Visit the pages under this the Information heading to find Notices and Newsletters, Enrolments, Absence and Leave Reporting, Updating Student Information, Before and After School options, Calendars and Term Dates, School Lunches, Stationery and Uniforms

ABSENCES

Please use the HERO app or leave a phone message (09 274 0637 Ext. 1) before 8.45am on the day your child is going to be away. For longer periods only one notification is needed. Clearly state the first and last day your child will be away, and the reason. If a child is absent and notification has not been received before 9.00am, Office Staff will phone as soon as possible to ensure their safety. This system relies on us having up-to-date phone numbers.

All children who arrive late must be accompanied by their parent to sign in at the Office and collect a late pass for the teacher. Parents collecting children for appointments during school hours must sign them out at the Office and sign them in on their return.

ACCIDENTS

In the case of a serious accident parents will be contacted urgently. In an emergency students will be taken directly to a doctor or dentist. Accident reports on all serious accidents are maintained by the school. The school will err on the side of caution in matters of student safety and wellbeing.

AFTER SCHOOL

Children must be collected no later than 3.15pm. If you are running late to pick up your child, please inform the Office staff on 09 274 0637.

Children waiting for parents after school must wait at the Gate to school. Any child not collected by 3.15pm will be sent to After School Care and parents will be charged by the operator for that service. All playgrounds are closed from 3.00pm to 3.30pm so that we can easily monitor children in the grounds. There is no playground supervision after 3.00pm.

ASSEMBLIES

Whole school assemblies are held fortnightly on Friday at 9.00am in the school hall, Junior, Middle and Senior assemblies are on the alternate weeks. At assemblies merit certificates are awarded and successes celebrated, parents are very welcome to attend. See the school calendar for dates.

ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance is crucial for your child’s learning. Students must not leave school without permission during school hours and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All absences must be notified by a phone call, email, or a note signed by a parent or guardian. Parents collecting children for appointments during school hours, must sign them out at the office and sign them in on their return.

In cases of repeated non-attendance or lateness the School Attendance Service will be involved. Attendance and punctuality are both monitored through our Student Management System.

BEFORE SCHOOL

Children are not to arrive at school before 8.00am. Students are allowed into classrooms from 8.20am. The best arrival time is between 8.20am and 8.30am so students have time to settle in before school class instruction starts at 8.45am. Any children who arrive before the 8.20am bell must wait directly outside the hall. Punctuality is critical and students should arrive in time to settle in before school begins.

If a child is late for school their parent must accompany them to the office to sign in and collect a late pass for the teacher.

BEFORE AND AFTER-SCHOOL CARE

This is provided by Kilkenny Kids, a private agency using school facilities, from 7.30am to 8.20am and 3.00pm to 5.45pm. For more information contact Simone McFarlane of Kilkenny Kids on 0274 778 651 or simone@kilkennykids.co.nz. You can also find more details on how to enrol and book your child(ren) HERE (see attachment).

BELL TIMES

An 8.20am the bell signals that children can move to classes. Classes begin at 8.45am, interval is from 10.40am to 11.00am, lunch is 12.30pm to 1.30pm, and school finishes at 3.00pm.

BICYCLES

Year 5 & 6 students wishing to ride bicycles to and from school will submit permission forms to the Deputy Principal, signed by their parents. Other students may ride to school accompanied by a parent, with the parent assuming full responsibility for the child’s safety. Parents will ensure that students are familiar with the NZ Road Code as it relates to cyclists. Riding in the school grounds is not permitted. Cyclists must wear helmets. Also see ‘scooters’.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees is responsible for governing the school, while the Principal has a leadership and management role. The Board consists of seven members - five Community Representatives elected by the parents of the school, one elected Staff Representative, and the Principal. Elections are held every three years. The Board meets around ten times per year.

CAR PARK and PARKING

Car Parks within the school grounds are for staff members only. There is no provision at our school for parents to park before or after school within the grounds, and the car parks are not designed for drop-offs or pick-ups. The only exceptions are when a sick child is being collected or children are being transported for school trips. At all times the bus bay is to be left clear. The disabled car park is for drivers with mobility issues. Please contact the Office to arrange access.

Children are encouraged to walk to and from school. If you do need to drive your children to school, they can be dropped off on Kilkenny Drive or Keppoch Court. The pedestrian crossing on Kilkenny Drive is patrolled from 8.30am to 8.50am and again from 2.55pm to 3.10pm. The safety of our children is paramount so please use the crossing to help us promote safe road practice.

CIVIL DEFENCE EMERGENCY

In a Civil Defence Emergency your child will be kept at school under supervision until other arrangements are made. If you or your nominated adult collects your child, you must make sure the teacher in charge knows that the child has left the school and, where possible, signs the child out with the teacher or the Office. If an emergency continues the Police or Civil Defence may take all the children to a collection point, which will be advised by radio. The school has detailed emergency procedures, which are practised regularly. We have a text alert system in place for such situations.

