RAUMATI BEACH SCHOOL

PROSPECTUS

P.O. Box 2055 INDEX

From the Principal 3

Board of Trustees 4

School Vision 5

Key Competencies 6

School Organisation & Expectations 7

Concerns, Queries, Complaints 9

Dress Code 10

School Rules 11

General Information 12

Emergencies 17

Homework 18

Admin Support 21

Assessment 23

Useful Information 26

2 FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Raumati Beach School!

The Raumati Beach “Prospectus” is your guide to our school. Hopefully you will find it a valuable reference resource for you. While we can’t answer all questions, we hope that it will provide you with as much information about our school as possible.

Strategic Direction At Raumati Beach School we have worked hard to develop a vision of learning which will prepare our students for their life in the 21st Century. Using the competencies from Tātaiako of Ako, Wänanga, Whanaungatanga, Tangata Whenuatanga, Manaakitanga, the Board of Trustees, Community, Staff and Students have developed goals which; • Aspire to excellence in teaching and learning • Develop staff excellence • Promote active student involvement • Promote community participation • Promote effective and accountable governance and management

We want to develop in our students a unique sense of identity, of purpose, and of pride in what they share and stand for. A community of learners, who enjoy being together, working together, and achieving success together. At RBS we want learners who are positive, supportive, enthusiastic, focused, and goal-oriented.

We are continuing to develop a school culture which recognises and encourages the rights, roles, and responsibilities of all community members. Where success is achieved, recognised, shared, and celebrated by all members of this community.

We are developing a “culture of excellence”, where excellence is aspired to, expected, encouraged, modeled, and recognised.

What Characterises “A Community of Learners”? As a “community of learners”, everybody in the community is a learner, the concepts of Ako & Wänanga ! Teachers and students alike wanting to learn. ! A commonly-held expectation that all students and staff will strive to do their best, will participate enthusiastically, and will achieve well – a “culture of excellence”. ! A culture which emphasises high expectations, high standards and high achievement - "opting out" is not an option! ! A community where teachers are constantly searching for better strategies to increase teaching effectiveness and learning programmes, through personal professional development and the use of a broad range of educational strategies. From 2014, there will be increasing emphasis on refining and developing or Raumati Beach School Curriculum to ensure that it has the concept of “Powerful Learning,” at the core of what we do.

Partnership As a school we actively strive to promote an atmosphere where parents and teachers interact positively and constructively as true partners, for the ultimate benefit of our students. Where teachers and parents work together as a “team” for the benefit of the students, excellent outcomes are possible.

Mike Farrelly PRINCIPAL

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SECTION A : ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Board Of Trustees Raumati Beach School is extremely fortunate in having had consistently supportive and dedicated Boards of Trustees over the years, a vital factor in its ongoing success. The Board meets regularly, usually the second and second to last week of the school term. Members of the school community and general public are welcome to attend.

The Board of Trustees plays a major role in the governance of the school, and has responsibility for policy development, financial oversight, strategic planning, to name but a few. Board members are elected to represent the parent community and consultation through newsletters, questionnaires and parent meetings assist them in this task.

A major Board responsibility each year is the reviewing and updating of the Charter.

Copies of the School Charter, which incorporate the Annual Plan and current Achievement Targets, are available from the School Office on request. The updated school charter can also be viewed online at www.raumatibeach.school.nz

A full list of Board members will be found on the insert sheet in the centre of this Handbook. An updated sheet is distributed each year.

The Learning journey for the students of Raumati Beach School

Wharemauku – House made of flax

A drop of water (kopata wai) flows from the Valley over the land through the township of along the Wharemauku Stream. As it moves along the stream it gathers knowledge and grows on its journey to the sea (Te Moana).

Te Moana – The Sea

The drop of water (kopata wai) leaves the shelter of the Wharemauku Stream and now becomes part of the sea. It is pushed and pulled towards Kapiti Island in the distance and is continuing to gather knowledge on its journey to the Island.

Kapiti – Join

As the (kopata wai) drop of water moves towards Kapiti Island it is pulled into the sky by the sun (ra) and taken to the peak of the island where it is dropped. From the peak of the island (Tuteremoana) the water drop (kopata wai) is able to look out across the Tasman Sea and imagine the wonders of the world and learns that its journey into the world is just beginning and that it will continue to grow and gather knowledge and it ventures into the world beyond the .

4 SCHOOL VISION

Raumati Beach School Vision

We are part of a journey that encoura ges Curiosity Involvement Resilience Communication Respect

We are responsible for ourselves,

others, and our place.

VISION DISPOSITIONS

Our vision identifies the dispositions we want our students to be like as confident, connected, actively involved learners for life by encouraging:

Curiosity Involvement Resilience Communication Respect

THE CURRICULUM KEY COMPETENCIES:

The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies. People use these competencies “To live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities.” The New Zealand Curriculum Ministry of Education (2007)

The New Zealand Curriculum Identifies Five Key Competencies:

Thinking Using language, symbols, and texts Managing self Relating to others Participating and contributing

5 ALIGNING OUR VISION TO THE NEW ZEALAND CURRICULUM KEY COMPETENCIES

We are ensuring our students develop the New Zealand Curriculum key competencies through the integration of these in our school vision as the values we want our students to have.

We see the following values as crucial in preparing our students for their future.

We believe that learning is a life long journey. For our students to become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners they will demonstrate the following dispositions. Curiosity Involvement Resilience Communication Respect

Our Raumati Beach School Vision integrates the key competencies in the following way:

Curiosity - Thinking Involvement - Participating and contributing Resilience - Managing Self Communication - Using language, symbols and text, Thinking Respect - Relating to others

CLARIFYING THE MEANING FOR STUDENTS

We have clarified the meanings of our values identified in our school vision to ensure our students develop a clear understanding of them. We want our values to be understood and easy to remember to ensure they are used in their everyday lives, both at school and in the wider community.

Curiosity Wonder, investigate, discover Involvement Belong, be focused, be active Resilience Reflect, refresh, retry Communication Think, send, receive Respect Care, share, be fair

For a more detailed explanation of our curriculum please visit our website.

6 Parents Can Expect . . . ! That all teachers will have New Zealand Registration. ! A safe and attractive school environment. ! Regular communication with the school. (See “Reporting to Parents”) ! That staff will strive to provide the very best learning environment and programmes for all students. ! That staff who have a concern will approach parents in a positive manner, and will respond positively when approached by parents with concerns. ! That staff will uphold and exhibit the very highest professional standards at all times. ! Positive, supportive, and encouraging to all students. ! That learning experiences will be appropriate and challenging. ! That their teachers will have high expectations for them. ! That their teachers will be interested in them as people. ! That they will experience opportunities for success in school activities.

