Secondary school 2023 thread

[Spidey_Senses]

DD had orientation last week.  I dropped her at the corner where she was meeting her friends and then asked her to txt me once she got to school. DD says she cant txt me as the school will take the phone away....   Surely not!  

I have no problem with no phones in the class but I would think its OK to txt parents once you get to school ok first?  
I wonder if DD was 'embarrased' about her mum checking in.  Guess I have to ask the school. 

[Laridae]

@Spidey_Sensesours said that if they even see the phone during the day it will go to the office to be collected at the end of the day. But before and after school is OK.

[Paddlepop]

@Spidey_Senses The school should have their mobile phone policy on their website or in the enrolment information. My DD’s future high school’s policy is pretty relaxed with no bans on them. Basically don’t be a dick and don’t get distracted by it during class time or else it will be confiscated until home time. They accept phones as reality and that students on public transport especially will have them as a safety measure. 

It’s my DD’s last day of primary school tomorrow. We’re sad. 

This week it was the high school orientation day when all of the new yr 7 students divided up into their class groups for next year, met their homegroup teacher, went to their homegroup classroom which will be their main classroom next year, did some team building activities, and had yr 11 buddies with them. It was for about an hour and a half. I was hugely relieved to see six other students from her school in her class, and she actually knows one of them. There’s about 500 students so far for year 7 next year, so that’s 18 classes. Craziness. 

[Jenflea]

DD's entire HS has less than that! (7 to 10).

I survived the grad assembly and the dinner last night. We still have a week left of school but students are starting to leave in dribs and drabs I think. 

Concert is next week, I'm assuming not many will be there for it. I'd skip it if she'd let me lol. 

[Paddlepop]

@Jenflea What happens for year 11 and 12? There’s a different system there isn’t there? I’m glad that you survived yesterday. The size of the high school is crazy. 2500+ students and that’s with strict catchment management in place. My entire high school of yrs 8-12 was about 250. The whole town was only 2000 people. 

[thewanted3rd]

I am not sure of how many classes my DD1 is going to have in her year level, but thankfully she already has 2 best friends from primary school in her homeroom. The found out on orientation day a couple of weeks ago.

I just looked up the NSW vouchers, and it doesnt look like they have had much uptake by businesses, as it says they go live December 1st, but you cant apply for the yet. I couldn't even see a list of businesses who have registered so far. It is only for uniforms, stationery etc, and does not list laptops. I have already bought her uniform, I did it last month as they have to buy them from LOWES, and they had a 20% discount sale, which included uniforms (the last one of this year, with the next not running until March) so saved $200 on that, but we haven't bought the laptop or stationery.  I am sure if I add in the calculator she needs, we will tip over into the $150 territory, so will use the vouchers for that.

I will need to talk to the school public school P&C to see if they have registered, although I probably wont buy any more uniforms, as the school invite you purchase year 6 shirts in March and wear that all year instead. I wonder if they will be eligible?

If not, my stationery drawer will fill up with goodies I guess

[Jenflea]

We do years 11 and 12 in a separate college. No idea why. 

[CrankyM]

@Spidey_Senses our local HS is the same. As soon as you are on school grounds and within the 30min window of school starting your phone is to be on silent or airplane mode and put away. Big kid got a warning because I messaged him 5mins before school finished and he’d forgotten to put his phone on silent. You can’t even have smart watches here. But the phone policy is the WA dept of education policy as far as I know. 

[Spidey_Senses]

On 08/12/2022 at 10:41 PM, CrankyM said:

@Spidey_Senses our local HS is the same. As soon as you are on school grounds and within the 30min window of school starting your phone is to be on silent or airplane mode and put away. Big kid got a warning because I messaged him 5mins before school finished and he’d forgotten to put his phone on silent. You can’t even have smart watches here. But the phone policy is the WA dept of education policy as far as I know. 

Thanks, we are in SA, the policies on phones seem to vary between very relaxed and very strict ( we toured about 8 schools).  We chose one that was sort of in the middle, this was one of many reasons.  But I gather they are making efforts to standardise and tighten up across all public schools. 

[Jenflea]

One week left of yr 6. 

Uniform sorted (waiting on leggings to arrive in jan), need a bag and the stationery/books etc. And shoes!

[Yogaalaates]

On 09/12/2022 at 10:49 PM, Spidey_Senses said:

Thanks, we are in SA, the policies on phones seem to vary between very relaxed and very strict ( we toured about 8 schools).  We chose one that was sort of in the middle, this was one of many reasons.  But I gather they are making efforts to standardise and tighten up across all public schools. 

Official policy isn’t out yet, but it sounds like they will either go into school storage at the start of the day, or they might put them in those locked pouches so they can’t be accessed at all during the day. My phone had to go in one at a Hannah Gadsby show. 

[Jenflea]

Our primary school the phones get handed into the exec teacher and put into a box. The problem is though, anyone can take a phone at the end of the day, because there's hardly any with names or anything on them. One girl knew her friend's phone was left so she picked it up out of the box and took it home, no one questioned it. 

[Spidey_Senses]

59 minutes ago, Jenflea said:

Our primary school the phones get handed into the exec teacher and put into a box. The problem is though, anyone can take a phone at the end of the day, because there's hardly any with names or anything on them. One girl knew her friend's phone was left so she picked it up out of the box and took it home, no one questioned it. 

Our primary school it just has to stay in your bag on silent or the teacher takes it away until the end of the day.  I think thats fine as long as the bags are in the classroom with the students not outside where randoms can get to them  ( I mentioned on another thread some of the younger classes keep their bags outside which I dont like) 

[Spidey_Senses]

Just bumping this one up, how is everyone going getting ready?  

