You can download and print a copy of the handbook by pressing the 'PDF' button above. Please note that this may take a few moments complete.
If you have any further questions in relation to school times, dates, policies or other general enquiries please feel free to contact Holy Trinity by phone on 8633 8500 between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm from Monday to Friday.
At Holy Trinity, we are committed to bringing our community into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Good News.
"Evangelisation is crucial but not enough. Faith, like a seed newly planted in the soil of the human heart, needs water and light. That is why our school must deepen and instruct the Faith once received" from Catholic Schools at the Crossroads, 2007.
At Holy Trinity, we endeavour to foster a goal to give all students an opportunity to:
Our dedicated staff works closely with parents and the parish community to ensure students benefit from a well-rounded Catholic education founded in the Catholic values of love, service and family.
We value:
For more detailed information about our school, please feel free to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Philip Mahony
Principal
WE VALUE
Our Catholic faith and tradition
Therefore:
We provide a variety of religious experiences, which include:
We educate our children in their faith through:
The dignity of each individual
Therefore:
The welcoming and hospitable atmosphere in our school
Therefore:
WE BELIEVE
Every child has a right to learn
Therefore:
Parents and teachers are partners in the education process
Therefore:
The multicultural nature of our school is something to be celebrated
Therefore:
Established in 1885, Holy Trinity Primary was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph and continued under the sisters' administration until 1976 when the first lay Principal was appointed. The school has seen many changes with building programs taking place in 1913, 1934, 1964, 1995 and 2010.
Holy Trinity is a small school in which members of the community work hard to maintain the friendly and hospitable atmosphere. Holy Trinity is a school located in Granville and serves the parish of Holy Trinity, and draws on students from Granville, Merrylands, Guildford, and a number of other suburbs.
School Spirit is a high priority and parents are encouraged to build happy working relationships with members of staff.
Our school is characterised by the teaching of strong Catholic Christian values and there is a strong emphasis on the teaching of living skills and courteous behaviour.
At Holy Trinity many children come from language backgrounds other than English. Twenty-eight languages other than English are spoken as the first language of the children.
All classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, speaker systems, Apple MacBooks and Macbook Pros, iPads, iPod touches and Apple TVs, all with wireless internet access.
Specialised learning support is available in English and Mathematics.
Holy Trinity has a well-resourced library where children are encouraged to browse, research and borrow. Parents are also invited to borrow from the Parent section.
With a dedicated staff and our focus on meeting the learning needs of individual students, Holy Trinity students receive a high-quality primary education.
| Contact Details |
|
| Address | Grimwood Street Granville 2142 |
| Phone | School: 8633 8500 Parish: 0497 190 444 |
| School Hours | 9:00am to 3:10pm |
| Office Hours | 8:30am to 3:45pm |
| Website | www.htgranville.catholic.edu.au |
| holytrinitygranville@parra.catholic.edu.au | |
| Key Contacts |
|
| Principal | Philip Mahony |
| Parish Priest | Father Andrew Bass Parish Number: 0497 190 444 |
| Assistant Principal | Jason Fisher |
| Religious Coordinator | Mark Galea |
| Secretarial Staff | Rose Borg Maria Bisazza |
| Stage LearningTeam Leaders | |
| Early Stage 1 | Lyn Sweetnam |
| Stage 1 | Lyn Sweetnam |
| Stage 2 | Claudette Loulach |
| Stage 3 | Jason Fisher |
| School Office Opens | 8:30am |
| Children Arrive | From 8:30am |
| Monday Morning Assembly | 9:00am |
| Tuesday-Friday Morning Line Up | 9:00am |
| Friday Afternoon Assembly | 3:00pm |
| Recess | 11:00am - 11:30am |
| Lunch | 1:30pm - 2:10pm |
| Dismissal | 3:10pm |
| School Office Closes | 3:45pm |
This begins at 8:30am and finishes at 3:30pm each afternoon.
Parents are reminded that children should not be left at school outside these hours.