The School, As An Organisation, Has Expectations Too..... ! That the primary focus of teachers and students alike will be on learning. ! That students will continually strive to achieve to the best of their ability, and seek assistance when they encounter difficulty. ! That students will enhance the school “culture” through behaviour which is positive, supportive, and encouraging to all other students. ! That students will behave sensibly, and practise self- discipline through abiding by the school rules and policies. ! That students will be polite and well-mannered towards all other members of our “school family”. ! That parents will support the rules and policies of the school. ! That parents who have a concern or complaint will approach the staff in a positive manner, and will respond positively when approached by staff with concerns. That parents will feel welcome to take advantage of opportunities for involvement in school activities. ! That parents will encourage self-discipline, independence, and a “focus on learning” in their children. ! That parents will treat staff with respect.

SCHOOL STAFF A complete list of current members of the School staff can be found on the insert sheet in the centre of this Prospectus.. An updated sheet is distributed each year.

The school has a total staff in excess of fifty, including cleaning and caretaking staff, Teachers’ Aides, part-time, full time teaching staff and Technology staff. We also host a special needs satellite unit on site which is part of Mahinawa School. The staff and students from this unit are very much part of Raumati Beach School. We are totally committed to the view that the learning (and other) needs of the children are the central focus of our efforts. We strive to provide a learning environment which is supportive, secure, exciting, challenging, enjoyable, forward-looking, ‘learning-focused’, and aimed at preparing our students to be twenty-first century learners.

TERM DATES FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR Dates of Terms and holidays for the current school year can be found by visiting the Ministry of Education website |www.minedu.govt.nz.

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CURRENT ADDRESSES It is essential that our pupil records of information concerning children’s addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contacts are kept up to date. Please Let The School Know Of Any Changes Promptly. A form for this purpose can be obtained by contacting any of our friendly admin staff.

SCHOOL ORGANISATION Within the limitations set by teacher-pupil ratios and the available classroom accommodation, staff take a great deal of time to organise classes in the best possible way to meet the needs of the children. These factors mean that, in most cases, class levels have been grouped together to form ‘composite classes’. Regardless of the composition of a classroom, the programme in action is designed to cater for each child at his/her most appropriate learning level.

The school is organised into three "Teams" based on the year level of the students. Within these teams are a number of smaller teams each led by a Team Leader. (The names of the Team Leaders may be found in the Staff list on the insert sheet in the centre of this Prospectus).

Teachers in each Team work co-operatively, both in planning and teaching aspects of their class programmes, so that students from one classroom may well work in another classroom from time to time. At other times, students in the whole Team will take part in activities such as Sports, Physical Education, or Team Assemblies.

NOTE : Team Leaders are directly responsible to the Deputy Principal (Admin).

Team organisation is as follows: Wharemauku: Years 1 – 2 Te Moana: Years 3 – 6 Kapiti: Years 7 - 8

The Team Leaders have overall responsibility for the behaviour, welfare and learning programmes for all students in their Team, and, as a result, may often be involved in counselling, advising, or modifying the behaviour of students who are not in their own class.

SCHOOL HOURS: 2015 School Year.

8.55 am – 11.00 am : Class time 11.00 am – 11.35 am : Morning Break 11.35 am – 01.00 pm : Class time 01.00 pm – 1.45 pm : Lunch Break 1.45 pm - 3.00 pm : Class time

It is expected that children will arrive at school between 8.30 am and 8.50 am ready for the bell at 8.55 am.

Parents should be aware that there are no teaching staff on duty in the mornings to supervise children who arrive prior to 8.30 am. Children who arrive at school late must report to the School Office, so that our Absence Records can be amended appropriately.

Children who go home for lunch must be signed in and out by their parent/caregiver. Please see the admin staff before leaving the school grounds so that we can ensure the safety of our students at all times.

8 School usually closes at 12.30 pm on the last day of school for the year. These, and any other variations to the normal school hours are well publicised through the Newsletter, school website on Facebook and/or special notices.

CONCERNS, QUERIES, COMPLAINTS...

The diagram below is a guide to Raumati Beach School’s Complaints Procedures : Your first “port of call” if you have a concern or query about your child is their Classroom Teacher. Please :

§ Make an appointment, so the appropriate records and information can be prepared for you. § Don’t just “pop in” to their classroom before school or while they are teaching. Their major responsibility at these times is preparation and delivery of learning programmes to your child. § If it is a matter of urgency, please contact the School Office.

If you feel the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved . . . Please see the TEAM LEADER

If you still feel the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved . . . Please see the Deputy Principal (Admin) or the Deputy Principal (Curriculum)

The Deputy Principals have been released from full time classroom teaching to assist the Principal with a range of day-to-day management matters. Parents requesting an appointment with the Principal may well meet with the appropriate Deputy Principal if the Principal is unavailable, so that we can assist you as quickly as possible.

Serious concerns or complaints must be made in writing.

If you still feel the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved . . . Please contact the Principal.

If you are still disastisfied then you may contact the BOT Chairperson.

Write a letter, outlining your concern or complaint to “The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees” and hand it in at the School Office, or post it to PO Box 2055, Raumati Beach. The Chairperson will acknowledge your letter as soon as possible.

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DRESS CODE Rationale: For reasons of equity, safety, school identity and image, a uniform has been introduced for Raumati Beach Primary School. Uniform Schedule: The mandatory uniform for Raumati Beach School, which will be available only through the School Uniform Shop is the following:

! Polo shirt, short and long sleeved, light blue with navy collar, with Raumati Beach School logo.

! Polar fleece jacket, long sleeved, light blue with navy inserts, with the Raumati Beach School logo.

! Navy Shorts, Skorts, Culottes and Pants.

! Sunhat - compulsory in Terms 1 and 4.

! Rain jacket which is optional - Yellow with navy blue insert.

! Navy blue polyprops (singlet's) short and long sleeved.

! Navy or white socks - Navy tights/stockings.

! Although we do not have a uniform shoe we suggest the following as a sensible choice of footwear for students at Raumati Beach School - Sandals, walking or sports shoes – in Navy/Black or White (no bright labels or accessories), No platform soled shoes or high heel shoes, No jandals or other jandal-like slip on shoes.

Guidelines: The uniform will be made up of the approved items purchased through the School Uniform Shop. No substitutions will be acceptable unless special circumstances prevail and a written request is approved.

Parents are responsible for maintaining the uniforms to an acceptable standard. The uniform must not be altered in anyway with the exception of hemming and fitting adjustments.

