Macleans Primary School:-School Routines





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School Routines
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SCHOOL ROUTINES: HOURS Please encourage children to be at school by 8.45am in time to prepare for their day’s work. 8.55am School starts 10.30 – 10.50am Morning Interval 12.30 – 1.30pm Lunch time 1.30 – 3.00pm Afternoon School 3.00pm Dismissal Bell Please Note: Playground supervision is commenced at 8.30am so we would appreciate your co-operation in seeing that the children arrive at school from 8.30am and before 8.50am. The Information Centre is supervised and open for the children to use from 8.15am each morning. Kea Kids provides a ‘Before School Care’ programme from 7.00am until 8.30am each morning. Teachers will dismiss pupils at 3.00pm and we encourage children to make their way home quickly and sensibly. If teachers wish to retain children after school for any reason, parents will be given ample notification. Children are not permitted to leave the school grounds during the school day unless collected by a parent / caregiver. Prior notification either by a letter or phone informing of the early departure of your child is appreciated. Interruption to school should be avoided and if at all possible appointments should be made out of school hours. ENROLMENT link Children may attend school when they have reached the age of five years. In New Zealand it is compulsory for children to attend having attained the age of six. If your child was not born in New Zealand, we will need to sight their passport. When enrolling a child, parents are expected to show a Birth Certificate or some other official or acceptable evidence of date of birth. At enrolment the parent is given a Health Card to fill in, and on this should be recorded details of illnesses, health problems, inoculations etc. This card forms an important part of the child’s school records. We will also ask to sight your child’s Immunisation Certificate. Enrolment can be made at any time at the school office, and parents are encouraged to meet the Principal. Parents of new entrants will be notified by the New Entrant teachers of specific requirements after their child has commenced school, and also given times for a school visit shortly before your child turns five. SAFETY ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL Parents are asked to let the school know if their child is absent from school. This can be done by telephone, note, or by oral message from another member of the family. We ask that the school is informed by 9.15am. If a child fails to arrive and the school has no knowledge of the child’s whereabouts, the home will be contacted by telephone to ensure the child’s safety. CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS Please ensure that the school is supplied with up-to-date home, work and alternative contact telephone numbers. It is essential that the school be able to contact parents in the event of serious illness or accident. ROAD SAFETY Police Officers regularly give traffic instruction to all children. They request co-operation of parents in seeing that the elements of road safety taught in these lessons are observed by their children in their out-of-school life. Children are given instructions regarding appropriate crossing places and we ask that these be observed. Special care is needed when crossing Wycherley Drive and Gills Road. Both these streets are patrolled before and after school for your child’s protection. Parents calling for children are asked to observe the following: If collecting children from the gate after school, do not double park or park in restricted areas. If you do find it necessary to park on the opposite side of the road to the school, please do not call your child across the road. Teachers on duty each afternoon will assist in getting children safely across the road at both crossings. Before and after school all pedestrians are expected to cross Wycherley Drive where the Wardens are on duty. Unless there are special circumstances, parents are asked not to use the staff car park. BICYCLES Only children in Year 5 & Year 6 classes ride bicycles to school. This request is made in the earnest desire to avoid a serious accident. The streets are not suitable for young cyclists. School policy is that all cyclists must wear a safety helmet whilst cycling to and from school. Parents who want their children to ride to school should verify this in writing to the Deputy Principal and must be able to ride on the road competently. ALLERGIES The school keeps a record of children who require special and immediate attention in the case of insect stings or illness. If you have a child who falls into this category the school should be notified so that the necessary safeguards can be taken. Parents should ensure the school is regularly updated on medical requirements of their children. UNIFORM Macleans Primary has a fine uniform, which attracts favourable comments. The uniform is compulsory for all children to wear. Details of the uniform are shown separately. PHYSICAL EDUCATION/SPORTS UNIFORM Pupils in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 are required to wear uniform P.E. shorts and Tee shirts. When children represent the school at sports fixtures, they are required to wear school sports uniform. MARKING OF CLOTHING AND PROPERTY Much good clothing and property goes unwanted and unnamed into the school lost property box. Parents would assist the school and themselves greatly if they could ensure that all articles coming to school are clearly marked. LOST PROPERTY BOX Lost property is left in a box in Area 2 and parents and children should check there for missing items. SCHOOL ORGANISATION SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES The introduction in 1989 of “Tomorrow’s Schools” placed considerable responsibility for the running of the school on the Board of Trustees. In conjunction with the Principal and staff, the Board of Trustees is responsible for: The School’s Charter Staffing the School Maintenance of School Property Budgeting the Government’s bulk grant and locally raised money. DONATIONS This school has for many years had a policy of seeking a yearly donation from parents to purchase additional books and equipment. Please support this donation scheme because when all parents contribute, the combined total of money raised enables the Board of Trustees to have adequate funds to provide quality resources for the children. Parents are therefore asked to contribute each year the amount suggested by the Board of Trustees. This can be paid in one payment or spread over the four terms of the year. Any major projects involving additional sums of money have, in the past, been well supported by parents. WORKING BEES Working Bees are organised as need arises. It is desirable that all parents help with working bees as all children benefit. PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (P.T.A.) The P.T.A. holds meetings during the year and their primary function in this school is to strengthen understanding and relationships between the home and the school. An interesting and varied programme is planned each year. A committee is elected annually but new parents are welcome to join the Association at other times of the year. The activities of the P.T.A. are usually well supported by parents, thus furthering their involvement with the school. Valuable fund raising activities organised by the P.T.A. enable Macleans Primary to meet the demands of rising prices and pay for some of the “extras” not covered in our school budget. COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS These are a valuable means of communication between home and school. They are issued fortnightly on a