General A to Z

Absences and Attendance

Regular attendance is expected to ensure your child continues to progress with their learning.

Absences
If your child is absent, notify the school before 9:10am, with the child’s name, room and reason for absence. You can do this by:

1. Emailing: office@kohimarama.school.nz
2. Phoning the office: 09 930 9826
3. School Website: Report an Absence (Front Page)

Office staff will then record the absence and inform the teacher.

Arriving Late
Any child arriving at school after 8:55am must first report to the office for a late slip. If your child is unaccounted for, office staff will try to contact you to check your child’s whereabouts. Therefore, it is essential that contact details including alternate emergency contacts are kept up to date.

When your child is going to be late, please email the class teacher and office explaining the absence.

Non-sickness Related Absences
Permission for time away other than for sickness or a family bereavement, such as holidays, must be requested in writing in advance from the Principal if it is a full school day or more.

Early Pick Up
If a child is to be picked up for an appointment during the school day they must be collected from the school office and signed out. Children will not be released to anyone other than their parents unless the school has received a clear request from the parents.

Activity Fee

Activity fees are a one-off charge to parents to support additional components of the curriculum which may include, but is not limited to, trips, specialist curriculum activities such as technology or art, guest performers and specialist teacher/expert support. Senior Management in consultation with Team Leaders set each Team’s Activity Fee for the year.

Swimming (Year 1-5) and camp fees (Year 6-8) are not included in the activity fee and are charged separately.

After School Care and Activities

The school does not run an out of school care programme but there are local options that will pick up from the school grounds.

• Kohi Kids After School Programme — barfootstadium.co.nz/after-school.html, 521 0009 extn 4,
• St Andrews — standrewskidsclub.org, 528 5162

For a full list of after school activities that are run out of the school, view After School Activities.

Assembly

A school-wide assembly is held in the school hall every alternate Friday at 1:55pm. Families are very welcome to attend assemblies.

At the end of each year we have a special Sports Assembly to present awards to our sports teams and a Certificate Assembly where those involved in Student Leadership roles are acknowledged.

A formal off-site Final Assembly is held in the morning of the last day of the school year. Parents are encouraged to attend and are responsible for transporting their children to and from the venue. Once the assembly is finished the children are finished for the year.

Assessment

Student progress and achievement is assessed regularly using a variety of assessment tasks appropriate to various curriculum areas, learning objectives and student ages. Teachers use some standardised tests to monitor progress according to age expectations. A new entrant assessment is undertaken with all students within their first 6 weeks of starting school, which is followed by a parent/teacher meeting to discuss the results.

An observation survey is conducted with all six year olds to consider their progress to date and identify areas where they may need extension or additional support.

Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT’s) are standardised to national norms and are administered to Year 4-8 students for listening comprehension, reading comprehension, reading vocabulary and maths; and to Year 3 students for listening comprehension.

Band Programme

Students from Year 4-8 have the option of learning an instrument in a group band setting. Sign-ups are the year before in November and the parents/caregivers are responsible for hireage of the instrument. Students need no prior knowledge to be part of this programme. The band programme is Monday and Wednesday 1:00pm-3:00pm.

Ensemble Band groups are:

• Beginner Band (novice)
• Intermediate Band (1 year experience)
• Ensemble (2 years + experience)

Bikes and Scooters

We strongly discourage children from biking to school until they are in Year 5. Police advice is that children under Year 5 do not have the maturity or visual perceptual development to make safe judgements in traffic and roads near the school are extremely busy during school drop off and pick up times.

Bikes must be left locked in the bike rack located behind Rooms 20 and 21. There are racks for scooters behind Room 20 and 21, and behind the Resource Room in Kiri (near Room 2). Students need to walk their bike across the pedestrian crossings and in and out of the school grounds.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees consists of the Principal, a staff representative and five parent representatives elected by the parents of the school. The Board governs the school in accordance with educational and administrative guidelines set by the Ministry of Education. The Board of Trustees meets regularly. They meet on the last Monday of each month. Their meetings are held in the school conference room and begin at 6:30pm. Find out more on our Board of Trustees page.

Communication

Newsletters
A school newsletter will be emailed home every Tuesday. You will find current and previous newsletters on our News page.

