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Absences
It is a legal requirement that your child attends school everyday once they have been enrolled. This is very important to ensure your child makes satisfactory progress. If your child is going to be absent, contact the school before 9.00am. If you don't have a phone, please send a message with a neighbouring child if possible. If the school has not received notification about why a child is absent we will check with that child's home by phone.
After School Care
Information still to come.
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Bicycles
It is not considered safe for children under 8 to ride to school. All children must wear safety helmets as required by law. If children ride to school on bikes it is advisable that they be locked in the bike shed. They will not be allowed to ride them at lunch or intervals. Wheels day is Friday, students are welcome to bring their bikes on this day, ensure that they have their helmet.
BOT
Porirua School is governed by the Board of Trustees. The board members are elected every 3 years by the school community. The mission statement and goals are part of the school charter which is available from the school. The Board of Trustees and school staff work from the guidelines of the charter.
The school is supported by a capable BOT. Meetings are held monthly and advertised in the newsletter. Parents are most welcome to attend meetings.
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Communications
It is commonly known that the greater the partnership and communication between parents and school the greater the probability that your child will be successful. Your first approach should always be to the classroom teacher. Teachers are generally available before and after school, although because of meetings, appointments are preferred.
PLEASE do not expect to talk to the teacher during class time and immediately before school starts. The Principal is available for appointments.
Concerns
Please let us know immediately if you have a concern. The quicker we can resolve it the better for all concerned. The classroom teacher is your first contact.
Junior Team - Rochelle Burns (Room 12)
Senior Team - Nadia Lowden (Room 6)
Principal - Vanessa Hendry
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Dental Therapist (Dental Nurse)
Dental Clinic - 0800825583
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Health Nurse
A Public Health Nurse visits the school on a regular basis. If you have concerns about your child's health, contact their classroom teacher who will advise the Health Nurse.
Homework
All children are expected to complete a reasonable amount of schoolwork at home each night. All children are expected to have daily home reading and other appropriate tasks, which enhance the teaching and learning programmes being undertaken at school.
The regular nature of homework is its most important feature, encouraging children to take personal responsibility for their own learning and development.
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Inside behaviour - Playtime & Lunchtime:
Students are allowed inside their own classroom at playtime and lunchtime. Expected behaviour - sit down activities, shoes off, inside rules apply. No CD/radio unless teacher is present in the room.
On fine days students are encouraged to go out for at least some of lunchtime.
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Kapa Siva
Kapa Siva involves the whole school in learning songs and dances both in Maori and from various islands in the Pacific.
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Lateness
Your child needs to be at school 5 minutes before the bell rings to unpack and prepare for school. A late child disrupts the learning of all others in the class.
Lost Property:
Students are encouraged to have all clothing named. All lost property will be collected and stored in the trolley outside the dental clinic. All unclaimed property will be donated to charity at the end of each term.
Lunchtime Clubs
Lunches
Lunch orders: Only on FRIDAYS.
Lunches are collected from the Hall by room monitors and distributed to the classrooms.
Menu - Friday - rolls, sandwiches, hot food - pizza, hotdog, hamburger and milk
Eating of Lunches: All children will remain seated for 10 minutes whether they have lunch or not.
Sweets/fizzy: Children are not allowed sweets or gum or big bottles fizzy drinks at school. Sweets and gum found at school will be confiscated.
Children without Lunches: The staffroom has a supply of bread and sandwich fillings. If a child has no lunch they can be sent to the office with a note from the classroom teacher to get some lunch.
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Money
We don't encourage children to bring money to school however there are some circumstances where it is necessary. When this is the case, it is advisable that the money is in an envelope with the child's name and room number on it.
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These are published fortnightly. Please contact Geena in the office if you would like the newsletter emailed to you.
We welcome parent involvement in the school and often request, through newsletters, help with making and repairing resources, working in classrooms and assisting on class trips.
On one of those visits please come to the office with the child's birth certificate and immunisation certificate for the formal enrolment.
It is extremely important that we are able to contact parents/Caregivers. If you change your address or phone number at home or at work, please notify the office so we can update our records.
Teachers report on the progress made by individual children on at least two separate occasions during the year.
In addition to the arranged interview and reports parents are encouraged to contact the class teacher in the first instance or the Principal when concerns arise.
School Patrols are on the pedestrian crossing and outside the school gates before and after school. Please ensure your children use the crossing. Do not park on the broken yellow lines. The patrols need to see the road clearly so the children can cross the road safely.
When dropping off or collecting your children from school do not drive your cars into the school grounds but drop them off outside the gates. (This applies in bad weather also)
The school has a roll of approximately up to 128 children. There are currently 5 classes in the school and two satellite classes with Mahinawa Specialist School. Class sizes in the junior school average 15-23 children with the new entrant room starting with lower numbers at the beginning of the year. In the senior school class sizes average up to approximately 27 children.
