School Hours

Our Lady Help of Christians School hours are Monday-Friday 8:05am-2:30pm, providing a 27.5-hour teaching week, which is 2.5 hours longer than State Schools. These extra hours allow us to integrate and develop Faith and Religious Education without detracting from other Learning Areas.

School Timetable

8:05am First Bell – Line Up Outside Classrooms
8:10am Second Bell – Learning Commences
10:20am Morning Tea – Play Time
10:40am Morning Tea – Eating Time
10:50am Return to Class
1:00pm Lunch - Play Time
1:20pm Lunch - Eating Time
1:30pm Return to Class
2:30pm End of Day - Dismissal

Arrivals 

Supervision begins from 7:45am with Morning Activities. Parents are encouraged to ensure that students arrive at school prior to 8:05am, so that they can organise themselves and be ready to start their school day promptly at 8:10am. Students who are consistently late miss out on gathering with their peer group. Their learning opportunities are disrupted, as are the opportunities of their classmates. Students who arrive after 8:15am are required to be signed in at the office to collect a late slip to take to class.  

Departures 

After school, supervision is provided at Balaclava Road and Mestrez Street Stop, Drop and Go. Students who are still waiting to be collected at 2:45pm are directed to sit in the school office until they are collected by parents or their representatives. It is required that the school grounds be vacated soon after dismissal time.

Leaving School Grounds 

Students are not permitted to leave school grounds during the school day. Parents and carers must report to the office to sign them out if they are leaving school early and meet them in the office.

When a pupil is absent from school, parents are required to notify the school via the MyCE Parent App or email, explaining the absence. Verbal explanations, by a student or sibling, are inadequate. If there are unexplained absences, the school will contact parents/carers to provide a reason for the absence. 

Students, families and carers, and staff will work together to ensure all students meet the school expectation of 90% or above attendance and zero unexplained absences. 90% attendance equates to 5 days absence per term and 10 days absence per semester. 

Section 176(1)(b) of the Education (General Provisions) Act provides that each parent of a child of compulsory school age has the obligation to ensure their child is attending school on every school day, for the educational program in which the child is enrolled. Failure to comply with the obligation in s.176(1)(b), without a reasonable excuse, is an offence. 

Regular attendance is compulsory by law and is necessary if pupils are to gain the greatest possible benefit from learning at school.