Uniform Shop: The Uniform Shop will be open at various times during the week. Contact the School Administration for opening hours. If you are unable to come at these times please call them and leave a message and the Uniform Coordinator will call you back to arrange a suitable time.

Financial Assistance: If your family have concerns about financial hardship due to purchase of our School Uniform we encourage you to apply, in confidence, to the Principal for assistance. We also have readily available at the School Office information on financial assistance from Work and Income, for both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries.

Makeup, fingernail polish, glitter, tattoos and such decoration may be used only on "Dress- Up" days, such as “Wacky Week”, or at special events, such as performances and the Year 8 Ball.

10 Hair should be clean and well presented.

School sunhats must be worn outside during Terms 1 and 4 (from Labour Weekend until Easter).

Exemptions from this code, for cultural reasons, may be considered by the Board of Trustees.

11 SCHOOL RULES

The school has a small number of rules, which have been put in place to protect the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual safety and welfare of students. Parents are encouraged to assist children to understand that there are sound reasons for these rules, and to discuss and clarify what the reasons are.

1. All other members of the school community are to be treated with courtesy and respect.

2. Verbal harassment (including "putdowns" and teasing), physical harassment, and excluding others from games or activities, are all forms of bullying, and will not be tolerated.

3. Bad language is not accepted.

4. To ensure student safety, students are not to leave the school grounds at any time without permission.

5. Signed permission must be obtained at the Office for children who go home for lunch. For safety reasons we require that all parents / caregivers must sign their children out before removing them from the school grounds.

6. The riding of skateboards, roller blades, etc are allowed on a limited basis, students will be told when and where this can occur. The riding of bicycles, in the school grounds is prohibited for safety reasons. To protect bicycles, the bicycle stands are out of bounds during school hours, and all bicycles should be locked securely.

7. Chewing gum, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks are not permitted at school.

8. For reasons of safety and "safe-keeping" (See “Money and Valuables” on Page 22), the wearing of jewellery is not appropriate at school, and should be kept to a minimum, e.g.: plain ear studs, watches, or "taonga” necklaces (worn inside tops/shirts for safety).

9. Children should not bring money or valuables to school unless requested to do so for a particular purpose.

Teams, and individual classrooms, will also have additional rules which will be displayed in classrooms and communicated to students and parents as necessary, through Team Notices and/or Newsletters.

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SECTION B : GENERAL INFORMATION

ABSENCES Children who are unwell do not perform adequately and can be disruptive in the classroom. If your child is ill, please keep him/her home until well.

If your child becomes ill during the school day you will be notified by the Office Staff. Sick children may not go home unaccompanied, but must be collected and “signed out” by an adult, for reasons of safety.

In order to ensure the safety of our students at all times, it is vital that the school has clear information on whether the children are supposed to be at school or not.

For this reason you are strongly urged to notify the school every day your child is absent, either by means of a note or by telephone. This will simplify our procedures for checking daily attendance, and assist us in ensuring that all children are accounted for.

Telephoned absence messages may be left at anytime.

The ‘Absence Line’ number is 902 5596 Please follow the voice prompts.

ACCIDENTSUnfortunately, accidents do sometimes happen, no matter how many precautions we take. If your child is involved in a minor accident, he/she will be taken to the Office, and will be attended to by the Office Staff in the Medical Room. The Office Staff are the designated “First Aiders”, and hold a current First Aid Certificate. If the child is feeling unwell, or the accident is considered serious enough to cause concern, the Office Staff member on duty will contact you, or your "Emergency Contact" person. Depending upon the nature of the injury, should the Office Staff not to be able to make contact, either a Doctor, or the Ambulance will be called.

As a matter of course, parents will be contacted when children have received a bump on the head, to avoid the risk of concussion or head injury.

APPOINTMENTS WITH STAFF Parents wishing to discuss their child's welfare in some depth with their teacher, the Team Leader, Deputy Principals, or Principal should contact the School Office to make an appointment. This allows the staff to plan a time suitable for both parties, and to have appropriate records and documentation available. Naturally, parents are welcome to speak briefly to teachers when “popping in” to collect, or drop children at school, but it is not appropriate for teachers to be involved in lengthy discussions before school, when their prime responsibility is to prepare their classroom for the day ahead.

13 ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE FROM SCHOOL

ARRIVAL : There is no supervision for children playing in the playground before 8.30 am, and only general supervision after that time, staff are preparing for the day or involved in school meetings. If your child/ren will be late for school in the morning, please call the “Absence Line” or the School Office, and ensure that your child/ren report to the Office on arrival to “sign in”. DEPARTURE : After school children should be collected as soon as possible after 3.00 pm, as there are no staff on duty to supervise them. Parents who are unexpectedly delayed should call the Office on 902 5596 and the staff will arrange for the child/ren to wait in the Office until collected. Children are welcome to play in the school grounds out of school hours, but must do so with their parents’ permission, and on the understanding that school staff will not provide supervision.

ASSEMBLIES School Assemblies are held approximately three times a term. These take place in the School hall. Not all junior classes attend each schoolwide assembly, due to the restrictions we have on space in our own Hall. Parents are welcome to attend these events, but should check with their class teacher first, that their child’s class will be there.

BEHAVIOUR The staff work extremely hard to enhance the “positive school culture” within our school, so that students and staff relate well to each other, and every effort is made to recognise, in positive ways, the achievements and appropriate behaviour of our students.

The Behaviour Programme is designed to promote the ‘positive culture’ of the school by recognising and reinforcing children’s appropriate social and learning behaviour, setting clear guidelines as to expectations and responsibilities, and identifying consequences of both appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

Teachers endeavour to recognise children’s appropriate behaviour through the wide use of awards such as stickers, stamps, certificates. Presentations and awards at Team and School Assemblies, as well as performances and displays of work, are all designed to recognise and reinforce the positive achievements of our students.

The school's formal "pinnacle" for recognition of student behaviour and achievement is the annual Year 8 Awards Ceremony, which takes place at the end of each school year. Awards are made in ten categories: Academic Success, Academic Effort, Excellence in Mathematics, Citizenship, Leadership, Sporting Achievement, The Arts, Visual Arts, Tikanga Maori and Information Communication Technology. Presentations take place at the annual Year 8 Awards Assembly.

Students are made clearly aware of the results of inappropriate behaviour, which may involve “Time Out”, a call to parents, supervised morning tea/lunchtime work (for older students), or a personal Behaviour Contract. Staff attempt to apply these strategies consistently and fairly when necessary. Students exhibiting continuing serious negative behaviours will be "stood down", or suspended, in accordance with Sections 13 - 18 of the Education Amendment Act (No. 2) 1998.

