Handbook

Xavier College colours are black, red and white. Our house names and colours are Campion (Blue), Faber (White), Loyola (Purple), MacKillop (Yellow), McCormack (Orange) and Tenison (Green).

The College Office is open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm each school day.

Staff development days are set aside on one day each term for the spiritual and professional development of staff. Focus may be on curriculum development, planning, school policy development, reflection and spirituality.

Expectations of all at Xavier College
We are called upon to live out our motto, "For the Greater Good", by remembering that we live and work with others, not in isolation. As we grow as people, we must learn to consider others and the consequences of our actions on other people.

The model for our actions can be found in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. All schools have codes of behaviour just as society has laws and codes of conduct. However, the most important aspect of school and life is: will my action(s) benefit or hurt others?

College expectations will ask you to make choices which are just, for all and not for yourself alone. This is the key to decision making at the College: will our actions advance the greater good?

Rights and responsibilities of students at Xavier College
Self-discipline and student accountability underpin the approach to discipline at Xavier College. Self-discipline calls upon all students to account for their behaviour and take responsibility for their actions. Students are challenged to take responsibility for their own decision-making and to learn to accept the consequences of their actions.

The rights of students are balanced by clear responsibilities:

• The right to learn to the best of their ability
• The right to feel safe and be safe
• The right to be treated with dignity and respect
• The right to live and work in a clean and attractive environment
• The responsibility to participate fully in all school activities
• The responsibility to act in a sensible manner at all times
• The responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect
• The responsibility to maintain a pleasant and clean school environment

Students are supervised in the playground from 8:10 am and until 3:00 pm each school day. Please do not leave students at school earlier than 8:10 am or later than 3:00 pm. Any students who arrive at school before 8:10 am must sit quietly in the designated area.

Please contact the school if you will be delayed collecting your child in the afternoon.

The most up to date version of our school uniform policy can be found on our website under "Policies and Procedures".

Click here to go to Policies and Procedures

Students are only permitted to use the designated College backpack.

If they are unable to fit extra equipment, such as sporting gear or clothing into their College backpack, students may bring an extra bag that adheres to plain College colours. Backpacks are available at the College Office.

Hair is to be kept tidy and off the face. Extremes of fashion are not acceptable.

Simple accessories in school colours may be worn. In practical classrooms work health and safety (WHS) regulations require that hair be covered or tied back at all times. Xavier College reserves the right to have a student modify their hair if it does not meet the College standards and expectations.

Piercings and Tattoos:

• Ear: One stud or standard sleeper (plain silver or gold only) may be worn in each earlobe, for female students only.
• No jewel/coloured stones etc. to be worn.
• Other piercings: No visible body piercings are to be evident. Tongue rings/studs
  are strictly prohibited.
• Keeping a hole open will not be accepted as an excuse. This means that ‘clear’
  studs are NOT to be worn as they are visible.
• No band aids are to be used to cover piercing.
• Sleeper (plain silver or gold only) Stud: (plain silver or gold only)
• No body art to be visible

Other Jewellery & Removal of Jewllery

• Simple/discreet gold or silver chain around the neck with an appropriate religious
  symbol may be worn.
• Chains should not be visible in winter
• One plain ring, wristwatch and gold or silver bracelet may be worn
• For safety reasons, all jewellery should be removed for sport or practical subjects. Xavier College reserves the right to enforce these uniform guidelines and will make every effort to do so fairly and consistently. Noncompliance with uniform rules will incur serious consequences.

Makeup is not to be worn to school by junior girls. Senior girls are permitted small amounts of natural make-up only. Girls will be asked to remove excessive or visible makeup immediately. Nail polish is not permitted.

There are clear rules for school shoes at Xavier College. Shoes must be black, polishable, hard leather, lace-up, closed school shoes. Laces must also be black. Students are not permitted to wear soft leather, casual, sports or skater shoes.

Open or buckle styles are not permitted under Work Health and Safety regulations (WHS) for practical, laboratory and workshop situations, as they pose a significant safety risk. Girls are not to wear open, buckle or casual shoes and boys are not to wear soft casual, jogger or skater styles.

Please refer to the pictured examples before you purchase new shoes for your children. While these examples are by no means exhaustive, they do provide a clear visual understanding of our requirements.

Any questions or problems may be referred to the Assistant Principal or the relevant Homegroup Teacher or Pastoral Learning Coordinator.

In the event of an emergency or accident, resulting in the need of immediate medical attention, an appropriately qualified staff member will attend to affected students. First aid will be administered if appropriate. An ambulance will be called immediately if required. A staff member will endeavour to contact parents to inform them of what has happened and where the student has been taken.

Students are required to attend school each day, and we are required by law to keep records of each student’s absences from school. For this reason if your child is unable to attend school, a note must be sent the day the student returns to school giving the reason for the absence.

If you know in advance that your child will be absent, please send a note explaining the circumstances.

Written notice must be provided in advance for any prolonged absences from school such as for holidays during school terms or foreseeable hospitalisation. We strongly urge you to plan holidays outside school term time, as prolonged absences disadvantage your child’s learning.

It is also necessary for late arrivals at school to be explained, as a record of partial absences is also kept. Late arrivals must report to the office before going to class.

