Communication

Parents / carers are required to set up access to the College App and Parent Portal, as these platforms are required for granting permissions, verifying absences, accessing reports and for other information from time to time.

Details on how to access your Parent Portal login are emailed to parents / carers of new students around the time of our annual orientation events.  Once you have logged into the Parent Portal you will be able to use the same credentials to set up and access the College App which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store.

For further information on the App and Parent Portal including download etc, please refer here.

Seesaw is an online classroom facility that teachers and students user to record and share what is happening in the classroom.  Seesaw gives students a place to document their learning journey, be creative and learn how to use technology.  Parents will be able to view photos, videos, voice recordings, drawings, text, PDFs and links relevant to your child.  Parents are notified when there are new Seesaw posts relevant to their own child, and all data is safe is and secure.

Your child’s teacher will post a weekly communication outlining learning experiences, special events and weekly programs related to the curriculum.  It is compulsory to have your child’s Seesaw account active and signed in on the Seesaw App.  For day to day communication we encourage you to utilise this tool to contact your child’s teacher . 

For more information about Seesaw please visit https://web.seesaw.me/parents.

General college communication with parents will be facilitated through various platforms including verbal and non-verbal, structured and other means. A full overview of these platforms is outlined under Means of Communication.

Arndell Anglican College staff endeavour to be courteous and respectful with our students, parents and wider community and as such in return expect the same courteous and respectful communication from students and parents.

Parents are expected to abide by their obligations as set out in the Anglican Schools Corporation – Conditions of Enrolment at all times and in particular whilst communicating with College staff. Should a parent communicate with the College or a member of staff of the College in a manner, or using language, which is rude, aggressive or threatening, the College may in its absolute discretion:

• Cease all communication with that parent other than by providing reports of the student’s progress; or
• Refuse permission for the parent to enter College grounds and attend College activities and events; or
• Both of the above; or
• Terminate the enrolment of the parent’s student/s.

Extract from Application to Enrol:

Parents’ Obligations

The Parents:

Are to accept and abide by the requirements and directions of the School Council and Principal relating to the student or students generally and not interfere in any way with the conduct, management and administration of the School.

Are to communicate with students, parents, visitors and staff members in a courteous manner, and follow the communication guidelines laid down by the School

Arndell Anglican College have implemented a two-stream care framework – Pastoral and Academic Care.

If at any time a parent or guardian is unsure as to whom to direct your enquiry or concern to, please contact College reception in the first instance.

Arndell Anglican College staff are provided with an email facility that allows communication between staff, with students and with parents.  Please note that staff may, from time to time contact students for assessment or mentoring purposes and parents outside the normal school day via email.  However, staff are not expected to respond to email communication on weekends, school holidays or after 4:30pm on school days unless this has been staff initiated.

Staff will acknowledge your enquiry, email, or call by the end of the next working day following receipt of your enquiry.

In the Junior School the Seesaw platform is often used as a means of communication between parents and staff instead of email, the same expectations for email communication translate to Seesaw communications.

Arndell Anglican College will seek to arrange a mutually convenient time for staff and parents to meet to discuss enquires and concerns.  When seeking to arrange a meeting parents should make a formal appointment for either a telephone or face-to-face meeting.  Face-to-face meetings will be facilitated and conducted in the College Main Administration building or in the classroom where appropriate.

Parents and guardians are requested to be mindful that due to the complexity of timetabling we will, wherever possible, seek to arrange relevant meetings within three working days of receiving a request.  Where possible parents / guardians are requested to provide two or three alternate meeting times so that we may facilitate this process as seamlessly as possible.

Pastoral Care Communication Process

Pastoral care enquiries should be addressed to the Class Teacher (for Junior School students) or Homeroom Tutor (for Secondary School students) by email or if unsure phone through College Reception on 02 4572 3633.

Parents should attempt to refer all school-related matters back to the College and must not approach other students or contact another student’s parents directly about such issues. The College seeks to work together to create a solution and provides this guideline as an approach to minimise exacerbating an issue which may hinder a resolution.

In the event that a parent or guardian wishes to extend any pastoral enquiry or concern, please refer to the below diagram. 

Academic Care Communication Process

General curriculum enquiries should be addressed to the Class Teacher (for Junior School students) or Subject Teacher (for Secondary School students). The means of this communication can be via email or via phone through College Reception on 02 4572 3633.

In the event that a parent or guardian wishes to extend any academic enquiry or concern, please refer to the below diagram.

Depending upon the nature of the academic care concern the Head of School, a member of the College’s counselling services team, the Head of Inclusive Education and/or the Director of Wellbeing & Community Service may also be involved in addressing and resolving the concern.

Where a parent or guardian is dissatisfied with the conduct or outcome of their communications with College staff, they are asked to lodge a complaint. Please refer to the College’s Complaints Handling Policy.

Arndell Anglican College utilises the following means of communication in order to ensure ongoing effective communication with the College Community;

Please Note: Staff do not give out personal email addresses, engage with students via any form of Social Media or give out personal phone numbers.

Newsletters

• ‘Sports Scene’ – our weekly sporting and associated activities newsletter

Media Platforms

• Arndell App (available for both Apple and Android devices)
• Weekly Digest of student activities (Secondary School only)
• Seesaw (Junior School only)
• Email – including information pertaining to the whole College, a year group, subject/class group or the student
• Social media channels - including Facebook.com/Arndell Anglican College and Instagram/Arndell Official
• Regular updates via the College website
• SMS

College supplied information / events

• College Calendar
• Parent / Teacher Interviews
• Notes, event forms and other written communication
• Letters by post – in the event that email is not possible or is deemed not appropriate
• School reports – end of semester written report for all students
• Assemblies and special presentations
• Parent information booklets and evenings
• ‘Focus’ – the annual College yearbook