Newsletter No. 1 – 09th February 2023

PAPATOETOE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
No. 1 – 9th February 2023

Important Term 1 dates

Monday 20th February
6:00pm – 8:00pm – School Board Meeting
In the new Main Meeting Room – Entrance off Great South Road

Tuesday 21st February – Wednesday 22nd February
School Closes at 2:00pm both days – Whanau Relationship Evening – Getting to know the Learner – Year 7 and new students only
More detail will be sent home

Monday 27th February
Teacher Union meeting – to support teachers, we ask parents to collect their children at 1pm

Tuesday 28th February
South/West Zone boys Softball

Friday 3rd March
South/West Zone boys Softball – Saving Day
Swimming Festival at Papatoetoe Pools

Tuesday 7th March
South/West Zone girls Softball
Sleeping Beauty Opera in School Tour – opt in event

Wednesday 8th March – Friday 10th March
Blake Explorers Camp – selected Y8 students

Thursday 9th March
South/West Zone girls Softball – Saving Day

Thursday 16th March
Year 7 visit to Manurewa Marae. No cost – More information to come

Monday 27th March – Thursday 30th March
EOTC Week – Events and Costs TBC

5th April
Photolife here for Class Photos

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

SCHOOL LEADERS for 2023

HEAD GIRL      Rihannah          Room 18
HEAD BOY       Tevita                Room 8

KANUKA           Samaira             Room 22
                          Irwin-James       Room 1

NIKAU              Jethro                 Room 8
                         Penelope            Room 6

TOTARA           Jada-Breeze       Room 16
                         Davi                    Room 22

 KAHIKATEA    Ilhaan                 Room 5
                         Ariyana              Room 21

PARENT PARTNERSHIP

We believe that educating our young people is a three-way partnership.

The three groups are: Parents as first teachers, the students, your child’s teacher’s and school staff. All three groups working in partnership will ensure the best learning outcomes for our students.

Our Year 7 students’ families should have already had a phone call or email from their child’s classroom teacher welcoming their child and them to our school and explaining the requirements for the first day.

Pivotal to this 3-Way relationship is ‘Educa’, our digital reporting platform.  Whanau should ensure they are checking on a regular basis for updates about their childs progress and discussing that with their child.

During the year there will be frequent opportunities to meet with your child’s teacher.  All staff contact details can be found on our School Website or on the sheet included with this newsletter.

Our school vision  ‘Ensure high levels of student achievement’ will require all of us working together. 

AN ISSUE AT SCHOOL

If you or your child has any issue at school, over any concern whatsoever, your first point of contact is with their classroom teacher. If you feel that the classroom teacher is not the best person to deal with your issue, please refer the matter to your child’s Syndicate Leader. 

In very rare circumstances the issue may be more appropriately dealt with by one of the Associate Principals of our school.  Mr Gareth Fletcher (Associate Principal/Syndicate Waiti), Mrs Tracy Prout (Associate Principal/Syndicate Tupu-a-rangi), Mrs Donna Young (Deputy Principal is currently leading syndicate Waiti until a new leader is appointed), Mr Sanjeev Kumar (Associate Principal/Syndicate Uru Rangi).  Alternatively you may also contact Mrs Bonnie Naera (Learning Support Leader) or Miss Huda Parvez [Learning Support]. Mrs Nawinta Prasad (Associate Principal/ Syndicate Tupu a nuku –  [Specialist Teachers Team) is also available to support families and students. 

AFTER SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS

Adolescent children sometimes like to ‘wander’ home and may get into trouble if not carefully monitored after school. We advise parents/whanau to make clear their expectations about how and when children come home after school. 

We ask our students to talk to their parents and caregivers before school about making arrangements to visit or play at a friend’s place after school. We do not allow students to use the phone at 3.00 p.m. to make ‘play’ arrangements. We would appreciate parents who need to make after-school arrangements phoning the office before 12.00 p.m. It can be difficult to get messages to children in the afternoon – and more so the closer it gets to 3.00 p.m. 

