For safety reasons we ask that the school be notified of the reason for every absence as soon as possible. Parents are encouraged to contact the school. Any child not accounted for will be followed up by a phone call from our Administration Officer. After the absence it is also important to send a note to explain the absence, for our records. It is sometimes necessary for parents to take children home during school hours. Please advise the classroom teacher. No child is allowed to leave the school grounds, during school time, unless they have written permission or a phone call from their parent/caregivers and have notified their teacher or the Principal. School cell phone for texting absences is 0277572058.

Notify an Absence - click here to send a notice to Mandy in the office

We have an open-door policy. Teachers are happy to discuss a pupil’s progress at any time during the year; however, for specific needs we ask that you phone the classroom teacher either before or after school or during interval or lunchtime, to make an appointment.

Each Friday we have an assembly in our hall, starting at 2.20pm. All parents/caregivers and friends of our school are welcome to come along and celebrate our 'Pride in Achievement'.

This currently occurs during Thursday lunchtimes in the Information Station. The Bible in Schools instruction is non-denominational and follows an approved programme. It is purely optional. Signed permission slips are kept at the office.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the school, which is elected by parents and caregivers every three years.

The Board, in consultation with the community, decides what direction the school will take. This is then set down in our Charter. The Board normally holds two meetings per term. These meetings are advertised in our school newsletters. You may attend these meetings or you are welcome to read the minutes which are held in the school office.

We use the Ashton Scholastic Book Club pamphlets. These are given out approximately twice a term. Parents are free to purchase from these if they wish.

The school owns its own 45-seater bus. The bus is used on a user pays basis. People wanting to use this service should enquire at the school office as to the charges and the possibility of a transport subsidy. Should individual accounts fall into arrears, the Board has the right to withdraw the use of the bus until such accounts are fully paid. Children are expected to behave appropriately on the bus, for the safety of all.

Our school invoices each term class set fees, (these are to provide extra quality learning) ie extra trips and activities in the classroom related to the current learning topic.

From time to time classes will go on trips and visits to places of interest. These are usually to enhance the learning that is going on in classrooms and as such are very valuable experiences. We will give you plenty of notice and your help is always welcomed.

Please see the Expectations, Policy and Procedures. We all want the best for our children. It is important that you take the time to work through this with your child. We all want to create a learning environment that is supportive, safe and enjoyable to learn in.

Please ensure all clothing worn to school is named. There is a lost property bin outside Room Totara that can be checked if your child has lost something.

Standard of Dress/Clothing
The school has no compulsory uniform, apart from our school hat. However an appropriate standard of dress is expected e.g. tidy, clean without inappropriate logos. For sun safety and respectability, t-shirts and blouses need to cover children's shoulders and torso. We do encourage the wearing of our school shirt and have polar fleece options available. All children representing our school need to wear our school shirt at events. We also encourage a change of shorts and t-shirt for seniors during all physical education and sporting activities

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We would appreciate hearing about things while they are small problems so they can be dealt with early and effectively. In most cases the first line of enquiry should be with the class teacher. There is a Complaints Procedure, which is available from the school office.

We do not have a dental therapist based at our school, however one visits the school from time to time to check our children’s teeth. In the case of an emergency phone the dental clinic at Moanataiari School.

The enrolling of new pupils is done through the Principal and Office Manager.
Prospective new entrants are encouraged to attend two morning sessions on suitable days prior to enrolment. This is an opportunity to meet the teacher and classmates, whilst becoming familiar with school routines.

We do require the following information so that enrolment procedures can be completed:
" Iwi affiliation "
Copy of birth certificate or passport "
Residential address and telephone number, with an emergency contact "
Name of family doctor and permission form for emergency purposes "
Information on any serious illness, allergies and significant health problems.

There are also a few other permission forms for you to sign on enrolment, e.g. " Bible in schools
" Internet safety/web site " Bus user agreement.

First Aid is administered to all minor injuries as is appropriate. In the event of a serious injury, every endeavour will be made to contact the parent or emergency contact number. If this is not possible the child’s doctor will be contacted and their instructions followed. In all cases of injury, the comfort and well being of the child will always be top priority.

Our school believes homework is a valuable tool for learning and encourages parents/caregivers to support their children in these activities.

If your child contracts nits, school sores, conjunctivitis, or any other infectious disease, please keep them away from school until cleared by a doctor, or in the case of nits once treated correctly. Please also notify the school as to the condition so we can reduce the spread if possible - see the attached information.

Our Information Station (library) is available to children for borrowing books. As books can be brought home it is important that they are looked after as damage or loss will be charged for.

The Thames Coast Community Kindergarten is open each day of the week. The Kindergarten phone number is 8682444.

Year 7 & 8 pupils travel to Thames High School to receive tuition in technology-based experiences. Our children attend 6 sessions each term and have to pay $15 per term ($60 per year) to Thames High School to cover materials used each term. This is payable to the High School office.

Medicines may be sent to school to ensure continuity of courses of drugs or medication to be administered. A Medication Agreement, available from the office, must be filled in and signed by a parent/caregiver. Please ensure all medication is clearly labelled with name and dosage.

Every Friday a newsletter is sent home with the eldest or only child attending school. This is a great way of sharing with you what is going on in the school. We are happy to include any relevant community news.

Te Puru School welcomes parents helping out in the classrooms. If you would like to help in classrooms please discuss this with the classroom teacher or principal.

Everyone is asked to angle park outside our school. For safety, traffic flow returning to Thames is encouraged to firstly travel north towards Coromandel and turn using our bus and parking bay.

