Welcome To
Dubbo North Public School
Responsible, Safe and Respectful
“Skill with Honour”
Dubbo North Public School is a school that is steeped in traditions dating back to 1930. The
school continues to build upon these traditions.
It is hoped that you and your family take full advantage of the activities and opportunities that are
offered at this school and that your association with the school will be a happy and rewarding
experience.
If, after reading this booklet, you need further information please don't hesitate to contact the
school.
Our school is a place where all staff do their utmost to ensure that all students are given the
opportunity to participate to the fullest in all school activities. Our home to school relationship is
based on a team approach to working with our students that ensures our students reach their
fullest potential. It is important that we work together for the benefit of our students.
Parents and visitors are welcome to visit the school at any time. All visitors entering the school
must first report to the office. This is a DEC requirement so that the safety of students is not
compromised.
School Details
School Colours:
Bottle Green and Gold.
School Address:
Fitzroy Street, Dubbo NSW 2830
Phone:
6882 4689
Fax:
6884 3442
Email address:
[email protected]
School Executive
Principal
Mr Toby Morgan
Assistant Principal E/S1 & Stage 1
Mrs Jemma Wallace
Assistant Principal Stage 2
Mrs Rebecca Letfallah
Assistant Principal Stage 3
Miss Sarah Jeffriess
Assistant Principal Special Ed.
Mrs Debbie Williams
School Administrative Manager:
Mrs Lindy Parry
School Administrative Officers:
Mrs Helen Anderson
Aboriginal Education Officer:
Mr Kevin Shipp
School Learning Support Officers:
Miss Annette Jeffery, Ms Deborah Robinson,
Mr David McLean, Mr Jake Ferguson,
Miss Delma Ferguson, Mrs Cheryl Nolan,
Mrs Val Price, Mr Kye Jackson
General Assistant:
Mr Brian Munro
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General Information
The school must be notified when:
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Your child is absent for ANY reason as this is a legal requirement.
There is to be any variation to routine eg: if anyone other than you will collect your child.
Any change of address or emergency contact occurs. This is very important.
Taking medication.
You are moving to a new school during the year.
School Development Days (students do not attend):
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The first day of Terms 1, 2 & 3, and;
the last 2 days of Term 4 (Subject to change)
School Hours:
School Day:
9.25 am - 3.25 pm
Office hours:
8.45 am - 3.30 pm
Morning Recess:
11.30 am - 12.00 noon
Lunch:
1.10 pm - 1.55 pm
(can vary for PSSA Sport, school events etc)
Playground Supervision:
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Starts at 8.55 am – students should not arrive before this time
Occurs at recess and lunch breaks during the day.
Finishes at end of day for bus and student collection (parents to enter the grounds and
collect from supervised area)
Leaving the School Grounds:
No student may leave the school grounds after arrival at school. If this occurs then parents are
contacted immediately.
Exceptions to this are:
 Collection by parents/guardian for appointments.
 When exceptional circumstances occur.
In all instances the parent/caregiver must report to the office to obtain a note releasing the child
and then present that to the classroom teacher.
Any non custodial parent, family member/friend sent to collect a child will be refused
collection unless a written consent is presented or prior contact with the office has verified
the collection details by the custodial parent/guardian.
If you are changing normal pickup routine, please contact the teacher in writing or the school by
phone (before lunchtime) as children often become confused and messages can become mixed.
Lost Property:
Please label all personal items.
A Lost Property box is located in the Clinic near the front Office. Please see the Office staff if you
wish to access this. Kinder have their own Lost Property Box outside their rooms.
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Bus Travel:
All students K - 2 and students in Years 3 - 6 who live 1.6 km from the school are entitled to free
bus travel to school.
Bus travel forms must be completed and are available from the school office. Once the bus
company has received the form they will issue a bus pass. Students are required to carry the bus
pass at all times when travelling by bus.
Please Note: Damaged bus passes will be replaced if taken to the Bus Company. There is a
replacement charge from the bus company for lost passes.
Health & Education Consultants:
The Staff have access to, and consult with the following people:
 The School Counsellor
 Optometrists & Dentists
 Community Health Workers, and
 Departmental Specialists in hearing, vision and integration.
You will be contacted for your permission prior to any interview or screening.
Sickness at School:
While we want your child to attend as regularly as possible, sending a sick child to school can
aggravate the situation. In that instance it is much better to keep your child at home so that a quick
recovery can occur and also reduce the incidence of other children being infected.
You will be contacted immediately if your child is unwell. It is important that we have an up-to-date
contact number. Please contact the office and notify them of any change to your contact details as
they occur.
If your child has an infectious disease such as measles, please notify the school immediately so
that we can notify other parents of a possible infection of their child.
Scripture:
You will be informed of your child’s class day and time.
Visiting Scripture teachers come to the school. All students are expected to attend classes unless
the school is otherwise notified in writing. The children remain in their classroom for nondenominational Scripture.