School term dates and holidays are generally the same as government schools.
| Term Dates | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | ||
| Term 1 | Tuesday, 29 January to Friday, 12 April |
Term 1 |
Tuesday, 28 January to Thursday, 9 April |
| Term 2 | Monday, 29 April to Friday, 5 July |
Term 2 |
Monday, 27 April to Friday, 03 July |
| Term 3 | Monday, 22 July to Friday, 27 September |
Term 3 |
Monday, 20 July to Friday, 25 September |
| Term 4 | Monday, 14 October to Friday, 20 December |
Term 4 |
Monday, 12 October to Friday, 18 December |
Parents should check the school website for upcoming school events and Staff Development Days.
Parents are invited to bring their children into the playground. No parent is to proceed into classrooms, toilet areas and/or playgrounds unless they have a visitors badge, which is obtained from the school office.
School gates are opened at 3:10pm after students have been dismissed.
Please note that as a matter of security and student safety, the only access to the school between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm will be through the school office, where badges are issued for all visitors.
Local Area Police Command often patrol our school local area. All parents are urged to maintain safe practice by:
Parents are asked not to park in the staff car park.
Parents are asked to please supervise children if they need to cross Randle or Grimwood Streets.
Please note that a letter/written note is necessary for ALL absences. For legal reasons, notes must be sent to school explaining each of your child's absences. However, if a child is going to be away from school for more than two days, please telephone the school. In this way we may be able to support your child's learning.
Skoolbag, our mobile communication app, provides an opportunity for you to send a note to the school.
New changes have been implemented as a result of the changes to the Education Act 1990 regarding attendance. Exemption from attendance no longer applies to travel and holidays, both domestic and international.
Students who are absent from school may be disadvantaged in their learning progress and ongoing development. To maximise the benefits of education for all students, school are required to follow legislative requirements for the Education Act 1990.
New requirements for student absence and travel
If the Principal declines this application (i.e. it is not within the best interest of the child to take leave and be absent from school), a letter notifying parents that the application has been declined would be forthcoming from the school.
If your child arrives late to school (any time after 9:15am), they must be accompanied to the office by a parent or carer. A late note needs to be signed by the parent or carer explaining the reason for being late.
To ensure that your child doesn't miss any class activity, punctuality is imperative.
If you wish to pick your child up from school early (any time before 3:10pm), for an appointment or any other reason, you must go to the school office.
The office will contact the class teacher and the student will be sent to the office.
A note needs to be signed by the parent or carer explaining the reason for leaving early.
Should someone else be picking up your child, the office and classroom teacher needs to be notified. The office staff may also require persons collecting children to provide them with identification in these instances.
It should be understood that arriving or leaving in school time disrupts both the children's learning and teaching. This should only happen when no alternative is available.
Every week a newsletter or an update will be sent home. This communication contains valuable information about the Holy Trinity School community.
Skoolbag provides schools with an easy way to tell parents/carers everything they need to know, and it provides parents with the most convenient way to receive school notifications.
No more lost paper in student student school bags. School Newsletters, school notices and alerts are communicated directly to the parent smart phone through Skoolbag school Mobile App.
Skoolbag is a school Mobile App that communicates directly with iPhone and Android devices.
An open line of communication is essential if a school is to reinforce values that are being taught at home. The school provides three structured means of reporting to parents:
Although teachers are available to talk to parents regarding their child, the usual process is to make an appointment through the School Secretary, for a mutually convenient time. It is important that parents do not try to discuss their child's learning during class time.
If you require further advice regarding your child's development, Stage Learning Team Leaders can be available to meet with you.
The proactive relationship between school and home plays an important part in a child's successful school life.
If you have a matter you wish to raise with a teacher, please feel free to communicate in writing or contact the office to make an appointment.
In the event that your issues have not been satisfied, you are invited to contact your child's Stage Learning Team Leader. The Stage Learning Learning Team leader is a member of the school's Leadership Team and can be an important liaison between yourself and your child's teacher.
If the matter requires further consultation, an interview with the School Principal can be made by phoning the school office.
Please remember, your concerns, ideas and suggestions are always welcome.