GETTING TO KNOW THE LEARNER CONFERENCES

These conferences will be held from 2pm to 6pm on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd February.  Please check for booking details coming by email next week.

SCHOOL BUSES

If your child wishes to use our school bus service, please make sure they complete a Bus Contract. Our School Buses drop off and leave from Great South Road.  All students are expected to wear a mask and have a hop card.

EVERY CHILD ATTENDING SCHOOL EVERYDAY

Please assist us in encouraging your child to attend school every day it is open. For those students who attend every day we award a 100% participation certificate and prize at the end of the year. We value this effort. 

SAFETY CHECKS RE ATTENDANCE

If your child is away and you have not let us know you will get a ‘safety check’ text checking on their where-abouts. 

FAMILY COURT ORDERS

A number of caregivers refer to custody/family court orders when they enrol their child with us. We are unable to meet these requests until we have on file a copy of the appropriate order. If this is an issue for your family please bring in a copy of the court order and we will photocopy and action accordingly. 

NEWSLETTERS

Our School Newsletter is emailed every ‘even’ week on a Thursday. If you have not supplied an email address and would like a ‘hard copy’ please advise your child’s classroom teacher or the school office ASAP. A copy of the newsletter is available on the School Website should you not receive your copy. 

Syndicate and class Newsletters are provided for the start of each term.

REPORTING TO THE OFFICE

The safety of staff and students is our priority.  Therefore visitors on our school site are limited.  Only use the Great South Road Entrance and go to reception to sign in.

SCHOOL CHARGES

The only costs to families are transport for trips, camps and EOTC [Education Outside the Classroom] or ‘opt-in’ events [eg. shows and trips that are not fundamental to the curriculum]. This will not be any more than $20.00 per term [with exception of Camp Week and EOTC Week]. Our aim is to have all students attend field trips etc. and so have some options regarding payments. EOTC Week is held in each ‘odd’ year and Camp Week is held in each ‘even’ year.

EOTC Week will be held this term in week 9 – more information will be coming out about this shortly.

STATIONERY

If your child requires stationery, packs can be purchased from the school office or online, packs are $25.00
12-3028-0656566-00
Please state your childs name, room number and “stationery”

SCHOOL TIMES

Students are expected to be at school by 8.30 a.m. when all classrooms are open. Students arriving after 8.45 a.m. are ‘late’ and will need an explanation from home. School closes at 3.00 p.m. each day. If we are closing early a letter will be sent home. Parents can check on the school website about these types of events. 

School will close early on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd February for conferences and on Monday 27th February for Teacher Union Meeting.

SCHOOL GATES

The school gates open for students at 8.00 am-9.00am and again from 2.50pm-4.30pm.   Please do not drop students to school before 8am as we cannot gaurentee their supervision or safety.

HEALTHY LUNCHES IN SCHOOLS

‘Healthy lunches at school’ programme is available to all students. Please make sure your child has a completed dietry needs and permission form so that they can receive their lunch each day.  We encourage students to bring uneaten lunches home.  Lunch is provided at 11:40a.m. each day.   We also provide snacks and fruit.

SECURITY BOXES

Each class has their own Security Box – students are to place any valuables [e.g. cell phones] in the box first thing each morning, the box is held in the Office for the day and valuables are returned to students before 3.00 p.m.  Students ARE NOT to keep cell phones on them during the day – they MUST go in the Security Box. All money must be put into an envelope [provided] and taken to the office for safe keeping. We strongly discourage students from bringing valuables to school, and can take no responsibility for those items other than providing a system to manage them.

STATIONERY

Stationery lists and uniform requirements can be found on our school website.

STUDY CENTRE

The Study Centre runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Library from the start of Week 3 (Monday 13th  February) from 3:00-4:30pm. This is not an after-school care service, but an opportunity for students to continue their learning with the support of books, computers and staff. Students are expected to work on their homework and other assignments from class. After completing these they can participate in optional activities. A light afternoon tea is provided.

