On this page:
| School Hours | Communication |
| Shuttle Bus Procedures | School Attendance |
| Parent Morning Drop Off | Code of Conduct |
| Parent Afternoon Pick Up/Drive-Through | Epping Local Bus Travel |
| Car Park | Parent Involvement |
School Hours at OLHC
| Playground Supervision | 8:20am |
| School Commences | 8:50am |
| Recess | 11:00am - 11:40am |
| Lunch | 1:40pm - 2:20pm |
| Dismissal | 2:40pm |
| Pick Up (from OLHC Church) | 3:00pm |
| Pick Up (from Pennant Hills) | 3:10pm |
OLHC Shuttle Bus Morning / Afternoon Procedures
| 8:00 am | Student supervision commences at OLHC Church forecourt on Oxford Street Students to check in with OLHC Staff Supervisors on arrival at the church forecourt |
| 8:25 am | 2 x shuttle buses depart OLHC Church for OLHC Pennant Hills One OLHC Staff Supervisor will be on each bus Bus attendance recorded on student compass profile Shuttle bus collects students from Big Childcare OOSH en-route to OLHC Pennant Hills OLHC Staff Supervisor marks the Compass bus rolls (email to parents) |
| 8:50 am | Shuttle buses arrive at Trebor Road bus stop outside OLHC Pennant Hills OLHC Supervisors walk students off the bus and into school grounds to their classrooms, ready to commence their classes |
| 2:40 pm | Class teachers walk their class across the pedestrian crossing at Trebor Rd and supervise/mark them off hopping onto the Shuttle Bus Pick Up students wait in the St Agatha’s Pick Up Area Shuttle Buses depart OLHC Pennant Hills OLHC Staff Supervisor marks the Compass bus rolls (email to parents) |
| 3:00 pm | Shuttle Buses drop students at the OLHC Church forecourt with the OLHC Teacher supervisor Shuttle bus drops OOSH students at Big Childcare OOSH with other OLHC Supervisor Big Childcare sends an SMS to parents that their child has arrived at OOSH |
Parent Morning Drop Off at OLHC Pennant Hills
Supervision is provided in the morning from 8.20 a.m. on the Basketball Playground until the bell rings at 8.50 a.m.
If driving, please drop your child off at the Drop Off Area on the Top Playground off Boundary Street. The Drop-Off zone is the corner where the gate and brick building meet. Students will enter through this gate and walk to the Basketball Court Playground.
To enter the Boundary Road entrance when driving from Epping:
- turn left onto Boundary Road from Pennant Hills Road
- turn right onto Bellamy Road and drive up to the roundabout on the corner of Laurence Street
- take the 3rd exit on the roundabout heading back along Bellamy Road to Boundary Road
- turn left onto Boundary Road and then take the second driveway on the left into the school site
Should a student arrive after the bell at 8.50 am, parents are to sign in at the Compass kiosk in the OLHC office, and the slip is then taken to the teacher by the student.
If your child leaves school before 3 pm, you will need to go to the School Office to collect your child and sign them out at the kiosk. If you are aware in advance that your child will leave early, you are asked to write a note or email the class teacher.
Parent Afternoon Pick Up/Drive Through at OLHC Pennant Hills
Drive Through commences at 3:10 pm
If using the afternoon Drive Through, the entrance is on Boundary Road, and the exit is Trebor Road.
To enter the Boundary Road entrance when driving from Epping:
● turn left onto Boundary Road from Pennant Hills Road
● turn right onto Bellamy Road and drive up to the roundabout on the corner of Laurence Street
● take the 3rd exit on the roundabout heading back along Bellamy Road to Boundary Road
● turn left onto Boundary Road and then take the second driveway on the left into the school site
- Parents need a family name sign – obtained from the OLHC office to use in the drive through
- Children sit in the drive-through covered area (not on the pathway)
- A member of staff uses the portable microphone to call each child’s name e.g., “Smith family on 1” or “Jones family on 2” (this is because the que moves into 2 lines)
- Two Teachers stand on the number marker in the wait areas and load children into cars, paying attention to traffic flow while supervising children. Teachers walk children to their car. Children need to hold hands with the teacher and siblings.
- Parents to remind children to buckle up.
- If parents are new to the drive-through, teachers will take time to explain the stop line, the clear view of the walking space, the loading area at the speed hump and to stay in their cars.
- Remind children to sit in the covered area and chat or read – all balls and food should be in school bags.
If your child leaves school before dismissal, you must go to the School Office to collect your child and sign them out at the kiosk.
Car Parking
TOP PLAYGROUND off Boundary Road – Parents are able to park in the top playground off Boundary Road between 9am – 11am and 11.50am – 1.50pm. Please be aware that from 9am parishioners also use the top carpark to park for mass. From 2.00pm there is no parking in the Boundary Road Top Playground.