When your child has to bring a note, fees, etc to school, it is most important that you put it in an envelope, and you are asked to write your child's name, class and the reason for the enclosure, e.g. school fees, note for teacher etc.
Please instruct your child to hand any notes, school fees etc. to the class teacher and not directly to the office.
All parents who volunteer their services by working in the canteen, parent readers, managers and coaches of sporting teams and attending excursions, must complete an online Child Protection Training Module for volunteers at the Building Child Safe Communities Volunteers page.
Once the training module has been completed, the school receives notification.
The online training needs to be completed every two years.
Parents are encouraged to become involved in the life of the school at every opportunity.
Common ways in which parents are able to contribute, include:
All visitors to our school must log into the computer found at the school office. In ensuring safety for all, visitors including contractors, must wear a visitor's badge/label.
There are four Sport Colour Houses - Blue, Green, Red and Yellow.
Children are put into a Colour when they start at Holy Trinity. Families are kept in the same House Colour.
Children compete first at school level, and then progress to Zone, Diocesan and Inter-Diocesan levels.
School assemblies are held each Monday commencing at 9:00am - Weekly Update, Principal's Message. Friday commencing at 3.00pm - Principal's Message, Students of the Week, Other Awards. All parents are welcome.
Throughout the term, grades may present at an Assembly, these Assemblies will be advertised in the Newsletter and occur on Friday from 2:45pm.
Special Education, Literacy Support, ESL (English as Second Language teachers) work closely with class teachers and parents in meeting individual needs.
At Holy Trinity specialist teachers in a variety of curriculum areas work closely with teachers, in providing integrated programs.
Early Intervention Programs:
At Holy Trinity, we believe:
Prayer times include:
As parents form an important part of the school community at Holy Trinity, you are invited to attend and participate in Liturgies with your children.
At Holy Trinity, we believe that positive school behaviour grows from creating a school environment which fosters care for one another, respect of individual differences and trust, through a sense of feeling safe.
As members of the Catholic Community at Holy Trinity, we believe that behaviour management is an ongoing process that nurtures the total development of the child. It cannot be a separate entity and is an interchange of values between home and school. With this in mind, we aim to develop strong supportive relationships between teacher, parent and child.
Our School Rules are:
At Holy Trinity, we believe homework provides an opportunity for parents to nurture their child's learning. When parents participate in the completion of homework, they are giving a strong message to their child that this activity is important.
Homework also assists in developing good study habits. Homework may be set by the class teacher, either on a daily or weekly contract basis. This provides the children with an opportunity to learn to organise that time so that homework is completed during the week, rather than on weekends.
The purpose of homework is to revise, reinforce and consolidate skills covered within each stage.
Parents are asked to provide the time and environment, which will allow their children to work productively.
School uniforms can be bought from:
OZ Fashions The Uniform Specialist
115-127 Parramatta Road, Granville NSW 2142
Phone: (02) 9897 3121
Fax: (02) 9897 3222
Email: mail@ozfashions.com.au
Website: www.ozfashions.com.au
The Holy Trinity School Hat and Library Bag are also available to be purchased from the school office. There are limited supplies of second hand uniforms available at the school. Second hand uniforms can be donated at the office for resale, all proceeds fo to the school.
| Girl's Summer | School Summer dress White turn up socks Black school shoes Girls navy wide brim hat with school emblem |
| Boys Summer | Classic blue short-sleeve shirt with school emblem Grey elastic waist shorts Grey turn up socks Black school shoes Boys navy bucket hat with school emblem |
| Girl's Winter | Winter tunic Sky short-sleeve Peter Pan blouse Tab tie – matching winter tunic Grey cotton/lycra tights Black school shoes Girls navy wide brim hat with school emblem |
| Boys Winter | Classic blue short-sleeve shirt with school emblem Grey elastic waist trousers Grey turn up socks Black school shoes Boys navy bucket hat with school emblem |
| Unisex Sports Uniform | Polo top - sky/dark navy side panel with white piping and school emblem Shorts - ink peach skin micro-fibre with sky stripes Jacket - ink/sky peach skin micro-fibre white piping and school emblem White turn up socks Predominantly white sport shoes |
| Unisex Uniform | Jumper - navy fleece with classic blue twin stripe along right arm Jacket - navy fleece lined school bomber jacket with classic blue stripes |
| Accessories | Backpack - navy compartment/heavy duty with school emblem Library/Excursion Bag - navy light weight drawstring Scarf - navy with school emblem Art Smock - navy nylon with velcro back closure |
In the event of a serious accident at school, the following procedures will be taken:
Bus passes may be obtained through the Opal Website.
