A - Z Information

If you can’t find the answers below to any questions you may have, then please feel free to ask.

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ATTENDANCE / ABSENCES

Children are expected at school between 8 and 8:30am each day. Absences should be texted to Anne on 021 416 618 or emailed to office@tepaina.school.nz. Absences can also be reported through our Skool Loop app. 

If you have not contacted the school by 9:15am you may receive a text to check on your child’s absence. If your child is late to school then a parent or caregiver must tell Anne at the office so she can ensure the roll is updated correctly. The school answer phone operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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ASSEMBLIES 

Our assemblies are held every second Friday from 8:30am. We encourage all whānau to join us. Each class takes a turn to host our school assemblies. School assemblies are listed on the website under our information

https://www.tepaina.school.nz/events-newsletter 

 

BEHAVIOUR / The Te Paina Way

At Te Paina School we have four values:

Manaakitanga - We are respectful of ourselves, others and our community. We show care and aroha for one another. 

Atawhai - We show kindness through our words and actions. We are focused and eager to learn.

Nui - We always give our best in every situation. We take on challenges and push through even when things are tough. 

Akiaki - We work together, affirm one another and encourage each other. We champion others to be the best they can be. 

 

Te Paina School is a PB4L School (PB4L - stands for Positive Behaviour for Learning). We base our behaviour management practices on our school values. Our values were selected after consultation with students, whanau and the local community. 

 

Teachers and staff model and show the behaviour we want to see students displaying (we do not assume children know how to behave).  We strive to focus on recognising the positive over the negative to reinforce the behaviours and expectations we like to see at Te Paina School.

 

A reward system works in conjunction with our values. How this works can be found in every classroom. 

 

Any inappropriate behaviour is dealt with by the classroom teacher in the first instance. Consequences will vary depending on the age of the child and the specific behaviour. Parents / Caregivers will be contacted if it is deemed necessary. The Principal will deal with any issues that are deemed serious enough to extend beyond normal school wide consequences. 

 

Children and parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns about inappropriate behaviour with the classroom teacher as soon as possible. The Principal is also happy to discuss concerns and support students whenever needed. 

 

All Ministry of Education guidelines and procedures on stand-downs and suspensions will be strictly followed.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board meets twice a term in the staffroom.  All meetings are open to the public with dates being announced in our newsletter. Minutes of the board meetings are available on request.

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BOOK CLUB

Scholastic NZ Ltd runs a book club offering book specials on a monthly basis. A special Scholastic newsletter is sent out to notify children and parents of upcoming events. Closing dates are advertised in the school newsletter.

 

CHARTER AND STRATEGIC PLAN 

The Charter is a document that defines how our school will plan for continuous improvement. The Charter describes the Board’s long term (strategic) goals for student achievement and this flows through to the annual plan which has specific goals and actions that aim to achieve those long term goals. These specific goals and strategies are updated annually and progress against these goals is reported to the School Board by the Principal. The charter can be found on the website.

 

CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

Schools can be a breeding ground for infections and illnesses.  Please keep children at home if they have a bad cough or cold, diarrhea or vomiting, feverish or are very tired after an illness. Children should not return to school until 24 hours after their last round of vomiting or diarrhea. The following chart may be of help to you in diagnosing some of the common childhood illnesses.

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Public Health Nurse – Please contact the school office for a current contact number.

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COMMUNITY USE OF THE GROUNDS AND FACILITIES

Our grounds and facilities are open to the community at all times for children and families to use. No vehicles or animals are permitted on school grounds at any time unless on school business. People using the grounds out of normal school hours do so at their own risk.

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COMPLAINTS

The following procedures should be followed if a parent or caregiver wishes to make a complaint or if they have any concerns in regards to their child’s education.

• An appointment should firstly be made to see the teacher concerned. Ongoing discussions and an appropriate amount of time may be required to achieve an adequate solution. The parent / caregiver or the teacher may ask for the Principal to be involved.  If necessary an action plan, stating objectives, outcomes, responsibilities and timeframes will be mutually drawn up. Dates for regular reviews should also be included and communication between both parties will need to be ongoing. 

• If after several communications either party feels that insufficient progress is being made with the agreed action plan, the Principal should be informed of developments and asked to intercede.

• In the case of a complaint not being directly related to the education of a student, parents, caregivers and staff may go directly to the Principal.

• If a satisfactory understanding cannot be arrived at with the Principal, the parent or caregiver may submit the complaint in writing to the School Board.

• In due course the School Board will consider the complaint and use its best endeavours to reconcile the differences outlined in the letter of complaint. All complaints submitted to the School Board shall remain confidential and be discussed ‘In Committee’.

