Student/Parent News
St Matthew’s Primary School will soon be launching the Compass Parent Portal.
Compass Parent Portal is an online portal that lets you access important information about your child’s school and their progress. Including school reports.
The portal will be accessible via the web and the Compass School Manager App (via the App store on your device) and will make engaging with us as a school faster, easier and more secure.
The Parent Portal can be accessed to:
- Receive relevant messaging through the app or desktop
- Submit absence notes
- Give consent for excursions/events
- Communicate with teachers
- Academic reporting
- Attendance records
- Quick access to school website
Later this term you will receive an email advising you of your username and password to access the Compass Parent Portal.
To facilitate the launch, we require your current email address in our database. If your details need updating, please email the front office at office.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au so this can be actioned straight away.
The use of Schoolzine (SZAPP) for communication and notifications will be phased out as we commence using the Parent Portal.
Email Communication
St Matthew’s Primary School values and promotes partnerships that develop between parents/carers, students, and staff. We are committed to communication that is respectful, measured, sensitive and constructive.
We acknowledge that email is very convenient for parents who may find it difficult to speak to school staff during regular work hours.
Email is the most effective form of communication for non-urgent matters and queries. Staff will only check their emails when they are not teaching. For this reason, emails are generally not accessed nor sent during classroom teaching time. So, for urgent matters, such as information about medication, lost clothing, or dietary information, parents are asked to call or email the front office.
Our school community also values face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations, and we understand that these forms of communication are preferred in many situations (when COVID-19 Safety Protocols allow). Parents are invited to email teachers, or contact the front office, to make appointments for face-to-face or telephone meetings.
Answering emails after hours and on weekends has been shown to affect work-life balance, health and levels of sleep. With the exception of extenuating circumstances, or in an emergency, staff are not expected to access or to respond to emails from other staff members, or parents, outside of normal working hours (ie 8.30am to 5pm). You can expect that your email will be responded to within two school days.
Please contact the school if you have any questions about these protocols.
Petra Cole
Assistant Principal