Parents

Absences/Attendance and Bell times

Children are expected at school before 8.50 am each day. Absences should be notified by a telephone call to the school office before the start of school. If you have not contacted the school by 9:20am we will ring or text you to check on your child’s absence. If a child is late to school then the child must report to the office. If you are picking your child up during class time or lunchtime, please ensure they are signed out at the office. The school answer phone operates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

8.30 am    School opens (those students arriving earlier than 8.30 am on a regular basis need to be supervised by before-school care in the interest of safety)
8.50 am    First learning block begins and first roll call (late arrivals please report to the office)
10.00 am Healthy snack break
10.05 am Second block
11.00 am Morning tea
11.20 am Middle block lessons commence
12.30 pm Lunch time
1.25 pm    Afternoon lessons commence and second roll call
2.45 pm    School finishes

Assemblies
Twice a term we hold whole-school assemblies at 1.45 pm in the auditorium. All families are welcome to attend. They are generally in Week 5 and 10 of a 10 week term, but please check with our notices/calendar for actual dates. Each Whanau have their own assemblies during the term. These will be shown in our notices/calendar. Tui whanau hold assemblies at 9 am, Korimako and Kaahu at 2.00 pm on their assembly days.

Before school and After school care
Our school offers a before and after school care service through Kelly Club, which is situated in our school hall. Please contact the office for details.

Behaviour expectations
We are a PB4L School (Positive Behaviour for Learning). Our Statement:

“At Stanmore Bay we aim to create a caring environment, developing respectful relationships with our school wide community (parents, staff and students), to improve social, cultural and academic outcomes. To do this we will consistently model, teach, acknowledge and praise positive behaviours.”

We will show respect for ourselves.
We will show respect for others.
We will show respect for the environment.

Bicycles and Scooters
We believe children must know the Road Code and have the necessary skills for safe cycling. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that bikes are securely locked at school. Children must disembark at the gate and walk with their bikes and scooters through school grounds. All cyclists must wear an appropriate sized helmet. It is recommended that scooter riders have appropriate safety gear.

Book Club
Scholastic Book Club helps children purchase good quality paperback books for home reading. Once a term, a brochure will be sent home. Books arrive after about three weeks. Stanmore Bay School receives free points with every book ordered and with these we can obtain a number of other books for the school.

Connect with SBS on ClassDojo

You can stay connected with the latest events and news via Class Dojo. Get the free app on your mobile and instantly communicate with the class. Each child will have a secure online portfolio of work that you can view.

How to connect with your child’s class:
Your child’s teachers will need to invite you to join their class. They can either invite you by text, email, or send home a parent code. You can then see the story of your child’s day. You can see all of your child’s feedback from teachers, hear important announcements and updates, and see photos and videos from the class.

Parents can use any iOS device, Android device, Kindle Fire, or computer to connect. You can also read all Class Story posts in your preferred language instantly. All of your child’s information is kept safe on ClassDojo. Only they, their teachers, and you as their parents can see their information. If you have a code from your child, you can use a computer to join from Dojo.com. Alternatively, download the app for your mobile.

Curriculum
Our curriculum follows the New Zealand National Curriculum, which forms the basis of the school’s programme of work. Go to the Ministry of Education’s website www.minedu.govt.nz for further information regarding New Zealand’s Education requirements.

Dental Clinic
A Dental Therapist is based at the school periodically during the year and can be contacted during school hours on 4246046. When the Dental Therapist is not at Stanmore Bay School, contact the office for advice.

Donations (Voluntary)
Each year the Board of Trustees asks for donations to supplement the school's budget. These donations help support and enhance many aspects of the curriculum and other activities, particularly the music/dance/drama programme and accelerated learning programmes. Donations can be made each term or as one annual payment. Donations for 2017 are $140 for one child, $160 for two children and $180 for three or more children. Payments can be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or using KINDO.

Enrolments at Stanmore Bay School

You can enrol your child at our school at anytime. We do encourage parents to enrol their child near their 4th birthday. This ensures that we can inform you of all the information you need prior to your child starting school. We also welcome parents and their children to make an appointment with the Principal who will be happy to answer any questions you may have and show you around our school. You must bring documentation, e.g., a power bill, to prove that you live within the school zone, or that you meet any special criteria should you live outside of the school zone.