It should be noted, however, that the use of negative strategies is extremely limited, on a school-wide basis, in comparison to the amount of positive reinforcement children receive. Since the beginning of 2014 the school has been working towards introducing a restoratative approach todealing with unwanted behaviours.

14 “BIBLE IN SCHOOLS” The Education Act gives Boards of Trustees the option of providing non-denominational religious instruction programmes to the students for 30 minutes each week. In our school, students participate in this programme on an opt-in basis. The programme usually takes place during lunchtime. For more information please contact the Office.

CULTURAL PROGRAMMES The school offers students a range of opportunities to participate in cultural pursuits during school time, depending on the availability of staff and volunteer assistants. These factors, among others, mean that all activities are not available all through the school year, and some groups will become active when participation in a particular event is planned.

Cultural groups which have been/are available to students include:

! Chess Club

! Band

! Junior and Senior Choir

! Dance Groups

! “Special event” choirs (“Artsplash”, “Suzanne Prentice” concerts, etc)

! Kapahaka Group and Boys’ Haka Group

! “Movement Extravaganza” (Gymnastics/Dance)

! School Productions 2013 SAMOA VISIT

! Leadership

! Samoa Cultural Visit

Depending on the activity, children may be simply invited to participate (as with KapaHaka and the Choir/s), or may be nominated by their teachers (as with “Tournament of Minds”), or they may apply (as for the Leadership Group). Children will usually be provided with an information sheet and/or permission slip, depending on the nature of the group/event. Where parental assistance is desirable, an invitation notice will be sent home.

From time to time “specialist” teachers may be employed, in areas such as Performing and Visual Arts, to enhance the teaching programmes and extend the skills of the students.

In addition, opportunities for students to perform and develop their talents and abilities are provided through such events as the annual Talent Quest, “Artsplash”, school productions, end-of-year Concerts, and regular Team and School Assemblies.

DAMAGE TO PROPERTY The Board of Trustees is responsible to the Ministry of Education for the upkeep of grounds and buildings. Any damage, whether vandalism or accidental, must be made good by the Board. Parents will be informed of any damage done to buildings, grounds, or equipment by students,and will be expected to take responsibility for the consequences of their behaviour.

Where appropriate, payment of the cost of the repair will be expected

15 DENTAL CLINIC The Dental Clinic caters for both school age and preschool children, and is staffed by a Dental Therapist and a Chairside Assistant. Parents should note that the Dental Clinic is not available at all times, as the staff are responsible for several Clinics in the area.

Once consent has been received from parents, and children have been enrolled, they are automatically called for treatment. If parents of New Entrants are concerned about their child’s first visit to the Dental Clinic after starting school they should contact the Clinic to arrange to accompany them.

The Dental Clinic phone number is 299 4659. Appointments for urgent work may be made at any time by calling the number above, as calls are automatically redirected.

“DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS” The Board of Trustees and staff commit a large amount of funding, time, and expertise to assisting students who have special learning, behaviour, or physical needs. The school has designated one teacher position as Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in order that student needs, outside the “normal spectrum” have appropriate recognition, focus, and support.

GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS The Deputy Principal has responsibility for the oversight of this programme, involving the identification of able students, the development of extension/enrichment programmes, and the provision of information on extension/enrichment programmes tostaff. The Board of Trustees and the staff are committed to providing opportunities for able students to excel and develop in their area of skill, and to develop new ones.

Where possible, within the constraints of staffing, students will be provided with appropriate extension activities both within, and outside, the normal classroom programmes.

The “Gifted and Talented" programme falls into four areas, as follows:

Enrichment: Extra activities to "enrich" student experiences and learning, such as Kapahaka, Recorder Groups, Chess Club, Choir, School Rock Band, Gymnastics, etc. Visiting performers/musicians/drama groups, School Camps, and educational visits also form part of this area

Extension: This often relates specifically to curriculum areas, such as Art classes, or "cross grouping" for Mathematics or Reading (testing students and grouping them according to their academic level). Teaching programmes can then be specifically targeted to "extend" student thinking and learning.

Differentiating the Curriculum: Class Teachers provide a wide range of activities and "learning experiences" within the classroom setting, providing students with resources, problems, and learning experiences on a range of curriculum topics. This allows students to work at their own level, as well as to be challenged to “push themselves” by selecting more challenging activities to broaden their knowledge and skills.

Gifted and Talented Programmes: These are specifically designed to meet the needs of our very able students, and may include for example, Mathematics, "online" Science Trips, ICT, Thinking/Problem Solving and Performing Arts. The students included in these programmes will be identified through their classroom assessment tools and observation, and recommended by their class teachers. 16 CHILDREN WITH LEARNING NEEDS The SENCO Coordinates the evaluation of children's special needs, the placement of Teacher Aides, and the development of appropriate instructional programmes. A team of Teacher Aides, most of whom have undertaken training and gained formal qualifications, works on a daily basis with individual and small groups of children. Programmes designed to improve the achievement and understanding of children with special needs are developed by the teaching staff and implemented by the Teacher Aides, under the supervision of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). It should be noted that although the school receives an annual grant for this purpose, the grant is not sufficient to cater for all students who would benefit from additional assistance, and the Board of Trustees supplements this grant each year to cater for as many children as possible.Parents of children who have been identified as requiring additional assistance will be informed by either the classroom teacher or the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), and will, where an application is being made for “specialist” assistance, be requested to sign an application form.

The presence of the Satellite Unit within the school community provides teaching staff with a ready resource and source of specialist experience, while expertise and training present within the teaching staff includes several trained Reading Recovery teachers.

Students are regularly monitored, and, where appropriate, outside expertise, such as that provided by the Ministry of Education “Group Special Education” staff and the Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, is freely accessed.

TEACHER AIDES When the SENCO and teaching staff determine that a child requires additional assistance with learning or behaviour, they will be considered for allocation of Teacher Aide time. The school is funded to provide this assistance in two ways:

! The "Special Education Grant" (SEG), which is based on the roll number of the school, and which may be allocated as need and cost dictate.

! "Ongoing Renewable Resource Scheme" (ORRS) funding, which is allocated to a particular child, and is subject to rigorous criteria. The SENCO, in consultation with the Senior Staff, establishes the relative priority of students, and allocates Teacher Aide hours according to the individual needs of the child. Sometimes the child is incorporated into an existing group who are already receiving Teacher Aide assistance, or, in particular cases, they may receive one-to-one "tutoring".

EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM All activities that do not take place within the classroom itself come under the umbrella of ‘Education Outside the Classroom’. This involves a wide range of activities - Science excursions, visiting local shops, field studies, tramping, museum visits, attending camps, etc.