Monday. Please read them carefully. PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION Apart from informal contact, the school formalises communication regarding class life and pupil progress by a “Meet the Teacher” night early in the year and through portfolios, interview and written reports. Written notification of these occasions will be received by parents throughout the year. APPOINTMENTS These can be made for informal discussions regarding pupil’s welfare and progress. They may be initiated by either parents or teachers. SCHOOL ASSEMBLY Every second Friday the whole school meets for class items, massed singing and presentations. Parents are welcome to attend the assemblies. VISITS/EVENTS EDUCATIONAL TRIPS The process of learning and understanding is greatly enhanced by direct experience. It is likely that your child will have the opportunity to participate in educational trips. Parent support is often needed with transport and supervision and written notification regarding class visits will be sent home by teachers concerned. Your assistance will be highly valued. SPORTS/CULTURAL EVENTS Opportunities are available for participation at inter-school sport events for pupils in Year 4, 5 and 6. Macleans Primary participates in interschool swimming, winter sports, athletics and cross country, Music Festival and the Dance Festival, Gymnastics Competition, as we are able to. SUPPORT SERVICES DENTAL CLINIC The Clinic, at the front of the school is open during school hours for different periods, which you will be notified of. During the time the Nurse is not at Macleans Primary you will be able to contact her at another local school. Please telephone our school office (534-5191) and we will advise you of her contact number. GENERAL LUNCHES link Bought lunches are available. You will be notified of what items your children may order, along with the price list. It would be appreciated if money is in a sealed envelope with the child’s name and the order written on the outside. LIBRARY The school is fortunate in having an excellent library, which is a feature of the school. The library is open before school and at lunch time for the borrowing of books. There is a small selection of books available for parents to loan. STATIONERY All stationery used at the school is available at our office. Buying at the school means uniformity in exercise books and work materials throughout the school, as well as a small profit for the school from which all children benefit. Stationery lists will be sent home as necessary. CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION A team of specially trained men and women voluntarily take religious instruction, ‘Bible’, for the children, for one half hour each week for five weeks of each school term. Their teaching is inter-denominational. All children attend unless there is a special request by the parent that this should not happen. MONEY AND VALUABLES AT SCHOOL Parents are asked not to allow their children to come to school with money or valuables, as these things can be lost or go astray. If money is brought for school purposes, it must be in a named envelope and should be handed to the class teacher at the beginning of the day. HOMEWORK While children are attending primary school they are introduced to many extra-curricular activities such as ballet, piano, Cubs and Brownies, sports clubs etc. Participation in some of these activities is important if children are to learn to live a full life. It is important, therefore, that homework should not prevent children from taking part in these physical, social and cultural pursuits. Family trips and visits also add to the child’s range of experiences. The habit of regular work at home is a worthwhile one, providing opportunity for practice of work undertaken by children at school. It requires time-tabling and organisation by the child, and affords parents the opportunity of finding out something of their child’s work, work habits and abilities in various fields. The school policy on homework is as follows: RATIONALE: Homework provides an opportunity for children to practice skills and reinforce learning. PURPOSE: To provide practice and consolidation of skills learnt at school To develop independent work habits and time management skills To allow children time to locate information, conduct research and present work. To allow time to complete tasks. To provide parents with the opportunity to support their child’s learning. GUIDELINES: As individual children’s learning needs and work habits differ, the time spent doing homework and the level of parental involvement required will vary from child to child. Homework expectations and tasks are outlined by all teachers at the beginning of the year, and by many teachers in homework books each week. The support of parents reinforces the co-operative relationship between home and school as well as desirable learning and behavioural outcomes. Parents can assist their children by: Checking homework requirements daily Establishing a time and place for homework to be done Listening to children read and discussing the text Hearing spelling and basic facts Helping children plan and manage their time Assisting them in locating relevant information or resources Praising both effort and achievement related to homework activities Teachers will set clear guidelines for homework and ensure that completed work is checked. PROCEDURES: Homework expectations will be similar to the following outline: Year 1-2 Daily home reading of current or familiar readers, poetry books, library books and/or published work. Practice of letter names, sounds and blends as shown on the alphabet card (particularly Year 1) Tasks related to work being covered in the classroom where practice at home would assist learning eg: handwriting, writing, high frequency words (spelling) and maths activities (often these skills can be incorporated informally into games and activities at home rather than as set homework). Time allocation: 15 minutes per night Monday – Thursday Year 3-4 Daily home reading of class readers, library books, books from home Learning basic maths facts and revision of skills Learning personal spelling lists Research or tasks related to topic work Current events Time allocation: 30 minutes per night Monday – Thursday Year 5-6 Reading – usually a text selected by the child Learning basic maths facts and spelling words Mathematics – revision of skills Research work – locating information and resources, note-taking, publishing and presenting Current events Time allocation: 30-45 minutes per night Monday – Thursday At the first meeting of the year for parents and teachers (Meet the Teacher) senior teachers will give details of what is expected for homework procedures, in their syndicate. One of the most valuable homework activities children can do is reading. This is especially relevant to children in junior classes who take home a variety of reading material to share with parents. Parents who take interest in, and discuss books and stories read, will be helping their children to look on reading as an enjoyable and worthwhile activity. Children are never too old to be read to or told a story and this is a valuable sharing and caring time for parent and child. USE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS/FACILITIES Families may use the grounds out of school hours and whilst present, are encouraged to protect the school from misuse by others. No dogs should be in the school grounds. Your assistance will be appreciated in ensuring the grounds are a safe place to spend leisure hours. SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL The school pool is used by all classes during the summer months and out of hours use can be arranged by taking advantage of our key system.