Emails
This is main way you will receive school and class notices.

Website
The school website address is www.kohimarama.school.nz.

Office
The office phone number is 528 5306 extn 0
Email address: office@kohimarama.school.nz

Class Blog
Each classroom has a class blog. This is a forum for sharing classroom learning and information. The teacher will send a link to the class blog.

We encourage parents to direct all requests for general school information to the office staff. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress or behaviour, please contact your child’s teacher directly.

Computers and Devices

The school provides a range of devices to access school systems and the internet. These include Chromebooks, iPads, laptops and desktops. The school, with the support of the PTA, provides additional devices for learning from the list above as well as photocopiers for printing, a 3D printer etc. Schools in the 21^st Century are digitally capable and Kohimarama is no different.

The school has a blended approach to devices in the school; Students from Year 3-8 are able to Bring Their Own Device (BYOD). The device permitted is a Chromebook. For more information, view the Bring Your Own Device Policy.

We have a fibre line for learning in the school. Students and guests have access via Wifi.

Curriculum Overview

Teaching is based on the New Zealand Curriculum, which has eight essential learning areas:

• English
• The Arts
• Health and Physical Education (this includes Year 1-5 swimming lessons off-site)
• Learning Languages
• Mathematics & Statistics
• Science
• Social Sciences
• Technology

Teachers design a timetable to ensure balanced coverage of all curriculum areas. Literacy and Numeracy are prioritised in the first three blocks of our school day. Teaching and learning programmes are planned to ensure children work to their own academic levels.

Teachers take part in regular professional development to ensure that they are up to date with modern teaching practices. They plan cooperatively to provide children with learning experiences and strategies to develop the skills necessary for life long learning.

Dental Clinic

The school is serviced by the Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS). This dental care is free between Years 1-8. If your child starts school and is not already enrolled with ARDS, you can fill out enrolment form from their website.
ARDS Enrolment Form

For the younger children, appointments are undertaken at the Stonefields Children’s Community Dental Clinic, 65 Stonemason Avenue, Stonefields. Parents will be sent appointments and need to transport their child there.

ARDS School Dental Service also have a Mobile Dental Clinic that visits the school twice a year, at varying times, and undertakes annual checkups and minor treatment for children. Parents/caregivers of children needing further treatment will be notified by ARDS staff of any treatment required and individual written consent must be given before treatment is started. This treatment will be undertaken at the Stonefields Children’s Community Dental Clinic.

For more information, visit the ARDS website or contact the Stonefields Clinic on 570 8915 ext 8455.

Discipline

We expect high standards of behaviour from our children. Discipline provides a framework for learning and caring. It is essential that behaviour management procedures at our school work towards the idea of self-discipline where children accept responsibility for their own actions. This means providing an environment where:

• children have the opportunity to make decisions and choices
• appropriate behaviours are recognised and celebrated, and
• inappropriate behaviours are handled sensitively using an appropriate procedure

Teachers all follow the same guidelines in managing inappropriate behaviour which follows these steps:

1. Positive interventions to redirect behaviour
2. A warning and name on the class chart
3. Time out in the class buddy room (the parent will be informed)
4. Sent to the Team Leaders
5. Sent to the Deputy Principal (the parent will be invited to a meeting)

Enrolment and Pre-enrolment

An enrolment scheme operates to manage student numbers. The scheme describes a geographical ‘home zone’ and children who reside in that zone are entitled to enrol at the school.

To help with planning, parents/caregivers should pre-enrol their preschooler once the child reaches 4 years of age.

If you have children attending but no longer reside in the school zone younger siblings are not eligible as of right to enrol. However, should out of zone places become available, those places will be allocated through a balloting process with siblings having first priority.

For further information on visit the Enrolment section of the website.

Greenies

Greenies are our “Caught Being Good” certificates, which are awarded to students in the playground who are ‘caught’ doing the right thing in the playground. These green slips, are then put in the Greenie bucket, and 3 lucky students are drawn out at each assembly and given prizes.

House System

The House system is a way of encouraging team spirit among the students and also to provide an avenue for intra-school sports and competitions. Every student is placed in one of the four houses upon their enrolment, with families being kept together.

