Burnham School A-Z
Accidents and Sickness
If a child has an accident or is sick at school, we proceed as follows:-
The child is made as comfortable as possible and first aid is provided if necessary.
If considered necessary, we contact the parents by telephoning the home or the emergency numbers you have given us and arrange for the child to be taken home, or for medical assistance. It is essential that the school is kept up to date with current contact and medical details.
If it is not possible to find/contact a parent, and if the illness or accident is serious, we will call an ambulance.
Allergies
We strongly discourage families from bringing peanuts, or food items with peanuts in them, into school. We also discourage children from sharing food or water bottles.
Attendance and Absences
The law requires every school-aged child to attend school whenever it is open. If children are to be absent or late for any reason, we ask parents to inform the office by Hero, telephone or email BEFORE 9 am each day. Class teachers check their roll daily at 9.05 am and notify the office of any unexplained absences. We then contact the absentee's parents/caregivers or emergency contacts to establish the whereabouts of the child.
Where absences are planned, or children are to be excused from physical activities because of illness, etc., an explanatory note or email should be sent to the class teacher and the child should be signed out on the Vistab at the school office.
If your child arrives after 9 am they must sign-in on the Vistab at the school office to let us know they have arrived prior to going to their classroom. Regular attendance is essential to good progress. Frequent one-day absences are much more damaging to progress than a lengthy absence of similar duration.
Bicycles, Scooters, Skateboards to and from School
The police recommend that no child under the age of ten should cycle to school unless accompanied by an adult.
Students cycling to and from school are expected to observe the road rules - hand signals, looking behind, mounting/dismounting, keeping well left, etc.
Each student must wear a Standards Approved cycle safety helmet and have a roadworthy bicycle.
Students may not "double" other students to school.
Students must place their cycles in the cycle stands.
Students must wear a school safety vest, as per school uniform rules.
Students may scoot or skate to school also. They must walk these items into the school and park them in the school bike shed, before school. All students must wear a helmet when riding these to school each day.
Bilingual Provision - Ngā Manu Tiori a Tū
Prior to the beginning of each school year, we offer the opportunity for parents/caregivers to express interest in their child/ren being involved in Level 2 bilingual education on allocated days/times during the school week. This is an excellent opportunity and spaces in this weekly programme are limited.
“Research shows that being bilingual enables children to think more flexibly and creatively. They have greater opportunities later in life for employment and economic opportunities. They can act as bridge-builders between generations of reo speakers and generations without reo and have a more in-depth understanding and appreciation of other cultures and languages. With the language comes culture and languages. With the language comes the culture and within the culture comes raised self-esteem and greater security in personal identity.”
http://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/culture/kotahi-mano-kaika/
Board of Trustees
The role of the Board of Trustees is to be responsible for the broad policy objectives and the efficient and effective governance of the school. The Board is expected to be responsive to the community educational needs and assist in setting programmes to meet them within national guidelines.
Parents are welcome to attend any Board of Trustees meeting. The School Charter and minutes of meetings and Principal’s Reports are available online or from the office.
Breakages
Where damage to buildings or a student's personal equipment, including breaking windows, is caused by children disregarding school rules or through wilful damage, their family is expected to pay for or to contribute to the cost of repairs or replacement of students personal equipment.
Camps
As part of our Education Outside the Classroom programme, each class in the senior school from Year 5 - 8 go on a school camp at least on two occasions during these final four years of primary schooling. The purpose is to build the class team and develop collaborative/communication/confidence skills. Camps are another opportunity for superb learning experiences and every student is encouraged to attend.
Communication Guidelines
We encourage an open and trusting environment where effective communication builds positive relationships. This means that discussions about issues should first be handled with the person/people concerned.
If you have an issue, concern or complaint, contact the person involved and discuss the matter first. We encourage feedback. Constructive feedback allows people to grow. It is not appropriate or helpful to discuss issues with others in our community. This includes members of our PTA.