A Scripture Breakfast Club operates every Tuesday morning between 8.30am and 9.00am.
Library:
Our school aims to have a dynamic, flexible, creative, high-tech library to assist all our students.
Students are able to visit our library to:
 borrow a brilliant book
 explore the internet
 listen to lovely stories
 master a board game
 research an interesting topic
 play with a puppet
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colour in and chat with a friend
dress up occasionally
buy a book from Book Club
get hooked on reading, and
DISCOVER what a great place a Library is!
The Library is open before school, recess and at lunchtime every day.
All students need a library bag about the size of a pillowslip. Library bags are available for
purchase from the P&C uniform shop, at a cost of $12. Students are able to borrow books every
week during their library class time or at lunchtimes.
If our records show that a book is overdue, the student will receive a reminder slip. If this proves
ineffective a note to parents will follow. Should you feel a mistake has been made please see the
library staff.
Book Club:
Students can order inexpensive paperback books from Scholastic Book Club.
If you wish your child to order, return the order form with the correct money in an envelope, or use
the LOOP online ordering.
The child's name and class is written on the outside.
In no way is it compulsory to buy these books, but it does help to build up your child's reading
library.
School Newsletter:
The newsletter is sent home with the youngest in each family every Tuesday. If you prefer, it can
be viewed on the school’s website at http://www.dubbonorth-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
There is a school information board at the Fitzroy Street entrance of the school. Keep an eye out
for updated information.
School Contributions:
Parents are asked to support the school by making an annual contribution. This contribution
enables the school to provide items such as workbooks and other educational equipment.
The contribution is:
 $40 for one child
 $80 a family
This can be paid by instalments.
Canteen:
Our P&C runs a healthy-food canteen providing nutritious meals and snacks under strict
Departmental guidelines.
A price list is prepared each term or as the menus are changed. The canteen menu varies from
summer, with a variety of salad items, to winter, with a variety of hot items and the prices are very
reasonable.
A copy of any new menu can be found on the Website, under P&C - Canteen.
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How to order:
 Students must order before 9.20am
 The order is written on a paper bag at the canteen.
 Parents can provide their own bag with name and order already written on it to assist
younger children
The lunch order is written out like this:
 Zac Brophy – Class 1/2V
1 Chicken Sandwich
$3.50
1 Flavoured Milk
$2.50
$6.00
Ice blocks can be ordered at this time too. Drinks and ice blocks are NOT placed in the bag - the
student collects them from the Canteen at 1.20 pm. If chips are ordered they are put in the bag
with the lunch.
The canteen is open from:
 9.00 am until 9.20 am
 11.30 am until 12.00 pm
 1.20 pm until 1.45 pm
Volunteers:
While employing two workers the canteen still requires parent volunteers to assist.
New parents are most welcome to join the happy band of helpers who operate the canteen.
Crunch & Sip:
Every morning at 10.30am the children have a break during which they can
have only fresh vegetables, fruit and/or water.
Parents are asked to provide a suitable piece of fruit or a vegetable that can
be easily managed by a child. e.g. Like having the orange already peeled and
segmented would be a good idea for younger children.
Parents and Citizens Association:
You are invited to take an active part in this group which meets on the second Wednesday of each
month at 7.00 pm at a designated venue, excluding school holidays.
Bike Riding:
Due to the high level of traffic on Fitzroy Street the school does not recommend that any student
ride a bicycle to school. This extremely busy road used by the industrial area of Dubbo is
considered by the school to be a high risk zone and is a major safety concern for bicycle riders.
The school takes no responsibility for the loss of a bicycle if it is brought into the school grounds
as the bike racks are not able to be observed at all times. If a bicycle is brought into the school a
secure bike chain must be used.
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Sport:
All students participate in a daily PE program.
Students in Years 3 - 6 have:
 regular Friday morning PSSA sport in Term 2 & Term 4
 school and/or leisure sports in Terms 1 and 3.
 Intensive swimming runs for 2 weeks in Term 4.
Out of school sport options have a cost for the activity and bus
fare. All students wear their sports uniform on Friday.
Hats are compulsory.
Parent Teacher Contact:
Contact between the school and parents is very important.
There are planned activities at regular intervals during the school year when you are given the
opportunity to speak with the class teacher.
 Term 1: Welcome evenings or parent interviews as requested.
 Term 2: Written Reports and parent interviews for Years K - 6.
 Term 4: Written reports for Years K - 6. Interviews as requested.
Please attend your arranged interview as it gives the teacher and yourself an opportunity to
discuss your child's progress and shows your child that you are interested in his/her education.
If there is a particular concern or problem, don't wait for these interviews. Contact the school
immediately and arrange a time for an interview.
Please Note: If there are problems with other people's children, you must not approach them in
the playground; all problems will be dealt with by the Principal or executive staff.
Home Reading Program:
The school offers an excellent home reading program.
This program was introduced because research shows that consistent (nightly) home reading is
essential for continued reading growth. The more children read, the better they become at
reading. Good readers read more outside school than those not so good.