What to bring when you enrol your child

Copy of Birth Certificate - this is a legal requirement
Immunisation Certificate
Waitemata Health Forms
Parent Questionnaire
Dental Enrolment Form

School Zone

Stanmore Bay School has an enrolment zone as of Term 2 2016. If you are not living inside the school boundaries, or do not have any siblings at Stanmore Bay School you will probably not be able to enroll. Siblings of present students, who are out of zone, will have an automatic right to attend.

As a result of the boundary implementation you may be asked for proof of your address when you enroll your child. Click the map to see the zone. A description of the enrolment scheme can be found here - enrolment scheme.

Pre School Visits

Approximately 8 weeks prior to your child's 5th birthday, you will receive a letter of welcome from us which includes an invitation to attend our "Pre-School" visits. We welcome all 4 year old children, who are enrolled at our school, to attend four pre-school visits on the four consecutive Wednesday afternoons (1:30 - 2:30pm) prior to their 5th birthday. Visiting our Reception Class is a good way to help make the transition to school a happy easy time for your child. The visits are also a chance for your child to:

· meet and develop a relationship with the teacher
· meet and make friends with other children who will be in their class
· become familiar with the classroom routines and activities
· become familiar with the school environment
· begin to develop confidence to become independent at school

Reception Class

All 5 year old children at SBS start their school life with us in our "Reception Class". This is a class that is specifically designed to support new entrant children at the beginning of their school life, and to ensure that the transition from Kindy/Home to school is a happy experience for the children and their families. As well as focusing on developing the children's early skills in reading, writing and mathematics we also help the children learn what school and learning is really all about through promoting independence, perseverance and social skills. Our Reception class has a Teacher Aide and we ensure the number of children in the class is kept as low as possible. Most children graduate from our reception class into a Year 1 class after about 6 - 8 weeks.

Food and drinks
We have a healthy snack break at 10 am each day in the first 2-hour learning block so that the children can have a drink of water and quick bite to eat. This ensures the children stay hydrated and that they have enough energy to get them through to playtime. Suitable snacks are fruit and raw vegies, and plain crackers/unsalted popcorn. This snack needs to be small enough to be eaten within 5 minutes. Please be aware we have a number of students with severe food allergies and therefore the consumption of egg and nut products (both ground and tree nuts) may be prohibited, particularly in the Tui Whanau (junior classes). Your child's teacher will notify the class if this is the case. Tui Whanau have the option of having unflavoured milk supplied daily. Sweets, gum and fizzy drinks are not permitted at school.

We have a lunch ordering service through Ezlunch (Kindo). Healthy options are available and orders can be placed up to 9 am of the day of delivery.
Read more about Kindo.

Head Lice
Head lice like healthy hair. Stanmore Bay School is no different from any other in that head lice can be a problem from time to time. The spread of lice can be controlled in a classroom and prevented from spreading by checking your child’s hair weekly. Eggs take about nine days to hatch. If head lice or eggs are found, consult your chemist and notify your child’s teacher. All parents of the class concerned will be notified to check their children’s hair.

Health Nurse
The Health Nurse visits the school regularly throughout the year. If you have any concerns about your child’s physical, social or emotional health, please contact the school. The Health Nurse is available to test eyes, give advice on food and applications to Health Camp.

Hearing and Vision Testing
At age five, children have tympanometry, audiometry and vision testing. At age 11 (college level). All children have their vision checked again, through the Social Health Service.

Homework
Some form of homework is given at all levels. The school has a general guidelines based on the following principles:

Homework offers consolidation, revision and skills practice.
It provides an important liaison between home and school, reinforcing
the concept that learning is universal and not confined to classrooms.
It helps to establish autonomy and independence in learning.

It should be noted that:

Much of a child’s homework is regular, i.e. reading library books, learning basic fact for mathematics and spelling words. Other homework tasks may be set for specific purposes.No child should find homework a source of stress. Please contact your child’s teacher should you feel that your child is frustrated and/or unable to cope with homework or the amount being set. Homework should not stop children from participating in healthy worthwhile pursuits such as sports or community activities.

Each of our three Whanau have their own homework guidelines and their newsletter will outline their expectations.

Library
The school library has a large collection of books - fiction, non-fiction and reference books (including picture books). All classes are timetabled to use the library and it is also open during lunchtime. Each child is allowed to borrow 2 books from our library collection. They must have a waterproof book bag for this. The loan period is for 2 weeks. Our library collection can be searched online here - SBS Library Online.