If the matter doesn't involve a particular staff member or is not appropriate to discuss with the person(s) concerned, contact the Deputy Principal or Principal for a confidential conversation. If an informal meeting does not resolve your concern, you may need to make a formal complaint.
Please refer to our school policy and follow this process.
Our relationships are what enable us to develop and enhance the learning of your child and every other child in our care. Our school is a place for partnerships in learning.
Complaints Process
If for whatever reason our communication guidelines (see the previous page) haven’t worked, then please follow this process:
Check the communication guidelines in case you’ve missed a step.
If your approach to the person concerned does not work, make a time to speak to the Principal, who will facilitate this.
If you are still not satisfied, follow the formal complaints process (a copy is in the office) and write to the Board of Trustees outlining your concerns. Address the letter to the chairperson.
Conveyance Allowance - Transport assistance
What kind of assistance is available?
As we do not have any school buses, you might be able to get an allowance to help pay for your child’s transport to school (this is called a conveyance allowance).
Who can get assistance?
Your child must meet all 3 eligibility criteria to get help with transport to school.
First criteria
The school must be the closest that your child can enrol at, and is either:
Mainstream state school
A Māori-medium school (Our bilingual classes)
Note: Māori-medium schools must either deliver Te Reo at Level 1 or at Level 2 and 51% or more of the instruction is in Te Reo. Our bilingual classes are delivering a Level 2 programme.
Second criteria
Your child must live at least 3.2km from the school (over the shortest public road or pedestrian route from your home roadside gate to the school’s front gate).
Third criteria
There must be no suitable public transport options.
What makes public transport "suitable"?
Public transport must travel within:
2.4km of the roadside gate of your home, and
2.4km of the closest appropriate school
Your child:
won't have to be picked up before 7 am
can get to school before it starts
can be picked up no later than one hour after school finishes
won't have to change buses more than once on a journey
What if suitable public transport becomes available?
Your school will tell you if there won’t be a Ministry-funded service anymore because public transport has become available.
To Apply
Please ask for our office manager or Principal to locate and print the form for you from the MOE website, complete it and hand it to our office. Our Principal will sign the form and scan and email it to the MOE.
Digital Learning Applications
Google Docs/Classroom - this is the same as Microsoft Word but is an online tool. Students can use this for school work anywhere they have internet access.
Digital Learning Devices
- BYOD Chromebooks Years 5-8
Each year students in Years 5-8 have the opportunity to provide their own Chromebook for learning. These devices are intended for learning both at school and at home. Students and Parents must sign an agreement on an annual basis around the safe use and BYOD agreement for bringing a Chromebook to school each day. These devices are economical and used widely as part of the Year 5-8 learning programmes at our school.
Digital Safety & Publishing Student Photos
We publish examples of children’s learning on school websites, newsletters and other publications. This may take the form of photo/video/audio. We publish children’s first names only on public sites/publications unless your permission is sought for special publication purposes.
In the situation where children’s photos/video/audio is used in promotional material or by trusted outside agencies (e.g. press articles), we will seek permission for this to happen.
We ask that parents indicate if they wish to vary this in any way on the enrollment form.
A Digital Safety Booklet and Agreement Form will be sent out.
Donations, Banking & Payments
Please make all payments via the internet, please put a reference in the format of:
Our new ASB Account Number: 12 3153 0127401 00
Particulars: Child Name and Reference: camp
Other school-related payments - Payments for any camps or any optional extracurricular activities - Please make all payments to the school via internet banking. We will no longer accept cash. Please email admin@burnham.school.nz to let Trish know what you’ve just paid.
EnviroSchools
Burnham School is part of a national programme called EnviroSchools. There are many schools throughout New Zealand that take part in this important programme and the EnviroSchools principles are part of our curriculum.
We are committed to modelling sustainable practices and teaching children to be global citizens who are concerned about and actively care for, our environment. We have an EnviroGroup which is a group of students who lead various initiatives across the school.
We ask that parents/whanau support us in this important part of our curriculum by:
Minimising or eliminating plastic wrappers in lunch boxes - i.e. glad wrap.
