Welcome to Helena College

All booklist and stationary requirements for Junior School students (Kindergarten to Year 5) are included in the tuition fees for the year. 

The Junior School Canteen operates on Monday through to Friday and relies on voluntary assistance on Mondays and Fridays and for special events. We offer students recess snacks with a varying lunch menu daily. 

• The Canteen is a cash free facility - morning tea, lunches and ice-creams can be ordered online at www.quickcliq.com.au. 
• The Canteen Menu is available through the Learning Management System (new families will receive their log in details to the LMS prior to the commencement of Term One, 2025).
• The Early Learning Centre students have their morning tea and lunch delivered to the classroom. 
• Years 1-5 students collect their morning tea orders from the Canteen at recess. Lunches are delivered to the classrooms in designated baskets. 
• Years 1-5 students need to return to the Canteen at the second lunch bell to pick up their pre-ordered ice-creams. 
• Online ordering closes at 8am on the morning of the day in question. Please note, the Canteen cannot guarantee a 100 percent allergy-free environment.

Helena College supplies a device for all students. In Junior School, all students will be provided with a school-owned device (as appropriate to their year level) which remains at school at all times for in-classroom use where relevant to learning. In addition, students will also have access to our Computer Lab for specialist lessons. The fees for the College’s ICT/device program are incorporated into the annual tuition fee.  Use of the device is governed by the Student Code of Conduct and the ICT Policy, both of which can be viewed on the Policy page of the website. 

Junior School students have the wonderful opportunity to select from a wide range of creative and stimulating courses offered through the Electives program. Classes are purposely designed to provide differentiated learning experiences whilst fostering individual differences and embracing the richness and diversity of whole person development. 

Rather than one-off sessions or in-residence visits, our classes form part of our regular program. They run both in school time and after school and are primarily offered to students from Years 1 to 5. Please download the Electives Brochure for more information. 

Elective nomination forms have been provided to you via email as part of your Orientation Welcome Pack. For ease of access, you can also access them here:

• Pre-Primary Form
• Year 1-3 Form
• Year 4-5 Form

Please note that these forms are the same as those provided to new Junior School families via email. The forms are listed here as a reminder and quick access tool in case the original email is misplaced. Forms only need to be completed once per child. Parents can easily update key information through the Parent Lounge once they receive their log in details.

MANDATORY FORMS

• Speech screening (new students in Kindergarten to Year 1 only)
• OT screening (new students in Kindergarten to Year 1 only)

OPTIONAL FORMS

• Bus Services/SmartRider: The College offers morning and afternoon bus services to six main regions, including a free shuttle between campuses for Junior School students. Registration is compulsory for any student planning on using the buses. Bus Use and SmartRider Form 
• Canteen Volunteers: The Canteen is open five days a week. We offer students recess snacks with a varying lunch menu daily. The support of volunteers is vital to the efficient running of the Canteen, and we warmly welcome new volunteers. Register your interest in volunteering

The school hours for the Junior School are as follows:

• Administration Office: 8.20am – 4.20pm (during term times)
• Years 1-5*: 8.20am – 3pm
• Pre-Primary*: 8.30am – 2.50pm
• Kindergarten*: 8.30am – 2.45pm (Please note: for the first two weeks of Term One, students will finish at 12pm)

*The chime will sound at 8.40am to commence instructional learning

BREAKS

Morning recess is from 10:30am to 10:50am and lunch break from 12:30pm to 1:10pm. Please note, we do offer a Canteen service Monday to Friday (online ordering only).

CLASS TIMETABLE

Parents will be invited to a Parent and Teacher Information Night in early Term One at which class timetables will be provided.

We're looking forward to welcoming you to our community. Here are a few additional items that may be of interest to new Junior School families:

• Parent Handbook 
• Kindy Parent Handbook
• Creative Movement (Kindy and Pre-primary only)
• Frequently Asked Questions

A Parent Directory is available through the Parent Lounge. It is a more secure option than the traditional 'Phone Trees' and allows parents more control over their inclusion and what information is shared. The Parent Directory offers the following:

• As the Parent Lounge is password protected, it means any data you choose to share is safer than in a shared online document
• You can choose whether your information is to be included
• You can choose which information you would like to make available to other parents
• You can easily change your preferences at any time
• If your contact details change, you only need change them in one place - the system will automatically update the Parent Directory and College records
• Only other members of your child's classroom (K-Y5) or homeroom (Y6-12) will be able to see your details if you choose to be involved

We encourage families to log in to the Parent Lounge this term and explore the Parent Directory options and perhaps give it a test run.

This video (which is also available in the links section of the Parent Lounge) demonstrates how to include your details in the Parent Directory.

The Parent Directory is intended to be a beneficial way to help families keep in touch with each other, connect new and existing families, and for those with younger children, arrange play dates! 

If you choose to participate in the Parent Directory, please be aware that it is fairly new addition to our services. As such, you may be among the first to sign up and may not see other parents' details immediately - it can take time for everyone to choose their preferred level of involvement in the Parent Lounge.

Please note that you can choose to withdraw your details at any time.

NOTE: It is not possible for the Helena College to maintain the parent contact information that is displayed in the Parent Directory. It is the responsibility of each parent as to whether they participate in the directory and what information they make public.