The practical stuff
MCPS Bell Times
- 8:30am - School supervision begins on the school COLA
- 9:00am - School commences
- 11:05 - 11:35 - Recess (with the first 10minutes as supervised eating time)
- 12:55 - 1:45 - Lunch (with the first 10minutes as supervised eating time)
- 3:05pm - School concludes
Children requiring supervision outside of these hours must be booked into before and after school care (BASC)
The School Office
The school office is your first point of contact for questions or concerns, or to complete any administration, including online forms. If you urgently need to communicate a change of plans to your child, please call the school office.
Hours: Mon-Fri (during term) 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Phone: 9477 3627.
Email: mtcolah-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
If you are entering the school grounds for any reason during school hours, you must present and sign in at the school office first.
School Communication - School Bytes
Please notify the school office if your personal circumstances or contact details change. All communication from the school is sent through school bytes. We recommend both parents/carers download the school bytes app. The app will be available to download once your child is enrolled. This is how the school communicates all school news, events, notifications, and if there is a school emergency. Permissions for excursions and all finance communication will also be via school bytes. The app also allows you to send student absentee forms electronically.
Once school has commenced class teachers will communicate with you via the class messaging platform ‘ClassDojo’. You will receive further details at the start of the Kindergarten school year.
What to pack in your child's school bag
Please pack a school hat, crunch and sip, recess and lunch, and a drink bottle. Please make sure all items are clearly labelled with the student name (including the school bag). Please also include a spare set of underwear and socks (in the case of a toileting accident), and a raincoat for wet weather.
At the start of the Kindergarten school year children will also need a paint smock and headphones (with cord and 'Jack plug' connection, no bluetooth). Class teachers will notify you when it is time to send these to school.
Eating at school
Eating at school can be quite different from eating at home or preschool. At MCPS, children often sit on the ground and eat with their lunchboxes on their laps, so meals need to be easy to manage independently. It's important that your child can open all their containers and packaging on their own.
Each morning, we have a short break called Crunch & Sip, where students are encouraged to eat a small piece of fruit or vegetable and have a drink of water.
At both recess and lunch, we start with a 10-minute seated eating time. This helps ensure all students have enough time to finish their food before heading off to play with friends.
Tips to Help Your Child:
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Pack food that is easy to open, easy to eat, and not too messy
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Label all containers, including lids of containers and drink bottles, with your child's name
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Keep portion sizes appropriate:
- A small fruit or vegetable for Crunch & Sip (e.g. cucumber sticks or apple slices — avoid whole apples)
- A small snack for recess
- A moderate-sized lunch such as a sandwhich
Please avoid overpacking. If lunchboxes are too full, children may spend all their time eating and miss out on play — which is just as important!
If your child has a recess order from the canteen they will be sent to collect it from the canteen window. Lunch orders are packed in a class basket and handed out by the teacher. If your child have a recess or lunch order please make sure they are aware as this will reduce confusion. Please make sure that all orders through Qkr have the student name and not the parent name click here to find out more
Ordering Uniforms
Uniforms can be ordered and then collected at Kindergarten orientation sessions. Please allow enough time to do this. Click here to find more information
The Canteen
The canteen is facilitated by the school P&C who operate a cashless canteen. Orders can be placed through the Qkr! app - click here to find out more