There is no charge for this programme but students must be committed to using it as a serious opportunity to learn. If you would like to enrol your child in the programme ask for an enrolment form from your child’s teacher or the Resource Room. 

Diane Schutt is available by email for any queries and an enrolment form – dianes@papint.school.nz

UNIFORMS

Many thanks to parents for sending their children along to school looking so neat in their uniforms. They are a credit to you. Please ensure that your child’s uniform is named [including their shoes].  Please check that your child is in the correct uniform before they leave home each day.  Please especially check, shoes, socks and jewellery.

BIKES AND SCOOTERS IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS

ALL bicycle students will arrive and leave via the Motatau Road entrance. Bikes and scooters are not to be ridden inside the school grounds.

STUDENT SAFETY AROUND OUR SCHOOL

As a school we are responsible together with a number of other instances for the safety of our students. 

At the start of the school day and again at the close of school vehicle congestion around the school presents a problem.  We encourage you to arrange a drop off and pick up place away from the school gates

The following points are set out for the safety of all our students.

1. a) Inside the school grounds:

Please note that there is no parent parking or student drop-offs in the School grounds – the sign at the school entrance indicates this.
There is insufficient parking inside the grounds for all our Staff and trades vehicles, let alone parent cars.

1. b) Outside the school grounds:

Parent parking is clearly marked by white lines on both Motatau and Great South Roads; please use these and avoid all pavements, driveways, no-stopping-zones and the pedestrian crossing approaches for parking, turning or dropping off.
Please drop your children off outside the school – Motatau Road or Great South Road. 

• If your child has a disability we will, of course, make provision – just make contact with the office with the details. 

• All students with bikes or scooters should arrive and leave via the Motatau Road entrance. 

Auckland City Council enforcement officers monitor school entrances from time to time to ensure the safety of all students. Parents picking up or dropping off students are encouraged NOT to do this within the demarcated areas – clearly marked by the broken yellow lines. 

Please note that our staff do sometimes take details of frequently offending drivers and sometimes report infringements to the NZ Police.

Please do not be offended if staff take a picture of your infringement and send it to the NZ Police along with their report.

SCHOOL RECEPTION

Please note the school office has moved to Great South Road.  Please park on Great South Road to access the school office>

WE ARE A ‘STAR’ SCHOOL – which means that we follow a strongly valued based approach to relationship management. 

Our four core values are Safety, Trust, Attitude and Respect [STAR]. 

Therefore, you will hear your young people speak of us as a STAR school, or that they are in a STAR classroom. STAR awards are regularly awarded and these students are named in each newsletter. 

EDGE FOR CAREGIVERS

We strongly encourage Caregivers to have portal access to EDGE (see below)

The Caregiver, or Parent portal gives you immediate access to all of your own child’s/children’s data in Edge.  This includes but is not limited to:

• The caregiver and student information we have on file (Please check this information and let the office know if any details are incorrect or need to be updated)
• Student’s Attendance
• Reports – these can be downloaded as PDF for your records
• School Payments

To activate this feature:
Go to http://parent.edgelearning.co.nz/. Enter the email address we have on file for you and click Forgot Password.  An email will then be sent to your email inbox.  Click on the link within the email to set up a login.

Once logged in you will see the Home page.  From here you can see contact details and school announcements.  From here you can also change your edge password.  You can also select the student profile you wish to view at the top of the page (if you have more than 1 child at our school).

You can also set up the Edge App by downloading this from the app store.

If you have any questions or issues setting this up please contact the office on 09 278 9763 ext 901

2023 ELSA PROGRAMME

Please see below the advertisement and application form for Enviroschools Learning Support programmes, this is for parents on the sole parent benefit.

An information meeting will be held on Thursday 9th February 2023, 12.30pm at Papatoetoe West school to provide the opportunity for aspiring participants to gain more information if required.   Applications will close the following week, Friday 17th February.

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