WHAT DOES THE P&C DO?

The P&C (Parents and Citizens) Association is a group of parents and

teachers with an interest in the School, its promotion and its students. We

meet twice a term in the staff room and we generally discuss what is

happening at school, fundraising initiatives, school social events for both

parents and children and the running of our canteen and uniform shops. We

aim to assist the school in its delivery of a rich learning environment.

It is also worth noting what we don’t do. The P&C does not set School policy

or take part in School governance. (The School Council performs this

function). However, we have a keen interest in these issues and often discuss

them and we have a P&C elected representative on the School Council.

Our meeting dates are set out in the School calendar and all parents are

welcome to attend. Coming to P&C meetings is an easy way to get to know

the issues of interest in the school community, and to meet a wide range of

parents. New attendees are not required to vote or give speeches – there’ll

be no pressure to do anything nerve-wracking and meetings are quite

informal so feel free to just turn up. We would very much appreciate your

perspective if you feel able to comment during the discussions.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

We welcome any contribution you can make to the P&C, and of course your

kids will be so proud that you’re involved. The simplest way to get started is to

contact a P&C member or come to a meeting (twice a term – check your

school calendar or newsletter for dates) usually in the Staff Room. We also

have a P&C Facebook group (Darlington Primary School P&C) that you are

welcome to join. It is also a good place to ask any questions you may have

(remember someone else probably wants to know the same thing). This is a

closed Facebook group and you will be asked some questions to verify you

are part of our school community.

If you are unable to come to meetings, by checking your fortnightly

newsletter, you will be able to follow P&C activities and get involved in the

one that interests you. Some of these activities include sundowners, movie

nights, fun runs, Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls, Book Week parades,

NAIDOC Week celebrations and workshops, thank a teacher morning

tea/breakfasts, Scholastic Book Club and other general fundraising events.

The P&C also co-ordinates and/or funds playground improvements, new

equipment for the school, Science Week activities, and many other activities

to support the education of our children. There are lots of small jobs that

need doing in relation to these events – sign writing, writing articles for the

newsletter, setting up on the day, serving food and money handling – and

we would love to hear from you if you are able to assist in any way.

The P&C also runs our school canteen, and this can’t be done without help

from volunteers.

Some P&C members you might know are:

● Fiona Gordon – President (president@dpspc.org.au)

● Kylie Morrison – Vice President

● Kendal Earnshaw – Secretary (secretary@dpspc.org.au)

● Dan Ryan – Treasurer (treasurer@dpspc.org.au)

● Emma Reid – Uniform Shop coordinator

Feel free to contact any of the P&C office bearers if you have any queries.

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

The P&C calls for volunteers for the position of class representative at the

beginning of each year. The main thing the Class Rep does is coordinate the

class Friendship List, these lists have the names and contact details for each

child to be made available to their classmates parents, so parents can

contact their child’s classmates parents outside of school (e.g. for play dates

and parties) and occasionally to disseminate P&C information. Some classes

also like to arrange parent get togethers or school holiday park catch ups.

Putting your name on a Friendship List is completely voluntary.

The families you will meet in Kindy are likely to be part of your lives for the

next eight years and possibly more! The class contact list is a great way of

getting to know them.

The Class Reps also help coordinate morning tea on the day of your class

assembly. This is really easy and if you don’t have time on the day there’s

always plenty of other parents to help.

We will be requesting Class Reps via the newsletter and Facebook early in the

year, so please follow the directions in the newsletter if you are able to help.

IMPORTANT DATES

The best places to find the current dates for school activities are the school

calendar, the term planners and the school newsletter.

SCHOOL AND P&C COMMUNICATION

There is a School Newsletter emailed out fortnightly on Tuesdays. This has

important information about school dates and events. It is your key link to

what is going on at school.

School Website: The school website is a useful place to find all sorts of

information about booklists, excursions etc.

http://www.darlingtonps.wa.edu.au/index.html

During the holidays, important reminders like cut-off dates for ordering

stationery, uniform shop opening times, label ordering and other information

will be updated on the P&C’s Facebook page.

It is also a good idea to sign up to Darlington Primary School via the free

Skoolbag app (iTunes or Google play store), more information at the back of

this booklet. You can check newsletters here and receive alerts and

messages regarding important dates, updates and event information.

Darlington Primary School also uses the online ordering and payment facility

called Flexischools for most school events, excursions, canteen and uniforms

shop orders. This means that you can order and pay for these things without

worrying about sending money and forms to school with your children

(excursions will still need permission slips returned).

Detailed information on how to register is at the back of this booklet.