Consider using refillable yoghurt containers in lunch boxes (these also save money).
Using reusable plastic containers for lunches and snacks.
Supporting us in being ‘rubbish free’. This means we expect children to take home their own lunch/snack wrappers. The added advantage this gives is parents knowing their child has eaten his/her food!
Never walk past a piece of rubbish in our school!
Please join our Burnham School Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/BurnhamSchool/
Homework
We consider homework to be an activity designed to help children learn well in an atmosphere of home and school cooperation. The purpose of homework is to revise, reinforce and extend class programmes. It also assists children in developing an independent attitude to study routines and the effective organisation of time.
As a guide, we suggest the following time allocations:
Juniors will usually have reading to share at home
Year 3 - up to 10 minutes nightly
Year 4 - up to 15 minutes nightly
Year 5 & 6 - up to 20 minutes nightly
Year 7 & 8 - up to 30 minutes nightly
Leadership Year 7&8
Rangatiratanga - leadership is one of our key school values our school strives to develop in our students. Through our Integrity Awards programme, Year 7 and 8 Ākonga at Te Kura o Tiori have many opportunities to develop their leadership skills through a variety of roles and responsibilities.
What distinguishes the Integrity Awards programme from other leadership programmes is that all Year 7 and 8 students take part in the opportunities available to them, so everyone is developing their leadership skills and capabilities; experiencing success.
The leadership roles and responsibilities offered are:
Young Leaders Day - across school leadership training
William Pike Foundation
Camp Leaders
Student Council Representatives
Cultural Ambassadors
Meet and Greet Team
Sport Shed Monitors
Whakatipu Kaihautū Leaders
Flag Monitor
Digital Technology Team
Recycling team
Kapa Haka Leaders
Enviro Group
Anzac Speakers
School Events Team
Tuakana Teina
Wet day Monitors
Hot Lunch Duties
Big Band Leaders
We encourage and support these leadership roles in the safe primary school environment encouraging our ākonga to extend their leadership capabilities at high school and in the community.
Below are some examples in more detail of leadership roles and responsibilities available for our students while at Burnham School
Young Leaders Day
An opportunity for 10 Leaders to join an all day Learner Leadership Training Day. This hui is about further developing the potential of leadership within our learners as well as providing an opportunity for learners across our kura to connect and build relationships. The focus on the values being developed changes each year. In 2022 the values focus is on Tika Pono Mana: Integrity, Sincerity, Respect.
Whakatipu Kaihautū Leaders
Being a Whakatipu Kaihautū Leader gives the ākonga within our school a sense of pride and satisfaction as well as an opportunity to develop a role model status. The programme is adaptable and designed to suit the needs of our ākonga . It gives senior ākonga responsibility and an opportunity to be seen in a leadership role. At the same time, the programme helps to encourage ākonga participation in sport and physical activity. Some benefits we have noticed while running Whakatipu Kaihautū include:
● Ākonga develop personal leadership skills
● Ākonga have an opportunity to accept more responsibility, appreciation, and respect from teachers and learners
● Ākonga gains a sense of satisfaction for helping the enjoyment of others while working towards a happier, healthier, more physically active life!
● Provides a great teaching and learning opportunity in leadership, sportsmanship and teamwork.
Student Council Representatives.
Student counsellors are selected by their class peers at the beginning of the year through a voting system based on their speeches as to why they want to be student counsellors. Students selected by their peers, write a letter to Mrs Jansen giving reasons why they are interested in this role, what skills and attributes they bring to the role to continue to make Burnham School a special place. Students Counsellors are involved in many in-school projects as well as community- based projects which are important to our community and school life.
William Pike Foundation Leaders
Every even year, all year 7/8 students are leaders within the William Pike Foundation.
The William Pike Challenge is a youth development programme that develops youths' 21st century skills in preparation for tomorrow's world. Over the year students will be involved in Outdoor Activities, Community Service and Passion Projects. By engaging in these three elements they will develop resilience and positive wellbeing and strengthen their 21st-century life skills.