We have two formal parent interview opportunities each year. Student Snapshot Books are sent home at the end of each term for parental interest and feedback. Should you have any concerns during the year, please contact the classroom teacher to arrange an interview.

Children may start arriving at school from 8.30am. Bell times are as follows:

8.30am - School opens
10.30am - 10.50am Morning break
12.30pm - 12.40pm Sitting and eating lunch in supervised area
12:40pm-1.30pm Play time
1.25pm - Put equipment away/drink etc. bell
3.00pm - School ends

The bus arrives at school at approximately 8.50am and leaves around 3.10pm each day for Waiomu and 3.20pm for Thames. We ask that children leave the school grounds when the last bus leaves.

Our school, as with all public venues, is smoke free. This covers the grounds and the buildings.

Paper Plus stock all of our stationery requirements and supports our school with a commission on sales.

The wearing of our school hat is compulsory during Terms 1 & 4. Those children who don't have a school hat must remain in a shade area - under the blue shade cloth. Hats can be purchased from the school office for $15.00.

Parents supporting our school meet together to organise school activities such as fundraising and parent interest evenings. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help out where possible as the Support Group contributions really go a long way towards making Te Puru School a better place for all children to learn in.

Te Puru School Support Group

OBJECTIVE
The Support Group acts as a link between the School and the Parents/Caregivers.
It provides resources to enhance the school community spirit and assists in better educational outcomes for the children.

ROLE

WELCOME
Throughout the year the Support Group welcomes new families to the School including, hosting morning teas.
IDEAS FORUM
The Support Group is a forum where ideas on absolutely anything about the school can be discussed in a robust fashion.
FUNDRAISING
Over its many years of existence the Support Group has raised money through various fundraising activities. In the last few years this has been spent on laptops, an activity centre, interactive whiteboard, PE equipment, hall stage, The Virtues Programme etc.
VOLUNTEERS
The Support Group is able to facilitate the mobilisation of volunteers.
E.g. The Supported Reading programme, Class Co-ordinators


WHO ARE WE?
The Support Group consists of interested Parents/Caregivers, the Principal and a representative from the Board of Trustees.

WHEN AND WHERE?
The second Tuesday of the month, 7pm in the school staffroom

WHAT CAN YOU OFFER?
We love to see new members and all are welcome. We understand, however, not everyone can commit to meetings. A lot of active members cannot regularly attend but keep up an interest through the Support Group emails, and help out on a regular basis when needed.

WHO TO CONTACT?
Chairperson Sally Hartley
Phone 868 2283
sjhartley@clear.net.nz

Swimming is taken for approximately six weeks in Terms 1 & 4, weather permitting. Because of our environment, and curriculum requirements, it is important that everyone takes part. If for medical reasons your child is not able to take part, then please write a note of explanation to the class teacher.

When using private vehicles for class trips we need to ensure that everyone has a seat belt allocated and it is worn at all times. All cars must have a current WOF/COF and registration and the driver must hold a current full N.Z driver’s licence. This is for everyone's safety. Please don't feel uncomfortable if you are asked these questions.

Cycling to School
The Board discourages any children less than 10 years of age from riding to school. It is expected that all cycles used by children to ride to school should comply with legal requirements and are safe to ride i.e.:
" Two efficient brakes, one on each wheel " A red or amber reflector of 35cm area, all of the area to be facing rearward " Amber pedal reflectors.
We expect that all children riding to school will wear, correctly, an approved helmet. Bringing a lock is also a good idea to ensure the bicycle is safe.Private Vehicles - When using private vehicles for class trips we need to ensure that everyone has a seat belt allocated and it is worn at all times.

Private Vehicles
All cars must have a current WOF/COF and registration and the driver must hold a current full N.Z driver’s licence. This is for everyone's safety. Please don't feel uncomfortable if you are asked these questions.

Parking
Everyone is asked to angle park outside our school. For safety, traffic flow returning to Thames is encouraged to firstly travel north towards Coromandel and turn using our bus and parking bay at the north end of the School.

Bus
The school owns its own 45-seater bus. The bus is used on a user pays basis. People wanting to use this service should enquire at the school office as to the charges and the possibility of a transport subsidy. Should individual accounts fall into arrears, the Board has the right to withdraw the use of the bus until such accounts are fully paid. Children are expected to behave appropriately on the bus, for the safety of all.

As teachers cannot be responsible for the custody of valuable articles, including toys, children are asked not to bring them to school.

We have 4 Whanau Groups in our school:
Whanau Names Papatuanuku (Red) Ranginui (Yellow) Tane Mahuta (Green) Tangaroa (Blue)

Teacher Leaders Philip Lash & Sue Watson Anne Kershaw Stacey Vowles Scott Sell & Jayne Bolsover
Whanau encompass years 0-8 in the same Whanau grouping. Whanau activities and competitions are organised to encourage positive mixing between senior and junior students and to develop team pride. As new students come to the school they are allocated a Whanau by the Principal, using strictly the gender and year level numbers as a guide. Family members belong to the same Whanau.

Our school is trying to get to zero waste to be environmentally friendly and to keep costs down. We encourage parents to name children’s food wrappings, for follow-up reasons, and ask that wrappings are returned home if possible.

The school currently has school-based sports teams for netball, rugby and cricket. Other sports are organised in Thames with combined school teams. Parent/caregiver involvement is appreciated.

The school acknowledges the importance of recognising and encouraging the virtues within each child, e.g. Respect, Patience, Courtesy, Reliability. This programme operates school-wide and aims to encourage the positive social behaviour in our community.