General Admin

Parent Information

Parent Handbook (2024)

Tackling Bullying. A Guide for Parents and Whanau

 

Parents are requested to inform the school every day a child is absent. If your child has a prearranged appointment please advise the office. Should you be taking your child out of school for a trip/holiday the office requires the dates that the child will be absent from school. School rolls are marked by teachers and the office in the morning and afternoon. Should a student not be present at the time of the roll being taken a text message will be sent to parents. This enables us to monitor the whereabouts of pupils (for their own safety) at all times. If there is a real concern the police will be notified.

Parents / Caregivers visiting the School during the school day must go to the office and sign in before entering the school grounds and sign out when leaving . No child may be taken out of the school by a parent, guardian or friend of the family unless permission has been given. All students must sign in at the office on late arrival and sign out should they be leaving before the end of the school day. ​

 

Car parking for parents is available across the road from the school. Parents are requested to try not to bring cars into the school grounds at anytime except for emergencies. It is a school rule that children do not walk through the car park. We therefore request parents to support this rule and walk their children through the designated walkway. This is a safety issue.

 

Pupils are encouraged NOT to bring cell phones to School. If they arrive at School, the following must be adhered to:

• Cell phones must be handed in and collected at the end of the school day. Phones will be kept in a locked area.
• ​If phones are found on students, they are to be taken off them and handed into the office for parents to collect.
• The School takes no responsibility for damage or loss of cell phones.

On enrolment parents and students are asked to read through and sign the Whenuapai School Cyber Safety Agreement. Publishing student pictures and work on websites promotes learning, collaboration and provides an opportunity to share the achievements of students. Images and products of our students may be included on the website without identifying captions or full names. Parents/ guardians must provide written consent on enrolment of their child for Whenuapai School to publish their child’s photo or school work. Please note that under no circumstances will student photos or work be identified with first and last name on a Whenuapai School website.

 

Whenuapai School does not have a Dental Clinic. Pupils will have an initial dental examination on site in a mobile dental bus and, if children require treatment, parents will be notified and appropriate arrangements made to visit the Dental Therapist at Marina View School.  For treatment, parental consent is required and obtained when children enrol.

 

We greatly appreciate the collaboration between parents and teachers in extending classroom learning to the home environment. This partnership fosters a positive connection between home and school, enriching the educational experience of our students.

While we do not assign home learning on a weekly basis, when it is deemed necessary, it will directly align with the school curriculum and ongoing classroom activities. This may often coincide with project-based learning initiatives.

For students in years 0-4, engagement in junior reading, mastering heart words, and reading with parents/caregivers at home is strongly encouraged, particularly for those requiring additional support or acceleration. This home learning will be organised at the discretion of your child’s teacher, however, you may ask for more support around home learning if you feel your child would benefit from it. 

Recognising the importance of family and extracurricular commitments, such as sport, we understand that these may occasionally take precedence over homework. Such experiences are integral to a child’s holistic development and are actively encouraged. We kindly request parents/caregivers to communicate these instances with us, allowing us to support the student in effectively managing their time around their various engagements.

Lost property is a continuing problem in the school and we request that ALL clothing be named. Lost property is displayed in the foyer of the School hall and is frequently displayed outside the main office building.

 

 

We are a very approachable staff and are always happy to discuss your child’s education with you. Teachers can be contacted either by email, letter or by leaving a message with the office. Teachers have many meetings and commitments before and after school so it is imperative that you make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher in advance.

 

Our School Newsletter is published every second Tuesday of the School Term. Parents will receive an electronic copy via HERO. Alternatively, parents, caregivers, or other family members may subscribe to our newsletter via the School Website and will receive the newsletter electronically on each publication. This publication lists events, results and comments from the Staff, Board of Trustees and community organisations.

 

Previous copies of school newsletters are available on the school website – PLEASE CLICK HERE. 

 

The School has always been very appreciative of the help and support parents have given to the class teachers through a wide range of activities including lunchroom help, coaching, parent support programmes, reading/maths tutors, library support, uniform shop, working bees, discos and fundraising. If you are available to help in any way, please let the school know.

 

The road crossing on Airport Road is patrolled by school patrols with a teacher present from 8.30 – 8.50am and in the afternoons from 2.55 – 3.20pm. Please respect these children and support their endeavours. If you have questions or comments regarding the school patrols please contact the school office.

 

A Public Health Nurse visits the School regularly. Staff or parents can refer concerns to her. On enrolment, consent will be obtained.

 

Middle and Senior School pupils are allocated positions of responsibility in the School. These include Senior Council, Road Patrollers, Librarians, Bus Monitors, Travelwise Team, Environmental Team, Junior Support Team, Cool Schools Peer Mediators and PE Gear Monitors. Strict codes of behaviour and clear guidelines are attached to each responsibility and failure to comply will result in the loss of the job.

 

Whenuapai School runs the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) Programme. The Ministry of Education has developed this programme to support schools to develop positive behaviour for all to support students learning. The school values are reinforced through the programme:

• Mana – Respect for self
• Kotahitanga – Respect for others
• Ako – Respect for learning
• Kaitiakitanga – Respect for the environment

For further information check out the PB4L website – PB4L – School Wide (click here).

*A list of all teachers and support staff who have completed restraint training is available in the school office.

Lunches

Lunches are delivered to School each day. These can be ordered online using Kindo www.mykindo.co.nz.  Students are to pick up their lunch from the School Office at 12.40pm.

 

Time	Activity
8:30am	School Open
9:00am	Learning Block 1 (Pupils arriving late must report to the school office).
10:45am	Morning Tea Play
11:05am	Morning Tea Eating
11:15am	Learning Block 2
12:45am	Lunch Time Play
1:15pm	Lunch Time Eating
1:25pm	Learning Block 3
3.00pm	End of Day
3:08pm	Tamariki to Bus Lines

 

Children can buy stationery from the Office between 8.30 – 9.00am only. A price list is available at the office or from class teachers.

 

Our Year 7 and 8 students attend the Taupaki School Technology Centre each Tuesday. In Technology students learn processes in order to create a solution for an authentic issue. This process includes learning knowledge, researching, developing skills, being creative and producing and evaluating the final outcome. Year 7 students attend the Technology Centre one day per week for the second half of the year. They rotate around the three technology rooms every six weeks experiencing Hard Materials, Soft Materials and Food Technology. The students develop knowledge of the Technology process and begin to understand the language of Technology. At the completion of these three cycles the students choose 2 out of the 3 options for their Year 8 cycle, which is run for the first 2 terms of the following year. These options consist of 9 lessons in each area and students work through an in depth programme.

 

The First Aid Room is located next to the Office. In the event of serious accidents, or illness causing concern, parents are contacted. Please ensure the school is given your home, work and emergency phone contact numbers and that these are kept up to date. The School takes the initiative in taking children to the Accident and Emergency Clinic when parents can be contacted or there is a delay in their arrival.