Meet and Greet Team
These students epitomise what it is to show whanaungatanga in our school. Whether it is welcoming new visiting families, guests, teachers or speakers, visits from other schools, hosting at our Expo nights, or welcoming our tamariki at the gates every morning, the students love making everyone who comes through our school gates feel like they belong.
Sport Shed Monitors
The student sports shed is managed by year 7 and 8 students who run the sports shed for the rest of the school as part of their school wide responsibilities.
This shed is open every lunch break (weather dependent) and our learners can use a range of different sports equipment.
Eco-Warriors
The Eco-Warriors maintain the gardens, the worms and the recycling. We have five gardens in the school that we use to grow fruits and vegetables. Once a week the recycling team goes out and collects all the recycling bins from the communities.
Cultural Ambassador Leaders
Students have the opportunity to be involved in promoting the diversity of our culture within our school, and promoting the calendar of religious and significant cultural events and celebration of the diversity of New Zealand and World Wide.
Learning Support Coordinator
At Burnham School, we endeavour to provide learning support to any student who may require it. We support students, their families and teaching staff to identify needs, find a way to meet them and monitor the effectiveness of any supports in place.
We assist students by adapting schooling to meet their needs. This need could be anything; from learning support to social/emotional needs, mental health to behaviour support. We strive to support all students with additional needs to ensure that they are able to achieve success and make school a positive experience.
Learning support can look different for each student. This support could be a ‘behind the scenes’ plan such as an Individual Education Plan/IEP, for others, it is a different classroom programme or tool, whereas some students may receive additional input from our support staff team.
If you are new to the school and your child has had extra help in the past, please let us know so we can ensure we are prepared and can make school positive from the start.
Lost Property
We urge parents to ensure every article of clothing is named. We make every effort to return named clothing to the owners. Unnamed clothing is kept in each classroom, and at the end of each term, unclaimed clothing is either sold through our PTA second-hand uniform sale or if not school uniform items given to a local charity after reasonable attempts are made to locate the owner.
Lunches
We are excited to let you know that the PTA is now online with Kindo.
Fundraisers, event tickets, polar fleece’, second-hand uniform, sausage sizzles and your usual lunches will all be available online.
New Users can click here and select the Create an Account option. Simply follow the prompts and in three easy steps you are ready to go!
If you already have an ezlunch or myKindo account, you can simply log in.
We have Sushi available every second Wednesday and Subway every second Thursday, alternate weeks.
Medication & Medical Services
If your child requires medication to be administered at school, parents/caregivers are required to complete a form authorising school staff to administer such medication. This form is to be completed when the medication is delivered to the school. Medicine Authority form
The Public Health Nurse visits the school on request and can see students and parents by appointment, help identify health needs and provide advice.
Hearing Vision testers test preschoolers, new entrants, and Year 7 students (plus colour vision for boys), and testing will also be done on request from parents, or teachers (with parent consent).
Meeting with Staff
We value discussions with parents and whānau. At the start or end of the day is a great time to pass on any valuable information regarding appointments, etc. For any personal discussions that you wish to have with teachers, it is important that you make an appointment with them by emailing them. The start and end of the day when other parents and children are around is not the appropriate time or place to be having honest and valuable discussions. These discussions need to occur at a time and place where confidentiality is respected and ensured.
Class Teachers, Associate Principals, or the Principal are available to you throughout the year. When requesting a meeting, please inform the staff member of what you wish to meet about. If it is an urgent matter, please contact the office manager who will ensure that you are put in touch with the right person.
Money
Children should not bring money to school without a valid reason.
Music - Itinerant Programme
We run a highly successful itinerant music programme at Burnham School. This is a user-pays system and adds to the diverse offerings of learning for students. On offer is guitar, vocals, drums/percussion and piano. For more information please see the school office.
New Entrant Enrolment
Children are welcome at school on their fifth birthday.
