General Information
TERM DATES 2009
Term 1 Monday 2nd February - Thursday 9 th April
Term 2 Monday 27th April - Friday 3rd July
Term 3 Monday 20th July - Friday 25th September
Term 4 Monday 12th October - Tuesday 15th December
FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL
Parents and Caregivers are welcome to join to help support our school in fundraising ventures for educational resources.
Our committee consists of Chairperson - Linda Wihongi, Treasurer - Maggie Maihi, Secretary - Mary Wihongi-Te Whata and
Committe Members - Pappy Maihi, Mei Reti, Tracey Simeon, Sharyn Yakas and Barbara Wards.
 HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOLS
Kaikohe West School is a Health Promoting School and encourages Parents/Caregivers and community members to be involved – if you are interested in joining please contact the office.
PARENTS AS READING TUTORS PPP/HPP
If you are interested in training to learn about this great reading programme contact the school office on 4011713
ORGANISATION
* Kaikohe West School teaches children from New Entrants to Year 6.
* All students are taught the New Zealand National Curriculum.
* Parents may choose to enrol their children in the General classes, or the Bi-lingual classes.
We have six Bi-lingual classes for 2009, catering for pupils from Year 2 to Year 6.
STATIONERY
Stationery requirements for all classes can be purchased from the school office before 9.00am.
 CLASS CLASSIFICATION
To help you understand class classification it has now changed to:
Year 1 - New Entrants J1, Year 2 - J2, Year 3 - Std 1, Year 4 - Std 2, Year 5 - Std 3, Year 6 - Std 4.
This is standardised throughout New Zealand.
SCHOOL HOURS
* We ask that parents make sure that children do not arrive at school before
8.15am. Teachers are fully involved with planning and preparation before this
time, therefore no adults to supervise.
* School starts at 8.55am.
* Morning Interval is 11:00am to 11:25am
* Lunch is 1.00pm - 2.00pm.
* School finishes at 3.00pm.
 CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS
To ensure children have a greater start to their learning all classrooms have Soundfield Systems (to ensure children can hear their teacher) and air conditioning – cool in the summer and warm in winter.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL
OPEN DOOR POLICY
Please feel free to contact the school at any time. We encourage your involvement in your child’s education.
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
* The School Newsletter, and any other school notices, are distributed via the
eldest child in each family every Wednesday. If your child does not bring home a School Newsletter on Wednesday, please contact the school.
TELEPHONE
School telephone number - 4011713
School fax number - 4011416
E-mail – admin@kaikohewest.school.nz
REPORTING TO PARENTS
Parent Interviews are held in Term 1 and 3. During the term children will bring home samples of work in Portfolios, for you to share with your child and comment. Written reports are sent home in Term 4.
SWIMMING
* Swimming instruction is part of the school programme, and all children take part.
* Children must bring their own named togs and towel in a plastic bag every day. Due to lint clogging our filter system children cannot swim in cotton and shirts and baggy type shorts.
* Please send a note to school if your child cannot swim because of a medical problem. LIBRARY BOOKS
* When your child is to bring home a library book could you please provide a plastic bag
and ensure the book is returned.
* There will be a charge for lost books.
ASSEMBLIES
Whole school assemblies are held each Monday 9.00am in summer and 12.30pm in winter (weather permitting).
LOST PROPERTY
* Parents are welcome to ask at the office if they wish to look through the
collection of un-named lost property. From time to time this is disposed of to a charity.
* Lost property can be kept to a minimum if all items are named.
* Lost property is kept in the office area.
SMOKE FREE ZONE
Please acknowledge our school is smoke free.
PARKING AFTER SCHOOL
To ensure safety, please do not park on the yellow lines. The driveway will be cordoned off at 2.50pm daily to 3.10pm to ensure the safety of your children.
 CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS
General
* If you have concerns or complaints that you wish to discuss, please contact the office and make an appointment to meet the Principal.
If you have a concern about school buses you should contact the Bus Controller at Northland College - telephone 4011600.
CONTACTING STAFF MEMBERS
* Classroom teachers cannot come to the telephone during class time. If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher by telephone, please leave a message at the school office, and the teacher will call you back.
* If you wish to make an appointment to meet your child’s teacher, or another staff member, please contact the school office
BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT/DISCIPLINE PROGRAMME
Children are taught respect for themselves, respect for others and respect for our environment. Positive reinforcement for good behaviour is acknowledged through Caught Being Good (Duffy Book Scheme), presented at school assemblies and weekly class awards.
If your child’s behaviour requires being placed on our discipline programme, you will be informed by letter which we ask you to sign and return to school the next day.
BUSES
* The boarding of buses after school is closely controlled to ensure that children travel on the correct bus.
