Policies

The key points for you and your children to understand are as follows:

• Mobile phones, if they are brought to school, must be off, away and unseen between the hours of 8.40am - 3.05pm every day.
• Safe storage is available for students, should they require it
• All parent messages to children must be made through the school office.
• The Department of Education does not permit the use of mobile phones by students in Tasmanian Government Schools unless for the approved exemptions outlined below.
• The existing Behaviour Pathways will be applied if students can not follow the policy and procedures.

It is important to note that it is not a requirement at Prospect High School for students to have a mobile phone at school. Some schools may be implementing the Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) Policy, and processes for this would fall under the approved exemption of direct teacher instruction.

Exemptions

Requests for exemptions must be submitted to the school principal for consideration.
Prospect High School students may only use their mobile phone for an approved exemption as listed below:

• For students with a reasonable adjustment to a learning program because of a disability and/or learning difficulty.
• For students with health conditions where a mobile phone is used to monitor the condition.
• For students undertaking school activities outside of school hours that are not on school campuses.
• For students experiencing extenuating circumstances other than the above, where agreed by the principal or their delegate.
• Prospect High School recognises that an increasing number of parents/carers who for safety, security and/or emergency purposes wish to provide their child/children with mobile phones. This policy details the restriction and management of mobile phones at Prospect High School.

Uniform and Dress Code Policy

Respectful Student Behaviour Policy

The behaviour management policy outlines the importance of staff and student wellbeing and maintaining a positive and respectful relationship between all members of the school community.

Students and staff have a right to feel safe and secure in their school and working environment. The safety of students and staff on a school campus or at a school activity is everyone’s responsibility; volunteers and visitors MUST behave in a way that supports a safe school environment.

Collaboration between school staff, students, volunteers and visitors is important to a student’s learning and experiences at school. By enrolling a child or young person in a State school, parents and carers are expected to work in partnership with the school to model positive and respectful behaviour that supports student learning and maintains a safe school environment.

Visitor Policy 

Prospect High School welcomes the contributions of volunteers and visitors to the school. Respectful school volunteer and visitor behaviour ensures that the school environment supports child, student and staff wellbeing.
Volunteers and visitors to schools are a valued part of a school and their contributions to schools should be acknowledged. Volunteers and visitors include parents and carers, friends of the school, and children and young people not enrolled at the school.
Unacceptable behaviour of volunteers and visitors on a school campus or at a school activity may result in the person being asked to leave.

Unacceptable Behaviour of Volunteers or Visitors at Prospect High School 

The types of behaviours that are considered unacceptable while at Prospect High or undertaking a school activity include:

• Shouting (in person or over the phone)
• Racist, sexist or other discriminating comments
• Speaking in an aggressive/threatening tone
• Swearing or using inappropriate language
• Physically intimidating someone by standing very close or making physical contact
• Pushing, spitting, or hitting (slapping, punching or kicking)

Requirements at Prospect High School 

Volunteers and visitors to state schools are required to follow the school’s evacuation and emergency procedures, including when there are fire, lockdown or evacuation drills.

• Visitors, who are at a school to attend a school event (e.g. assembly, awards, student performance), are invited to be at the school for the time of that event, and unless invited to volunteer or visit at the school for another reason after the event, are expected to leave the school once the event is finished.
• Visitors, who are at a school to drop-off or pick-up a student, should consider that their presence at the school once class time has started (after the morning bell or during the school day), may be distracting for students and staff.
• Volunteers and visitors should ensure that their movement around the school does not impede student learning.
• Any tags or badges provided by the school to identify volunteers and visitors MUST be worn and returned.

Volunteers and Visitors 

• MUST follow all school policies, processes and procedures applicable to volunteers and visitors to a school campus or school activity.
• MUST follow the instructions of a principal, their delegate or a person-in-charge at all times, including a requirement by a principal (or their delegate) to leave a school campus or school activity.
• Volunteers or visitors, who are parents/carers of a student enrolled at the school, should work collaboratively with the school to manage the behaviour of their child while on a school campus or at a school activity. This includes not interfering with staff management of unacceptable student behaviour or approaching other students directly to address a matter of concern.
• Volunteers or visitors, who are parents/carers of a student enrolled at the school, should ensure that they are respectful when communicating with the principal and school staff in person, over the phone and in writing.

Levies and Charges Policy 

Levies form a significant portion of funds to support the school and are one of the many ways that families contribute to our school community. Levies support student learning by contributing towards the cost of essential items and services. The authority to charge levies is provided under the Education Act 2016 in consultation with the School Association.

Sunsmart Policy 

Clothing

• Sun-safe clothing is encouraged as part of our school and sports uniform. This includes shirts with collars and sleeves, longer style dresses, shorts, and rash vests or T-shirts for outdoor swimming. Our uniform clothing has UV protection.
• It is strongly advised that clothing exposing large amounts of shoulder and upper torso (singlets, tank tops and strappy dresses) would not be acceptable when peak UV levels in Tasmania reach 3 or above.

Sunscreen

• The use of broad-spectrum, water resistant, SPF 30 or above sunscreen is encouraged.
• Students are encouraged to provide their own broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or above sunscreen. This may also be available for use at the school.
• Sunscreen is applied 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapplied every 2 hours when outside for long periods.

Hats

• All students are strongly advised to wear sun-safe hats that protect the face, neck and ears when outside. Recommended sun-safe hats include legionnaire, broad-brimmed and bucket hats. Baseball caps do not offer enough protection and are not recommended.
• Students without a sun-safe hat or clothing will be advised to remain in the shade.

Shade

• A shade audit is conducted regularly to determine the current availability and quality of shade.
• The school community is committed to providing shade in areas where students gather, such as for eating, outdoor teaching and popular play areas. The use of these areas is encouraged.
• Availability of shade is considered when planning excursions and all outdoor activities and is written into risk management planning.

Sunglasses

• Close-fitting wrap-around sunglasses that comply with Australian Standards AS1067:2003 (Category 2, 3, or 4) are encouraged.