STREET PARKING – 3 Hour parking is also available a short, convenient walk away at Pennant Hills shops off Fisher Avenue. Some limited parking spaces are available around the school. Please observe traffic regulations when parking your car. Police and parking inspectors patrol the area regularly. We do our very best to keep in touch with local authorities to assist in keeping pick-up and drop-off areas outside the school clear and safe for the children.
Communication
At Our Lady Help of Christians, we welcome and promote strong communication links with parents, the parish and the Catholic Schools Broken Bay Diocese. We invite parents to contact the school if they wish to discuss their child’s needs at any time. Please get in touch with your class teacher in the first instance by phoning 9868 3322 or emailing olhc@dbb.catholic.edu.au. Our Senior Administrator Melissa will forward messages to class teachers. Interviews with the Principal can be arranged upon request or by appointment through the school office.
A fortnightly Newsletter informs parents of current school happenings and future dates. The newsletter is published every second Wednesday and is available via email and school Compass App as well as the school’s website. You can also visit and like our Facebook page facebook.com/OLHCEpping2121 where we share and promote to the community our fabulous OLHC students and the wonderful opportunities that we offer at OLHC.
Throughout the year, the Catholic Schools Broken Bay Diocese Parent Council organises education seminars, information evenings and workshops around current issues in education. The school also provides school-based information evenings around current practises and educational trends. These events are highlighted throughout the year in our school’s fortnightly newsletter.
School Attendance
If your child is away from school for a whole day an absence note must be recorded in the School Compass App with details regarding the absence. This must be completed within seven days of the absence or it will permanently be recorded as an unexplained absence. If you know in advance, the absence can be recorded in the Compass App also (for whole days only).
Parents must apply for leave (for a period of longer than 10 days) by completing a form for exemption and if approved, a certificate will be forwarded.
Code of Conduct
Students at Our Lady Help of Christians follow a School Code of Conduct:
At Our Lady Help of Christians, we create a safe and friendly school environment by:
Showing respect and care for others and ourselves by being considerate.
Ensuring the safety of others and ourselves.
Respecting the property of the school, others and ourselves.
This ‘Code of Conduct’ is displayed in each classroom and provides a foundation for class teachers to generate a Class ‘Code of Conduct’ with their students. Children are affirmed for following the “Code of Conduct”, and procedures have been established for times when children breach the code of conduct.
The classroom teacher discusses the School Code of Conduct each year with the class to determine the classroom rules. This is revisited each term and referred to constantly.
Corporal punishment is expressly prohibited at Our Lady Help of Christians (including all teachers, support staff, parents and others).
The following principles are followed in our Behaviour Management Policies in compliance with the Federal Government requirements:
The vision is underpinned by the following guiding principles representing fundamental beliefs about safe, supportive and respectful school communities. These guiding principles emphasise the importance of student safety and wellbeing as a prerequisite for effective learning in all school settings.
Australian schools:
- affirm the rights of all members of the school community to feel safe and be safe at school
- acknowledge that being safe and supported at school is essential for student wellbeing and effective learning
- accept responsibility for developing and sustaining safe and supportive learning and teaching communities that also fulfil the school’s child protection responsibilities
- encourage the active participation of all school community members in developing and maintaining a safe school community where diversity is valued
- actively support young people to develop understanding and skills to keep themselves and others safe
- commit to developing a safe school community through a whole-school and evidence-based approach
National Safe Schools Framework, January, 2011
EPPING LOCAL BUS TRAVEL 2023
There is a local student-only bus service for those parents who would like their older child to catch the bus from OLHC Epping to their nearest bus stop.
The two services available cover the North Epping area (route No. 710) and the Dence Park area (special route No. 711). For Student Opal cards applications and information go to transportnsw.info/school-students.
Student opal cards are available for children who are:
- Kindergarten – Year 2 children, irrespective of the distance from home to school.
- Students in Years 3 to 6 who reside more than 1.6 kilometres from the school.
Parent Involvement
Parents are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their child’s education and the school community. This is an invaluable contribution to the school’s spirit and is much appreciated by the staff and the children. In addition, your involvement enriches your knowledge of the educational environment allowing you to assist your child’s growth and development both now and in the future.
Below is a list of ways in which you may choose to become involved:
| Classroom Parents | Dads in the Classroom Coordinator |
| School Advisory Team | Canteen volunteers |
| Canteen Co-ordinator | Uniform shop volunteers |
| Second-hand Uniform Shop Co-ordinator | Assisting teachers in Classroom |
| Book Club Co-ordinator | Library helpers |
| Excursion Helpers |
If you are interested in any of the roles listed above, please contact the office, and we will put you in touch with the appropriate person.