Student absences
All children must be present in their classroom for roll marking at 9:00 am. Teachers will mark the roll and close it. Any child not in the classroom will be marked as absent.
Children who arrive after the roll has closed will be required to go to the office to collect a late slip for presentation to their teacher.
Office staff will check absence emails, QParents absence notifications, SMS absence notications and clear the absence line before 10.00 am and a daily unexplained absence report will be run.
An SMS message will then be sent to parents advising of their child’s absence and requesting an explanation.
How you can help us to keep your child safe?
Please telephone the student absence line before 9.00 am to inform of any/all occasions when your child will be away from school. This is a 24 hour recorded service, you can call it anytime. The student absence line number is 3381 4333; we suggest you store this number on your phone. Alternatively, you can usenotify the school of your child's absence by:
1. QParents (click here for more information)
2. emailing the absence details to absences@collingwoodparkss.eq.edu.au or
3. sending an SMS to 0426 305 137 (this is an SMS ONLY service).
If you receive an SMS message, please reply to the text with the reason for the absence, or if you believe your child should be at school contact the school office immediately by phoning 3381 4333.
Sun safety policy
At Collingwood Park State School, we believe children should be protected from the sun. We enact this by ensuring sun-protective clothing and school sun-safe hats are worn when children are working or playing in direct or filtered sunlight. Children must wear protective swim shirts while attending Swimming lessons. Students are encouraged to apply sunscreen (SPF 30+ to 50+) before arriving at school each day. Sunscreen is available in classrooms for reapplying throughout the day.
Teachers and parents provide good role models for the children at our school. Teachers are required to wear sun-safe hats while on playground duty. Children are encouraged to play in shaded areas such as under-covered areas and beneath shade trees. Other areas such as the Prep playground and the B Playground have protective shade shelters constructed over the playing area. Children are still required to wear sun-safe hats in these areas of filtered sunlight. During the hottest part of the day, physical activities such as Physical Education lessons are mostly undertaken in covered games areas.
Sun smart activities held at our school may include:
- using shade covers for sports days, etc.;
- conducting educational programs on Sun Safety;
- providing sunscreen for students;
- planning activities to minimise time spent in the sun;
- conducting Physical Education lessons in the Covered Play Areas and shaded areas during peak sun exposure times;
- ensuring parents are informed of the policy when enrolling their child;
- wearing school uniforms that are sun-safe compliant;
- wearing sun-safe clothing on free dress days;
- encouraging students to rehydrate.
What parents can do:
Parents and caregivers can participate in Sun Safety by:
- being a positive role model
- providing children with appropriate broad-brimmed hats, clothing, and 30+ or higher broad-spectrum sunscreen
- reminding children about drinking water as they can dehydrate easily during hot weather
- purchasing and equipping children with appropriate swim shirts for swimming lessons
- supporting the school’s sun safety policy.
Appropriate uniforms
The Collingwood Park State School uniform has been designed to protect from harmful UV radiation and stay cool during hot weather. A collar and sleeves on the shirts protect the neck, upper arms, and shoulders. Shorts and skorts should preferably reach just above the knees.
Sunsafe hats
The Collingwood Park State School has a broad-brimmed hat as part of the uniform. Sun-safe hats provide shade. The brim needs to be 7cm to protect the head and face. At Collingwood Park State School, children must wear sun-safe hats for outdoor play or stay in a shaded/covered area. Hats must also be worn when students attend excursions and camps.
Sunscreens
A broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30+ should be applied at home before school and reapplied during the day as necessary.
Health & safety policies
Emergency Procedures
Unfortunately, accidents and emergencies do occur. In the case of minor accidents or sickness at school, we contact the parent and seek further instructions.
If an accident is serious, an ambulance is called immediately and parents are advised accordingly. In either case, it is imperative that an up-to-date record of emergency telephone numbers is stored at school.
Please ensure that the office always has the correct contact numbers for you and your designated emergency contacts. Notify the office if you change your address, telephone number/s, or place of employment. Similarly, notify the office of any changes in contact details for your emergency contacts.