Part 1:
This involves students who are reading books between reading levels 1 – 20.
 These children borrow books at the appropriate level from their classroom.
 The classroom teacher steps children through the levels and is responsible for monitoring
and deciding progression to the next level.
 Books are placed in a folder, read at home and returned daily.
Part 2:
This part of the home reading program begins when a child moves beyond level 20.
 The child then borrows from the home reading section in the library.
 He/she begins on red level, then progresses to blue, green, then gold level by Year 5.
 Children may change books in their normal library time or at any other time that the library
is open.
Parents of children K-2 are requested to fill in their record sheet for every 10 minutes they read
aloud to someone. It is important to note that the home reading books are new to the child, so
some children may require assistance.
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Premier’s Reading Challenge:
This government initiative runs between March and August each year. Children are encouraged to
participate by reading books from a selected list to broaden their reading choices and read for
pleasure. To complete the challenge children K-2 share 30 books with their family and receive
rewards at 8, 16, 24 & 30 books. Children years 3-6 read 20 books and receive rewards at 5, 10,
15 & 20 books. All children who complete the challenge earn a certificate from the Premier.
Homework:
When homework is given to a class, the aim is to enable
students to consolidate work that has been taught at
school. Homework will change in nature as the student
progresses through K - 6.
Maths tables, Reading and Spelling are always expected
to be learned and revised as a routine activity.
Parents are encouraged to hold and reinforce a positive
attitude towards homework and to encourage positive
study habits. The development of good habits in regard to
homework are essential for high school and tertiary
education success later in life.
As with all schoolwork, the expectation is to encourage students to do their best at all times.
Merit System:
1: Merit Card System
Merit cards are given to students for a wide variety of positive behaviours or achievements.
 Five Merit Cards = 1 Merit Award
 Five Merit Awards = 1 Merit Certificate
 Five Merit Certificates = 1 medallion and student has lunch with the Principal
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2: Student of the Week
This is an award presented to a student in each class who has been consistent with their efforts in
class in the preceding weeks. This award is presented at each week’s Wednesday assembly.
3: Playground Value Win Bins
These awards are given out by all staff members for incidental actions while being Responsible,
Safe and Respectful.
These awards are placed into their stage box and there is a weekly lucky draw.
The winners (two from each box) are given the choice of a number of age appropriate prizes.
When the Win Bin box is full, all the students receive a whole school reward e.g. extra lunch time
play, water play day etc.
4: Principal’s Award:
This award is presented to the student who displays outstanding citizenship.
5: Welfare Level System:
In 2013, Dubbo North embarked on a new initiative called Positive Behaviour for learning (PBL).
PBL focuses on explicit teaching and supporting positive behaviour for all students. The children at
Dubbo North Public School are explicitly taught to be Responsible, Safe and Respectful in the
learning community.
Excursions:
”Participation in excursions and representative activities will always be dependent upon a
student’s ability to behave in an appropriate manner and not constitute a safety concern for
themselves or others. Non-participating students will be supervised at school.”
Kindergarten Teddy Bear’s Picnic
Stage 3 Sydney Excursion
Stage 2 Zoosnooz
NAIDOC Activities
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Planning Room:
Each time a child is given “Time Out” in the planning room, a note is sent home to explain the
incident and what the consequences will be. This note is to be returned to the school the following
day, signed by the parent/caregiver. During the time spent in the planning room, the children will
discuss their behaviour with the supervising teacher and make a plan of action to assist the child
to avoid repeating the same behaviours.
Suspension:
This sanction is imposed when a student contravenes school rules on a serious scale by being:
 Violent
 Continually defiant and disobedient
 Having a prohibited drug or weapon at school
 Vandalising school or other student’s property
 Leaving the school grounds and,
 By placing themselves or others at risk of harm.
While on suspension the student is expected to continue with prepared classwork at home. The
time on suspension gives staff time to plan and implement strategies to assist the child from
repeating the behaviours.
A child returning from suspension requires a re-entry meeting involving the parents, the
Principal and any other relevant people.
Parents who have concerns about their child can seek support from the class teacher, learning
support teacher or school executive staff. Resolving any behaviour problem when it first arises is
the best option.
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Uniforms:
Girls:
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Summer - Green skorts with white/green polo top, black shoes, white socks
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Winter - Grey trousers with white/green polo top, green sloppy joe or polar fleece jumper,
white socks, black shoes.
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Sport - Gold polo top, green/gold shorts or green skort, green/gold track suit, sports socks.
Boys:
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Summer - Green/Gold polo top, grey cargo shorts, grey socks, black shoes.
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Winter - Green/Gold polo top, grey cargo pants, green sloppy joe or polar fleece jumper,
grey socks, black shoes.
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Sport - Gold polo top, green/gold shorts, green/gold track suit, sports socks.
Hats available (and compulsory at school) – Bucket hat or Cap
Iron-on School Badges may be purchased from the Office.
Please label all items with your child’s name.
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