• A member of the School Board or staff member, personally invested in a complaint or concern, will take no part in the Board’s decision, but may submit a statement on the matter.

• When a parent, guardian or staff member wishes to make a complaint against the Principal, the complaint will be made to the Chairperson of the School Board who shall use his or her best endeavours to solve the concerns raised. 

• All complaints submitted to the Principal or the School Board must be documented and filed in a secure location.
   

Complaints and concerns given open discussion, an action plan, and sufficient time for rectification should lead to satisfactory solutions for all parties involved. 

 

CURRICULUM

Te Paina School provides a balanced curriculum in Literacy, Numeracy, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Physical Health and Well Being, The Arts and Tikanga Maori. Our programmes aim to develop each child academically, physically, emotionally and socially. This also aligns with the Te Whare Tapa Wha model (Durie, 1984).  The Te Paina School curriculum implementation plan was developed in line with the New Zealand Curriculum.

 

DENTAL CARE

The school does not have a Dental Clinic on site. Please phone the school office if you would like information on mobile dental units nearby or sites available to the community. 

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DUFFY BOOKS

We are a Duffy Books in Homes school. All children will receive three or four books a year which they can take home and keep. Additional books may be given out as rewards.

 

ENROLMENT

Children may attend up to three pre-school visits beginning three weeks before their fifth birthday. School visits are held on a FRIDAY between 8:30am and 11:00am. No more than four children will be able to attend at any one time and a legal guardian must accompany the child for the duration of their stay. Visits can be booked through the classroom teacher or the school office.

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ENROLMENT ZONE

Te Paina School does not currently have an enrolment zone. Please contact the school if you have any questions about enrolment.

 

FUNDRAISING - Friends of Te Paina School

To supplement our Governmental Operational Grant, we rely on the support of our parents and community to help organise regular activities to raise funds to purchase new equipment and materials. If you are keen to help out the school in this area we would love to hear from you. The major fundraising event each year is our annual Gala. Keep an eye on the newsletter for dates and times of meetings for our ‘Friends of Te Paina’ working committee. 

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HOME LEARNING

Home learning expectations vary depending on the age of the child. Your child’s teacher will be able to discuss this with families in more detail.

We believe in the importance of children being well rounded individuals, therefore activities such as baking, creating, going for walks, imaginative play, sports, drama, dance and time spent with family all play a vital role in developing the child as a whole. 

 

We also understand that families can be very busy and some children will be involved in sports, dance etc. Therefore it may be unrealistic to complete homework. Please communicate this with your child's teacher.

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LEARNING NEEDS

Some children require extra support for learning or behaviour difficulties. Individual teachers are required to cater for the individual needs of each child in their class. However, it may be necessary at times to seek support through external agencies. Our Principal, Mr Adam Tamariki, assisted by Nicky M is the school's Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and is responsible for all special needs. Teachers are able to access a number of support services such as RTLB (Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour), GSE (Group Special Education), Public Health Nurse, SLS (Supplementary Learning Support) and RTLit (Resource Teacher of Literacy).

If parents have concerns about their child’s learning or behavior they should first discuss it with the classroom teacher.

 

LIBRARY  

Mrs Anne Farmer is responsible for the library. The children in Years 1 - 3 are able to borrow one book, for up to two weeks at a time. The children in Years 4 - 8 can borrow two books for up to two weeks.  If a school library book is lost or damaged, parents will receive an invoice requesting the replacement cost of the book.

 

LOST PROPERTY

All clothing worn to school must be named.  Lost property is gathered together and placed in a container. Please ask at the office for the current location of lost property. Lost property not collected by the end of each month is cleaned and donated to a charity.

 

MONEY TO SCHOOL

All money that is to be paid to the school must go through the office. Payment for additional stationery must all be taken to the office and not given to class teachers. We would appreciate payment to the school bank account or EFTPOS please where possible. 

 

NEWSLETTER

Our School newsletter is published once a fortnight on a Friday. We do not send a paper copy of the newsletter home. This is a valuable source for communication and the best way of keeping parents informed of school events. Families can access the newsletter through our website and the school app.

 

PROMOTION AND PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS

All children should be placed in a class grouping which will be to their best educational advantage. Careful consideration will be given to the age, academic, social, physical, and emotional development of each individual child. 

New entrants with birthdays in January - June will be classified as Year One. New entrants with birthdays in July - December will be classified as Year Zero. In term four all new entrants with birthdays in May and June will be reviewed before a final decision about their placement in the following year. Consultation with parents will take place and any communication from parents will be taken into consideration when placing students. 