The Houses are:

• Colenso – Yellow
• Atkin – Green
• Selwyn – Red
• Patteson – Blue

Hearing and Vision Screening

All 5 year olds and pupils new to the country are screened for hearing and vision abnormalities. Other children identified by the teacher as potentially having a problem are also tested. If a problem is identified, parents are notified and advised to follow up with the appropriate specialist.

Homework

To educate a child to his/her full potential requires a team effort of home and school working co-operatively to provide maximum benefits for the child. Homework creates an opportunity for this.

Homework should consist of tasks that are manageable for the child at home, whilst allowing children to participate fully in community groups. Children should be encouraged to do their best work, take pride in its presentation and be supported by their parents.

Year 1	Reading: Children will read for 10 minutes every night and record their reading in their reading log. (This reading may include poetry from time to time).
Year 2-3	Reading: 5 entries in Reading Log per week Spelling: Based on focus from Switched onto spelling tests Year 2 – 5 words each week Year 3 – 10 words each week Maths: 4 assigned Mathletics tasks per week
Year 4‑5	Reading: 10 minutes of reading a day and reflecting on their reading by writing a daily comment in their green reading journals  Spelling: 10 minutes a day practise of spelling words provided by classroom teacher  Maths: 10 minutes a day of MathsWhizz practice

Year 6

Expectation – 20 – 40 Minutes a night  Our Homework is set out on a set of slides with ‘Must do, and Can Do’ that are redone every fortnight.  The Must Do’s are weekly time on Math-Whizz to get 3 Gems per week and complete digital Language Nut Te Reo Practice, Reading, and specific tasks relating to work in class. These tasks could be a continuation of work, ensuring tasks are finished or research for projects.  The Can Do activities range from fun sports or games, research, cooking, art or designing. Students can choose 2 or 6 can do’s to complete each fortnight.

Year 7‑8

Expectation of 30-60 minutes of homework a night.  Weekly Maths Buddy revision and Current Events quiz. The rest is made up of continuation of class work, this could include inquiry projects, novel studies, writing etc. The focus is on students learning to manage a varied workload in preparation for secondary school.

Ice-blocks & Pizza

Every Friday at the beginning of Long Break, ice-blocks and pizza are sold from the Hall Kitchen Window. They are $2 each. The PTA runs this initiative.

Immunisation

At the time of enrolment, we collect details of your child’s immunisation status. This information is added to your child’s student file. It is important that if there are any subsequent changes to this information you notify the school office so that your child’s health file can be updated accordingly.

Jewellery

The following guidelines have been developed for safety reasons and are not intended in any way to offend any group of students or their parents.

The following forms of jewellery and adornments are permitted;

• Watches
• Single ear stud earrings
• Medic Alert bracelets

A request for an exemption needs to be made in writing to the Principal and would only be considered for significant religious or cultural reasons. As the student’s safety is our highest priority, where an exemption is granted, this jewellery should be worn under clothing whenever possible.

Learning Support

The school provides a variety of learning support programmes to cater for individual needs. Programmes include:

• Specialist Intervention for individuals and small groups at risk of under achieving in Literacy and Numeracy.
• ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).
• Intervention and Enrichment

Library

The library is staffed by our librarian and is open from 9am-3pm. Classes visit at least once a week to borrow books and to undertake research. A team of Student Librarians from the senior school assist the School Librarian in the running of the library and keep it open everyday at second break. Children can relax and read, issue books, play board games, research class topics, and access computers for learning resources.

Students may borrow two books at a time for a period of two weeks, and can be renewed. New entrant students borrow just one book at a time. Children are welcome to have books on issue during the first three school holiday periods, however we carry out a stock take at the end of every school year when all books must be returned.

There is no charge for overdue items but there is a charge for lost or badly damaged books. Books that are overdue for an excessive length of time will be considered lost and will be charged for at the replacement cost, unless they are located during stock take.

Lost Property

All named clothing is returned to the owner. Unnamed items are sent to Lost Property located in the Hall. If any item is not collected by the end of each term it is donated to charity. Valuable items such as money or jewellery are held at the school office.

