ABSENCE

Please notify the school (and advise the bus driver) if a child is to be absent. This allows the school to know that your child is safe. The school endeavours to contact parents/caregivers over un-notified absentees as a matter of standard procedure.

Parents occasionally ask to have children away from school for important or urgent family business. Parents are trusted to use their discretion and common sense regarding absenting their children from school.

ACCIDENT OR ILLNESS AT SCHOOL

Minor ailments will be treated by staff. If they are more serious, a staff member will ring you and have you collect your child. When you enrol your child it is important that you provide your private number, business number (if any) and also an emergency number to ring should you be unavailable.  Please keep these numbers up to date. If you become aware of any hazard or unsafe practice at school, please advise us so we can keep the school safe.

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

The children have Bible in Schools instruction every Thursday morning. This is values based and is non-denominational. Parents can opt children from this programme as of right by contacting the Principal. The school’s policy about this is a public document and will be provided on request

BOOK CLUB

Scholastic and Arrow book club brochures are regularly sent home for opportunities to purchase books.

DENTAL TREATMENT

A mobile dental clinic visits the school on an annual basis. Parents are contacted if there is any follow up work to be done.

ENROLMENT

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.

HEALTH CARE

The school has access to a “District Health Nurse”. Should you wish to contact her, please let us know and we will arrange this for you.

HOMEWORK

Primary children should not be burdened with large amounts of school work to be done in leisure time. Having to attend to some research work or some routine learning activity is of value to children. Regular reading or being read to increases language ability and reading should be done by all pupils at home.

Parents should praise successes and avoid being critical of failures. Any homework the child does should be supervised and good study habits encouraged. Homework should involve using skills already taught at school as revision and practice. It is most important for children to read for their own pleasure and information.

LUNCHES

The children may bring pies, toasties etc to be heated in the school’s mini oven. This food needs to be appropriately wrapped and named to ensure correct food to correct child.  Food is not sold at the school. Junior room children need to have food which they can manage independently e.g. oranges peeled, apples cut, own spoons for yoghurt or fruit cups etc. Noodles and cup-a-soup are discouraged for students because of the hot water content. Water only in drink bottles please.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

Parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress at any time throughout the school year. Outside of this, there are two formal reports, one early in July and the other in December and Parent interviews are scheduled at the end of the first term. Interviews are organised to allow for personal discussion on the progress of the individual child and provide parents with the opportunity to volunteer extra information which they feel will help with their child’s progress. You are welcome to arrange to see the Principal or Room One teacher about your child by appointment anytime throughout the year.

ROAD SAFETY

Parents can help by supervising the children as they cross State Highway One in the mornings. The school organises supervised crossing after school.

Children are expected to wear safety vests when travelling to and from school.

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

The school offers a door to door bus service covering its TEZ (Transport Entitlement Zone) i.e. North Makikihi (including Woolshed Valley Road) to Hunter/Hook/Waimate area and we are willing to provide this service to Waimate children where it is feasible to do so.

Please feel welcome to inquire about this excellent service.

SCHOOL GROUNDS

The playground may be used by any local children outside school hours on the condition that all school property is treated with the utmost respect. People from the community and their friends are always welcome to appropriately use school facilities.

SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL

The normal swimming season runs from mid-November to April. Parents of junior children can assist the teacher by sending their children dressed in clothes which the child can change out of and into independently. Togs and towel in a suitable bag are another aid to this part of the swimming routine. Name all clothing please. This is helpful in all seasons.

The rules for the swimming pool are posted in the pool area.

Keys are available to parents and community members at a cost of $50.00 for the season. A $10.00 refund is given when the keys are returned at the end of the season.