Online Ordering

P&C Uniform Shop The Uniform Shop is located near Room 12. (The stand-alone white

weatherboard building located near Glen Road).

Open every second Friday 8.30am - 9.00am

Online orders are available EVERY Friday for delivery direct to your child’s

class or pick up directly from the Uniform Shop. Please visit

www.flexischools.com.au to place your order.

Should uniform sizes need swapping or to look at sizing before ordering,

please visit the uniform shop on the days open. Please note; returned items

will need to have tags still in place. There are also some second-hand items

available for a gold coin donation.

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Did you know that Darlington P&C has a Uniform Subsidy Scheme to help

those in need? The P&C can help families with the cost of purchasing new

uniforms. If you think you may qualify please email

dpsuniforms@gmail.com.

Uniform Shop Price list as of November 2020

Polo Shirt 2-18 $29

Faction Polo 4-14 $25

Shorts 4-16 $18

Girls Skorts 4-16 $26

Girls Jazz Pants 4-14 $18

Trackpants 2-14 $27

Zip-Up Jumper 4-16 $32

Winter Rain Jacket (Fleece lined & water resistant) 4-14 $38

Bucket Hats XS, S/M, M/L $14

Reading Bags PP to Year 2 $9

Duffle Sports/Swim Bag OS $13

Labels: The P&C benefits from a fundraising arrangement with My Name

Labels. They are competitively priced and 15% of the cost of your order will

be donated back to us. They have quality stick on and iron labels. Order

online at www.mynamelabel.com.au using our school's fundraising code

(3d67852f)

Reminder to label your items: www.mynamelabel.com.au will donate 15% of

orders to the school when the reference number: 3d67852f is quoted For any

enquiries please email- dpsuniform@gmail.com

Dress Code Policy

Darlington Primary has a Sun Smart School Dress Code, as endorsed by

School Council.

Our Dress Code is compulsory for P-6 students (optional but encouraged for

our Kindergarten students).

Our school Dress Code:

• Fosters and enhances the public image of the school

• Assists in building school and team spirit

• Ensures students are safely dressed for specific school activities

• Encourages equity among students; and

• Prepares students for work, as many work places have dress and safety

codes

We also have a “No Hat, No Play” policy for all school years. Hats must be as

per the School Dress Code; bucket, broad-brimmed or Legionnaire style (flap

covering ears and neck).

Children who have shoulder length hair need to keep it tied back.

Parents are asked to frequently check their children’s hair for head lice. If a

problem arises the school will assist with information.

P&C CANTEEN

The P&C operates the school canteen on a ‘not for profit’ basis. The

canteen is accessible through the eastern end of the undercover (assembly)

area.

The canteen is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for Recess and

Lunch. The canteen is not open Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Our canteen manager is Ros Tooth. Ros makes most of the meals from

scratch in the canteen to ensure they are healthy and wholesome.

Menu - The menu is varied from term to term to cater for different seasons, a

menu is sent out each term with the newsletter, on Skoolbag and is available

on the school website

http://www.darlingtonps.wa.edu.au/pdf/canteen_menu.pdf.

Students from the Early Learning Centre (Kindy and Pre-Primary) have access

to a slightly restricted canteen menu due to the difficulty in delivering frozen

food and canteen made hot chocolate and milkshakes. This is detailed on

the menu and on Flexischools.

Ordering - Canteen orders can be made online through Flexischools or you

can order using white paper bags in the canteen. The cut-off time for

canteen orders is 8.45am through Flexischools. White paper bags are also

available at the Early Learning Centre.

Most serious food allergies can be catered for. This can be noted on

Flexischools when ordering.

Some food is available to be purchased at the canteen at recess and lunch

depending on availability. This includes apple slinkies (apples cored and cut

into a spiral, Children can also bring their own apple to be slinkied), corn

chips, popcorn (air popped in the canteen), canteen made cake, rice

crackers, fruit straps, frozen fruit, icy poles and lots more.

Delivery - Lunches are delivered to classrooms by class canteen monitors.

Icecreams and icy poles are only available after the second bell at

lunchtime. Frozen items, hot chocolates and milkshakes will not be put in

your child’s lunch bag (they will spill or melt!) so students need to come to

collect these separately. These are not available to the Early Learning Centre

as they cannot be delivered.

Sustainability - Our school canteen aims to be as sustainable as possible and

avoids using single use plastic containers. If single use containers are

necessary biodegradable packaging is used if available. Canteen made hot

chocolate, milkshakes and chocolate custard are served in cups or

containers that need to be returned to the canteen or the lunch tubs at the

classrooms.

