1. Getting to school

Our biggest priority is to keep students safe on their way to school. Following these guidelines is the best way you can look after your child and their friends.

Walking

We encourage all students to walk to/from school if possible. They should always be accompanied by a parent or caregiver (up until Y5).

Crossing Victoria Road

Before school, the Victoria Road zebra crossing is supervised by volunteers (staff, parents, and Y6 students) between 8:30 - 8:50am.

After school, Y5-6 students crossing Victoria Road should meet at the flagpole and walk to the zebra crossing with the duty teacher at 3.05pm.

Crossing Kerr Street

Students can cross using the raised zebra crossing on Kerr Street.

After school, Y5-6 students crossing Kerr Street without a parent/guardian should meet at the flagpole and walk with the duty teacher at 3.05pm.

Crossing St Aubyn Street

There is no pedestrian crossing on St Aubyn Street.

We do not provide accompaniment crossing St Aubyn Street, so please ensure Y5-6 students crossing alone take care.

Bicycles and scooters

We're happy for students to ride their bike or scooter to school. Please ensure:

- their bike or scooter is safe

- they always wear a helmet

- they know and practise road safety rules

- they are always accompanied by an adult or caregiver (up until Y5)

- they walk their bike or scooter in the playground to prevent any collisions

Drop-offs and pick-ups by car

As parking is limited near the school, we suggest you park on Kerr Street or St Aubyn Street. Please be respectful of our neighbours and adhere to parking restrictions. Do not park across driveways or on the pavement. Auckland Transport traffic wardens frequently patrol in the area.

Please do not use the staff car park at any time, as it is hazardous for children to walk through this area.

The disability park is for cardholders only.

2. School hours

Our school day begins at 8.50 when the "get ready" bell indicates it is time to be in the classroom. The school roll is taken at 8.55.

Children start to arrive on-site after 8.30am and play with their friends before lessons start at 8:55am.

School ends at 3:00pm, after which students can be picked up, take part in after-school activities or attend after-school care.

Drop-offs and pick-ups can be a social time, and parents are often seen chatting with other parents in the playground before they get on with their day.

Parents of younger students may settle their child into the classroom before leaving.

Our daily schedule

8:30 - 8:55 Drop off
8:55 - 11:00 Classes
11:00 - 11:20 Morning tea
11:20 - 12:30 Classes
12:30 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 Classes
3:00 - 3:10 Pick up

For your child's safety, they must stay within school grounds during school hours.

3. Absences

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please contact the office before 9:00am if possible to let us know.

If your child is not at school and we haven't heard from you, we will call or text you to make sure they are safe.

4. Early pick-ups

If you wish to pick your child up before 3:00pm, you must sign them out at the office, to ensure they are always accounted for. Unless there is an emergency, please us know about this in advance.

As the school is responsible for students' safety during school hours, we cannot allow them to walk home alone before the end of school.

If your child is subject to any special custody and access orders, please ensure we have a copy in our private file.

5. Lunches, snacks, and food policy

Each day, our students bring to school:

brain snack (fruit)
morning tea
lunch

We have a number of children at school with severe allergies to nuts and other products. Please consider this when packing lunches.

We also ask parents to refrain from bringing food to school for birthday parties and farewells.

Please see our food policy (attached at the bottom of this page) for more details.

6. Staying safe in the sun

During the summer months, students should come to school wearing sunscreen and bring a hat. Our school policy is that bucket-style hats provide the best sun protection. DPS bucket hats can be purchased from the office.

All students must wear hats at morning tea and lunch. If they do not bring a hat, they will need to play in the shade (eg under a tree) during these times.

7. The Devonport Way

To create the best learning environment for our students, we have a values-based approach to managing behaviour.

We also expect students to:

follow teachers' instructions
do their work well and let other students get on with their work
respect and be kind to other people
be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing

It helps if you can reinforce these messages at home.

8. Home learning

Homework

At Devonport Primary School, homework is kept to a minimum. This gives our students adequate time to rest, play, and engage in social and extra-curricular activities outside school.

The homework we do recommend includes:

daily reading
learning spellings and basic facts (maths)
fun activities that extend classroom learning and that parents and children can enjoy doing together

Above all, we want our students to love learning, both at school and at home, so home learning should be an enjoyable experience.

9. Catching up with your child's teacher

We have an open-door policy at Devonport Primary School and all our teachers welcome impromptu conversations with parents and caregivers.

Our teachers are often busy preparing for lessons at the beginning of the day, so the best time to catch them is after school when you pick up your child. However, if you prefer to meet in the morning, we can usually accommodate this if you arrange in advance.

For anything more than a quick question we ask that you email the teacher to make an appointment.

Devonport Primary School

Early arrivals at school

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