Lunches

Children eat their lunch outside the classrooms under supervision when dry and inside the classroom when wet until the release bell rings 10 minutes after the lunch bell goes. A healthy, well balanced lunch is encouraged. Please do not send food or drink in glass containers. Water fountains are situated around the school.

Medical Conditions

It is essential for the well-being of our students that we are fully informed of any known medical conditions that students are suffering from and the appropriate medical actions required so we can develop a plan for the student. This information needs to be with the teacher and office staff, as they often treat medical incidents at school. If specific medication is required, such as an Epipen or Asthma Inhaler, please ensure the school has it, so it can be held in the sick bay.

Money

From time to time your child may get a request for a payment for swimming, sports teams, band fees etc. Preferred method of payment is via Kindo or by eftpos at the school office. The school accepts Visa, Mastercard as well eftpos cards. Cash in no longer accepted for payments of these items.

Parking

If you arrive at school by car in the interests of safety please keep clear of driveways and school entrances and do not U-turn or 3 point turn into driveways outside the school. Please note all parking bays on the school side of Rawhitiroa Road are 5 minute parks. We ask that the last parking bay on the left of Rawhitiroa Road before Kohimarama Road be treated as a drop off zone to help keep the traffic flowing and reduce hazards.

We are part of a Auckland Council initiative called Chaos at the School Gate. The campaign aims to help address safety issues caused outside schools. They send out parking wardens to periodically monitor parking at the school and do give out tickets for illegal parking.

Parents Group (PTA)

All parents are welcome to be part of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Meetings are held monthly in the staff room and are a great way to socialise with and involve yourself in our School community. Meeting dates are found in the weekly school newsletter. The PTA organises events such as the biennial Ball/Gala, school picnic, trivia night and fundraising. Find out more on our PTA Page.

Parent Involvement

We value the assistance that parents are able to offer at Kohimarama School. Parent helper duties are many and varied and differ substantially according to the age of the students. Parents helping in the classrooms are usually parents of the students in the room but not always. Grandparents, nannies and neighbours have proven to be a wonderful source of reliable and consistent help. Kiri and Cowley teams use parent helpers in many capacities from helping with reading and writing to framing artwork, putting away reading books or taking groups for cooking activities etc.

Personal Property

Children are expected to care for their own property, which should always be named. Bags are to be hung on pegs and clothing is to be put away when removed. Cell phones are not allowed at school during school hours and will be confiscated if found and kept by the teacher for collection by a parent.

Playgrounds

Professional Agencies

At times the school works with a number of professional agencies in relation to learning and behavioural issues. Some of these agencies include:

• Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)
• Group Special Education (GSE)
• Supplementary Learning Support (SLS)
• Speech Therapist
• Truancy Officer
• Resource Teachers of Literacy (RTLit)
• Public Health Nurse
• Kari Centre (Medical and psychological support) from Years 4-8

Public Health Nurse

If parents or teachers have a concern about a child, this can be referred to the Public Health Nurse who can follow up any matter needing attention.

Reporting to Families

We currently have school wide reporting to families at the following times:

Term 1	Class meet the Teacher evening Individual Student Achievement Discussions
Term 2	Formal Written Report
Term 3	Individual Student Achievement Discussions
Term 4	Formal Written Report

In addition, feel free to contact the classroom teacher and arrange a time to meet if you would like discuss any aspect of your child’s progress or achievement. Classroom teachers will contact you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s progress.

Rights and Responsibilities

Our students have the right to work, learn and play in a safe, friendly and helpful school.

Our teachers have the right to teach in a safe, friendly and professionally satisfying school which is supported by the local community. The parents of our school have the right: to know that their children work, learn and play in a safe, friendly and helpful school.

Road Patrol and Crossings

We encourage all children to walk to school and we rely on parents to model safe practices at all times. Parents and children must cross Kohimarama Road and Rawhitiroa Road only on the marked crossings. Teacher/parent supervised School Patrols operate the Kohimarama and Rawhitiroa Road crossings from 8:30am to 8:55am and 3:00pm to 3:15pm.

