ATTENDANCE AND ENROLMENT

Children can not start school before their fifth birthday.  It is essential that children are enrolled before their fifth birthday.  Their birth certificate and immunisation certificate must be available  at the time of enrolment for all children starting school for the first time.  New residents to New Zealand must provide passports with current residency permits.  Acceptance letters will be sent to all parents of successful applicants.

Pupils are required to attend school whenever it is open unless they are unwell.  It is essential that parents and teachers know where children are.  If the following procedures are followed your child’s interests are protected.

In case of sickness or absence, parents are asked to notify the school by registering with School-links hosted communication software at www.school-links.org.nz. Administrative staff will be able to communicate information to you directly and alternatively you can communicate with us.  You will receive messages such as unexplained absences and lateness by text.  School notices and newsletters can be sent directly to your email.  It’s easy to use and has many features that can enhance communication between home and school.  Any unexplained absences are followed up daily by a phone call, text message or email, from the school, which require an immediate response.  This should also be followed with a note to the class teacher when your child returns to school. Please ensure you update your contact details as soon as they change in order for use to maintain an effective system.  If this electronic way of communicating is not suitable for you then you can notify us by phoning the Absence Line, 478 6239 (press 1).  

All children arriving at school after 8.45am must report to the school office where they will be issued with a “late pass” before they go to their classroom.  We do expect all children to be punctual.  All children are expected to be at school in time to prepare for class before the 8.45am bell for the start of the school day.  No student should arrive at school before 8.30am, without parental supervision.

We ask that appointments be made outside of school hours to avoid unnecessary interruptions to class programmes.

Any child leaving the school premises for any reason during the school day must first report to the School Office.

These procedures are not only a courtesy, but are also a safeguard for your child.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

All visitors to the school must check into the school office on arrival where they will be asked to sign the “Visitors Book” and receive a “Visitors Pass” to wear whilst they are present in the school grounds.

CONCERNS OF PARENTS

If parents have concerns about their child’s progress they should discuss the matter in the first instance with the class teacher.  The year level Learning Leader is also able to assist in dealing with concerns.  The Principal and Deputy Principals’ are readily available to discuss all aspects of your child’s schooling.  To ensure availability it is best to contact the School Office and make an appointment.  If you have a concern that has not been addressed to your satisfaction after following this process, you are encouraged to address your concerns in writing, to the Chairperson of the Board.  If your concern is with the Principal and you are unable to resolve your concern with the Principal, you must write to the Chairperson of the Board.

The Board of Trustees will only receive written letters of concern if the matter has already been discussed with the Principal.

COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS

Communication between parents and teachers is essential.  However brief or seemingly minor a matter may appear to be, parents are encouraged to make contact with their child’s teacher.  It is through such discussions that the teacher develops a full understanding of each child as an individual.  At the same time however, it is equally important not to interrupt the teaching programme even for what you may consider only a short time.  Please, therefore, contact the School Office to arrange a time that is convenient to both you and the teacher concerned, or if so desired please do not hesitate to see the Year level Learning Leader, Deputy Principals or the Principal.  

Please note: Email will only be used to confirm face to face meetings to discuss concerns.  Concerns will not be responded to using email.

CYCLES

Permission to ride to school must be obtained from the Deputy Principal, with responsibility for road safety.  Generally, permission will only be given to children nine years of age and over who are responsible and competent cyclists.  Cycle helmets and a bright yellow vest are compulsory and must be worn at all times when cycling.  A special cycle park will be provided at school.  Scooters, skateboards, roller blades are not to be brought to school unless on a specially organised wheels day.

DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY

Vandal damage, is considered as a crime against the school community and all incidents will be reported to the Police.  When children damage school property such as windows, equipment, buildings or furniture, parents will be contacted and where appropriate will be asked to contribute towards the cost of repair or replacement.

ENVIROSCHOOLS

Learning for a Sustainable World Murrays Bay School is currently part of the  Enviroschool programme. This is a multi – disciplinary approach to learning that develops the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, values and skills that will enable individuals and the community work towards maintaining and improving the quality of the environment. Education for sustainability is a focus for education and provides children with authentic learning opportunities. It’s a way of helping children, their parents, and communities resolve fundamental issues relating to the current and future use of the world’s resources. Beginning in our school environment is the starting point for the children’s understanding and experience – making our place (Te Papa) a good place to be. Programmes such as worm farming, butterfly gardens, composting, vegetable gardens, native planting to attract birds, wild flower planting to enhance weed areas are all in the planning as a result of student’s vision mapping.

GROWTH TOWARDS SELF RELIANCE
    
An important guiding principle is:

“Do nothing for the children that they can do for themselves.”