COMMUNICATION

We use a number of methods to communicate with parents including emails, HERO Student and Community Feeds, and the school website.

The HERO App has links to all communications. Download it to your mobile phone for easy access.

Our website is the key area for current information.

The up to date school calendar, all notices, and newsletters are sent to parents through the HERO app and are available on the website.

CONTACT DETAILS

Please ensure the office is notified immediately of any change in your contact details. This is most important in the case of an emergency or when children fall ill while at school.

Please also advise the school office of any changes to your email address promptly. Your HERO App and Kindo Account are both linked to your email address, so it is essential that our records are up to date for you to continue to receive communications.

COURT CUSTODY ORDERS

Relevant and up to date documentation must be lodged with the school office where there are court custody orders that need to be monitored by school staff. All information is held in strictest confidence.

ENROLMENTS

The school has an approved enrolment scheme based on a defined geographic zone. All in-zone enrolments require proof of home residence and eligibility to enrol in a New Zealand school. No child will start until all documentation requirements have been met.

Following completion of the enrolment process, all new students are encouraged to start on Mondays during the term. For New Entrants (Y0) it is the Monday after their fifth birthday. This allows time to arrange placement and for the teacher to prepare for their arrival.

An Out of Zone ballot is generally held each year for students wanting to enter the school the following year at the New Entrant year level (Y0) where spaces are available. After the ballot draw unsuccessful applicants can opt to go on a waiting list.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

The Family and Friends group works to maintain a strong sense of community within and beyond the school. They also raise funds for the school to provide additional learning resources. Meetings are usually held monthly during term time. Dates and times are on the school calendar.

There are many ways to be involved. We always need volunteers to help at events and activities. So even if you can only offer a little bit of time, your support is appreciated.

HEARING AND VISION

The public health sector provide hearing and vision testing for students who have been referred by their pre-school for further checks. Parents sign a Health Consent Form so that their children can benefit from health services such as Hearing and Vision Testing.

HERO APP

Our HERO App keeps parents up to date with what is happening at school through alerts. The App is a free download on either Apple or Android devices.

From the Home Screen, you can send an absence notification, check the latest newsletters or notices, and check the school calendar, etc.

INTERNET

The school follows the NetSafe cyber-safety and digital citizenship guidelines. As part of the enrolment process you will be asked to give permission to allow your child supervised access to the internet. Internet access is monitored carefully and we have screening software. We ask families to work together with the school to promote safe on-line practices and considerate and safe use of all digital devices. We encourage students to bring their own digital devices to school to support their learning, with signed permission from parents and adherence to strict protocols. See also ‘Mobile Phones and Digital Devices’.

LOST PROPERTY

Lost property is stored in a large black bin in the Hall. Parents and students may look through this lost property at any time. Items are laid out at least once a term for classes to walk past. Named articles are returned to their owner.

LUNCHES

Lunches may be purchased from Monday to Friday. These are provided by external suppliers and are ordered online - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from Kindo. Tuesdays and Fridays from Dollar for Schools.

MEDICATION

School staff cannot administer medication at school without written permission from the child's parents, using the Parental Permission Form available at the office. For the safety of others, students must not administer or hold their own medication, except for asthma inhalers that can be held by students in Years 4-6. Where students have an EpiPen for allergy treatment, it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the EpiPen expiry date and replace it as needed.

MEETING DAYS

All teachers are involved in professional learning and planning meetings from 3.15pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and often have meetings or courses on other days as well. Please do not delay them on these afternoons.

MOBILE PHONES and DIGITAL DEVICES

Students bring mobile phones and digital devices to school at their own risk in terms of loss and safety. Students must not use phones or devices during the school day between 8.20am and 3.00pm for phoning, texting or emails.

We ask parents not to contact their child on their device during school hours but to contact the Office if they need a message to be given to their child. Use of digital devices during school hours must be under the supervision of a staff member. See also ‘Internet’.

MONEY

The school is cashless. Our Kindo online ordering and payment system is used for all payments, ie activity fees, school donations, etc along with special fundraising activities and events. Parents register for secure access to their child’s account details using internet banking, account2account transfer or credit cards (fees apply on credit cards). Receipts are issued for each transaction. Our Office team can help you set up your Kindo Account. Students should not bring money or other valuables to school.

NEWSLETTERS

Whole school newsletters are published regularly during the term. Syndicate newsletters are sent at the beginning of each term, outlining programmes and events for the term ahead. Other communication is published as required. All families will receive notification of all communications through the HERO student and community feeds, and they are available on the school website.

