School Beliefs About Behaviour and Learning
At Balmoral, we believe that a supportive school environment is created by quality interpersonal relationships within and outside of the school. Our school community is based around a Positive Behaviour Support program that is focused on explicitly teaching students the desired behaviours and rewarding appropriately.
Responsibility: As a responsible student,
- I know and abide by the school rules, policies and procedures
- I attend school regularly and on time for all my classes
- I am prepared for my classes and have all of the required books, writing implements and equipment
- I show self-control and consider how my actions may affect others
- I respect others’ personal space, and keep my hands and feet to myself at all times
- I follow directions promptly and to the best of my understanding
- I own my own behaviour
- I am an active and contributing team member and member of society
- I encourage and develop positive relationships with others
- I develop resilience to effectively deal with problems and issues as they arise
Excellence: As a student who demonstrates excellence,
- I conduct myself in an excellent manner both in and out of the school
- I take pride in my personal presentation and my school work
- I wear the school uniform correctly and with pride
- I speak politely and use appropriate language at all times
- I set personal and learning goals
- I try my hardest, even when the task appears difficult or insurmountable
- I complete all set tasks and assessments on time
Acceptance: As a student who accepts others,
- I respect the right of others to teach and to learn
- I act and behave in a manner that respects the diversity of backgrounds and cultures that create our Balmoral SHS community
- I am responsible for my learning and actions which create the environment in which we all learn
- I respect and appreciate the individual differences that make each of us unique
- I am tolerant of others and try to be patient and understanding, even in challenging situations
- I acknowledge the ideas and opinions of others and encourage everybody in my group to have a say
Learning: As a Learner,
- I listen attentively to all instructions and follow them promptly
- I participate actively in all of my classes
- I accept that sometimes I may not understand an activity but I will try it anyway
- I accept that sometimes I make mistakes but all mistakes are opportunities to learn from
- I empower myself and individuals to promote independence
School Procedures and Expectations
ADMINISTERING MEDICATION AND FIRST AID
At Balmoral State High School, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students, staff and volunteers. This commitment includes the health and safety of staff and students when conduction curriculum activities in the school or in other locations. Occasionally, it is a requirement that medication be administered or first aid rendered. The purpose of this policy is to provide information to Parents, Carers, and Staff in relation to administering medication and rendering first aid.
Please complete this form and drop it into the school office with presciption labelled medication if your student has to take medication at school.
Anti-Bullying and Harrasment Policy
Balmoral State High School is a place where all members of our school community should be able to enjoy a safe and supportive environment, free from fear or harassment. Bullying or harassing behaviour is contradictory to our values of:
Responsible Excellence Acceptance Learning
Balmoral State High School community, like any other, is a diverse one which includes students, teachers, parents, caregivers, administration, cleaning and grounds staff, volunteers and other visitors. Bullying and harassment of any member of Balmoral State High School community will not be tolerated.
Aims of the Anti-Bullying Policy
To raise awareness in the school and wider community regarding bullying and harassing behaviour and its negative impact on the school community
- To promote the development of skills to minimise the incidence and impacts of bullying and harassment
- To encourage everyone to believe they can make a difference
- To develop a whole school commitment to tolerance of differences, whether they be based on gender, age, ethnicity or ability
- To provide guidelines and procedures for dealing with bullying when it occurs
Attendance - Every Day Counts
Balmoral State High School is committed to ensuring each student has the opportunity to receive the optimum education possible through ensuring students regular attendance at school. Education Queensland has resources and information available to parents and carers to support the regular attendance of students on a page titled - Every day Counts.
Attendance is a key priority at Balmoral SHS and all students are expected to attend school each and every day.
- If there is a reason your child is absent, you must inform the school by either phone call, QParents, or a note to be handed into the office.
- It is a clear expectation at Balmoral SHS that every student should meet at least a 95% attendance rate – this allows 10 days absence throughout the entire year for illness.
- School starts each day at 8.45am and students should arrive before 8.30am to be ready for Period 1. Students must arrive on time each day and not be late for school. If a student does arrive late, they need to report to the office upon arrival at school. Please do not schedule appointments for your child during school hours. If your child needs to leave early, they must report to the office for a Leave Pass.