These are available to all children from Kindergarten to Year 2. Year 3 to Year 6 children are entitled to a pass if they live more than 1.6 kilometres straight line distance or at least 2.3km walking from the school.
In the case of a lost bus pass, parents must apply for a replacement pass.
The school canteen is open from Monday to Friday and is run by Healthy Harvest.
For a current price list or to order you child's food online click here.
In the interest of safety, and for the protection of your child, parents are expected to adhere to the following procedures:
From time to time your child will bring home newsletters, updates and notes from school.
Please check their bags daily for such notes.
Any notes, fees etc. should be sent to the class teacher with your child in an envelope labelled with the child's family name, class, and contents to enable the teacher to forward to the office, if necessary.
If a parent wishes to see a teacher about their child, please send a note requesting an appointment or telephone the school office to arrange a mutually appropriate time.
Formal Parent/Teacher interviews will be held in conjunction with mid-year reports.
As the teacher is responsible for his/her class between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 3.15 p.m, it would be appreciated if they were not disturbed during these hours.
The school authority and individual teachers owe the pupils a duty of care. When medication is required by a student, the following procedure takes place.
Storing the Medication
Medication, with the parent note is to be taken to the office by the parent or child, where it will be stored in a locked cupboard in the sickbay or the staffroom fridge.
Administering the Medication
Parental Consent
Parents MUST request the administration of medication in writing and complete a notification and request by parent/guardian for the administration of medication during school hours form.
The following MUST be provided in writing:
The medication is sent to school in original packaging with the child's name and directions from the doctor for administration. Spoon or measuring cup is to be supplied with the medicine, if needed.
Students with Ongoing Medical Conditions
Written information from the prescribing doctor is required with the following information:
Any change to this medication needs to be also in writing by the prescribing doctor.
Students with Asthma
Every student with asthma needs to have the following information supplied in writing by their parents in consultation with the student's doctor:
Medications to be used when asthma symptoms develop at school is to be supplied in writing by the student's doctor.
It is preferable that parents come to school to administer asthma medication to their child. However, if this is not possible, the school will administer the asthma medication.
The school First Aid kit for asthma contains:
A Student with a Condition Requiring Attention or Emergency Treatment
A student's photo is displayed on the staffroom noticeboard with their photo, their condition and plan of action.
Infectious Diseases
For the protection of other children in the school the following periods of exclusion must be observed.
| Disease |
Exclusion Time |
|
Chicken Pox |
Exclude until fully recovered. |
|
Conjunctivitis |
Until all discharge has ceased. |
|
German Measles |
Exclude until fully recovered. |
|
Head Lice |
Exclude while treatment is carried out and all eggs removed. |
|
Infectious Hepatitis |
Exclude until medical practitioner certifies recovery. |
|
Measles |
Exclude for at least four days from appearance of the rash. |
|
Meningococcal |
Exclude until well with Doctor’s certificate. |
|
Mumps |
Exclude until fully recovered. |
|
Strep. Infection |
Exclude until fully recovered. |
|
Whooping Cough |
Exclude until the first five days of a special antibiotic have been taken. |
Please Complete the attached form and email or present to the school office.
For safety reasons, children are required to wear a school hat on the playground at all times. Children without a hat are not allowed to play.
A note should be given to the class teacher in the following situations:
Absences: Please state the reason for the absence e.g. sickness, holiday etc. and send a note with your child when he/she returns to school.
Extended Holidays need to be arranged with Principal’s approval. Please see the 'Student Attendance Exemption Form' under the School Notes & Forms page on our website. Download the form, fill it in and return it to the school office.
