GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OF ENROLLING  CHILDREN:

We are pleased to welcome you to our school and hope that the following information will prove helpful in getting to know the routines of Katikati Primary School.  If there are any questions  that you have about your child's development or if there is anything you wish to know about  the school, please do not hesitate to contact the school office and make arrangements through the school secretary for an appointment with the Principal, Deputy Principals or your child’s teacher.

BIRTH CERTIFICATES: 
Birth certificates must be produced when enrolling children for the first time.

IMMUNISATION RECORD:  (NEW ENTRANTS)
Immunisation Certificates are now required for all new entrants, ie: 5 year olds, as per the Health Regulations Act 1995. All children starting school from the year 2000 onwards will be required to provide information giving details of immunisations.
All Primary Schools  nation wide are now required to maintain a register recording all relevant detail  ie: whether the child is immunised or not. The local medical centre will issue your childs immunisation certificate showing details.
In the event of an outbreak of one of the nine diseases ie: Diphtheria, pertusis ( Whooping Cough ), tetanus, hepatitis, poliomyelitis,  Rubella , Measles ( Morbilli ) and  Mumps, the children with the illness will be asked to remain at home. The Medical Officer of Health can then view the immunisation register and any children who are not immunised or have no certificate can then be identified and  their parents / caregivers contacted to further discuss the options to further protect their children. Unimmunised children, may be asked to remain at home during any outbreaks. Parents remain free to choose whether or not to immunise their child, but they must make a choice. Those who choose immunisation need to ensure that their child is fully immunised to ensure protection.
 
TERMS AND HOLIDAY DATES FOR 2010:
TERM 1    Tuesday 2nd February   to   Tuesday 1st April   
TERM 2    Monday 19th April        to    Friday 2nd July  
TERM 3    Monday 19th July         to    Friday 24th September 
TERM 4    Monday 11th October   to   Thursday 16th December

HOLIDAYS:
Auckland Anniversary:  Monday 1st February(occurs in the school holidays)
Waitangi Day:             Saturday 6th  February
Good Friday:               2nd April 
Easter Monday:           5th April   
Easter Tuesday:          6th April
Anzac Day:                 Sunday 25th April
Queen's Birthday:       Monday 7th June   
Labour Day:               Monday 25th October

OVERSEAS CHILDREN:
Passport with appropriate documentation (i.e Residence Permit, Work Permit) is required to be sighted for children enrolling from overseas.

SCHOOL DAY: 
No child should be at school prior to 7.50 a.m
School starts promptly at 8.45 a.m for all children. Children are expected to be at school on time.
           Learning Time     8.45 am - 11.00 am
           Morning Tea       11.00 am - 11.40 am
           Learning Time     11.40 am -   1.00 pm
           Lunch                1.00 pm -   1.40 pm
           Learning Time     1.40 pm -   2.55pm
Children who walk home are expected to leave the grounds by 3.10 p.m. unless involved in Sports or other school activity.

ATTENDANCE: 
This is monitored daily.  The school asks that you either;
1.  Ring 549 0105 from 8.00am.
2.  Send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
3.  Send a fax on 549 1605.
4.  Text a message to 021 041 5234.
5.  Call into the office;
to notify if your child is not going to attend school for any reason before 9.00am– the school will follow up any cases of unexplained absence.  Written notes are required following any absence.

SCHOOL UNIFORM:
All children are to wear our school uniform at all times. The compulsory items of uniform are:

1. Polo shirt with Katikati Primary School logo on left hand side. Colours are bottle green or gold.
2. Sweatshirt and or polar fleece – bottle green with Katikati Primary School on left hand side.
3. Bottom garment must be plain black or navy blue – not denim. We recommend the Schooltex range which can be sourced from Postie Plus.
4. Wide brimmed sunhats in the 1st and 4th term.
5. Jewellery – Acceptable sleeper studs or a watch ONLY. Caps, beanies and hoodies are not acceptable clothing.
6. Shoes – style and colour are your choice.

Purchase of the uniform can be made from Postie Plus at Fraser Cove or Elizabeth Street in Tauranga.

JEWELLERY and ear-rings are not to be worn (sleeper studs only are acceptable).

UPLIFTING CHILDREN: 
Parents MUST call at the school office prior to uplifting children during school hours. This includes lunch and interval times. Children will then be called for over the school intercom system. Parents must sign children out / in at the office. The school attendance register must be correct at all times.

ROAD CROSSING PATROL:  
8.10 am  - 8.35 am  and   2.55 pm  - 3.15 pm

BUSES: 
These are under the control of the Principal.  Any information required should be addressed to him.  The College and Primary School share this service.  We take the view that behaviour on buses is a shared responsibility between the Bus Company, parents and the school.  Misbehaviour which endangers other pupils is not acceptable.  The school reserves the right to withhold permission to travel on school buses in these cases.  The Katikati Bus Company is contracted by the Boards of the Primary School and College to provide this service.