The final decision for the child’s placement will be the responsibility of the school.

 

REMOVAL AND LATE ARRIVAL OF STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

All students who are taken off the school grounds by a parent or caregiver during the school day or are returned to school during the day must be signed in or out at the office. All students who arrive at school after 8:30am must be signed in at the office by their parents or caregiver. 

 

REPORTING TO PARENTS

We operate an open door policy where parents can discuss their child’s progress by making an appointment to meet with the teacher. More formal parent/teacher interviews take place at the end of Term 2. Reporting on the progress and achievement of students is done through our school management system and sent to parents accordingly.

 

RUBBISH

Te Paina School prides itself on its wonderful environment and surroundings. We ask the children to help look after the school grounds by taking their lunch rubbish home.

 

SCHOOL DONATIONS

The Board of Trustees has opted into the Government Scheme for 2023. The school will receive $150 per student from the Government. This means that the Board will not be asking families to pay a school donation. From time to time families may be asked to contribute towards the cost of activities, visiting performers and trips. When the school has an overnight camp we are obliged to ask for contributions towards this cost. 

 

SCHOOL OFFICE

The school office is open from 8.00am – 1:00pm, Monday to Thursday. Mrs Anne Farmer will be able to help you with any enquiry you may have. Eftpos is available at the office.

 

SCHOOL STATIONERY

School Stationery packs are $35 for the entire year. All stationery will be delivered to your child's classroom. 

 

SICK BAY

We keep our sick bay well stocked with an up to date list of emergency contacts and specific individual health concerns. Please inform the school immediately of any changes of health needs, addresses or phone numbers. Most staff have a current first aid certificate.

 

SMOKE FREE

In accordance with Government legislation, Te Paina School, including all buildings and grounds, is a smoke free environment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

SPORTS

Te Paina School is part of the East Group which includes Pokeno, Mangatawhiri, Mangatangi, Maramarua, Orere and Kaiaua. The East Group meets regularly for sporting ventures including swimming, cross country and athletics. Some children will then go on to compete at the Franklin level.

 

SUN PROTECTION

All children are expected to wear a sunhat in terms one and four. If children choose to wear a hat in terms two or three they are able to choose a sun hat or beanie. Hats and beanies must not display any offensive graphics or language.

In terms one and four any children playing outside without a sunhat on will be directed to play in shaded areas. Children are encouraged to use sunscreen and to dress appropriately. 

 

SWIMMING

This is an important part of the physical education curriculum and classes access the pool in Term 1 and 4. Please check with your child’s teacher about their swimming day.

 

TEACHER AIDES

The Te Paina School Board currently employs teacher aides to support teachers and children. The teacher aides have a variety of roles within the school.

 

TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM

Our Year 7 and 8 children are involved in Technology sessions every second Monday. A bus provides transport to and from Maramarua School. The bus leaves Te Paina School at 8:30am. If the children are late for the bus then parents are responsible for transporting them to Maramarua School or they will remain at Te Paina School and miss their technology programme. Children must have closed in shoes when attending tech. 

 

TRANSPORTING CHILDREN

Children are often required to be transported in private motor vehicles. All private motor vehicles transporting children must have a current warrant of fitness and registration. Children are only permitted to sit in seats with over the shoulder sash belts. Children are not permitted to sit in seats with lap belts. All drivers are required to have a full driver’s license. 

All transport information including number and names of children, which car and parent they are traveling with will be kept in the school office and by the teacher in charge.  All Children under the age of 7 are required to use a car seat or booster seat.

 

TRIPS / VISITING PERFORMERS

We try to organise a visiting performer or school trip for each term of the school year to enhance the children’s learning and enjoyment of school. We try to fit trips around school wide studies. Plenty of notice will be given prior to each trip informing parents of dates.

 

UNIFORM / DRESS STANDARDS

Te Paina School is very proud of our school uniform. Please make contact with the school office if you wish to purchase any items. 

• In Terms 1 and 4 all children are expected to wear a hat when playing outside.  No 'snapback' caps

• Necklaces, bracelets and earrings that dangle below the ear can all be a health and safety issue for children playing.  We ask that jewellery is left at home other than watches, stud earrings, or an item that is of religious, cultural, or personal significance.  Please be aware that Te Paina School will not accept any responsibility of items of jewellery that are lost or damaged. 

Children representing the school at sports events will be given a Te Paina School sports shirt to wear.

 

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

All visitors to the school must report to the office upon arrival. They will be asked to sign in as a visitor and wear a visitors sticker during their stay. Before leaving the school grounds all visitors are required to sign out.