Student Attendance Exemption Form
Change of Routine:
On occasions your child's teacher may be unable to take the class. The teacher may be ill or be required to attend inservice courses or be involved in some other form of professional development. Additionally, classroom teachers are released from class for planning and preparation for approximately 90 minutes each week. Some teachers, with large classes (over 30) receive extra support in the form of release from class.
On such occasions, a qualified replacement teacher will be employed to teach the children. The relief teacher will normally follow the learning program that has been planned by the regular teacher.
No cars are to enter the school boundary between the hours of 8:15 am and 4:00 pm. Please drop your child off in Grimwood or Randle Streets. Double parking is not permitted at any time and you are asked to park your car properly before children get in or out of it. Children should always wear their seat belts when in the car. Please observe the ‘No Stopping’ signs, as Granville Police or Council Rangers often patrol the area.
Sports uniform is to be worn on Sports Day, currently:
Fours days each year are set aside for staff professional / spiritual development. These days are commonly called ‘pupil free days’, meaning that students do not attend school.
No doubt many times during the school life of your child you will become puzzled and confused. In the last ten years, schools have changed just as our world has changed.
We are about the business of educating our children for the 21st Century and beyond. The implications of this are very exciting and yet a little frightening.
Because schools have changed and are changing, it is more important than ever that you are parents who keep in close contact with the school.
If you are not sure what is happening,
Ask us, you need to know.
If you are not sure why it is happening,
Ask us, you need to know.
If you don't agree with what is happening,
Tell us, we need to know.
If you do agree with what is happening,
Tell us, it's a long journey alone!
Religious Education begins at our birth and continues throughout our lives. Religious Education helps us and our children reflect upon ourselves, our world and our God in the context of our personal life experiences, the Sacred Scriptures and the Church and its traditions.
Our Religious Education program Sharing Our Story is integral to all that we do within our school. We aim to lead the students to a better understanding of their own Catholic tradition and emphasise the influence of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of the students.
The Religious Education program at Holy Trinity values the children's life experiences and encourages them to discuss, question, and make judgments and decisions. Children are encouraged to express their new insights through actions, and are given opportunities to reflect and respond at appropriate levels. Children regularly engage in prayer and liturgical celebrations.
Liturgical life of the school
Major features of the liturgical life of the school include:
Faith experiences
The whole school gather for prayer each Monday morning. Children participate in daily prayer and liturgies in the classroom.
Primary teachers do not see learning as something that can be neatly boxed into separate subjects.
They know, for instance, that when a child is working with a group on a science experiment, he or she might well be questioning and explaining, writing down observations, drawing graphs, calculating results, consulting references and so on.
Key Learning Areas
Learning at Holy Trinity is often integrated across several curriculum areas. The curriculum taught is the same as government schools, although there is a strong religious element. The seven Key Learning Areas (KLAs) taught at Holy Trinity Primary each deals with the knowledge, skills, understanding, values and attitudes that are relevant and appropriate for primary students.
Our School Plan
Teachers are encouraged to cater for individual differences in all areas of learning.
Due to the highly multicultural student population, all teaching occurs using an EALD perspective. There is a very strong emphasis on the teaching of English, and in primary grades children are grouped across grades for specific skills. For the past two years, there has been a very strong emphasis on the teaching of literacy and the improvement of students’ literacy standards.
We are a Smarter Schools National Partnerships Literacy School and this plan addresses the three reform elements:
Analysis of NAPLAN data has informed our School Action Plan.
MacKillop Groups
Literacy Support
Dance Fever
Instrumental Program
Transition programs
Parent Information Night:
In the Kindergarten Orientation program:
In the Year 6 Transition program:
The school is involved in a number of extracurricular activities. These include:
Educational
Social Justice Initiatives
Public Speaking
Creative Arts
Sport
Homework is a valuable aid and is useful when:
Our Policy
1. The most useful HOME work of all is family living:
Such activities encourage and help children become better learners and happier human beings.
2. Children in Kinder are given home readers and sight words, when appropriate, with occasional tasks of colouring, tracing and copying.