These activities are part of the normal curriculum but quite often involve extra costs to parents. It is school policy not to exclude any children whose parents are unable to pay. Please contact the Office Manager if cost is likely to deprive your child of an opportunity to participate in an EOTC activity.

Staff are required to obtain parental permission and carry out a full Risk Management Analysis as part of their planning for any major Outdoor Education exercise. As with sports and cultural activities, Outdoor Education camps and visits could not take place without parental assistance, and staff welcome offers of help. Where such an activity is going to take place an invitation notice will be sent home to parents requesting assistance.

17 EMERGENCIES

FIRE and EARTHQUAKE DRILLS : Every classroom has a copy of the emergency procedures for fire and earthquake on display, as well as a class list beside the door for teachers to take with them to the evacuation area to check that all children are accounted for. Emergency drills are held at irregular intervals, and are under the control of the Deputy Principal. The school has a Civil Defence radio, and participates regularly in the Council Civil Defence Headquarters’ emergency radio exercises. A small team of senior students is trained in assembling the radio and “reporting in” during the radio exercises.

Parents and visitors to the school are requested to read the Emergency Procedures notices which are on display beside the exit door of all classrooms, and at various other points around the school, such as the Hall and the Office Foyer.

CIVIL EMERGENCIES : In the case of an official “Civil Emergency”, such as a Tsunami warning or major earthquake, parents should tune their radio to a local station for local information (refer to back cover of Telephone Directory).

The school will be kept informed by KCDC Civil Defence Headquarters by means of the Civil Defence radio in the School Office.

Children will be supervised at school until a Civil Defence announcement is made to indicate that it is safe for parents to collect them from school. Where parents are unable to collect children in person, they will be released into the care of the person/s parents have nominated to carry out this function.

For this reason it is essential that the School Office has a current “Emergency Contact and Custody Information” form filled out by every parent.

ENROLMENTS Raumati Beach School does currently operate an Enrolment Scheme. Legislation guarantees students who live within the Raumati Beach School Enrolment Zone absolute rights to enrolment at our school.

Copies of our current School Zone are available at the School Office. Each year the Board will determine the number of places which are likely to be available in the following year for the enrolment of students who live outside the home zone. The Board will publish this information by notice in a community newspaper. This notice will indicate how applications are to be made and will specify a date by which all applications must be received. If there are more applications than places available at ballot will be held.

Parents wishing to enrol their children need to visit the School Office to fill in the Enrolment Form and collect additional enrolment information.

Please note that a New Zealand Birth Certificate must be provided before a child may be enrolled. For children born overseas a Passport or other proof of residency status is required. Children who are not New Zealand citizens, or who do not have the appropriate residency entitlement, cannot be enrolled.

NEW ENTRANTS : Parents of prospective New Entrant children are advised to contact the School Office well in advance of their child’s fifth birthday, so that arrangements can be made for them to make visits to the classroom to meet their teacher and classmates, prior to them actually starting school. It also provides an opportunity for parents to meet the Class Teacher, and to attend an information meeting with the Reception Room Teacher.

In addition to the Birth Certificate requirement, outlined above, the child's Immunisation Certificate is also required for New Entrant enrolments.

18 POLICY Children entering Raumati Beach Primary School as five year olds will stay in the reception class between 6 – 8 months. They will then move to a new class at the appropriate class level.

FUNDRAISING Fundraising activities are organised during the year by the staff, the Board of Trustees, or groups of parents.

The Board of Trustees has responsibility for oversight and co-ordination of all school fundraising activities. The Board have a number of high profile projects which they, along with the community, have identified as being a target for our fundraising over the next few years. Money received is split 80/20. With 80% going towards the current major project and 20% into a discretionary pool. At the end of each year parents are invited to put forward proposals for the use of this money.

Examples of fundraising events which have taken place in the past include:

! Calendars ! Christmas Market ! GREEN Day ! Regular lunch time “sausage sizzles” ! Pizza lunches ! Family portraits ! Christmas tree sales ! Team “mini-galas”

We urge everyone to support these activities, as all funds raised are used to provide extra equipment for your children.

HOMEWORK HOME WORK PHILOSOPHIES

We believe that Homework is an essential part of the Raumati Beach School Curriculum. Homework supports the vision that we want students who will be confident, connected, actively involved life long learners.

Through the key competency of “Managing Self,” a structured school wide homework programme encourages students to be resourceful, reliable and resilient. Helping them to make plans and manage themselves.

The NZ Curriculum which promotes effective pedagogy, (teacher actions promoting learning) tells us that students learn best when teachers:

! Make connections to prior learning and experience

! Provide sufficient opportunities to learn.

19 Wharemauku (Years 1 & 2) Homework in the Wharemauku Team is an opportunity for the child to enjoy sharing their learning and interacting with their parents/caregivers/ wider family. This time should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for all concerned.

Ten to fifteen minutes four or five times a week should suit most children.

How this philosophy is implemented

! Reading is the main focus of Team Wharemauku’s home programme.

! The children take a book home regularly, sometimes at their instructional level but usually at their independent reading level.

! Independent reading is intended to give the child an opportunity to phrase the words appropriately and read with expression and fluency.

! On Tuesdays the child will bring home their alphabet book to consolidate the work being done in the classroom.

! On Fridays, the child will bring home their poetry book to share with their parents.

Te Moana (Years 3 & 4) Homework for the Year 3 and 4 students is based on the Homework Grid, developed by Australian principal and education researcher Ian Lillico. This system is being used by many schools in New Zealand, Australia and England. It is designed to make homework a more active experience for children, developing life and academic skills. One of the goals of this homework is to develop children as responsible citizens and family members. As you can see from the activities on the grid in your child’s homework book, many tasks require students to be more involved in family tasks such as shopping and housework.

Homework will be issued, as normal, on a Tuesday, and will be due back on the Friday of the following week. Each cell in the grid represents one session of an activity approximately 10 minutes in duration. If a cell has x4 in it, then 4 ten minute sessions of that activity are to be completed within the two weeks. Once this has been completed the cell is then signed off by both the student and a parent or caregiver.

Homework tasks of daily reading, spelling and maths are all incorporated into the grid. There may also be extra work, related to topics being learnt in class for students to complete at home also. This grid encourages students to practice skills being learnt at school as well as being responsible and helpful family members.

Te Moana (Years 5 & 6) Homework is set every Monday with spelling words and mathematics maintenance set by the individual class teacher. There is also a component of either language skills or topic work which is the same for the whole syndicate. It is expected to be handed in on Friday.

Homework is marked either by the teacher or with the students depending on the topic. The expectation is that homework is marked each week and the student should be spending no more than half an hour a night.

Homework is expected in on Friday mornings. Te Moana may run a homework club for those who do not finish or do their homework. This is held on lunchtime. Monitoring is rotated around the classes with each Teacher in the team expected to take a turn.