Activity Risks & Insurance
Please note that the Department of Education and Training does not have personal accident insurance coverage for students. If your child is injured as a result of an accident or incident while participating in an activity, all costs associated with the injury, including medical costs are the responsibility of the parent/carer. Some incidental medical costs may be covered by Medicare. If you have private health insurance, some costs may also be covered by your provider. Any other costs must be covered by parents/carers. It is up to all parents/carers to decide what types and what level of private insurance they wish to arrange to cover their child.
Illness Procedures
The Student Health Room (Sick Bay) is situated outside the office. Teacher aides and administrative staff assist children who attend the Student Health Room.
Parents are contacted if a child presents during the day and it is determined the condition is of an ongoing and serious nature and cannot be managed at school satisfactorily. If this occurs, parents are expected to collect their child or make other arrangements.
Evacuation/lockdown drills
Drills are conducted at the school at regular intervals to ensure a quick and safe evacuation from all buildings or the effective lockdown of the school during a real emergency. All persons in the school are expected to follow the drill. Each classroom and work area in the school has an Evacuation Plan and Procedure Document to assist people in following correct procedures.
Medication Procedures
Please find below an excerpt from the Education, Policy and Procedures Register – Administration of medication in schools procedure - Version 6.5 (07.01.2023):
The administration
of medications to students is only to occur when necessary during
school hours or school-related activities, and when there is either
medical authorisation for its administration or it is required as an
emergency first aid response.
Administering medications to students is a task that is voluntarily performed by staff.
Sections 93(1) & (2) of the
Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
External link
require a responsible person (the principal) to have a substance
management plan (SMP) in place (as outlined in this procedure) that
details how risks associated with buying, possessing, administering and
disposing of medications held at the school are managed. Section 94
requires all staff involved with the administration of mediation to
comply with the school's SMP.
The procedure does not apply to
pre-preparatory programs and/or outside school hours care service
operated on the school site. These services deal with medications in
accordance with the service’s policies and procedures which would
reflect legislation External link that applies to that service.
Designated staff at Collingwood Park State School will only administer medication to students if the Consent to Administer Medication form is completed by the parent and/or medical practitioner and the medication provided is prescribed by a medical practitioner and labelled according to policy. Medical forms are available upon request from the school office or on the school website.
For further information about the Administration of medications in schools procedure please click here.
Asthma medications - 'As needed' / Asthma Action Plan
Prep to Year 3 students (and other students) who require assistance to take asthma inhalers such as prescribed Ventolin/Zempreon/Asmol will need to provide a Consent to Administer Medication form and if the asthma medication is on an 'as needed' basis, the Medication order to administer 'as needed' medications. Assistance will be given and recorded as per the medication procedures above.
Older students may bring asthma sprays and spacers to school and use them when the need arises once section B of the Consent to Administer Medication Form has been completed and returned to the school office for record-keeping purposes. Please be mindful that if the student is self-administering their medication, they must ensure that it is kept in their possession at all times (either on their person or in their school bag).
If your student has an Asthma Action Plan, please provide a copy of this plan to the office.
Infectious diseases
A list of infectious diseases and the necessary action is listed below. Whenever in doubt please contact the school or refer to the Timeout information by Qld Health.
Head lice
The incidence of head lice in Queensland schools has at times reached epidemic proportions. Cross-infection is easy in schools where large numbers of children mix freely.
Head lice can be contained if parents and schools co-operate together. Therefore the school will immediately alert the parent of a child who is suspected of having head lice. We will then alert the parents of other students in the same class via a letter). Parents should then seek the assistance of their local chemist for advice on effective treatment. The incidences of outbreaks are minimised if all parents are vigilant and take the required action promptly.
It is no disgrace or embarrassment to contract head lice however, it is unwise to neglect treatment.
For more information, please visit the following Queensland Health websites:
https://www.qld.gov.au/health/condition/infections-and-parasites/parasites/head-lice
https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/news/feature-articles/busting-the-myths-about-head-lice