ABOUT DARGAVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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	Board of Trustees		Newsletters
	Staff		Outdoor Education
	Attendance		Picking Up Your Child After School
	Bell Times		P.T.A
	Bus Times		Punctuality
	Bicycles		Reading Recovery
	Class Visits		Reporting To Parents
	Clothing		School Donations
	Dental Nurse		School Rule
	Fitness/Phys-Ed		School Stationery
	Handwriting		Sickness & Accidents
	Health		Smoke Free Policy
	Home and School		Speech Language Therapist
	Homework		Swimming
	Lunch Orders		Teachers
	Library

Maori Language

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Parent Teacher Association and the Staff of the School we welcome you as parents and your child(ren) as pupils to Dargaville Primary School.

We hope that your child(ren) enjoy our school and find learning a pleasure.

If at any time you have any worries about your child(ren), please contact the school and we will try and help.

The school will endeavour to keep you informed of your child(ren)'s progress. At regular intervals the school runs various checks on your child's progress. If at any time we think it necessary to contact you after these checks then we will either telephone you or write to you.

It is expected that all children will return home after school. Most parents have common sense rules concerning where their children play and what time they return home, but it is important that children are reminded of these rules. Road rules and safety are taught to all children and we would hope that these are reinforced by everyone.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS: - back to top

CHAIRPERSON: Kathryn deBruin
SECRETARY: Alan Russek
STAFF REP: Jenny Bishop
TREASURER: Kathryn deBruin
PTA REP: Carlrine Gillespie

MEETING: 8 times per year notified in newsletters
5.00 pm, School Board Room
Parents are most welcome to attend.

MINUTES: of the B.O.T. meetings are available for parents at school.

CHARTER & POLICIES
A copy of the Charter and School Policies are available at the school office.

STAFF: - back to top

PRINCIPAL Alan Russek
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL Danielle Te Waiti
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Pip Honore
SENIOR TEACHERS Jackie McGlasson, Merilyn Stevens, Jenny Bishop

Reception Class:
This class is specifically for new entrants during approximately their first 10 weeks of school. Children are then moved on to a junior class, where they will spend the rest of the year.

Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour: Alison Nathan

Reading Recovery: Joan Hartle, Alayne Fitness

TEACHER AIDES:
Bronwyn Kelliher
Christine LeVaillant
Kathy MacDonald
Tania Phelan
Paula Stevens

Richard Hunt

ADMINSTRATION:
Rosie Sanford
Louise Pocklington
Karen Frood

LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Anita Kavalinovich
MAORI LANGUAGE:
CARETAKER: Wayne Stringer
CLEANER: Anita Kavalinovich
DENTAL NURSE: Anne Guest

ATTENDANCE: - back to top
Although the law does not compel enrolment until the age of six, once the child is enrolled regular attendance is expected. Recent research has shown that in many cases of teenage delinquency, there has been evidence of a poor start in the infants due to parents not insisting on regular attendance. If your child is absent from school please phone the office 439-7255 to advise their absence.

BELL TIMES: - back to top
Punctuality is required. Please have your child/ren here on time ready to start regular programmes.

8.50am Class programme begins
11.00am Play
11.30am Mid morning till lunch
12.45pm Lunch
1.25pm Afternoon class begins
2.55pm Pack up
3.00pm Home Bell

BUS TIMES: - back to top
Dargaville Primary School is controller of the Baylys Beach bus. All other buses are controlled by Ritches (ph 4394902). Should you have any enquires regarding buses please approach the appropriate controller. Baylys Beach bus transport DPS and St Josephs children only, and travels directly from DPS to the Coast. All other routes leave from the High School with children from our school being conveyed there by a feeder service which picks children up at DPS between 3.05 and 3.15 in the afternoon.

BICYCLES: - back to top
Safety helmets for children with bicycles are required by law for children who ride bikes to school

CLASS VISITS: - back to top
Occasionally a visit outside the school is made as part of the current classroom topic. The main object is to extend the child's learning experience in language, social studies, science and health. Adequate supervision is arranged before any such trip. Parent help is appreciated when called for.

If transport to an event is required then every child must be

restrained by their own diagonal seat belt. Lap-belts are NOT suitable where vehicles will reach Open Road speeds. All vehicles must be registered, and have a current WOF, and all drivers should have a full current driver’s licence.

CLOTHING: - back to top
We have a lost property box in the cleaners room. All clothing should be named. From time to time the clothing will be displayed and clothing not claimed will be sent to a charitable institute. .

DENTAL NURSE: - back to top
The Dental Team attend clinics at our school approx twice a year. If you have problems with your child’s teeth, phone the school to find out where their current clinic is. .

FITNESS/PHYS ED: - back to top
This is taken daily by all classes. Children should be suitably dressed for this. If your child at any time is unable to take part in fitness or Phys Ed a note to the teacher is required.

HANDWRITING: - back to top
The following is the printing and writing alphabet that is taught in all schools.