* You can be sure that unless there are exceptional circumstances, your children will board the bus that they are enrolled on unless the school receives a note from the parents. If there is no note, children will go home on their usual bus.
* Whenever possible please phone the office before lunchtime if making changes in bus arrangements.
* In emergencies eg flooding, please listen to the radio for up-to-date information.
If you do not want your child sent home on the bus in this situation (eg if you work away from home) please contact the school now so that a telephone list can be drawn up. Your child will not be sent home unless we have been able to contact an adult.
* Students may, at the drivers’ discretion, be asked to remain on the bus if the
driver considers conditions are too dangerous for them to continue (eg
attempting to cross flood waters). These students will be returned to Northland College where they will be supervised until parents can be contacted or alternative arrangements made, such as billeting them in town.
LUNCH
*Children are supervised for eating of lunches for 15 minutes each day.
*For health and safety reasons, lollies, chewing gum, canned drinks and glass
bottles are not permitted at school. Filtered water is available for all children.
*Lunches can be ordered from the Library between 8.30-8.55am.
As a Health Promoting School we are able to offer healthy choices for your children’s lunches which they order before school in the Library from Whaea Pam. We now order our school lunches from Trumps, except for Wednesday when children can purchase Subway.
LUNCH ORDER TIMETABLE
Monday |
Trumps |
Tuesday |
Trumps |
Wednesday |
Subway |
Thursday |
Trumps |
Friday |
Trumps
Healthy Heart Tick Pies @ $1.50ea |
Available from Trumps
Sandwiches 1.30
(Lettuce/cheese, Marmite/ Cheese, Nutella)
Pizza Slice 2.60
Cheese and Spaghetti Bun 2.30
Filled Roll 2.50
Flavoured Milk 1.00
Pump Water 2.00
American Hot Dog 2.30
SUBWAY (WEDNESDAY ONLY)
*Subway order forms with prices are available from the school office.
ATTENDANCE
* Children must attend school every day unless they are sick.
* Please send a note to school or phone if children will be or have been absent
so that the teacher knows the reason for the absence.
*Attendance is monitored daily by the School Secretary who will phone the pupils home
*A Truancy Officer will be involved if necessary.
PRE-SCHOOLERS
Are welcome to visit the School on Friday mornings, along with their parents/caregivers as an introduction to starting school. Contact Carol Smith, through the school office. At enrolment of new entrants we are now required to ask if your child has been immunised. If you have a new entrant could you please bring in your immunisation certificate when you enrol them so we can see this. The Ministry of Education now requires that we sight birth certificates for all children enrolling at school and passports for children from overseas.
SUN HATS
Thanks to sponsors Mainfreight, each new entrant is issued with a sunhat which is to be kept at school. These hats will be named and kept with your child’s other belongings. As from 2006, all children will be required to wear sunhats in summer months. We will be developing a “no hat, play in the shade” policy. Kaikohe West School Hats are available from the school at a cost of $3 each.
HEALTH
* All five year old new entrants complete a school Health Record Form to be checked by the Health Nurse, Bev Johnstone, shortly after they start school.
* North Health Nurses check all New Entrants vision and hearing.
* If a child becomes sick, or is injured, while at school, we will try to contact the parents. Please be sure to tell us if your address or phone number changes.
* If we cannot contact you we will arrange with your doctor for any necessary
urgent medical attention.
* Public Health Nurse, Bev Johnstone, is quite happy for parents/caregivers to
phone her with any health concerns. Phone 4010122.
FRUIT IN SCHOOLS
Kaikohe West School in involved in this initiative through the Department of Health and Health Promoting Schools. All children receive fruit daily in their classrooms at 10.25am as part of developing healthy eating lifestyles. Please inform the school if your child has allergies to any fruit.
HIV/AIDS
Our school has a Policy and Practice Related to HIV/AIDS and other Blood Related Viruses. It is recommended that parents disclose information related to their child’s infection status to the Principal for two reasons: Firstly, it will be to the child’s advantage so the school can work with yourselves to provide the best possible support. Secondly, it is important that those who “need to know” are informed. Please feel free to discuss this policy with the Principal.
SOCIAL WORKER IN SCHOOLS
Midge Palmer is our Social Worker in Schools based at Kaikohe West School, and is available to help support families who have any concerns. Phone 401-2080 or 027 231 4204.
WEBSITE
www.kaikohewest.school.nz
You are able to access this site and read newsletters to date. There is also a link to Fruit in Schools information/ photos regarding school activities.
From time to time, photographs of children taking part in school activities maybe published to the Schools website. If you DO NOT want your child's photograph on the website please contact the school.
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