New Entrant
Enrolments
You are welcome to enroll your child at any stage prior to their fifth birthday. We would appreciate having enrolment forms completed on the day of the pre-entry visit that you attend. This will enable the teacher to have everything ready for your child’s first day at school.
Pre-Visits
Pre-schoolers usually attend their school visits the 2 weeks before they turn 5. School visits are arranged with the school office or Room 1, (Ruma Kereru) teacher and usually run from 8.40am until interval. For your child’s school visit, they may want to have a healthy snack and a water bottle so as they can join in the interval activities.
These visits provide the opportunity for children to familiarise themselves with the school and classroom environment, begin to understand classroom routines and expectations and get to know the other students.
A parent or caregiver must accompany each child to the New Entrant visit and remain with the child throughout the morning. This will enable you to support your child in their transition to school as well as providing an opportunity for the teacher to explain class organisation in greater detail. Unfortunately, we are not able to cater for younger brothers or sisters. We would ask you to make alternative arrangements for their care.
What You Can Do to Help
Things you can do to help them prior to starting (and after)
- Talk to your child about starting school where he/she will meet new friends, play games, sing and make things
- Help him/her to learn to put on their own shoes and do them up
- Buy clothes and shoes that are easy to manage
- Label all possessions
- Give them duties to perform around the home which will require simple directions – this will help with confidence
- Teach your child to put things away after using them
- Read to them regularly in order to develop their attention span
- Encourage them when work is brought home
- Send them to school on time each and every day
- Select stories to share
- Discourage your child from bringing toys (or any other valuable) item to school – we cannot take responsibility for it
- Use lower case letters when writing for or with your child
- Discuss any concerns with the classroom teacher
Notification of Pupil Absences
Parents are requested to notify the school office of their child’s absence before 8.30am each morning. Written notes are required if no other notification of absence has been made. Using the Skool Loop App on your phone (available from the Apple App Store or the Android Store) enables you to text, email or phone the school.
Click the Skool Loop button below to be redirect to our page for more information.
Parent Helpers
Parents who wish to participate in the school programme are most welcome. Parent assistance can include helping with children’s learning, library assistance, helping with the sausage sizzle, sport, school trips, activity programmes etc.
Religious Education
We do not host a religious education programme at Kaimai School.
Special Education Services
Children with special learning needs and may require extra help, can be referred to Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) or Special Education (SE) by parents and teachers.
School Grounds
Children and parents are most welcome to use the school grounds outside school hours, but please observe the restrictions:
- NO, golf, dogs
- The school is a Non Smoking Environment
The school pool is open to the public in the summer via the purchasing of a key.
School Strategic Plan and Policies
The school’s three-year Strategic Plan and all supporting policies are available at the school office. The relevant aspects of these will be communicated regularly through the school newsletter.
Stationery
Parents are responsible for providing stationery for their children. A stationery list is forwarded to each family prior to the new school year. . If your child requires further items, you will receive a note from the teacher. For further information contact the school office.
Talking to the Principal or Teacher
The office staff and Principal are always prepared to assist you with your enquiries and concerns. We have a genuine ‘open door’ policy. We would far rather deal with a concern before it becomes a problem. It is usually necessary to make an appointment if you wish to speak to the principal or a teacher about matters related to the well-being of your child, however we will try to be as accommodating as possible.
Teaching staff are not available to answer the telephone during school times. Please leave a message or contact the teacher via email. They will return your call or reply to your message as soon as possible. Parent helpers are encouraged to be involved in the class by arrangement with the teacher. This might include helping with the class programme, school trips, sporting or craft activities.
Technology
Our Year 7 and 8 students attend Technology classes at Taumata School. These are specialised classes that offer students experience in Hard and Soft Materials as well as Food Technology. There is a compulsory fee for all Year 7 and 8 students to cover transportation and materials for technology. To help with this, Kaimai School covers one third of the fees. An invoice is issued to all the Year 7 and 8 students’ families.
Telephone Contact Numbers
Parents must keep the school informed of telephone number changes for both work and home.
Transportation
Most students take the bus to school. Copies of the bus timetable, procedure and route are available on the Kaimai School website and the school office. Students can be dropped off at school no earlier than 8.10am. Should you need to pick your child up after school later than 3.15pm this can be arranged via the school office. Our bus drivers are very experienced and are happy to meet with you prior to your child taking their first bus trip. Please contact the school office should you want to meet your child’s bus driver.
Your Child’s Progress
Our reporting systems are aligned with the Ministry of Educations guidelines. We report two times during the year, specifically measuring pupil progress against achievement, expectations in literacy and numeracy. The timing of the reports will vary depending on the age of the student. Students in Years 4 to 8 will receive a progress report at the end of term 2 and a final report at the end term 4. New Entrant to Year 3 students will receive a report at the end of the term that their birthday is closest to as well as a progress report approximately six months later.
A Parent/Teacher/Student conference is held mid Term 1 and term 3. Concerns about the progress of your child may be addressed anytime. Please telephone for an appointment with your child’s teacher if you wish to discuss any matter regarding your child’s progress.
