Starting school is an exciting time and an important milestone in your child’s life and maybe also your life – particularly if this is your first child to come to school.

 We look forward to working with you and your child to make the transition from preschool to school a positive experience. 

The staff at Makikihi School welcome you, your family and your five year old, and recognise the importance of a smooth transition into school. 

At Makikihi School we have an open door policy and see communication between home and school as an integral part of your child’s learning. If you have any questions, please come and see us so we can discuss these. 

If this is your first child at school often it is new for you as a parent as well as so much has changed perhaps since you were last a student. Some children are comfortable and gain confidence quickly while it is natural for some to take a little longer to settle into school life. 

We recognise that children bring many different skills and experiences to school with them so along with the literacy and numeracy skills that are focused on in the first year, we encourage the children to begin to develop the key competencies through our school programmes. These are the skills identified in the New Zealand Curriculum that they will need to be successful life-long learners. Thinking, Relating to others, Using language, symbols, and texts, Managing self, Participating and contributing 

ENROLMENT AT MAKIKIHI SCHOOL

Children are entitled to start school the day of their fifth birthday. They can start later than this at the parent’s discretion but must be enrolled at six by law.

When approaching the age of five, the children are encouraged to attend for pre-school visits. Normally these visits are for one half-day per week, no sooner than 12 weeks before their fifth birthday. These arrangements are flexible and can be made through the Principal and by liaison with the junior room teacher. Visits may be extended appropriately as the birth date approaches.

FORMS TO BE COMPLETED

When you enrol your child, you will be asked to fill in forms which supply information as follows:

·    Enrolment form for school records, details such as full name of the child, parents’ names, home address, contact details, etc.

Plus, For New Entrants:

·    A certified copy of a full birth certificate.

·    A copy of the child’s Immunisation record (from their Well Child – Tamariki Ora Health Book) is required documentation for registration in New Zealand schools.