Parents who need to take their child out of school during school hours, or collect them in the case of illness, are asked to come directly to the office. Do NOT go to your child’s classroom.

Dental and doctor appointments should be made after school if possible.

It is most important that you notify the school of any changes.

If your child is ill it is most distressing for him or her when we are unable to contact you because our records are not up-to-date. Please ensure you notify us of any changes to your address and contact information, or the name, relationship and telephone number/s of an emergency contact other than parents.

Students should be collected promptly after school.  If you expect to be late at any time, please telephone the school.

If you ask a friend or relative to collect your child from school for you, a telephone call or a note from you advising us of this arrangement would save us and your friends or relatives inconvenience or embarrassment if permission is refused.

For any complaints or concerns please contact the school office directly who can arrange an appointment with the relevant staff member.

Please advise us, in writing, of any special custody or access arrangements concerning your children in relation to school. Copies of court orders should be provided where appropriate. All matters of custody are treated confidentially by school staff.

Each term students are involved in emergency drill procedures, so they are prepared in the event of a critical incident e.g. fire. The safety of the students is enhanced if they do not panic but follow procedures that have been repeatedly practiced.

Late arrivals must report to the school office before the student goes to class. Parents are to come to the school office and complete a notification form if they need to collect a student before the end of the school day.

It is essential to have your child's clothing and belongings clearly and permanently identifiable A name on lost property would enable prompt return to the owner.

There are occasions when Xavier College or the Catholic Education Office may wish to include your child’s name or photograph in College, CEO, or other publications such as local papers. If you would prefer not to have your child’s name or photograph included at any time, please notify the school in writing.

If your child is required to bring money to school, a letter will be sent home stating the reason and the amount required.  Please assist us by putting the money in a sealed envelope clearly marked with your child’s name, class, amount and purpose. This should be given by your child to the College Office.

Parking is available on the site. While onsite please drive carefully and obey all traffic signs. RTA rules apply to internal roads. The police support us by conducting random speed and traffic checks.

Throughout the year students, are given the opportunity to take part in a variety of excursions and activities aimed at enhancing the learning which is taking place inside the classroom, as well as building a sense of community amongst the peer group.

Attendance and participation are expected and families are given advance warning of these activities via a letter home. If an excursion letter is misplaced it will be available for download in the Xavier website under "Notes & Forms".

Homework is an extension of classroom learning opportunities which reinforce, support and enrich learning at school. It also has the potential to further the school—home partnership in the education of the student.

Guidelines
Well designed homework assignments relate directly to class work and extend learning beyond the classroom. Homework is most useful when teachers carefully prepare the assignment, thoroughly explain it, and give prompt comments and criticism when the work is completed.

Examples of homework which may be given:

• collecting of materials such as newspaper articles or magazine advertisements
• completing worksheets
• responding to questions set in class time
• reading
• refining artwork
• assignment work
• other tasks which reinforce daily work
• study - review of past work and preparation for lessons ahead

Students will be expected to complete homework on a regular basis.

Failure or inability to complete homework
Teachers will write in the student’s diary when a student fails to satisfactorily complete a homework task. It is reasonable to expect that parents respond regarding their child’s failure or inability to complete the homework. The students should complete the task or, if not practicable, an alternate task within an agreed timeframe.

Should a pattern emerge during the time period of one term, where a student fails to complete homework without a satisfactory reason, a progression of consequences will result.

• First non completion of homework - teacher to note in student diary via homework stamp. Student is expected to have it completed by the next lesson/day as decided by the teacher.
  
  
• Second non-completion of homework - teacher will record this in the homework diary via the homework stamp and may organise a lunchtime catch-up of work.

• Pattern of non-completion of homework - Wednesday afternoon homework club to complete work and a letter sent home to parents.

Students should expect the following as a guide to the total amount of homework per night:

• Year 7 and 8 - 1 to 1½ hours
• Year 9 and 10 - 1 to 2 hours
• Year 11 and 12 - approximately 3 hours

It is recommended that teachers reserve the last five minutes of a lesson to assign homework which students will record in the homework diary. Parents are encouraged to monitor the completion of homework.

Hours of Opening
The library is open Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. It is closed at lunchtime on Thursday and Friday at recess.

The library is available to students for private study after school until 3:00 pm and until 4:00 pm on Wednesdays.

Borrowing
Each student in the school is provided with a library card that they can use to borrow resources from the library. These resources include: laptops, books, audio cassettes, videos etc.

Students may borrow up to six resources at one time, either fiction or non fiction. Normal borrowing is for 14 days. All resources in the library may be available for loan (see the teacher librarian, conditions apply). Videos, reference books, and resources being used for current class assignments are strictly overnight loan only. Periodicals are available for seven day loans.

Other services for students
The library is available to offer photocopying (10c per sheet), computer and internet access and the loaning of laptops to help students with assignment tasks. 

The computers and internet are available at all times from the library for library research purposes. At lunchtime, the internet can be used for school-based research. Printing from the computers is also possible.

To borrow a laptop, students must demonstrate basic computer skills in their Learning Technologies class. Parents or carers are required to pick up the computer from the library, sign for it and return it the following morning.