The routine of regular homework is important at the Year 5/6 level. This is to help them build the disciplines required for coping with homework in Year 7/8 and onto college. We recommend a quiet space, free of distractions where homework can be completed. Please encourage and support your child during the homework period and feel free to contact your child’s teacher if they are having difficulty.

20 Kapiti (Years 7 & 8) Homework in Team Kapiti

We endeavour to make the Homework a purposeful learning task and believe that this our programme supports the teaching of the core skills for Literacy and Numeracy in Kapiti. Skills are reinforced in the classroom programmes.

Homework is set to meet the needs of our students and to enable to gain independence and develop positive study habits. Homework will be set by the individual class teacher as appropriate. It may reflect current class learning, schoolwide or global themes or interests..

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Information and Communication Technology, or “ICT”, comprises a great deal more than simply "computer education”, and is not an end in itself, but a tool for our students to use in research, interactive learning, and creativity. The trend today is to refer to this area as “e- Learning.” As teacher expertise develops over time it is intended that students will be introduced to a wider variety of information technologies, depending on their age and skills, ranging from the use of the tablet technologies and “Listening Post”, in the Junior School, to constructing and using spreadsheets and databases, constructing and presenting slide shows, accessing the Internet, and working on material for the School Intranet and Website in the Middle and Senior School.

Late 2008 the school under went a major revamp of its ICT hardware. This included upgraded classroom computers and a large increase in the computer to student ratio. The School ensures that students cannot access inappropriate Internet material through the use of a proxy server called "Campus Watchdog", which functions by blocking website addresses. In 2015 the school is being retrofitted for Ultra Fast Broadband as part of the governments schools upgrade programme. (SNUP) This will allow us for the first time to have a truly robust, fast network which in turn gives us the ability to access information and use technologies more effectively.

We have been looking at ways that we can offer support to digital learning and in particular how parents can purchase cheap effective platforms for their child before entering college. The advantage of this is, that students would already be familiar with using and looking after their own personal devices before entering college. That way, helping to make the digital transition more seamless.

As a result of these discussions between ourselves Kapiti, Paraparaumu Colleges and a number of other local primary schools we are in the process of setting up an independent trust to assist parents with purchasing a device if they were interested. From 2015 onwards the school will be part of the Whakaaro Hou Trust.

Buying Through Whakaaro Hou Trust: For many parents, cost is a significant factor in being able to provide a device, so Whakaaro Hou Trust has been formed to assist parents in our area with this. The Trust aims to ensure that all students in our area can afford a device. The main option will be a Chromebook and the package will include the device, a case, warranty and insurance. More information will be made available to parents throughout the year. This programme will be available to all students who are in year 6 to year 8, in 2015.

21 INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES The Years 7 and 8 students receive instruction in a range of languages other than English throughout the year, within the classroom setting. Depending upon the skills of the teaching staff in this area, students may be offered French, German, Japanese and Spanish. This programme allows our senior students to "sample" a range of international languages so that they are better placed to make a choice as they go on to College. LOST PROPERTY The GENERAL Lost Property box is currently located in the Administration building hallway, near the Uniform Shop. Students are strongly encouraged to check this box and/or ask at the School Office when they have lost something. Parents are also welcome (and encouraged!) to visit the school and check the Lost Property box regularly. Non-uniform clothing which has not been claimed is distributed to welfare organisations at the end of each Term. Uniform Items are stored in a lost property box in the main reception area.

LUNCHES We encourage all students to bring a healthy, sustaining lunch, and to drink plenty of water during the day.

We request that parents endeavour to minimise the use of foods that are high in sugar or salt, as it is school policy to promote healthy choices regarding food. Large bags of “chippies” or bottles/cans of fizzy drinks are not appropriate, as these items have been shown to have undesirable effects on children’s behaviour and/or ability to concentrate.

Parents are asked to ensure that children have a healthy snack for morning playtime.

Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds at lunchtime to go to the shops to purchase food for lunch.

Students have a supervised, ten minute "eating time" at the beginning of the lunch break.

MEDICATION In order to relieve parents of the responsibility for administering medication to their children during the school day, the Office Staff are prepared to do so, where parents have clearly delegated the responsibility to them. Parents whose child/ren require regular prescription medication during the school day are required to fill in the "Medical Conditions" form at the School Office, so that their names and details can be entered in the School Medical Register.

When handing medication to Office Staff, it is essential to ensure that the label on the container indicates specific times for administration and the quantity of medication to be administered.

Parents of children who suffer from asthma are asked to fill in the "School Asthma Plan" form, and hand in the appropriate inhaler/s (NAMED) at the School Office.

Parents of children requiring a short course of antibiotics or other medication during the school day, are requested to hand these in at the School Office and complete a “Medication Approval” form. This form gives the staff clear instructions on how to administer the medication, as well as the signature of the parent as consent.

Office staff will contact parents for permission when children come to the Office requesting non-prescription analgesic medication, such as “Panadol”, to avoid accidental overdose. This medication will not be administered without parental permission.

22 MONEY AND VALUABLES The school cannot take responsibility for the safe keeping of these items. It is school policy that children do not bring items of value to school unless specifically requested by the teacher.

When sending money to school, please send the correct amount if possible, as it is not always possible to give change, in a named envelope. We do not encourage children to have money at school without a reason, as they are not permitted to go to the shops during school hours, and it opens the way for disputes or stealing.

Valuable/desirable items such as mp3 players, “iPods”, and expensive toys, should be left at home. The school takes no responsibility for these items being damaged or lost.

Children may bring such items to school for “News Time”, as long as parents collect them afterwards or they are clearly named and handed in at the Office for safekeeping. We cannot take responsibility for the loss or damage of precious belongings which are left in desks or bags.

Cellphones may be brought to school, for after hours contact or use as directed by the classroom teacher. In these cases the cellphone MUST be left at the School Office and can be picked up at the end of the day.

LIBRARYThe Library is well used, with each class having at least one weekly visit. Children are encouraged to borrow two books weekly. Our new Library was opened in July 2010 and is a wonderful addition to our school

The Library opens at 8.30 am, and is also open at lunchtimes, from 12.45 pm – 1.45 pm for book exchanges and recreational reading.

Please encourage your children to take care of books and return them by the due date. Reimbursement is expected for books lost or damaged.

The Library’s catalogue of books is computerised, and students are able to search for titles and authors, or withdraw books through the use of the computer. Each student has an individual barcode to facilitate efficient book withdrawal and return.