School Donations

The school relies heavily on our community to provide many of the basic activities and resources used to support learning. While the Ministry of Education pays for all capital expenditure and the salaries of most teaching staff and the Principal, the school depends on the generosity of our community to provide a significant amount annually in locally raised funds, mainly through school donations and PTA fundraising. The parent donation is reviewed by the Board of Trustees biannually, with the current donation set at $520 per child. Payment can be made in total or by instalment, with eftpos available at the school office. Receipts are issued as donations are tax deductible. We are very grateful for your support.

Smokefree

Kohimarama School is a Smokefree and Vape Free zone and we ask all visitors to respect this.

School Grounds

We welcome the use of our school grounds after school hours by our local families. Please observe safe play rules and respect school property, particularly with the use of skateboards and bikes. If you observe any vandalism or suspicious behaviour, please inform the police. If you are walking your dogs in the grounds, please be responsible and remove any deposits!

School Hours

8:55am — School starts

8.55am-11.00am — Block 1

11:00am-11:30am — Break

11:30am-1:00pm — Block 2

1.00pm-1:50pm — Break

1:50pm-3:00pm — Block 3

3:00pm — School finishes

School Trips

School trips are part of Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) and children are expected to participate. Parents/Caregivers are notified of details through a class newsletter, at which time permission will be requested for your child to attend and there may be a request for parent help. Parent help is essential to enable most EOTC experiences to proceed and written permission is required for your child to attend.

Sickness & Accidents

Children who have been injured or are sick are sent to the sickbay in the office. A staff member will attend to all injuries and accidents. Staff members have received basic training in first aid procedures. An accident register is kept at school. If it is considered that a child needs further medical attention, the parents/caregivers will be contacted in the first instance followed by the emergency contact persons. If we are unable to reach anyone and the child’s condition is causing concern or it is an emergency, we will take the necessary action which may include taking the child to the A&E clinic or calling an ambulance.

Sporting, Cultural and Leadership Opportunities

In addition to the school physical education programme and school sports events a range of sporting and cultural opportunities is offered from Years 4-8 including:

Stationery

Stationery packs customised to each year group can be purchased online via Office Max. The Stationery Lists are also available on the school website.

Swimming Lessons

Every year Year 0-5 undertake 8 x 30 minute swimming lessons within a 2 week block, with professional swimming teachers.

• Year 0-1 – Term 4
• Year 2-3 – Term 1
• Year 4-5 – Term 4

Sun Hats & Sunscreen

Sun Hats are compulsory during Terms 1 and 4 for outside play and physical education. We have a ‘No Hat, No Play’ policy, where children not wearing hats have to stay within shaded areas. There is sunscreen provided in each of the classrooms, but it is advisable that you send you children to school with sunscreen already applied.

Teams (Year level groups)

The school is divided into 4 teaching teams. The teachers work closely within each of the teaching teams to collaborate on classroom planning.

• Year 0-1: Kiri Team
• Year 2-3: Cowley Team
• Year 4-5: Hillary Team
• Year 6-8: Snell Team

Each team has been named after a famous New Zealander; Kiri Te Kanawa, Joy Cowley, Sir Edmund Hillary and Peter Snell.

Uniform

There is a compulsory uniform at Kohimarama School which can be purchased from the school Uniform Shop on Remuera Rd.

All students are required to follow the School’s uniform dress code as laid out in this policy, with rare exceptions. The Principal has the authority to sanction, in individual cases, variances from the code. These reasons could include, but may not be limited to;

• For reasons of religious belief
• For reasons of cultural heritage

For more information on the uniform policy and purchasing from the uniform shop, visit the School Uniform page of the website.

Visitors to School

All visitors are asked to report to reception on arrival, sign-in and obtain a visitor pass. You will then need to sign out when you leave. This is a requirement of OSH (Occupational Health & Safety) so that in the case of an emergency, everyone on the premises can be accounted for.

Walking School Bus

The Walking School Buses operate each morning. This is an excellent way to get your children safely to school. Some of the routes available are:

• Via Godden Crescent
• Via Rawhitiroa Road
• Via Nihill Crescent
• Via Baddeley Ave
• Via Geraldine Place
• Via Melanesia Road

For further information, view the Walking School Bus page of the website.

Wrapper-free Lunches

To help reduce waste in our school, every second Friday is Wrapper-free Lunch day. This aligns with House T-shirt Day. The children are awarded house points for wrapper-free lunches.