FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – STUDENTS

Attendance and Punctuality
Being present and on time is essential for making the most of your learning opportunities this term. Students are encouraged to attend PC and all classes punctually. Regular attendance plays a vital role in both academic success and overall wellbeing at school.

Arriving late to class can increase stress, as you may miss important instructions or the start of a task. Every minute of every lesson counts. For example, being just 5 minutes late to one lesson each day adds up to the equivalent of 3 full school days lost over a year. If you are 5 minutes late to every lesson in a single day, this can total up to 18 days of lost learning time across the year.

Every lesson, every day, matters.

 

The Australian Government has committed to deliver a public information and warning system known as AusAlert prior to the 2026-27 Higher Risk Weather Season (HRWS). This system will enable emergency service organisations to deliver emergency and public safety messages to compatible mobile phones and other mobile devices.

AusAlert operates independently of traditional mobile networks, eliminating delays caused by network congestion. This ensures it remains a dependable tool for delivering life-saving information when it matters the most.

It will include two (2) alert levels:

  • Critical Alert
    • This is the highest level of warning. This intrusive alert will have a fixed volume unique alert sound (10.5 seconds), vibration and potentially a flashing light. Users cannot opt out of receiving Critical Alerts.
    • The Critical Alert overrides silent and do not disturb. The only method of not receiving this alert is to turn a device off or put it in aeroplane mode.
  • Priority Alert
    • This has the same alert sound as a Critical Alert. It will still make the unique alert sound for 10.5 seconds and your device will vibrate. However, users can opt out of receiving Priority Alerts by going to their notification settings on their device.

OFFICIAL AusAlert Product Benefits include:

  • Immediate Reach: Alerts are delivered almost instantly to all compatible devices in a targeted area.
  • Network Resilience: Cell broadcast is not impacted by network congestion during emergencies.
  • Geo-targeted Delivery: Alerts are delivered to a specific geographic area within 160m accuracy.

EA will operate in tandem with AusAlert until July 2027, where it will reach its end of life and AusAlert will take its place. Landline emergency messaging will continue through this transition. 

Community-Based Trials

Prior to launch, AusAlert will undergo extensive testing and community trials. These trials will not occur in Townsville.

National Test

A national test will follow community-based trials and is scheduled to take place at 2.00pm (AEST) on Monday 27 July 2026. This test will feature the Critical Alert and activate on all compatible devices. 

It is recommended that students have their phones turned off and kept in lockers/bags during the testing timeframes. The critical alert will activate if a phone is turned to silent or do not disturb.

 We will be informing students of this closer to the date.

Kristen Armitage

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – STUDENTS