Educating young people is shared responsibility between the home, school and the individual student.
For this reason, clear channels of communication are vital. At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, there are a number of ways in which parents are kept informed about their child’s progress and what is happening within the school. These include the School Diary, the Parent Portal, end of Semester Reports and Parent-Teacher Interviews.
We also encourage parents and teachers to make direct contact with one another through phone calls, emails, and meetings as required.
Fortnightly newsletter
St Andrew’s Cathedral School communicates with parents through regular e-Newsletters. It is important that parents provide a current email address for this communication. Parents will receive three newsletters:
- Head of School – once a fortnight
- Head of School Division (Junior School, Gawura – Message Stick, Middle School or Senior College) – alternate fortnight
- P&F – twice a term
Specific emails to parents of Year groups and other important announcements are also sent when appropriate.
To view past newsletters, click here:
Parent Portal
The Parent Portal is a vital resource for parents/ carers to keep informed of their child’s progress. It provides access to the following information regarding your child:
- view and update address and contact information
- view contact lists
- email tutor / teachers and Year Coordinator directly
- view year-to-date student discipline records – rewards, detentions and awards
- download academic reports
- record of absences
- view student timetable and teacher list (Years 7-12 only)
- download assessments, tasks and notices given during each term (Years 7-12 only)
The Parent Portal is accessed through Quick Links on the St Andrew’s Cathedral School website home page.
New families: If you are new to the School, you will receive your login details approximately two weeks before school commences. Each parent with a separate email address will be sent their unique username and password to enable you to log-in.
It is vital that the school is kept up-to-date with your current email address.
Schoology – Years 3-12
This online lesson management system, accessible through the various School portals, provides students and parents with current classwork, assignment details and links pertaining to teaching and learning at St Andrew’s Cathedral School.
Weekly Parent Digest – Years 7-12
Secondary School parents and students will receive an emailed weekly bulletin every Friday which summarises awards, events, academic progress and discipline.
Student Progress Reports
Years K-6: Each semester, parents will receive a School Report and a Parent-Teacher interview will be made available to discuss your child’s progress.
Years 7-12: St Andrew’s Cathedral School has three formal methods of reporting on student progress. They are Interim reports (Secondary School only), School reports and Parent/ teacher/ student interviews. As well as this, there are informal opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress through conversations with individual class teachers. The Director of Learning is also a resource to students and parents. A programme of academic tracking allows for the monitoring of progress in effort and achievement. For more information, go to the curriculum section of this website.
Junior School – additional information
Junior School updates
The Junior School will update parents and guardians through a fortnightly newsletter and/or emails and notes.
The student diary facilitates additional parent-teacher communication. From time to time, parents may wish to make enquiries about their child’s progress or various aspects of the school’s programme. The School values such contact with parents/guardians and they are encouraged to discuss any matter that may be affecting their child’s schooling.
As a general rule, parents should contact the appropriate Junior School teacher, in the first instance, as they will initially deal with all matters relating to general progress, attendance and conduct or other matters.
Correspondence
A letter/email from parents/guardians is to be tendered without delay to: jsreception@sacs.nsw.edu.au for any of the following:
- Absence or lateness
- Exemption for inability to participate in activity (sport, PDHPE etc)
- Sickness
- Non-completion of homework
- Leave from school
- Leave from compulsory event (prior to the event)
School functions
Students are expected to take an active role in all school functions. Attendance is compulsory at the end-of-year Evening of Celebration and Prize-giving (for Years 5-12), the annual Swimming Carnival, the annual Athletics Carnival, the annual Gala Day, the Junior School and Gawura Music / Musical events (Showcase, IPSHA Music Festival, Musical and Christmas Concert).
Students are to wear Full School Uniform (including blazer) to all school functions, unless otherwise directed, or directed to wear the School Sport Uniform.
Gawura – additional information
Emails
All School correspondence will be emailed out to parents. Please let the school know of any changes to email addresses. If we don’t know your email address, you may miss out on important information relating to your child. You will receive emails from the school pertaining to the following:
- Fortnightly Message Stick updates (Gawura newsletter)
- Semester Reports (twice yearly)
- Cultural excursions (once a term)
- On Country tours (yearly)
- Grade excursions with Junior School (as they occur)
- Accounts (commitment fee – once a term)
- Other additional information as it occurs.
Website
Our school website www.gawura.nsw.edu.au has all the up-to-date information about our school, including staff and upcoming events.
Enrolment Application Forms can be downloaded from this website as well.
Social Media
The Gawura Facebook and Instagram pages have a lot of information about events that have just occurred. For example, if your child is on a school camp, you can view the Gawura Facebook page to see the latest photos of your child’s activities during the day.
If our school has any special visitors, a short recount of the event with a picture will also be uploaded.
Many families who have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents living in regional NSW or Australia have often commented on how their relatives from country areas can access the Facebook page and see their nephews, nieces, grandchildren enjoying school in Sydney. Our outlying family communities feel connected to our school in the city via these social pages.