Phoenix News

The College Online Newsletter is produced each week and contains valuable information about what is happening at the College. The Primary Campus Newsletter is produced fortnightly.

All students and parents/guardians are sent, via Compass, the link to the latest newsletter, and it also available on our webpage and Facebook page.

College Hours

Sebastopol Campus Office Hours: (during the school terms)

Monday – Thursday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Friday: 8:30am – 4:00pm

Redan Campus Office Hours: (during the school terms)

Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 4:00pm

Absences

Absences need to be reported to the College. The easiest way for you to let the College know if your child is away is through the Compass Parent Portal.

You can also call the College Absence Hotline – 5329 3210 and leave a message. Remember an SMS message will be sent to the nominated mobile telephone number for all unexplained absences.

If students are late to school they must sign in at the General Office. If leaving the College for appointments etc. students must sign out at the General Office. Students cannot sign out from the College without parent/guardian approval and the parent/guardian must come in and collect the student from the General Office.

Please remind students that if they are feeling unwell at school, they are to go their Village First Aid Officer and will be assessed, if required by the School Nurse, before parents are contacted to collect their child. Students will remain in their Village until their parent/guardian arrives at Reception to collect them. Reception staff will meet their parent/guardian in the foyer and ask them to wait in the foyer for their child.

Students ARE NOT to call home directly; it is our Duty of Care to ensure the safety of your child.

IT IS NOT OK TO BE AWAY – The College expectation is 95% attendance. Regular attendance is vital if students are to achieve their full potential.

Visitors to the College

All visitors must report to the General Office. The Reception Staff will find and contact students in the case of an emergency.

College Uniform

The purpose of the Uniform Policy is to create a sense of collective and individual pride in students and their identification with Phoenix P-12 Community College. School Council believes this enables students to participate actively and safely in school life.

The wearing of uniform will apply during school hours, while travelling to and from school and when students are engaged in specified school activities out of school hours.

All uniform can be purchased from (no substitutes will be accepted):

Lowes
Address: 18 Armstrong Street South Central Square Shopping Centre, Ballarat
Phone: (03) 5331 9224
Website: https://www.lowes.com.au/schools-online/phoenix-p-12-community-college)

Crockers
Address: 4 Armstrong St North, Ballarat
Phone: (03) 5331 3222
Website: https://www.noone.com.au/school/phoenix-p12-community-college/shop)

Sustainable School Shop

The Sustainable School Shop offers online trading and is an efficient, low cost way for families to buy and sell their school text books, uniforms and school supplies. The College would like to encourage families to use this system as we no longer run a second-hand bookshop. We are hoping that families take advantage of this terrific online system to buy and sell books or items of uniform – https://www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au/

Lost Property

Any lost property should be taken to the General Office. The Lost Property Bin is emptied at the end of each term. Student’s uniform should be labelled clearly as well as devices, text books and stationery items.

Valuable Items

Valuable items, such as phones and devices, brought to school is at the owner’s risk and should be looked after carefully and kept safe to prevent damage or loss. The College holds no responsibility if students choose to bring these items to school.

First Aid

First Aid is located in each Village and is student’s first point of contact. The School Nurse is located the Administration building. There are a number of staff who are qualified with current First Aid certificates. Minor ailments are treated at the College and if further treatment is necessary, then the parents/guardians will be notified, where possible.

We do not hesitate to call the ambulance if required. Parents are advised to have an up-to-date ambulance subscription.

All prescribed medication taken by students must be administered through the College First Aid Station. A medical plan will need to be discussed and submitted to the College Nurse containing consent from parents/guardians and outlining the required dosage and administering time.

Excursion Permission Notes

When students receive excursion notes for upcoming events, it is the responsibility of the student to return the permission form and payment (if applicable) before the due date listed on the form. This is to ensure that staff have correct numbers to book tickets and travel. If students do not return the permission form and payment by the due date then there may be a chance they will miss out.

Learning Resource Centre (LRC)

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) offers a wide range of educational resources to both staff and students.

From internet, and computer access, to the Careers Centre and more classic Library resources. The Learning Resource Centre has a partnership with City of Ballarat Libraries which gives the College access to an incredible wealth of print and electronic resources.

Students also have access to study support such as Senior School Tutors and after school study sessions with teachers.

LRC Opening Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Friday: 8:30am – 3:30pm

 

Career Pathways

Our MIPs Team are available to provide advice and support to students who are looking for apprenticeships and traineeships, looking for part time or full time employment, seeking Work Experience or needing support in applying for TAFE and University placements. We welcome all students to pop in and see us to have your questions answered or to make an appointment. They are located in the LRC.

Lockers

All students are allocated a locker to use each year. Locker areas are under cover and located as conveniently as possible to each corresponding Village/Study Centre. Students will need to provide a quality lock on their first day of school, which will see them throughout their years at Phoenix.

Bikes

The College has bike racks available for students. Students are expected to bring and use a lock for their bike and helmet, and to be responsible for observing traffic laws, in particular when using our school crossings, and school rules relating to use of bicycles and scooters.

Parking

A reminder to all students and parents/guardians, to not park in the 7-Eleven car park or the Ballarat Health Services Dental Clinic carpark for drop-off and pick-up.

Parent Communication

All parents are asked to provide the College with a current email address. This allows us to effectively communicate with all parents directly from groups such as the Administration Team, Village Managers or Assistant Principals.

If ANY contact details or your living circumstances change, please make sure you contact the College to update them as soon as possible so we can keep your child’s details as up to date.

If you haven’t already done so, we recommend downloading the Compass App on your phone/computer and you can log in to submit your change of contact details which are sent directly to the College’s Administration Team to update.

Alternatively, you can call the Administration Office on (03) 5329 3293 or email the school at phoenix.p12.cc@education.vic.gov.au

Compass

A reminder our College uses Compass as our online portal. All students, teachers, parents and guardians have access and it contains timetables, reports, information about assessment tasks, community announcements, our newsletters and information about student attendance and excursions. Students are required to access Compass multiple times per day.

Using Compass allows you to access up-to-date and meaningful information about our school and your child’s progress.

College Contributions

College Contributions are charged on an annual basis, where applicable, to cover optional aspects of the College’s program, services provided for extra-curricular excursions/camps and individual music tuition These will be charged at various times through the year as appropriate. Statements issued (via email) or on demand.

Student Departures and Withdrawal:

Parents and guardians are reminded that early written notification of a student withdrawing during the College year is required.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF):

The Victorian Government introduced this fund for the following purpose:

“Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund will ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities.”

If you hold a valid means-tested Health Care card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF ($225 per secondary school student). The allowance will be paid to the College to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions, or sporting activities for the benefit of your child and deducted from your school fee account. Applications close at the end of Term 2, 2022.

How to Apply – contact the College office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

Financial Assistance:

If you have any concerns regarding education contributions, you are encouraged to discuss these at any time with the Business Manager. To arrange an appointment please phone Lorraine Hayes on 5329 3293.

 

– NOTICE – 

Parents, Guardians and members of our School Community are always welcome at Phoenix P-12 Community College.
To ensure that our College is a safe and positive learning environment we ask that all visitors report to the General Office. If you want to meet with a specific member of our team, please phone ahead as far possible so we can accommodate your meeting requests efficiently.

Our College values are RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, COOPERATION and EXCELLENCE.

Please be aware that any form of aggressive or abusive behaviour at our College will not be tolerated.