Information for Families

Stewart House provides four comfortable dormitory-style cabins with modern amenities supervised by qualified adults overnight and on weekends. On weekdays, children attend a government school on-site during normal school hours. Watch Let’s Get Happy – A Day in the Life of Stewart House to see what a typical day looks like for our students.  

Your school Principal nominates children who benefit most. Contact your child’s the Principal for more information about their nomination.

Children stay for a period of two school weeks, usually arriving on a Monday and leaving on the Friday of the following week, making this a 12-day program. We staff an onsite laundry and wash daily. Please mark your child’s name on all clothing. We recommend you pack the following:

• Three changes of clothing (minimum), including underwear, pyjamas, swimming costume, comfortable shoes (no thongs), some warm clothes and a hat.
• Toiletries including toothbrush and toothpaste
• Required medications in their original packaging that must be handed to adults on the first day for safekeeping

Please do not pack:

• Bed linen and towels. These are provided
• Rash/ Swimming vests. Special Stewart House rash vests are supplied, and the children must wear them when swimming in any pool
• Any money at all. All activities are provided free of charge
• Midriff or singlet tops (due to the risk of sunburn)
• Personal food items
• Hairdryers and hair straighteners (due to the risk of electrical fire)
• Tobacco and alcohol

The following items must be handed in for safekeeping on arrival at Stewart House:

• Mobile/smartphones, iPods, iPads, MP3 players, digital cameras (it is not appropriate for students to carry or use mobile phones at any time within the 12-day program)
• All medications

Travel to Stewart House is arranged by a local school in your area. Your school Principal will advise you about travel details. There is NO COST to families for the Stewart House Program.

Stewart House has a fleet of mini-buses to transport children to activities across Sydney.  Every second day children go on excursions to see the best of what Sydney has to offer. Children in the care of Stewart House attend a specific purpose school onsite for up to 10 days of their 12-day stay. The NSW Department of Education provides infrastructure and staffing support for this school. The program is designed to be different from regular school. On the days spent in and around Stewart House, children attend classes where social skills, emotional regulation, physical activity, arts and crafts and cultural awareness take centre stage.

Popular excursions include:

• Taronga Zoo
• Australian Museum
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
• Harbour crossing on the Manly Ferry
• Walks across the footpath on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Visits to local parks & attractions

Your child’s hair, teeth, eyes, ears and general health will be checked by qualified medical staff and where appropriate, treatment will be given free-of-charge. Stewart House has professional staff who are sensitive and responsive to children with healthcare needs. No child will knowingly be placed in an embarrassing situation, so please advise us of your child’s needs.

Stewart House follows the NSW Department of Health guidelines, just like a hospital. If your child takes medications, they must:

• Be prescribed by a doctor
• Be supplied in their original packaging (the box you get them in from the pharmacist)
• Have the child’s name and chemist instructions on the packaging. Medications cannot be re-packed into daily doses (even by the chemist). We cannot administer non-prescribed or ‘over-the-counter’ medication unless your doctor gives us directions.

All drugs, pills and medicines will be stored securely by our staff and administered to your child following the doctor’s or chemist’s instructions.

Please send us your child’s anaphylaxis, asthma, or medication management plans with your completed Student Health Information Form.

Stewart House serves 5 meals each day (breakfast, early lunch, snack, dinner, and supper) and the 12-day program has a balanced meal plan. Fresh fruit is always available as a snack.

Stewart House is a nut-free zone.

If your child has food allergies or other dietary requirements, we will prepare different meals. The vast majority of our menu complies with food preparation requirements for different cultures. Please ensure that ALL relevant information is included in the parent permission referral forms or contact Stewart House by phone or e-mail if you are unsure. Children’s eating habits are monitored and we will contact you for advice if necessary, to ensure your child has a healthy stay.

We ask the children to hand in their mobile phones and other personal devices which will be locked in a safe for the duration of their stay. These will be returned to them at the conclusion of the program.

We encourage children to immerse themselves in our program so they can enjoy the full 12-day experience. It is a busy schedule and children could be in class, at the beach, in the playground, in cabins or somewhere else in Sydney at any time.

Due to the busy Stewart House program, personal phone calls to your child are not encouraged. Staff are happy to answer any queries and will inform you of their progress during office hours on 02 9938 3100.

Stewart House provides general SMS updates to parents throughout the program.

Email is the preferred mode for communication and can be sent to your child via students@stewarthouse.org.au. These emails will be forwarded to your child at a suitable time (excluding weekends). Your child will be given the opportunity to reply during their stay.

You will be contacted if we need to seek further medical permissions or your assistance in providing appropriate care for your child.

A note about homesickness

For most children attending Stewart House, 12 days is the longest time they will have been away from home. We have experienced staff who will ensure your child has a safe and enjoyable stay.  It is normal for children to experience a mix of feelings about coming to Stewart House, excitement, nervousness, curiosity, as well as having feelings of homesickness. Some children will experience stronger feelings and require more support during their stay. Our staff monitor children closely, provide support, and will arrange to contact carers with any concerns.

If your child falls ill immediately before their visit, please contact Stewart House to discuss if they should still attend at this time.

If your child has had contact with a contagious disease within 4 weeks of their visit or if their illness requires ongoing adult care, please contact Stewart House on 02 9938 3100.

We hope that the visit to Stewart House enables your child to:

• Be more confident in social situations with their friends and with adults
• Be more positive and aware of feeling good about themselves and their culture
• Experience the sights and sounds of a major capital city and have lots of fun