seating space of any bus.

Misbehaviour on the school bus will be managed by the Principal. Students will not be put off the bus by the driver, but could be suspended from bus travel by the Principal if inappropriate behaviour is continued. The Hawker Area School Student Behaviour Management policy will operate in relation to student conduct on school buses. Students should not talk loudly or in any way distract the driver. Litter must be put in the bin provided.

Bus and Wet Weather 

If weather conditions are likely to prove hazardous for bus travel and the safety of the students/driver is in doubt the bus may not complete the full route.  The driver will alter the timetable if road conditions do not allow the bus to maintain the required speed. Parents will be made aware of this by phone.

If weather conditions in your area are likely to prove hazardous for bus travel, parents are requested to contact the Principal or Driver and advise them of your concerns. This may result in the bus not completing the full route if the safety of the students/driver is in doubt.

If weather or other circumstances are reported to the school and the Principal feels that it is in best interests to have the bus run earlier or not at all, efforts will be made to contact parents by phone and advise them of this decision.

If students cannot be collected from their bus stop or the bus does not run, students will remain at school until parents can arrange for them to be collected from the school. It is clear what our roles and responsibilities are in the event of wet weather. To support these procedures the Principal or delegate will care for the students remaining at school until parents can arrange to collect them.

Bus and Catastrophic Bush Fire Weather

On days of catastrophic fire weather, the bus will not run. Parents will need to arrange alternative transport for their children.  Travel claim forms will be provided for days when the bus does not run.

Bus Use – Camps, Excursions etc.

On occasions the bus will be used to support interschool events for students. This may result in bus timetables being altered (i.e. run one hour later).  Parents are asked to support these variations so that students can be involved in sporting/cultural events. Parents will be notified in advance.

Camps and Excursions

Local Excursions

The school's Outdoor Education Policy and plan encourages all students to take part in a series of experiences that build on one another. Throughout the year several types of excursions are undertaken as an integral part of the curriculum. Parents are given details of an excursion in advance and are asked to sign a consent form on each occasion. Annually parents are asked to give a general consent for their children to participate in local excursions - those excursions which will take place within a 1km radius of the town. Any excursion outside this radius requires a consent form.

Guidelines for Camps and Excursions for Year Levels/Class Groups

All Camps and Excursions are dependent on class structures and available qualified staff

Foundation to Year 2 (Junior Primary)

Day trips and short excursions

Sleep-ins and overnight stays - at school and local venues

Whole School Camps - at the discretion of parents, caregivers and staff

Year 3-6 (Primary)  

Day trips and short excursions

Local camping overnight

Residential camping in different locations (2 - 4 days)

Whole School Camps

Year 7-12 (Middle & Senior Secondary)

Day trips and short excursions

Residential based camp-site in different locations (2 - 5 days)

Range of curriculum, sporting, leisure and career experiences and opportunities

Whole School Camps

Notifications

Notification of intention to hold a class camp, of the timing, venue and approximate costs is to be given to parents as early as possible in the school year.

The right of parents and caregivers to withdraw their child from excursions and camps is accepted. Students not attending class excursions and camps can be placed in another class for the duration or negotiated work provided for completion at home. These options will be discussed and negotiated between class teacher, student and their family.

The attendance of parents on camps as helpers/supervisors is encouraged. An appropriate ratio of

supervisors should be:

Foundation to Year 2           = one adult : per five students

Year 3 to 7                         = one adult : per seven students

Year 8 to 12                        = one adult : per seven students

These numbers should be seen as a minimum. For water based activities this ratio may be altered. Where possible, a gender balance of teachers & adult supervisors will be provided.

All camps will be arranged in accordance with the Department for Education requirements and must be approved by the Principal.

If a student needs to be taken to a Doctor or hospital whilst on camp, the child's parents will be contacted as soon as possible. The schools' mobile phones will be taken on all camps and excursions.

Parents, caregivers and volunteers who wish to participate in our school camps must have a valid Police Clearance.  

Social Media

FACEBOOK 

We encourage parents to follow our page on Facebook to keep up to date with photos of special events and classroom activities. Search – Hawker Area School.

SCHOOLZINE APP – DOWNLOAD OUR APP

The school also invites parents to install the SchoolZine App. To get the Schoolzine App go to iTunes Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play (Android), search for SZapp and download the app to your phone. Make sure you allow push notifications to get the most of the app.

Click here to view The Schoolzine App Instructions

Recess / Lunch Orders

We are very excited the Hawker General Store are now in the process of offering students a new Lunch Order menu as from the 22^nd March 2022. (Tuesday to Friday)School will still offer Pies / Pasties / Sausage Rolls on Mondays.

We have attached the instruction to download the app and a hard copy of the lunch menu.

