Respecting Rhythms: The Importance of Punctuality at Fossil Bay School and Kindergarten

At Fossil Bay, we believe in the power of rhythm to create a smooth and productive day for our students. From school to kindergarten, punctuality plays a key role in ensuring everyone starts their day on the right note.

School Hours and Timetable Adjustments

For the school, last year’s frequent tardiness led us to incorporate a buffer of free time in the timetable to accommodate late arrivals. While this allowed us to wait for everyone before officially starting the day, it came at the cost of shorter main lessons. After reviewing our schedule, we’ve decided to remove that buffer and start the school day earlier. With Tyler now arriving 20 minutes earlier than Trudi did, we are committed to beginning lessons promptly. As a result, arriving late will now have a greater impact on the entire class, as there will no longer be extra time set aside to wait for latecomers.

Imagine arriving late to a sports class, missing the initial greetings and warm-up, and jumping straight into the exercises. Similarly, when a child arrives late, they may feel out of sync as activities are already underway. This not only requires teachers to repeat instructions but can also disrupt the flow of the class. We kindly ask families to prioritise punctuality to support not just your child(ren)’s learning but also the smooth and uninterrupted flow of the day for all.

Kindergarten Morning Rhythm

For the kindergarten, we’ve designed the morning rhythm so that children can comfortably arrive anytime between 8:00am and 8:30am, with the day beginning smoothly from that time. However, just like in the school, arriving after the rhythm has begun can disrupt the flow of the day. We kindly ask that families respect this window for drop-off to help children settle in comfortably and ensure a seamless start to their day.

Timely Pick-Up and Care Outside School Hours

Please respect our official opening hours for both the school and kindergarten and avoid dropping off your child early or picking them up late. While teachers may be present before and after the school day, this time is dedicated to essential preparation and their considerable workload outside operating hours. Arriving outside of these times impacts their ability to manage these responsibilities effectively.

School hours:
8:45am - 2:45pm, Monday - Thursday
8:45am - 1:30pm, Friday

Kindergarten hours:
8:00am - 3:00pm, Monday - Friday

We encourage families to collaborate and support one another for care outside of operating hours, rather than relying on teachers. In our kindergarten, we have had to introduce late pick-up fees as a last resort. Thank you for helping us maintain a respectful and supportive environment for everyone.