Self reliance develops when the skills children have already acquired are recognised, employed and valued.  We encourage this development by expecting children to be responsible for their personal belongings (it really helps when these are all named) being placed in their school bag, chair bag or tote tray.
Subway lunch orders - to be placed in the class pouch
Home Reading books:      

•        place book bag in school bag to go home
•        place in bag to return to school
  
•        place in group box on arrival at school
  
•        choose own home reader if not teacher selected

Llibrary  books - place in book bag and return to school in good condition and on time
Running noses - tissues are requested on Year 1 - 4 stationery lists, Year 5 & 6 students need to bring a purse pack of tissues in their school bag.
Swimming gear - (named please) best kept in a supermarket bag and hung on the hooks in the cloakroom - bring to school on time tabled swimming days
Shoes - if laces are a feature, your child needs to know how to tie them
Newsletters - place in book bag to take home, place tear off slip in book bag for return to school next day
            
Other areas of self reliance are encouraged when:

reading  -  at the emergent or early stages the child points to the words in sequence (may need help at first)

writing  -  the child sounds out the word slowly in order to hear the sequence of letter sounds, then links these sounds to letter forms and writes what they hear.

Praise for all attempts at self reliance encourages further effort that leads to growth and self esteem.

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Our school works closely with various agencies who care for the well being of children.  Our students attend the Dental Clinic shared with Murrays Bay Intermediate.  The Dental Therapist is Toni Sullivan.  

Special Education Services staff members attend to our pupils’ needs on a regular basis and often meet with parents at school.

The Resource Teachers for Learning & Behaviour attached to our school are Janet Hall, Esme Coetsee, Petula Patey, Dianne Walker and Sonja Swift.

From time to time children have their vision and hearing tested and those with concerns can be referred by parents and staff.  The Public Health Nurse is also available to support the health needs of our pupils.

Children who have accidents or fall ill at school are treated initially in the school medical room.  Often the needs of the child can be met by the school staff, however we do not have either the facilities or the staff to care for children who are unwell.  In these instances every endeavour is made to contact the parent or the person nominated as the emergency contact to collect the child and see to their needs.  All reasonable steps will be taken by our staff to ensure the child’s well-being.  Please ensure we have up to date emergency contact details.

Please keep your child at home if they are not well. Head Lice  -  this pest is prevalent in all schools in New Zealand.  The best way to keep lice out of our school is for every child to brush and comb their hair daily and for parents to inspect children’s hair at least once a week.  Commercial preparations are available over
the counter in all chemist shops.  If identified at school all pupils in that class will be given
a notice to inform their parents.

Sun Protection  -  during terms one and four all children are required to wear sun hats when outside.  No hat!  No play!  Children without their hats must therefore remain under the shade areas provided.

HOME READERS & HOME LEARNING

Each child in Junior classes regularly takes home a Home Reader.  The purpose of this is to develop the child’s confidence and interest in the reading of books which have already been read in school.  To begin with your child is not expected to know every word.  However, as they read the simple stories of the early reading books, while pointing to the words, they will gradually begin to recognise words, which are repeated over and over again in other books.  At a later stage, to help your child become more independent, he/she chooses the Home Reader.  These books are not always instructional readers, so in some cases difficulty may be experienced.  If this occurs, please read the book with your child so that he/she may enjoy the content, and not feel that reading a book is an unwelcome chore.

Children in all classes are expected to do some home learning  -  this will vary from class to class.  The maximum amount of time required per night will range from 10 minutes at the Year 3 level to 30 minutes at the Year 6 level.  

Parents are asked for their co-operation in supporting home learning.  All tasks set will be practice of skills already learned at school, gathering information, or continuing work commenced in the class.

We cannot stress too strongly the value of reading for pleasure.  Please aim to make time to read to your child, or have your child read to you.  Whether this reading is for pleasure or for gathering information, it is a most profitable use of leisure time and could well replace some television viewing.  Reading for pleasure can definitely be considered as part of the daily home learning routine.

LUNCHES - SUBWAY & PITA PITT SAME DAY SERVICE

Children are supervised while eating lunch. Subway provides a lunch order service Monday through Friday.  To order a Subway lunch, orders and payment must be made in the correct Subway envelope the day the lunch is required.  The order envelope is then placed in the class lunch box and sent to the office. Pita Pitt also offer a lunch service on a Wednesday only and the same procedure applies as with Subway lunches.  Pita Pitt do not provide change.  Lunches are collected daily from the office by the class lunch monitor. Envelopes for both Subway and Pita Pitt are available from the school office, menus can also be downloaded from our school website.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Murrays Bay School places an emphasis on Education Outside of the Classroom.  From time to time, visits are organised to support the delivery of the curriculum.  You are always notified well in advance and are encouraged to participate on these occasions when available.