An enthusiastic team of Years 6, 7 and 8 students are trained as School Librarians each Term by our Librarian, Mrs Wynne Nicholson. School Librarians take much of the responsibility for the day-to-day functioning of the Library, as well as assisting with special events, such as “Library Week”, book displays, and so on.

While families are welcome to donate books to the Library at any time, students leaving the school are particularly encouraged to donate a book as a memento of their time at Raumati Beach School. Donated books have a special sticker attached to the inside front cover giving readers details of the student or family who donated the book.

NEWSLETTERS The main means of informing parents about school activities is through the regular School Newsletters. Newsletters come out approximately every three weeks.

A copy of the Newsletter is posted on to the school website, available to be emailed directly to you and a link placed on Facebook.

Parents who wish to receive an email Newsletter are requested to inform the School Office of their email address. (Naturally, the mailbox must be capable of receiving documents of reasonable size!)

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NOTICE BOARDS There are a number of Notice Boards located around the school so that parents may access information about school and Team events.

Notice Boards may be found as follows:

! The main School Notice Board is on the screen in the administration area.

! A general notice board is currently being developed in the ramp area just down from the uniform shop.

Netball draws and other Netball information is displayed on the sports notice board (Ramp area)

Please Note: SCHOOL NOTICES –these come home every Thursday. This means that you only need to check one day per week! When notices are ompleted by the office staff they are placed online so that you can access these if you misplace one.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Staff members regard this as your school, and invite you to take an active interest in our activities. We are always eager to seek your assistance in our classrooms, and are keen to find out about any skills that you might have which could contribute to our educational programmes.

Parents are always welcome to assist in the work of the school, and many provide valuable help to the school in many different capacities, such as in the classrooms, helping with school lunches, taking sports, on “Working Bees”, class trips, etc. The children greatly enjoy having their parents along on these occasions, and staff are extremely grateful for this assistance, without which many class activities would be very difficult, or even impossible.

If you are interested in helping with some aspect of the school programme, please feel very welcome to inform either your child’s teacher, or the School Office.

Achievement of groups of students by means of regular Curriculum Reports to the Board of Trustees, you will find these online through the school website.

REPORTING TO PARENTS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Schools have a responsibility to monitor and evaluate student achievement on an ongoing basis, as part of the regular classroom programme, to report to parents at least twice a year on the achievement of individual students. The school also reports to the community on both the evaluation of individual student progress and the reports to parents/community are based on information which has been obtained through a range of assessment procedures.

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ASSESSMENT PHILOSOPHYThe philosophy underpinning these assessment procedures is as follows :

We believe that :

! Assessment helps drive the School Charter.

! All assessment must improve learning.

! Students must have an expectation of success, with teachers working with students to raise awareness of what it is they are learning and how it is being learnt.

! Assessment will be integral to the normal teaching and learning programme.

! Assessment data gathering will involve multiple techniques.

! Assessment data must be valid i.e: (measure what it is supposed to measure) and be consistent over time i.e: (reliable).

REPORTING PROCEDURES The current procedures the school implements for reporting individual student achievement to parents and caregivers are as follows:

Term 1 : All Teams have an “Open Evening” and classroom visits to “Meet the Teacher”.

Term 2 : National Standards Mid Year Report.

Oral Interviews

Term 3 : Written Reports are sent home in Week 9 -10.

Parents have the opportunity to request interviews, after the Reports have been sent home, to clarify any matters arising.

These are the formal reporting opportunities the school provides. However, informal interviews can take place at any time during the year, and may be requested by a parent or the Class Teacher. Parents wishing to make an appointment should do so through the School Office.

SAFETY :

MOTOR VEHICLES IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS Health and Safety Legislation places a great deal of responsibility on Boards of Trustees in relation to the safety of students.

For this reason, private motor vehicles are prohibited from driving or parking in the school grounds at all times during school hours. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE STAFF CAR PARK.

Service and delivery vehicles, such as couriers and carriers have access restricted to only those times when the children are in class.

ROAD SAFETY Road Patrol Monitors are trained each year by the Police Traffic Safety Branch, and they carry out the extremely responsible task of ensuring the safety of children using the pedestrian crossing before and after school. Duty Teachers supervise the patrols before and after school.

25 Parents are urged to support the school’s safety practices by using the pedestrian crossing, not parking on the yellow lines, and not calling children across the road. It is also essential that parents provide a positive role model to students by obeying the directions of the Road Patrol Monitors and not harassing the Monitors about whether or not it is safe to allow pedestrians to cross. If you park illegally – you will be ticketed.

Bike stands are provided for the use of children who cycle to school, and cycles must be locked for security. Cyclists are supervised by the Duty Teacher when leaving the school grounds after school, and, in order for this supervision to be effective; all cyclists must enter and leave the school grounds through the Raumati Road entrances. Students are not permitted to cycle across the playing fields, or to use the exit.

As cycle helmets are compulsory by law, no child is permitted to cycle to school unless wearing an approved safety helmet. The Police recommend that caps are not worn under helmets, as this affects the stability of the helmet and therefore its value as a safety aid.

SAFETY IN THE PLAYGROUND There are at least three teachers on duty in the playground during break times, to supervise children’s play, positively reinforce appropriate behaviours, and interact with our students.

Children are not restricted to any particular play areas, and all age groups are encouraged to interact positively in the playground.

Senior students are encouraged to show appropriate consideration and care when playing among the smaller children.

Three Adventure Playgrounds are available for the children, while a supply of sports equipment is also provided to each Team. Team Sports Monitors undertake the valuable task of distributing and retrieving this equipment each day. Additional sports equipment, for class and Team lessons, is held in the Sports Shed

All children are expected to behave sensibly and considerately in the playground at all times.

SAFETY INDOORS : BREAK TIMES Except in special circumstances, students are not permitted to remain indoors at break times or lunchtimes. The following guidelines are in place for occasions when students must stay indoors because of wet weather:

Make sure the place where you eat is left clean ! Do not sit on desks.

! When the "ten minute" bell rings, find a quiet activity to do.

! Stay in your own classroom. Do not visit other classrooms or go out in the rain.

! Respect the property of others, including the wall displays, desks, books, games, etc.

! Tidily return chairs, and any equipment you have been using, when the 1:45 pm bell rings.

! Read silently until your teacher returns to class.

! If you have problems, please notify the Duty Teacher.

! Computers are not to be used during break or lunchtimes.

Remember to always use your “common sense”.

26 USEFUL INFORMATION

LEAVING THE SCHOOL GROUNDS The security and safety of our students is of paramount importance, and we take this responsibility extremely seriously. However, to be able to discharge this responsibility effectively, it is vital that we know where our students are at all times. Students may not leave the school grounds without permission. Students leaving with parents must be “signed out” at the Office.

