What is an emergency contact? Are your emergency contacts local?

At the beginning of each year you are asked to confirm your contact details and emergency contacts.  You may wonder what we use your emergency contacts for.

On occasions, if your child is not at school and we are unable to get hold of you through phone or email, we can call the emergency contacts. If children don't turn up to school and we can't get hold of you, we ring them to see if they are aware of where your child is in case you have gone on holiday and forgotten to inform the office.

In the event of an earthquake or an emergency evacuation was required at school could your emergency contacts collect your child easily for you if needed?  If your emergency contact is on the other side of Wellington or in a different part of the country - the answer to this is that they probably couldn't. 

It is important to have a plan in place (that you, your children and emergency contacts are aware of) just in case you are stuck in the city in an emergency.  If you have a plan, you know someone else is able to collect your child and keep them safe.  This is why we ask that at least one emergency contact is someone close by.  

In an emergency we cannot send a child home with someone who is not on your emergency contact list.   

If you would like to add a neighbour or a friend to your emergency contacts list, please email the details through to office@cashmere-ave.school.nz with the name of the contact and contact phone number.