Volunteers - The canteen manager needs volunteer parents to help

prepare and serve food. This means our P&C can keep canteen prices

affordable. Two parents are needed each canteen day and are entitled to

up to $5 per person to provide lunch for their children and themselves (to a

max of $20). Your class representative will be in touch at the beginning of the

year to request your availability to volunteer during the year. Even

volunteering once or twice a year is a big help and ensures the canteen can

keep running. You can also contact Ros on 9257 4000 or email

ros.tooth@education.wa.edu.au to confirm your availability to volunteer.

The canteen is very friendly and busy. You will meet lots of students, teachers

and parents and get to know the school from another perspective. Plus, your

children will be very proud to have you at school and can come and see you

during their recess and lunch breaks if they are up at the “big school”.

Friday Night Dinners – On most Fridays through the year the Canteen also

has takeaway dinners for sale. There are usually meat and vegetarian

options, prices vary depending on the ingredients. Details are posted on the

P&C Facebook page each week. These are in reusable containers that need

to be returned to the canteen. Pay it forward - a portion of the price of each

meal goes toward providing meals to families needing a helping hand in our

community.

Fundraising – Each semester the canteen does a ‘School Holiday Survival Kit’

fundraiser selling food that can be frozen and cooked at home. This is

advertised on the P&C Facebook page.

Sample Canteen Menu

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Bushfire Awareness: The School’s undercover area doubles as a Fire Safe

Haven and has been designed to protect all students and staff during a

bushfire. Much thought and preparation has gone into the bushfire plan and

the children practice their evacuation and fire safety drills during the year. In

the event of a fire please do NOT attempt to collect your children. You can

find the bushfire plan on the school website. Please discuss with your children

your family’s Bushfire plan. Please note that the school will be pre-emptively

closed on days with a catastrophic fore rating. Parents will be notified of this.

School Assemblies: Assemblies are usually held every Friday fortnight. The

dates are on the School Calendar and advertised in the School Newsletter.

Each class hosts an assembly during the year.

At assemblies class prizes are given for:

Battery Collection – send your used batteries to school with your child

to be recycled. These are tallied up before each assembly and the

class with the highest weight of batteries wins!

Golden Broom – each assembly there is a prize for the class with the

cleanest classroom for the fortnight.

Pickup and Drop off Locations: Depending on the year level of your child you

may need to drop them off and pick them up in person (more information is

provided on a class by class basis) but once they are able to meet you

outside the school grounds there are a few locations you can pick up your

children. One of these is ‘The Loop’ located on Amherst Avenue. It is

important to note The Loop instructions below:

When using the loop pick up area on Amherst Ave, or driving through to the

Early Learning Centre (ELC) Car Park, keep the road clear in front of the exit

from the loop and the reception car park. This allows people who haven’t

collected their children to have another go around the loop and cars/after

school care buses to exit the car park.

There is a 1 minute stopping time in the loop to keep traffic moving, if you are

at the front of the loop and your children aren’t there please be considerate,

turn right and do another loop around. Use your indicators to let other

parents know you need to do another loop.

If you are driving to the ELC car park please do not try to skip the queue by

overtaking the traffic waiting to go into the loop, cars turning into the loop

may not be expecting you to be there and will turn in front of you causing an

accident.

Let anyone else who may be picking up your children from the loop know

about leaving the gap to keep traffic moving.

Here’s a diagram of how the traffic flow should work:

Place all your school orders with Flexischools

Our school uses an online ordering system for Canteen, Uniform, Events & Fundraising

called Flexischools.

Flexischools allows you to place all your school orders online in a matter of seconds,

at any time of the day.

1. Download the Flexischools App

Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notifications.

2. Add your School and Group

Click on the search icon, enter your school name, select your school and year

group, or groups relevant to you.

3. Login/Register

Click the ‘Order now’ button located in the bottom right-hand corner of the app,

this will open a login screen.

Already a Flexischools user - Enter your details and login. To save your login

details select ‘remember me’.

New Flexischools user - Click ‘Register’, enter your email address and follow

the instructions in the email to set up your account.

Once your account is set up, add new student; search for our school, enter

student details and select their class.

Once registered, you can start placing orders immediately. If you have any

questions, please contact the Flexischools Customer Service Team on 1300 361

769, or you can contact them via their website.

The Flexischools system is now available and ready to use, so we look forward to

seeing your next order online.

If you have any questions about the online services we are introducing, please

ask the school office for more information.

Or you can use Flexischools online at www.flexischools.com.au