CYCLING TO SCHOOL:
It is a legal requirement that all cyclists must wear a cycle helmet. Parents should accompany children under the age of nine years.

NOTES FROM HOME:
Notes from parents or medical certificates are required  for any absence from school.  We require phone calls notifying us that a child will be absent, but this should be followed up with a note upon the child's return. If parents require children to leave school for any reason, written permission is requested - e.g.  medical or dental treatment.  This should be addressed to the class teacher.

LOST PROPERTY: 
All belongings must be clearly named.  Lost property is placed in the Lost Property Room.   Parents can view lost property throughout the day by obtaining the key from the office staff. Any clothing not named is disposed of each term to a charity organisation.

MONEY: 
When sending money to school for whatever reason, please place it in an envelope with your child's name, room number, amount and what it is for, clearly marked on the front.
                                   Name............   Room No...               
                                   Amount..........              
                                   What it's for.........?                      

GOING HOME FOR LUNCH:
Children are not permitted to go home for lunch. In exceptional circumstances permission should be sought from the Principal or the Deputy Principal. This is a pupil safety measure and a notice is required from parent / caregiver if the child is to go home for lunch.

CANTEEN:
A canteen operates in our school and the price list is enclosed. All food sold has the Heart Foundation tick.

MEDICATION: 
Children who need to receive medication on a regular basis (excluding antibiotics) must take them to the office, and these will be stored and administered from the office at 12 noon by the school First Aid Officers ( Office secretaries ). Parents / Caregivers will need to sign a form acknowledging the provision of these medication/s and accepting responsibility for the medication regularly administered.

MEDICAL ROOM:  
During school hours the First Aid Officers (School secretaries) assumes responsibility for the care of pupils in the sick bay. A sick child is accompanied to the office from his or her classroom to the sickbay, located in the administration block by the office. The First Aid Officer monitors them regularly and contacts parents or emergency caregivers  if  necessary.  In the event of an injury occurring that necessitates medical attention,  immediate contact with parent or emergency caregiver is established where possible, and transportation arranged to the Medical Centre. 

HOMEWORK: 
Homework differs from class to class and normally teachers inform parents by newsletter concerning the amount of time children are expected to do homework.  In general all homework is related to current class programmes.

INTERVIEWS / REPORTING: 
Arrangements for interviews with teachers are most welcome and should be made through the School Office.  Teachers are busy people and for proper attention, appointments should be made.  Teachers cannot speak with parents during class time.  Such situations are unfair to other parents' children.  Scheduled interviews and discussions re pupil's progress are held during Term 1 and June / July and a written report issued in December. However, parents are always welcome to ask for an appointment either with the class teacher, the Deputy Principals of the area or the Principal. Informal contact with the class teacher is welcomed.

NEWSLETTERS: 
The school sends out newsletters approximately twice a month on Wednesdays (via the eldest child) to keep parents informed on school matters.  Children are expected to give these to parents.  They are numbered consecutively so parents know if they have missed a newsletter.  The Parents of the School (P.O.T.S) Group and Board of Trustees also send home notices and newsletters following their meetings or for specific events.   Teaching team notices are also issued periodically.

RULES AND DISCIPLINE:
High standards of behaviour are always expected and when the school rules are broken, children can expect some form of consequence.  A Behaviour Management Programme operates throughout the school.  Parents are informed of class procedures related to this programme, early in the year.

Sweets are forbidden at school.  Children are aware of other rules that are made from time to time. 

DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY:
Parents will be sent an account for any intentional damage to school and other pupils property.

SCHOOL CHARTER: 
This outlines our Visions, Values, Targets and expectations for the pupil's education and is available at the office.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS: 
These are held on the last Wednesday of each month. Meetings take place in the school's Boardroom.  Minutes of meetings are available at the school office for perusal.

PARENT/ COMMUNITY MEMBERS HELP:
We appreciate this at all times.  Early in the year the Parents of the School groups sends home a questionnaire suggesting and asking for voluntary help in various school tasks. Teaching Teams and/or individual teachers arrange for voluntary classroom help at the commencement of each school term.

Below is a list of some of the ways in which you could assist with the successful operation of our school. Please remember to feel free to come forward and offer your assistance or suggest some other ideas.

• Working in rooms with class programme
• Helping with class excursions and field trips
• Making apparatus and teaching equipment
• Assisting staff on sports days and exchanges
• Tutoring within special programmes
• Maintenance , repairing and cataloguing of resource materials
• Library help
• Sports team coaching
• Helping with ‘Special Event’ days
• Helping on ‘Working Bee’ days
• Assisting with fundraising
• Member of Parents Of The School group P.O.T’s
• Parent Assisted Special Needs, and literacy and numeracy programmes.

P.O.T.S. PARENTS OF THE SCHOOL SUPPORT GROUP:
This group of parents meet at least twice a term.  They are responsible for assisting the school in various school/community events, organising lunch-time barbecues, promoting small fund raising activities and operating the school Canteen.