Teacher/Parent Communications

Due to the nature of the school day, teachers are not generally available to meet with parents/caregivers without a prior appointment. In general, teachers will respond to phone calls within 24 hours of receiving them. Should a parent have any concerns/issues regarding their child, please phone the teacher or coordinator via the Administration office first and they will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible. Parents who need to speak with a staff member directly are asked to make an appointment via the school office to find a mutually acceptable time.

Vehicle and Pedestrian Entry into the College and Student Movement

If parents need to visit the College they must park their vehicle in the Bond Street carpark and sign in immediately at Administration. 

Parents are also reminded that the preferred arrangements for drop off and pick up are outside the College grounds. With up to 1,300 students plus staff moving at these times safety is paramount. Under certain circumstances (ie wet weather) this may not be possible and parents are asked to use extreme caution and drive to the 10km speed limit.

Please also note that only staff and senior students are permitted to drive through the Kent St gates on the western campus. Please do not drive into the school carpark just to drop a student off. The narrow entrance right on the small cul-de-sac gets unnecessarily crowded and dangerous when cars are coming back out, when staff and students are attempting to drive in. Students are also walking through the entrance at this time. Perhaps dropping students off 50 metres away in Lismore St is a suitable alternative.

Students using the Gladstone St Gate

We have identified some dangerous behaviours by students (particularly by those who travel by train) that we would like to eradicate. Some students are using the busy roundabout in Bellambi Lane to cross Pioneer Road when the zebra crossing (that was put in place for Holy Spirit College students) is only 50 metres to the south. On a similar note, students need to be reminded that the traffic island in Gladstone St is a pedestrian refuge only, NOT an official zebra crossing where pedestrians have right of way. Many students have been observed stepping straight out and just expecting cars to stop.

Please support us in our endeavours to change these behaviours so that we can keep all our students safe.

College Website - Access to the Parent Portal 

The Parent Portal on the College website is a valuable resource designed to keep parents and carers informed and engaged with school life. Through the portal, you can easily access important documents such as assessment manuals, extended leave forms, and uniform and canteen information. You’ll also find school calendars and other essential updates. 

We are continually refining the portal to enhance its usefulness for our school community. If you haven’t yet set up an account, follow these simple steps: 

1. Click this link to access the portal: Parent Portal

2. Use the password: hscdow to access the signup page. 

3. Enter your details and create a password (must be at least 10 characters). 

4. Once logged in, you will remain signed in unless you log out manually. 

We encourage all parents and carers to make use of this portal to stay up to date with College news and resources. 

Bikes and E-bikes/Scooters and E-Scooters /Skateboards

Students must always wear a helmet when riding a bike to and from the College. A student will be asked to leave their bike at the College if they do not have a helmet. On entering the College grounds all students must walk their bike immediately to the bike racks. 

Students are prohibited from using the following modes of transport to travel to and from school:

• E-scooters

• Scooters

• Skateboards

• E-bikes (students 16 years can ride an e-bike as long as it meets the requirements as detailed at https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2024/crs_e-bikes_families.pdf)

All students riding to school are reminded that they are legally required to wear a helmet and should not have other students riding with them as passengers.

Visitors to the College

Any person entering the College grounds (including volunteers supervising exams, assisting in the Canteen) must report to Reception in the Administration Block. Please speak with our Reception staff to electronically sign in and out of the College – this is a CEO requirement.  This includes anyone going to the Uniform Shop.

Early Leave from School

Any parent/carer who needs to pick up their child during school hours is required to enter an Attendance Note via Compass with the following information:

• the mode of transport (ie if leaving by train, driving themselves, walking home)
• the name of the person picking them up if not a parent.

The Compass note start time is the time the students is required to be at Student Services. The student should then advise the classroom teacher of their early leave note and the teacher will be able to sight this in Compass and allow the student to leave class.

Parents must meet their child at the Administration Office in Bond Street, where staff will then sign the student out of the College.

As noted above, vehicle access to the College is restricted during Recess and Lunch, so where possible please try to arrange pick up outside of these times.

Should you need to collect your child unexpectedly, please call ahead to Student Services and we will arrange to have your child waiting for you.

School Opal Cards

For enquiries regarding school transport and Opal Cards please visit the following website:

New Process for Extended Absence Applications (More Than 5 School Days)

From the beginning of Term 2, families must complete an electronic Application for Extended Absence Form via the attached link. A copy of the electronic form is also available on the College Website as part of the Parent Portal. This updated process ensures that all extended absence is recorded appropriately and complies with Department of Education requirements.

This new process will allow families to complete multiple applications across all system schools through one form submission. 

Once the form has been submitted, the College will review the application and issue a Certificate of Extended Absence if approved.

Air Pods

Many students are bringing air pods to school - please ask your child to ensure the case is labelled with their name and they are paired to their device with a recognisable name. The College will not be responsible for the loss of these and we encourage students to leave valuable items at home. There have been a number of cases where air pods have gone missing. Any air pods handed in to Student Services will be returned to their owner upon proof of pairing with their device.