Banned Activities and Items
Banned activities for all students include smoking, gambling and the consumption of alcohol or drugs. Students who are identified in participating in this behaviour will have serious consequences imposed in accordance with the Responsible Behaviour Management Plan for Students. In serious circumstances, students will also be reported to the police.
Students may not bring to school any spray deodorant cans, weapons or replicas of weapons, items capable of being used a weapon, lasers, firearms and knives (pen knives, fruit knives, knife blades, razor blades or any other blades are all regarded as knives).
Behaviour in Public
We rely on the good sense and appropriate conduct of students when in public. Inappropriate behaviour is quickly reported to the school. The school will act on information provided. With reference to appearance and behaviour, the reputation of the school largely depends on how the students are seen to act outside the school grounds.
Behaviour on Public Transport and Bus Procedures
All students must use their GoCard for bus travel. Students who catch a bus from school in the afternoon meet at F-Block and stay inside the grounds until the bus arrives. Students must follow the directions of teachers and staff to board. Students Students should show every courtesy to fellow travellers, i.e. standing / offering a seat to adults, stowing school bags away from aisles, thanking the driver, etc. Students are not to move about the bus or train and should only converse with students near them. They should not shout, call out loudly or engage in long conversations with the bus driver. On the train, students should move down the aisle, leave the doorway free and be careful their bags do not knock passengers. Students should always stand for adults and allow people to board the bus or train before they enter themselves.
Dress Code
Balmoral State High School is a 100% full school uniform school. This position is fully endorsed and supported by our Parents and Citizens Association, the school staff and the wider school community. It is expected that students enrolling at Balmoral SHS will have carefully considered the expectations of and will abide by the dress code.
A full uniform code is strongly supported because:
- It makes a statement that our Balmoral State High School community cares about standards, that we are a school in which ‘near enough’ is not good enough.
- It encourages identification with our school and the development of school spirit which is essential for us to be an effective learning environment.
- It reinforces the concept of team and community – of students, staff and parents working together for the benefit of all.
- It removes distractions and competitions about clothes, which can be stressful to teenagers.
- It provides an economical means of clothing students during the high school years.
- It reflects the reality of the workplace, where business and industry expects that corporate uniforms will be worn neatly and with pride.
- It covers basic health and safety requirements for schools as workplaces
'Away for the Day' Policy
From the beginning of 2024, all Queensland state school students will have their mobile phones switched off and ‘away for the day’. This announcement also extends to wearable devices like smartwatches, which can be worn, but must have notifications switched off, so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.
This will bring consistency across the nation, with all other states and territories agreeing to consistent restrictions on the use of mobile phones in government schools from the start of the school year.
'Away for the day' will support our school to maintain a strong focus on educational achievement, and student wellbeing and engagement by:
- providing optimal learning and teaching environments
- encouraging increased face-to-face social interactions between students
- promoting the health and wellbeing of students through increased physical activity at break times
- reducing the potential for students to be exposed to the negative impacts of the digital world, resulting from unsafe or inappropriate technology use.
The Mobile Phone Pouch program employs a simple, easy-to-use case that stores a mobile and requires an unlocking base to open. When students enter school grounds they will place their phone in a mobile phone pouch which is then locked. Students maintain possession of their phones but will not be able to use them until they are unlocked at the end of the day. During lessons that require or would be enriched by the use of mobile phones, unlocking stations would be provided for educational purposes.
We thank you for your continued support in ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for our students.
For more information and frequently asked questions, visit the department’s website: https://tinyurl.com/329kup6u
If a parent needs to contact their child during school hours, this must be done through the school office. Should a student need to go home due to illness or any other reason during the school day, it is the school's responsibility to contact parents to coordinate and organise arrangements. In urgent circumstances students can ask permission to contact parents/carers and use the phone in the administration foyer. Every attempt will be made to contact students should parents/carers need to get an urgent message to students.
Further policies and procedures can be located in the Balmoral SHS student diary.