3. Homework is given regularly to Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for each school day except Friday. It is not always of the written kind. However, written work is set for at least one day per week. It may be reading, carrying out an experiment, finding answers to problems posed at school, or work on a current theme or project.
4. Homework will allow for the individuality of each child in the class. Just as children are taught in group situations in the classroom according to their capabilities, then their homework will be set with this in mind.
5. Children in Year 1 (approx 10 mins), Years 2,3 & 4 (approx 20 mins) & Years 5 & 6 (approx 30mins) each night. These times are a guide only and students should spend (more or less) the same amount of time on set homework, irrespective of academic progress and development.
6. Homework should not be a source of worry or frustration for the pupil, teacher or parent. Students are encouraged to complete the assigned work to the best of their ability and seek the teacher’s help with any difficulties.
7. Homework is reviewed at school soon after its completion and is used (where appropriate) in classroom discussions.
8. Homework should be signed by a parent or carer. If for any reason, the child is unable to do homework, the parent or carer is to acknowledge by a written note.
Parents can be of great help to their children by showing interest in their activities, by listening to their reading and by being sympathetic and patient. Homework is of little value if it is completed by the parent or is not supervised. Please help and encourage, but allow your child to do his/her own work. If problems with homework persist, discuss the problem with the child’s teacher. This positive, ongoing partnership will ensure success and a happy and valued approach to homework.
Holy Trinity Primary has a number of school-based policies and procedures that govern various aspects of our school life. These provide the framework within which we operate.
The Catholic Education Office, Parramatta Diocese also provides advice and recommendations on educational and administrative policies and priorities, and monitors policy implementation.
Please see the Policies and Procedures page of our website (under 'About Us') for full details.
1. Purpose
2. Outcomes
3. Framework For Action
4. Basis of Discretion
5. Budget
6. Evaluation
7. List of Support Documents
If I Choose To Break the Class Rules (Support Document 7.1)
Suggested Playground Strategies (Support Document 7.2)
Our School Rule (Support Document 7.3)
“Never take the happiness away from anyone else"
Holy Trinity Code
'Time Out' (Support Document 7.6)
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What works? |
What doesn't? |
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Procedural Fairness (Support Document 7.7)
A registered non-government school must have policies relating to discipline of students attending the school that are based on principles of procedural fairness.
The Act requires that policies related to the discipline of students be based on procedural fairness. It is the responsibility of the school to determine incidents that may require disciplinary action and the nature of any penalties that may apply. The process that leads to the imposition of such penalties, particularly but not exclusively in relation to suspension, expulsion and exclusion, must be procedurally fair.
Suspension is a temporary debarment of a student from all of the classes that a student would normally attend at a school.
Expulsion is the permanent removal of a student from one particular school.
Exclusion is the act of preventing a student’s admission to a number of schools. In extreme circumstances, the principal of a school may make a submission to an appropriate authority, or to other schools, recommending the permanent exclusion of a student from the registration system that the school is a member, of or from other schools.
Procedural fairness is a basic right of all when dealing with authorities. Procedural fairness refers to what are sometimes described as the ‘hearing rule’ and the ‘right to an unbiased decision’.
The ‘hearing rule’ includes the right of the person against whom an allegation has been made to:-
The ‘right to an unbiased decision’ includes the right to:-
Procedural fairness includes making available to students and parents or caregivers policies and procedures under which disciplinary action is taken. It also includes providing details of an allegation relating to a specific matter or incident. This will usually involve providing an outline of the allegations made in witness statements and consideration of witness protection. As part of ensuring the right to be heard, schools could establish any need for parents/caregivers to be provided with interpreter services and, if required, make arrangements for such services to be available.
While it is generally preferable that different people carry out the investigation and decision-making, in the school setting this may not always be possible. If the principal is conducting both the investigative and decision-making stages, he or she must be reasonable and objective. To be procedurally fair, the principal must act justly and be seen to act justly. While it is difficult to combine the roles of investigator and adjudicator, it is acceptable to do so given the nature of the principal’s responsibilities.