Absentees

Irregular attendance patterns have been identified as one of the major barriers to children's learning and the Ministry of Education provides schools with a number of avenues of support to help reduce unjustified absences and truancy. Children are required by law to attend school unless prevented by special circumstances or illness. It is important that children arrive each day on time. We require prior written notification to the Principal if your child is going to be absent for reasons other than illness e.g., a family holiday during school time.

Our school day starts at 9am. Children need to be at school ready to start the day with lunch orders completed, bags unpacked and hung up. Arriving after the bell can cause disruption to the class and make it very difficult for a child to settle. Roll call is taken at 9:00 am and if children are not in class they will be recorded as late or absent.

If your child is late, please sign your child into school at the office on arrival, where they will be issued with a card to hand to their teacher. If your child is absent for the day or part of the day you need to notify the Office via Hero (see below). You can also call the school office if the internet is not available. Any unexplained absence will be followed up with a phone call. If you need to pick up your child before 3.00 pm please make sure you sign them out via the office.

After School Care – sKids After School Care

Children are cared for onsite from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm Monday to Friday. sKids runs the after school care programme in the school hall. Younger children are collected from their classes until they are ready to walk with a friend or by themselves down to the hall.

All bookings/absentees need to be communicated with sKids directly. For all enquiries/enrolments, please contact:

Mobile: 027 257 5437 or 0800 274 172

To book or find out more, visit: https://www.skids.co.nz/locations/westmere/

Jayde Pinto Senior Program Leader - Mobile 027 218 3962 

Web www.sKids.co.nz

App

All our notices and communication are pushed out through our school app. You can find the app in your app store on your mobile device. Search for SchoolAppsNZ to download the app. Once downloaded search for Westmere School. Select your child's Studio and Year level. You will then receive notifications when a communication relevant to you is pushed out.

Assemblies

Whole School Assemblies are held on Friday at 10:00am on alternate Fridays. This is where the school comes together for an assembly in the School Hall and when "Caught in the Act" certificates are awarded to children.

All family and friends are most welcome to attend our Whole School Assemblies! Dates can be found on the school calendar.

Behaviour

We recognise that just as children enter school with a range of academic learning needs, they also come to school with a range of social readiness. Social skills need to be modelled and taught both at home and school. We do this through our “Living and Learning Together” programme. This programme is focused on developing the social and emotional competencies of our learners and sits alongside a raft of policy and curriculum initiatives to combat bullying, racism and other forms of exclusion and harassment.

Bikes and Scooters (Wheels at School)

A number of children ride to school on a bike, scooter or skateboard. We have bike and scooter racks by the Garnet Road entrance. All children must wear a helmet and lock their bikes/scooters on the rack. We cannot take responsibility for the security of bikes/scooters left unlocked.

We ask that children enter the school through Gate A (Garnet Road) and walk their wheels to the storage area. No wheels are to be ridden on the school grounds until after 3:30pm when the grounds are cleared.

If your child is cycling to school, please ensure that they are aware of and follow the rules below:

● Always wear a helmet

● Walk my bike on the school grounds

● Cycle on the footpath giving way to pedestrians

● Walk my bike across roads

Book Bags

In the junior school book bags need to be brought to school each day. They protect the reading books and also help to ensure that homework, letters and any important information gets home to you. You will need to look inside the book bag each day and take out any letters etc.

We ask that when your child has finished their practice with their word ring and sound ring (if they have one), that they be kept in the book bag so that the teachers can add or take off words and sounds as needed.

Buildings Names

Te Rehu (Westmere School named by Whaea Jane) The original name of the area along Garnet Road and where the zoo now stands.

Te Pou Ki Uta (LS 3–8 named by Whaea Jane)
Learning studios where knowledge is secured and which face inland towards Maungawhau.

Te Pou Ki Tai (LS1, LS2 named by Whaea Jane)
Learning studios which face seawards to the Waitematā Harbour.

Te Herenga (Admin named by Whaea Jane)
The place from which guidance, direction and literally the binding together of the operations of the school occurs.

Te Puna Mārama (Library named by Whaea Jane)
The source of understanding

Te Whare Kotahitanga (Hall named by Nana Ma)
The place to gather and be as one.

Te Hononga o Ngā Wai (NUONI classrooms named by Whaea Dianne) The meeting of the waters. This name references the two streams of the area, Waiateao and Waititiko (Motions and Meola Creek) which flow into the Waitematā Harbour at Te Tokaroa (Meola Reef).

Te Papa Kainga (The village - which are the brick buildings on the top court- named by Nana Ma)

Te Whare Poi Poi (named by Nana Ma). The place to nurture and care for others.

Bullying

Bullying is deliberate, harmful behaviour that is often repeated or continues over a period of time. It is often intimidating and hard for those being bullied to defend themselves. Bullying takes place in the digital world too, through cyberbullying. We all have a responsibility to recognise bullying and to take action when we are aware of it happening. We actively teach children what bullying is and isn’t e.g. some behaviour is rude or mean.

Examples of bullying behaviours include:

• physical, for example, hitting, kicking, taking belongings, defacing a web page

• verbal, for example, name calling; insults; racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks

• social/relational, for example, spreading nasty stories, excluding from groups, making threats, standover tactics

• cyberbullying, for example, posting negative comments on social media, publishing or sending inappropriate messages or images, sending mean or intimidating texts and emails.

To effectively prevent and respond to bullying behaviour at Westmere School we:

• create a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment

• promote digital citizenship to our students

• provide guidelines for managing and dealing with bullying, this is available on the SCHOOLDOCS link found on our website

• identify and acknowledge bullying/intimidating behaviour, including cyberbullying.

• deal with incidents of bullying through the school's behaviour plan.