HEALTH: - back to top
Children's health of course, is important, and parents are generally well informed about this. Sometimes, however, they don't realise that a good night's sleep better equips a child for school the next day. Tired children switch off and they cannot put effort into their tasks.

It is important that we are notified of any disorder, allergies, eg. stings and of necessary procedures to be followed.

All children are tested for sight and hearing defects within the first two years of school, by North Health, who notifies parents in writing of any mild or serious defects.

HOME AND SCHOOL: - back to top
We believe that the early school years are ones in which basic patterns of learning are laid. Good patterns depend on good attitudes to learning. Take an interest in your child's school life. Talk, listen, read to your child to develop his/her reading readiness. When he/she brings home books please show an interest.

HOMEWORK: - back to top
From time to time your child may have homework. This may be spelling, mathematics, written language, research, or a book to be read, or for you to read to your children. It is important that all reading books are returned to school promptly.

LUNCH ORDERS: - back to top
Empire Luncheonette are catering lunches this year. These are available on Monday’s each week. Orders forms are available from the office and orders will be taken between 8.30--8.50am in the Hall for all children. If there is a long weekend holiday then lunches can be ordered the first day back.

LIBRARY: - back to top
Children are allowed to take books home from the school library, which has a large stock of books available for all age groups. Care of school books is essential if we are to maintain this high standard. Parents will be charged for damaged or lost books.

MAORI LANGUAGE: - back to top
The Maori Language programme runs throughout the school on a daily basis.

NEWSLETTERS: - back to top
These are sent home fortnightly on Wednesday’s to keep you informed of the various school activities

OUTDOOR EDUCATION: - back to top
This school has an outdoor education programme. This involves some over night camps and other trips. Parents should familiarise themselves with the school policy on Education Outside The Classroom, a copy of which is available from the office.

PICKING YOUR CHILD UP AFTER SCHOOL: - back to top
If parents pick up their children from school strict observation of traffic and safety rules must be observed.

Please do not call little children across the busy road while sitting in your car. Although no child at this school has been killed on controlled crossings many near misses have been recorded nearby. These occurred on wet days when parents, some of them double parked, called their children across the road.

If it is desperately urgent for your child to reach the car, please lead him/her across the road yourself.

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION: - back to top
The P.T.A meets regularly at school and is involved in fund raising, school activities and the welfare of our children.

PTA PRESIDENT: Theresa Steed
SECRETARY: Carlrine Gillespie
TREASURER: Sharon Leabourne

PUNCTUALITY: - back to top
Children are required to be at school in time to commence the day’s programme when the bell goes at 8.50am.

READING RECOVERY: - back to top
We provide a Reading Recovery programme. This is a second wave of instruction in reading and writing for 6 year olds. It is delivered by specially trained teachers. The most needy children enter this national early intervention programme. They receive intensive, daily, individual help with reading and writing. Most of those who find it difficult can be helped to learn to operate in the same way and reach the same levels of independence as proficient readers.

REPORTING TO PARENTS: - back to top
Parents are invited to the school at least twice a year to discuss their children's progress with classroom teachers.

Open afternoons, sports days, class excursions are all further opportunities to see the children in a working environment.

At any other time parents may ring the Office for an appointment to see the teacher. Please do not hesitate to contact the teacher on any matter of concern.

SCHOOL DONATIONS: - back to top
School donations are set at $40.00 per year per student or $100 for a family with three or more children. This allows for the purchase and maintenance of equipment not able to be provided under the Ministry funding allocation. It also pays for the paper used by each child when they are using photocopied sheets (not covered on the Booklist) for class work or music sheets.

SCHOOL RULE: - back to top
Self discipline. "Is my behaviour sensible? Will it hurt anyone?"

SCHOOL STATIONERY: - back to top
School stationery may be purchased through the office. The office does not have eftpos facilities as the cost to run it out ways the usage. Class lists of stationery requirements are sent home at the beginning of each year and parents return this with the money for the stationery pack required.

Old books may be used up.

SICKNESS AND ACCIDENTS: - back to top
Are attended to by staff members. If a child is not well enough to continue school programmes the parents will be notified by phone and asked to collect the child. Accident cases in need of further attention will be taken to the medical Centre and parents will be notified.

SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPIST: - back to top
The school is served by a part-time speech language therapist, early intervention teacher (who works with pre school children) and has available, by appointment, a special needs adviser.

SWIMMING:
We have our own swimming pool. Swimming lessons and water safety are taken by all Junior and Year 3 & 4 classes from November to March. Yr 5 and 6 children use the town pool. All children must wear swimming caps.

Health and Safety issues regarding to the new NZ Pool Water Quality Standards state that if your child has had diarrhea

recently they are unable to swim for a period of 2 weeks. You will need to advise their teacher of the office if they have been affected by this illness.

TEACHERS: - back to top

I hope this helps you in your child's stay at Dargaville Primary School. The most important thing is that at any time; if you are concerned about your child, please contact the school.