When you enrol your child you will be asked to fill in the following forms:-
Enrolment form for school records - details such as the child's full name, parents' names, child’s date of birth, address, phone number, two emergency contacts, etc.
The school is required to see a copy of the child's birth certificate to verify the date of birth, and also the immunisation certificate. These are returned to parents during the enrolment visit.
Digital Safety agreements.
We welcome parents/caregivers of the new entrant into the classroom for visits prior to starting school. Please phone the school to arrange a mutually convenient time for this visit. Pre-entry visits are usually held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8.55 – 11.00 a.m.
A parent or caregiver is to remain at school during each visit.
Enrolment procedures can be completed during one of these visits or on the day of starting school.
We work closely with our local Pre-School and Kindergarten to ensure that every child has the best transition to school possible. Prior to new entrant children starting school, we ask all children to spend three-morning sessions at school 8.55 -11.30 to get used to school. Some children require more time and some require less, our staff will advise you.
Please contact the office to arrange a time to chat if you would like to discuss how we can ensure your child has the best transition possible.
Newsletters & Email
A newsletter is emailed home fortnightly. Please ensure we have your current email address. They are also available to view on our school website, HERO and are also published on our Burnham School Facebook page.
Other Local Organisations
We work closely with the following local organisations:
Burnham Kidsfirst Kindergarten - Birgit Bracewell - birgitb@kidsfirst.org.nz or 3476 707
Burnham PlayGroup Burnham_playgroup@yahoo.co.nz
Community Services Officer - Kathryn Hodgkinson Kathryn.Hodgkinson@nzdf.mil.nz or 3630322
Dental Therapist
Our school is now serviced by a Mobile clinic once a year. The telephone number is 0800 846 983. For treatment or information when the clinic is closed, phone the clinic number, and you will be able to make an appointment.
Parent Help
We encourage and welcome all parents/caregivers/whānau to become involved in our school. There are many ways you can help and it really makes a difference. Please consider how you can contribute to the learning of our community and offer to support us. Here are some ideas:
Offer to help the PTA out.
Ask your class teacher if you can help out.
Ask the office manager, maintenance/groundsman or Principal if there are jobs you could help with.
If invited to help at school or at an educational activity/event whether at school or off-site volunteers must maintain confidentiality regarding other students, and should be aware of not being alone with students. It is essential that you report to the school office to sign in on arrival. You are also required to sign out when you leave the school grounds.
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
"Making a Difference for Burnham School and our Children"
Our purpose is to ensure that this is a partnership that is fostered through:
Parents being fully involved with the school and their child’s education.
Supporting our school community in a variety of positive ways.
Enhancing goodwill and pride by positive role modelling within and outside our school.
We welcome all families to become involved in the school and the learning of their children in some way.
Please do not approach PTA members with concerns or issues as this is not their role in the school. Refer to our communication guidelines for the approach to take.
Personal Mobile Devices - Years 5-8
Children in Years 5-8 who need to bring a personal mobile phone, smartwatch or other wifi capable device to school for before and after school communication with family can do so. All personal devices must be handed into the designated ‘class phone box’ which will be kept in the school office during the school day. Personal devices will be distributed by the class teacher at the end of the school day upon collection from the office. Devices are not to be used on school grounds between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:00 pm, this includes at sporting events, Year 7 & 8 Technology programmes or activities outside of the school, such as field trips or school camps.
Policies & Procedures
Our system for managing school policies and procedures is called ‘SchoolDocs’. These can be viewed on the web and we ask that all caregivers provide feedback on these as part of our ongoing review of the school. Please ensure you understand the policy for making complaints - which guides us to ensure our communication builds and maintains effective and positive relationships.