I have been asked to put in my WFH days for next year so Im trying to work that out to optimise school runs.

DD wants to play school sports.  I was wondering how other people's work?  Back when I was at school you had to leave half way through the last lesson to go to the local rec. centre. 

[Laridae]

I presume school sports are after school at ours, for training at least. I'd expect them to be on school grounds. Depends on the sport, but the big netball centre is walking distance and i think after school, and soccor would be played on weekends. Not sure what other sports they are offering at this point. Maybe hockey.

[Laridae]

Hmm.   They have this list on their website I can't imagine they actually offer all that though....

AFL Football, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cricket (Indoor and outdoor), Cross Country Running, Futsal, Hockey, Fun Runs, Horse Trials, Netball, Orienteering, Rowing, Rugby Union, Sailing, Softball, Soccer, Surfing, Surf Life Saving, Swimming, Triathlon, Underwater Hockey and Water Polo.

 

[Not Escapin Xmas]

DD has signed up for water polo and AFL. They both train before school, with games on Saturdays. She’s never done Saturday sport, I think it’s going to be mental.

[Jackrabbit]

My girls will be doing netball. Training at school straight after school. Not sure what day yet though. We have had to request an exemption from playing water polo for school as they already play for a club and water polo seems to only be offered up to yr 7 (even though they seem to have a team in the u14s comp this season). I'm not going to take my girls out of their team for one year. 

Most of the summer uniform has been purchased. Still need to get PE and shoes. All stationery is done. My next source of anxiety is getting ready for school camp. I've seen the list of what they need and even their current sleeping bags appear to be not good enough (they needed to be rated for -5).

[Jenflea]

I've got everything except the diary. I'm nervous and anxious about DD starting (I hated HS) but she's excited. 

[Paddlepop]

Just over a week to go until school starts here in Queensland. I think I’ve got everything now except for a mobile phone for DD. It’s not a school requirement of course but we’ve always said she’ll get a phone once she starts high school. 

We’ve bought her BYOD laptop but haven’t even opened the box up yet. I’m planning to put most of the thought load of it onto DH and make him responsible for setting it up, backing it up, etc. First thing will be to work out how to get it out of Windows 11 S mode. School has specified that laptops can’t be in S mode. 

I’m finding it really weird to not be buying a uniform for DD. School has no uniform. Instead making sure she has shorts that are sturdy enough with pockets, and plenty of sleeved t-shirts that are roomy/baggy so she’ll be comfortable about her appearance. 

[Jenflea]

Ooh no uniform? That's unusual, especially for HS. I LIKE a uniform, but it needs to be affordable. $60 trackpants aren't affordable for a lot of people. DD's insists on the logo being on everything, why the fuck does it matter if the leggings have a logo? Why CAN'T they wear generic navy leggings like they did in primary? And hat's aren't enforced at her school. Apparently you're immune to skin cancer once you hit year 7?? If you can enforce a logo on leggings and shorts, you can enforce kids wearing hats in the sun. 

 

*steps off soapbox*

[Roar]

Are you in Canberra @Jackrabbit? We are a camping family with 3 kids so would be able to offer you a number of -5s to choose from if you would prefer to borrow rather than buy more. 

I've just looked at the term 1 sport selection for DS and he is keen on taikwondo. He plays baseball outside of school so I think can get away with only one after school sport session which means one less pick up as he can get the bus on normal days. I am not looking forward to all the activities and therapies starting again in Feb. Trying to work while moonlighting as a kids taxi is exhausting.

[Paddlepop]

@Jenflea It’s very unusual to have no uniform at a state high school. It’s been that way for at least 20 years or so. I still don’t get it. A simple school polo and plain coloured shorts is all that’s needed. There’s a fancy pants private school literally across the road from the high school and it has the full fancy formal uniform. Ties, blazers, impractical hats, the works. At ours you need to meet clothing rules and OHS requirements, and it’s pretty much free for all within those rules. Basically no bums or boobs hanging out, no visible underwear, shoulders must be covered for sun safety, closed shoes and no offensive words or pictures on clothes. Hats are compulsory. If a student’s clothes don’t meet the rules they get sent the office to change into spare clothes the school keeps on hand. Repeated incidents get a phone call home to the parents. Apparently it only takes a few weeks and the students settle into appropriate clothing. The school holds a clothing swap once a year too. Bring in your unwanted/outgrown clothes and swap. 

[CrankyM]

@Jenflea the hat thing does my head in! The UV is usually sitting somewhere around 14-16 during recess and lunch here, why the hell can’t they make them have a school hat? But nope. And my kid won’t we’re the one I send with him because no one else is wearing a hat… we also are required for all shorts to have logo etc. but the school ones are $20 I think (and so far the big kid got 2 years out of them). 

I literally just have to buy the uniform. Even then, I could probably get away with no buying much as the older kid has heaps… (a 14 no way he fits into and 5 Small adult and 3 medium adult). I’ll get them the week before school goes back. 

Regarding school sports, I don’t think they run a lot at our school. Probably because it’s the only public HS for 240kms In saying that, they do run a football academy program (Clontarf), and they have volleyball, AFL, basketball netball, cricket, soccer teams they put up for country week and country camp. Dance and music is similar I believe. They’ve sent dance teams down to some big competition in Perth each year. My kid has never attended as they are not sporty. Training is done after school. They do PE/Sport as a year group twice a week and rotate through the various sports and athletics. During term 1 and 4 they get to do it in the big gym which is air conditioned Most kids if they are into those types of things do little athletics, or the sports external to school. 

[Not Escapin Xmas]

We’ve been issued DD’s school email address so went to set that up but got error messages so have sent first email to school IT help desk. Won’t be the last I’m sure!