Year 4 students have the opportunity to experience camp at Peter Snell Youth Village during Term 1 from the 16 March - 19 March.

Year 6 students will also experience their camp at Motutapu Island during Term 1 from the 26 February - 1 March.

The School Picnic is held in conjunction with the Shore to Shore Fun Run/Walk during Term 1 on Sunday 28 March, this is a great way to meet our school community while incorporating exercise and fun.

PARENT INFORMATION

The school provides regular information to parents to assist them to understand both the school's programmes and their child's educational progress.

This is provided in a variety of ways. Each year there are parent information evenings/afternoons as outlined below.

Induction of New Entrant Children & Parents - November
New Parent Induction and Meet the Parents -  February         
Parent / Child / Teacher Goal Setting Conferences -  March & July
Students Individual Progress Reports – Term 2 & Term 4                
Portfolios - Once a term    
New Parents Morning Teas – Each Term
Learning Teams 1 & 2 - evening sessions ( English and Maths)
Learning Teams on a “needs basis” - parent help training sessions
School Magazine - December

This information book is issued on enrolment.  An information pack is also available for new parents.

The weekly school newsletter contains general information about all aspects of school life e.g. cultural, curriculum, sporting events.

A BoT Bulletin is also published for parents.

Transition to Intermediate School

During Term Three and Term Four the school liaises with Murrays Bay Intermediate School to ensure a smooth transition for Year Six pupils to Intermediate School.

In Term Three a Deputy Principal from the Murrays Bay Intermediate School talks to all the Year Six pupils during the school day at a time convenient to both schools. Enrolment material is handed out at this time.

The school supports Year Six pupils and their parents during enrolment week in Term Three.

During Term Four a Deputy Principal from the local Intermediate School visits the school and talks to each Year Six class teacher to collect information about  prospective pupils. The Intermediate School provides a reliever to release each teacher at this time.

During Term Four the school supports an orientation day for pupils going to the local Intermediate School.

PARENT HELPERS

The school welcomes and encourages parents and friends support for a wide range of school activities including:

        supervising road patrols            
        classroom and teacher help
        sports coaching and managing         
        becoming a classroom literacy tutor
        PTA projects
        assisting with skill development in the Perceptual Motor Programme
        maintaining books in the Information Centre

PTA

Children’s success in education is much more likely when schools, parents and the wider community work together.  The skills, energies and experiences of people in the community are important to support, encourage and enhance the learning of children.  PTA want the best for their children and others in the school.  As a group, they get together to discuss and act on items of interest relevant to children, school life and the school community.  

Meetings for this year are planned for the following Tuesday nights:

16 February, 16 March, 4 May, 1 June, 3 August, 31 August, 19 October, 23 November

The Board of Trustees and staff communicate regularly with one another and have agreed on a number of projects to support learning for our children and their teachers.  We encourage you to become active in the PTA and look forward to your support.  For more information please ask at the school office.

PERSONAL PROPERTY

All clothing and other property must be clearly named.  Only such money as is absolutely necessary for lunches or stationery should be brought to school.  Any money to be left until the end of the day should be given to the school office for safe keeping.  The school will not take responsibility for money not handed to class teachers.

Similarly, we do not accept responsibility for toys, jewellery, electronic games, cellphones, radios, valuables and we ask that you do not allow children to bring these items to school.  Knives, matches and fireworks are forbidden at this school.

Lost property is held at the school for inspection and can be located outside the office (next to Room 1).   All unnamed property is disposed of at the end of each term.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

The school grounds are supervised every school day from 8.30am until 3.10pm.  All children are to return home promptly after school unless prior arrangements have been made for children to attend after school activities such as sports practices.  

Murrays Bay After School Care offer an excellent programme, please contact the school office for more information or visit our school website.

PORTFOLIOS

It is anticipated that the student ‘Portfolio’ will have a significant part to play in our growing understanding of each student’s ability level in a wide range of subject areas.  Tasks included should clearly show the student’s ability to perform in real situations wherever possible.

Year 1 and Year 2 students are issued with a portfolio as part of their stationery pack to carry with them through their time at Murrays Bay school.  Students will be encouraged to see the ‘Portfolio’ as a document of which they should be proud.  It should show what each  pupil can do.  To this end students should have opportunities to self-select specific items for inclusions.

Their written self evaluation should show why the particular item was selected and indicate to the teacher a growing understanding, by the student, of their own development.  Our goal is to look at evaluating students in a much broader manner than through pure written tests.  

We are seeking to develop and measure divergent thinking and the ability to communicate in a variety of forms.  We are seeking to measure not only the mastery of subject matter knowledge but also the more general abilities to think, solve problems, communicate and collaborate.