Please visit: http://burnham.schooldocs.co.nz
Username: burnham
Password: c4mp
‘Copyright: Except where stated, the content on this site is the copyright of School Docs Ltd. It may not be reproduced without written permission from School Docs Ltd’
Positive Behaviour Management
In 2017 we began our PB4L journey. This is a 3 tiered programme designed to be preventative at Tier 1 (80% of students), have small group interventions in Tier 2 (10-15% of students) and individualised interventions at Tier 3 (5% of students). Managing behaviour relies on consistently applying positive strategies to promote positive student behaviour. In some cases, a student may have an individual behaviour support plan to target specific behaviours. We use a Restorative Practice approach and ensure that students are supported to make consistently positive behaviour choices.
The school Learner Actions of Respect, Effort and Pride are the basis for our approach to positive behaviour management. We expect all people - students, staff and parents - to uphold these learner actions at all times. Each class develops its own class norms at the start of each year and this is revisited throughout the year as necessary. These norms guide staff and students to know what to expect from each other.
If a student struggles to uphold class treaty expectations and learner actions, then our formal behaviour process applies as supported. If required, our Learning Support Coordinator can support individual students and contact outside support agencies, such as RTLB, Public Health Nurse or Mana Ake. Repetition of behaviour or serious risk behaviour may lead to a student having a stand-down, suspension or exclusion.
The aim is that at each step the student has the opportunity to understand what the inappropriate behaviours are that they have been displaying and modify their behaviour accordingly. If they continue to display inappropriate behaviours, they progress to the next step. It is important to note that in the event that the behaviour was of a more serious nature, anything that would be considered illegal or dangerous behaviour as adults, the process may immediately start at either Step 5 or 6.
Behaviour Response Steps
Everyone starts with a clean slate every day.
School Hours
The school day begins at 8.55 am and finishes at 3 pm. Children are expected to be in their classrooms ready to learn before 8:55 am. Morning tea is from 11am - 11.20am, lunch play is from 12.30-1.00pm and eating is from 1pm - 1.15pm.
Children are not permitted in school buildings before 8.30 am without special permission. This is important teacher preparation time. Staff are on duty in the classrooms and grounds from 8.30 am, and no responsibility can be taken for children who arrive before that time.
Sport
Our students have opportunities to be involved in a wide variety of sports - rugby, touch, netball, Canterbury Zones, swimming, triathlon and more. During this time they are introduced to a wide variety of new sports experiences.
Stationery
Families are able to buy all their stationery requirements through www.myschool.co.nz or other stores that provide stationery. Please get in touch if fees puts you or your family under hardship. At the end of the school year, your child will bring home a stationery list of items required. New whanau get this when they enrol.
If stationery from the previous year was not used, please check with your class teacher as it may be possible to re-use it the next year.
When new stationery is required, the class teacher will let you know the requirements.
Sweets, Toys and Valuables
Children are not permitted to bring sweets, fizzy drinks or chewing gum to school. Please do not include such items in children's lunches. We strongly discourage children from bringing toys and other valuables to school so as to eliminate squabbles, fights, and loss. This school will not accept responsibility for any such items brought to school, this includes mobile phones - please see below.
Technology Education Year 7 & 8
Year 7 and 8 students attend Lincoln Technicraft Centre at Lincoln Primary School every week travelling by bus, leaving Burnham at 8.40 am and returning at 12.40 pm.
Every student has lessons in Food Technology, Clothing, and Workshop Craft (Woodwork, LEGOtechnics, Computer Design). Each year there is a nominal charge for items that are created and taken home.
Ways to keep in contact:
We work really hard to keep all whānau informed of the great things that happen throughout our school.
All classes regularly update HERO and we encourage you to subscribe to this.
In addition, other parts of our website enable you to stay informed of what is happening - particularly the school calendar.
Withdrawal of Students - Haere rā
When it is known that a family is leaving Burnham School to transfer to another school, the following procedure is required.
Let the office and class teacher know the last day of attendance.
Make sure all library books, student account payments are completed and any school property is returned.
We also put records into the Ministry of Education system for managing the movement of students throughout NZ schools.
Zone - we have no school zone
Burnham School does not have a zone. This means that we are not limited with who can enrol at the school. We welcome everyone into our learning community! Please make and appointment with the Principal at your earliest convenience.