SATELLITE CLASS The school is privileged to host a “Satellite Unit”, which is a class for children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities from Mahinawa School, Porirua. These children are integrated into Raumati Beach School classrooms for part of each day, mix freely with others in the playground, and join in all school cultural activities. They and their families are, for all intents and purposes, an integral part of the Raumati Beach School community.

SCHOOL DONATION Each year the Board of Trustees requests parents to pay a donation to the School, which is used to pay for materials and equipment necessary to enhance our quality programmes.

As you may be aware, the funding provided through Government grants has never provided sufficient funds for the Board to administer the school as well as maintaining a high standard of facilities for the children.

The current level of donations the Board of Trustees has set may be found on the insert in the centre of this Prospectus.

Please endeavour to pay the appropriate amount as soon as possible - your contribution is of valuable assistance to the school. Parents are welcome to arrange with the Burser for partial payments to be made over a period of time, if this is desired.

SCHOOL HALL The School Hall is operated by a Community Trust. The Hall is available for hire to outside organisations in the evenings and weekends, and maintenance of the Hall is funded from the hire fees. Information on availability and Conditions of Hire may be obtained by contacting the School Office.

SCHOLASTIC “BOOK CLUBS” High quality children's books are available through the Scholastic Book Club, and children are provided with a "flyer" which gives details of the books available for purchase. There is no obligation to purchase, and parents are free to choose when and if they wish to do so. The school receives "credits" towards the purchase of free books, based upon the number of books purchased by students. This has proved a valuable means of increasing our stock of Library books. Order Forms and money should be placed in a named envelope and handed in at the School Office. Parents are requested to make cheques out to “Scholastic New Zealand”.

SPORTS Participation in a variety of sports, and instruction in appropriate skills, is a regular requirement of the school curriculum. In addition, a variety of teams participate in interschool events such as the “Cross Country” races, Swimming Sports and Triathlon, as well as “one off” games between schools.

27 Saturday sports are mainly “club based”, except for netball, where a number of teams participate very successfully in the local Saturday competition. Students from the school also play in local hockey and touch rugby competitions. Netball teams are managed by a staff member, whose name may be found in the staff list on yellow insert at the centre of this Prospectus. All Netball teams are coached by parent volunteers, while hockey and touch rugby teams are also managed by parent volunteers, to whom our students and staff are extremely grateful.

STATIONERY Each child is issued with a relevant Class Stationery List at the end of each school year, and these lists will also be available on the School Website (|www.raumatibeach.school.nz). Parents are requested to make their major purchase of stationery for the year at one of the normal retail outlets. Parents are also encouraged to ensure that children have the appropriate stationery at the beginning of the school year, so that of their progress is not impeded through the lack of essential learning tools.

Each child is asked to pay a Paper Charge levy, which subsidises the cost of paper used for teaching resources, worksheets, and so on which are printed by teachers. Junior children also pay a “Stationery Levy” which provides them with items such as crayons, felt pens, and so on throughout the year. The School Office holds stocks of items not generally available from the usual stationery outlets, such as Junior School Book Bags, and Team Kapiti Homework Books. A small stock of “replacement” stationery items is also available for sale through the Office during the year, and profits from these sales provide additional funds for the school.

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION : YEARS 7 - 8 The Raumati Technology Centre is situated in Hillcrest Road, and it services over five hundred Years 7 – 8 students from five schools in the Kapiti area.

The five specialist teachers at the Technology Centre provide tuition in “traditional” skill areas, such as Food and Fibre Technology, and Workshop Technology, as well as a full range of topics from the Technology Curriculum. The Technology teachers interact closely with the classroom teachers from their “client schools”, assisting with the planning and implementation of class units from the Technology Curriculum.

Weekly sessions at the Technology Centre are structured in such a way as to provide all students with the opportunity to receive instruction in all subjects over a two-year period.

The Centre supplies most materials, with a fee being charged once a year to cover costs. No child will be excluded because of financial hardship.

For safety reasons students are required to dress appropriately as follows: no loose clothing or jewellery items which might catch in mechanical equipment, and sturdy shoes which enclose the feet and provide protection against dropped tools etc.

USE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS Many children use the school grounds out of school hours. This is encouraged, but parents should be aware that they are responsible for their children’s behaviour and actions at these times.

Permission is necessary for organised clubs and groups who wish to use the school’s facilities. This can be obtained from the Board of Trustees who can be contacted at the School address (refer to front cover).

28 Please notify the School Office if damage to property is noticed. Where persons are observed damaging school property after school hours or during holidays, Main Security (04 902 7111) or the Police (04 296 6800) should be contacted. They will either send a patrol to investigate or contact our Caretaker.

As a result of damage to school property, roller blading, skateboarding and cycling are not permitted in the school grounds other than by arrangement.

VISION AND HEARING TESTING Vision and Hearing tests are carried out regularly by a Tester from the District Health Board. New Entrants who have started school since the last tests are seen, as well as any other students who have been referred by classroom teachers. Parents who have concerns about their child's vision or hearing are welcome to notify the classroom teacher or the Office, so that they can be checked on the next visit. Urgent concerns should, of course, be referred to the child's GP as soon as possible.

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL A school such as ours, because of its size, has many visitors throughout the week; parents, salespeople, servicemen, District Health Board employees, and so on. Naturally, it is not possible for the staff to know who these people are and whether they are at the school for a legitimate purpose. (No doubt you are aware of reports about "strangers" entering school buildings and committing theft or other criminal offences.)

Thus, for safety and security reasons, all visitors to the school must report to the School Office and sign the Visitor's Register. Visitors will be issued with a “Visitor” badge so that staff will know that they are “bona fide” visitors, and in the school on legitimate business.

WEBSITE The School Website address is |www.raumatibeach.school.nz, Here you will find School Newsletters, Board Policies, Strategic Plan, School Charter, and other documentation of this nature will be included, as well as student work, Homework, and so on. The website is currently undergoing a major facelift and we hope to have this operational in 2015.

YEAR 8 STUDENT HOSTS Each day one of our Year 8 students acts as a “Pupil Host” to welcome visitors, assist the Office staff, and carry out messages.

This is an extremely valuable leadership experience for our senior students, providing them with an opportunity to exercise initiative, independence, and responsibility, while also contributing to the positive image of our school.

Year 8 students are invited to apply to become a Student Host at the beginning of each school year, and are required to “make a case” for their selection. All applicants are not routinely selected, as this role is seen as a vital part of the school’s “shop window” and it is essential that the demeanour of our Student Hosts contributes to the school’s positive image. Accordingly, selection is based on the leadership potential, responsibility, and reliability of the students who apply for this important role.

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