Portfolios will be sent home a minimum of once each term.

PUPIL’S GOVERNMENT

As part of our ‘talented learners’ programme and also to include our students in areas of school decision making and providing a forum for student consultation and feedback, the year 4, 5 and 6 students annually elect a school government.  

At the beginning of each year nominations are called for Prime Minister.  The Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Finance are appointed by the Principal.

All year 4, 5 and 6 students vote.  A Deputy Prime Minister is also elected as the second highest polling student in the election.   Also at this time, each class elects their class representative.  Class representatives chair class meetings once a fortnight and attend government meetings with the Principal and elected officials on alternate weeks.  This year these meetings will be at 1pm on Tuesdays.

PUPIL SERVICES

2010 School Donations - these were set as part of the 2010 budget by the Board of Trustees.  The School donation is $195.00 per child per year and is tax deductible. The Pupil Services is $55.00 per child per year and is also tax deductible.  This covers all costs of class trips, performers, buses, and incidental class expenses, and the school magazine published in December. This is a one off payment and, with the exception of the Y4 and Y6 camps, we do not ask for money during the year.

While we would prefer not to have to ask for additional funding, the reality is that we are unable to deliver the current school programme without your financial contributions.    
    
Although, for administration purposes we would prefer a lump sum payment at the beginning of the year, we do understand that some prefer to pay four term installments.

We also accept additional lump sum donations from those who are able to contribute more.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

Students individual progress will be reported at the end of Term 2 and at the end of each year.  
 
Goal Setting conferences for individual students with parents, students and class teachers are planned for 10 March and 24 June.

SCHOOL HOURS   

School starts at 8.45am every morning.  Punctuality is expected.  Children should arrive at school in time to enter the buildings when the bell is sounded at 8.30am to prepare for the day.  The 8.45am bell is the signal for the beginning of class.  A midmorning break of 20 minutes is held daily from 10.45am to 11.05am.  Lunch break is from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.  The afternoon school classes are from 1.30 to 3pm.

Full school assemblies are planned for each Friday in the school hall from 1.30pm after electronic attendance is recorded until 2.10pm.  Parents are most welcome to attend.

The class electronic registers are marked each day at 8.45am and 1.30pm.
    
The school premises are cleared at 3.00pm, when children are to go directly home.  Children will not be detained after 3.00pm without first notifying a parent or caregiver.  Only those children under the direct supervision of a sports coach or a teacher may remain later and again only after prior notification of the event to parents.  We do not shorten the lunch hour for wet weather.  The school remains open for the usual hours. Parents will be given prior notice of any change to school hours requiring the school to close early.

SCHOOL SHOWS

A school show is produced every second year, where all students will be given the opportunity to participate.  In 2008 we produced “Starbalze” and we look forward to our next production in 2010, “Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat”.

STATIONERY

It is essential that children have the books and writing implements they need to do their studies.  We have entered into a business partnership with Malcolms Take Note in Beach Road Mairangi Bay where all stationery requirements are available for purchase.  

There are some items that can only purchased from the school office which is open daily between 8am and 4pm.  A stationery list is available from the school office or alternatively you can download one from our school website.

SCHOOL INFORMATION CENTRE

Children have opportunities each week to borrow books from the Information Centre to take home.  Children are given lessons in the use of the Information Centre and the care of books.  They are expected to take good care of books and any damage or loss of books will be charged to the borrower.   Books may be borrowed for two weeks.  Overdue books will be notified only after the book is more than 14 days overdue.

Please support your child to respect the service and return books or renew them by the new date.

SCHOOL CHARTER

A copy of the School Charter is kept in the School Office.  Copies of School Policies are also available for viewing on request.  These are continually being reviewed and updated and changes are communicated through the school weekly newsletter.

SELF ESTEEM  & POSITIVENESS

As part of our drive in promoting self esteem and positiveness we have a policy of recognising individual achievers and rewarding this with the presentation of certificates.

Each week classroom teachers award their class “Star of the Week”.  These are presented by the Principal at the weekly school assembly.

Class teachers present achievement certificates at weekly team sharing assemblies on a ratio of one certificate to every seven pupils.  The award winners then share their success with the Principal who counter-signs this certificate.  

When individuals have five signed certificates (in the same school year) they hand these into the Office and the Principal awards them a “Gold Certificate” at the next available school assembly.

“Double Gold” certificates are given to pupils who have received two gold certificates, this is usually towards the end of the school year.

We value success and achievers must take responsibility for keeping all their certificates if they want to achieve the ‘Gold” or “Double Gold” certificate.

Parents are welcome to attend school assemblies which are held at 1.30pm on Fridays.