PARENT HELP

We welcome parent helpers in the school. Family members or friends are invited to help with the class programmes, especially at reading and written language times. We also seek parent help with swimming, road patrol, library times, trips, shows and special events. Please discuss your availability with the teacher so you can be used effectively. We also need volunteers for general library support and for processing library books and teacher resources on an ongoing basis.

Please report to the school Office to sign in and sign out when you leave.

PHOTOGRAPHS

During the year official photographs are taken and made available to students. These include individual photos of each student plus class and group photographs.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Physical activities are an important and compulsory part of the curriculum and all students are expected to take part. Please send a note to school if your child is unable to take part on medical grounds. Students will wear the PE uniform, or the team uniform provided, for all major sports occasions. Students must have the PE uniform from Year 3 upwards.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

Teachers supervise the playgrounds at morning interval and lunchtimes. Children can go to the Duty Teacher, who will be wearing a fluorescent sash or jacket, with any concerns. In the case of an accident or severe concern children may go directly to the office. The adventure playgrounds are not for use before 8.20am or between 3.00pm and 3.30pm. The school accepts no responsibility for people using the playground equipment outside school hours.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

The purpose of reporting is to share information to the child and parents about the child’s learning progress and achievement. A parent evening is held early in Term 1, where the teachers talk to parents about their programmes and expectations and the principal shares the school’s vision. Parent/teacher/child conferences are held in Term 2 and Term 4 each year.

Reporting is via HERO and access is available mid-year and at the end of the year. Reporting shows student achievement in relation to the expected level of the NZ Curriculum. Parents can always communicate with the class teacher by email or arrange an appointment anytime throughout the year, if required.

ROAD PATROLS

We require adult volunteers to supervise our official pedestrian crossing on Kilkenny Drive. Please inform the Office if you can volunteer for part or all of the year.

ROAD SAFETY

Road safety for car passengers and pedestrians is paramount and adults should be modelling safe behaviour for children at all times. Parents cannot drive into the school grounds except as outlined under ‘PARKING’.

Please follow all parking rules and park legally on Kilkenny Drive, not over driveways or on yellow lines. Students crossing Kilkenny Drive MUST cross at the light controlled crossing that is supervised by adult volunteers.

Please do not walk through the Staff car park; use footpaths at all times. Do not cross Kilkenny Drive by the clothing bins: walk to the crossing instead. We are involved in the Auckland Council Travel Wise Project, where traffic engineers work to improve safety around schools. See also 'CAR PARK’ and ‘PARKING’.

SCOOTERS

Riding scooters to school is permitted under the following circumstances. Parents will accompany students in Years 1-4. Students will not ride in a manner that could endanger other people. Scooters will not be ridden on the road. Scooter riders must wear helmets. Parents will take full responsibility for the safety of their children and other footpath users while their child is riding the scooter. Students will not ride scooters in the school grounds except on designated ‘wheels days’.

STATIONERY

Student stationery packs are purchased by parents direct from Paper Plus in Howick. A link to their online ordering portal is available on our website under the ‘FOR PARENTS’ tab. Stationery needs to be purchased before your child starts school. Please speak to the Office to confirm what pack your child needs. All packs are to be handed to the teacher unopened.

SUN SAFETY

It is vital that all children have a uniform sun hat at school every day during summer months, in particular, terms 1 and 4. Children without sun hats are required to stay in shaded areas during interval and lunchtimes.

TEACHER CONTACT

If you have concerns or queries regarding your child’s progress or well-being please do not hesitate to make an appointment to discuss these with their teacher. The teacher should be the first person you contact to discuss class issues and they will involve other members of staff as required. Please do not engage the teacher in prolonged conversation about your child before or after school without an appointment as the teacher needs to be mixing with all students and parents at these times.

TELEPHONE MESSAGES

Parents are asked not to telephone the school with messages for students except in an emergency. Students will only be permitted to use the School phone in an emergency situation and under supervision. Students are not allowed to phone or text parents using their digital devices during school hours. The school Office will help with contacting parents. All health related calls to parents will come from the Office only.

UNIFORMS

Parents are reminded that as part of the enrolment procedure they have agreed to uphold the wearing of correct uniform. Please refer to the uniform page on the website under the 'PARENTS' tab. Note that we require plain black school shoes and sandals (no high heels, coloured sneakers or running shoes); school sun hats; school beanies (optional); white socks or tights; no jewellery apart from stud earrings and watches; no nail polish or make up. Uniforms are purchased from John Russell Schoolwear, either at their store on Moore Street, Howick or via their website www.johnrussellschoolwear.co.nz

VISITORS

All visitors, including parent helpers, must report to the school office to sign in, and sign out as they leave. Contractors working on site must adhere to strict health and safety protocols.

Finlay Park Camp