Please make sure that you download and set up the app straight away as funds can take up to five (5) days to transfer into your school connect account. All Orders and payment are thru the School Connect App and will go straight to the Hawker General Store. The school will not see any of the orders. So any queries please contact Hawker General Store. (The best option to use is bank transfer as there is less fees). Please be patient as I am sure there will be a few cliches at the start. If you need any assistance please contact the school. All Recess and Lunch orders are collected by the student from the staffroom door.

Newsletters

The School focuses heavily on school/home communications. The school uses the Schoolzine App (SZApp). This App allows families to access the Newsletters, reminders and information about up-coming events. Parents can use the App to communicate with the school about absences. It is an effective means of communication and items are available to parents on a permanent basis. Newsletters are published twice a Term in weeks 4 and 8 and electronically delivered via email and our SZ App. Just let the front office staff know if you would like to be added to the email list for correspondence. All notes, forms and permissions also go home regularly via the student.

View - Schoolzine App Instructions

Assemblies

Assemblies are held regularly throughout the terms. Notifications of dates and times are advertised to parents and caregivers through our Schoolzine App (SZapp). All Parents and Caregivers are most welcome to attend.

Instrumental Music

The Hawker Area School Band allows students from Year 5 - 12 to learn an instrument, in an ensemble setting.  In the past 3 years, instruments on offer have included flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion. Students learn together, one lesson per week, conducted by the Music teacher. This lesson involved students across a range of abilities, which has allowed a strong culture of peer mentoring and support to occur within instruments groups, all of which is directed by the Music teacher. Students are provided with a hire instrument, free of charge, as well as books and music diaries. It is expected that students participating in the Band will practice at home daily, care for their instrument appropriately, and make up for any class work missed. It is also expected that they will perform, solo, and as an ensemble, at school assemblies, Presentation Night, and any other relevant opportunity. 

For more information, contact the school.

Swimming / Aquatics

Swimming lessons are conducted as part of the Physical Education programme. The classes are usually conducted in term 4 for our school. Details will be sent home during the year.

Student Support

Our school is committed to providing additional assistance to children with learning difficulties. Students are given more intensive help in one to one or small group situations. Children with special needs are catered for through individual One Plans. Assessment and support is provided by The Department for Education Support Staff and other specialised personnel if required.  Students are selected for support programmes based on class, site and system testing. Parents are informed of any such programme and kept informed of progress made by the child concerned.

As part of our program to support student wellbeing Hawker Area School employs a Pastoral Care Worker. (PCW) The role of a PCW is to be a positive role model, delivering compassionate pastoral and practical support to the school community, students, staff and parents. They have the important role of nurturing student and staff emotional wellbeing and the assist students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills that support a positive experience whilst at school, including the development of positive social relationships.

At Hawker this role is seen by the presence of the PCW in our classrooms, working with students, providing a modelled example for academic effort and the building of relationships with others. It also is seen through the activities of our PCW at lunchtimes, mixing with students and running activities to provide the opportunity for students to mix in structured settings. Our PCW plays an important role in making our students feel welcome and valued at our school.

Our School is also very well resourced with School Service Officers - SSO’s for assisting teaching staff in the conduct of educational programs to students by undertaking a range of classroom and clerical teacher support activities which contributes to the achievement of educational outcomes for the students at the school. We also have an ACEO Aboriginal Community Education Officer who regularly liaises with our parents / caregivers of Aboriginal Students, provides support for Aboriginal students in their learning and support for the principal and staff in managing issues relating to Aboriginal students. Our Aboriginal Community Education Officer promotes early engagement with learning, promotes a strong foundation for future educational achievement, and encourages the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of students.

Hawker Area School Behaviour Management Policy 

At Hawker Area School, students are encouraged and expected to become responsible, independent citizens who respect themselves, others and the property of all.

The Behaviour Management Policy has been established to provide all students with firmly established, non-negotiable boundaries, to ensure the school community can:

• Protect each student’s right to learn
• Protect each staff member’s right to teach and support students
• Provide parents/caregivers with the right to expect that their child can interact and learn in a secure and safe environment where the principles of care, courtesy and respect for the rights of others are valued.

The Hawker Area School Behaviour Management Policy reflects the School’s Values:

Hawker Area School Behaviour Management Policy

2023 HAS Student LaptopiPad Loan Agreement

Mobile Phones and Personal Devices 

In compliance with Department for Education policy please find below links to our mobile phones and personal devices policies for students at Hawker Area School. There are two policies, one for our Secondary students Year 7 and above, and one for our Primary students. These policies will be reviewed annually and subject to review and discussion at Governing Council.

PRIMARY Student use of Mobile Phones and Personal Devices @Hawker Area School

SECONDARY Student use of Mobile Phones and Personal Devices @Hawker Area School

Uniform/Dress Code