School Times

• 8.40 am - Doors to the classrooms open and children can arrive. Please do not send children earlier than 8:30 as there are no staff on duty to look after them
  

• 9.00 am - First bell rings and gates are locked. Please come to the main office on Larchwood Avenue if you wish to come into school after 9am.

• 10.10 am-10.30 am  - First morning tea

• 11.30 am-11.50am  - Second morning tea

• 1.10pm-1.50pm - Lunchtime

• 3.00pm - End of the school day. Please arrange to meet your child at the school gates.

Shoes

All shoes and sandals must be named. Shoes are to be taken off before going into studios. Please provide footwear that is able to be taken off and put on independently. No laces or buckles unless the children are able to manage these by themselves.

Spare Clothes

We ask that ALL children have a spare set of clothes in their bag no matter what age. Children prefer their own clothes when they need to change, it also saves a lot of staff time.  Children need spare clothing for more than just toileting accidents. They can get wet from the rain, have lunch spills etc.

Sports Clubs and Weekend Sports

Soccer: Western Springs AFC. Yr0-6 plays Term 2 and 3 at Seddon fields either Friday nights, Saturday or Sunday mornings depending on age group. Club-organised teams.

Rugby: Ponsonby RFC. Yr0-6 plays Term 2 and 3 at Western Springs and Cox's Bay fields. Club organised teams.

League: Pt Chevalier Pirates RLC Yr0-6 plays Term 2 and 3 at Walker Park. Club organised teams.

Hockey: Sommerville Hockey Club Yr0-6 plays Term 2 and 3

Netball: School organised teams, Yr3-6 plays Term 2 and 3 at Netball North Harbour either Monday, Wednesday afternoons or Saturday morning depending on age group. Options to play Term 4 also.

Cross Country: Pt Chevalier Athletics. Yr0-6 Races across Auckland Term 2 and 3. Based at Walker Park. Club organised

Flippaball: School organised teams Yr3-6 plays all year at North Harbour Water Polo on Sunday afternoons and evenings

Athletics: Pt Chevalier Athletics. Yr0-6 coaching and racing Term 4 and 1 at Walker Park on Tuesday evenings. Club organised.

Tennis: Westend Tennis Club. Yr0-6 based at Cox's Bay courts. Club organised.

T-Ball: United Softball Club Yr0-6 plays Term 4 and 1 at Fowlds Park on Saturday mornings. Club organised.

Cricket: Grafton Cricket Y3-6 plays Term 4 and 1 on Saturday mornings, based at Victoria Park. Club organised.

Touch: School organised teams Yr2-6 plays Term 4 in the Galaxy Touch competition at Cox's Bay on Tuesday evenings.

Triathlon: Weetbix Triathlon School based team. Open entry 7yrs old and over for the Auckland event in February each year.

Kids Marathon: Auckland Marathon school based team. Open entry 7yrs old and over for event in November each year.

Interschool Competitions: School organised teams usually Yr6. Seasonal, during school time. Sports may include Cricket, Softball, Swimming, Rugby, Soccer, Netball, League, Rippa, Cross Country, Skiing/Snowboarding, Athletics, Tennis, Touch Rugby.

Playball: Coached at school - teaching children basic movement development skills, sports skills and techniques, as well as instilling healthy life values.

Stationery

In order to ensure all children have the correct stationery, we arrange each year for the supplier to provide student's stationery requirements. In this way, we are able to negotiate a very competitive price that we pass on to parents. During the year stationery is sold at the school office.

Student Year Group Classification

Children are classified according to their years at school:

• Year 0 - 2 (5 - 7 years) Junior School

• Year 3 - 4 (7 - 9 years) Middle School

• Year 5 - 6 (9 - 11 years) Senior School

As a general rule of thumb children who are born January-April (usually starting school during Term 1) are classified as Year 1s and children who are born from May 1st onwards (usually starting during Term 2, 3, or 4) are classified as a Year 0s and then become Year 1s the following year. 

Studio Connectors

This role has been established to help new and existing families at Westmere School feel connected. They organise Studio get-togethers to meet outside school hours and are a point of contact if you want to ask one of those niggly questions but don’t know where to go! They can help or point you in the direction of someone who can. Please see your child’s Studio teachers if you are unsure about who your Studio’s connector is.

Studio Groupings

In Term 4 each year, the Senior Leadership Team work closely with the Year Group Leaders and teachers to organise studio groupings based on the needs of the children and the numbers in year groups for the following year. These groupings or year group mixes do not necessarily stay the same each year. While we try to ensure the children are with 1-2 friends, we strongly encourage them to mix with a wide range of new friends.

Swimming

Each year the children go to a swim school for 1 week. The children go in home groups with their home group teacher. A form is sent home for parents to complete so that children can be best placed into groups for their lessons.

Trips

Studios and Year Groups organise trips to fit in with what the children have been learning. Studios will send out a letter explaining where the trip is and what the children will be learning. Parent helpers will be asked to support us on our trips and we will pull these names from a hat in cases where we are lucky enough to have more names than places. In addition to a first aid bag, your child’s teacher will bring any medicines they have in the office.

All parents who wish to attend school trips require a police vet.