For current information please go to the Skool Loop app. This includes an up to date Calendar, notices and newsletters. You can also use this app to notify the school if your child is going to be absent. 

Starting school is an exciting time and an important milestone in your child’s life and maybe also your life – particularly if this is your first child to come to school.

 We look forward to working with you and your child to make the transition from preschool to school a positive experience. 

The staff at Waerenga School welcome you, your family and your five year old, and recognise the importance of a smooth transition into school. 

At Waerenga School we have an open door policy and see communication between home and school as an integral part of your child’s learning. If you have any questions, please come and see us so we can discuss these. 

If this is your first child at school often it is new for you as a parent as well as so much has changed perhaps since you were last a student. Some children are comfortable and gain confidence quickly while it is natural for some to take a little longer to settle into school life. 

We recognise that children bring many different skills and experiences to school with them so along with the literacy and numeracy skills that are focused on in the first year, we encourage the children to begin to develop the key competencies through our school programmes. These are the skills identified in the New Zealand Curriculum that they will need to be successful life-long learners. Thinking, Relating to others, Using language, symbols, and texts, Managing self, Participating and contributing 

Go to Our Enrolment Page for more Information

Attendance & Absences

Your child should be a regular and punctual attendee, and reasons for absence should be valid ones such as sickness, doctor’s appointment, dental visit, family bereavement, etc. There will be other times too when an absence is unavoidable. We understand that is the case, but it is not acceptable for children to have the day off to go shopping with Mum, to visit Nana, and so on, unless it is a very special reason. Children will be marked absent in the class register unless they are receiving dental treatment.

If your child is to be absent on any day, we would like to know by phone, text or email, before school. Please give us a call/text/email, or use the ‘Report Absence’ button at the top of this page, and leave a message stating the child’s name and the fact that he/she will be away. We appreciate knowing in advance of any absence, and it acts as a safety check – we know for sure that any absent child is safely at home, not lost somewhere between home and school. However remote this possibility seems, it is worth guarding against.

A note or a telephone call in advance regarding an appointment that the child has to keep would also be appreciated.

Buses

Three bus runs service the school. One comes from the Taniwha end of the district, another goes around the Keith Road/Falls Road end, while the other one services Stannard, Waerenga and Kopuku Roads. Check with the teacher as to where the nearest bus runs, and where the nearest stop is for your child.

Children's Clothing

There is no school uniform. Please make sure your child is appropriately clad, especially in the winter. A spare set of old clothes to play sports in is a good idea, especially for the older children. Please NAME everything, especially all the items which children tend to discard during the day – socks, sweatshirts, jerseys, longs – also footwear. We keep all lost items in a box outside Room 2, and display them at Friday assembly.

One teacher is in charge of all lost property, and any unclaimed items still left at the end of term are disposed of to a needy organisation.

Parents are welcome to come along and hunt through the box at any time of day.

Head Lice

Head lice are more commonly known as ‘nits’. This nuisance often rears its head in schools, and is not a stigma, just an annoyance and a trouble. Any nurse or chemist can give you sound advice on what to do to combat the problem. Please ask at the office if you would like any information on head lice.

Please make regular head checks a matter of course with your children, and we would like to know if any head lice are noticed. Please get in touch with your child’s teacher, and we can warn other parents to be extra vigilan

Health and other Services

There are several back-up services available to schools that teachers and parents can call upon to provide help to children who need it.

There is a Public Health Nurse who will help and advise on all aspects of child health.

There is the Dental Nurse, based at the South Tuakau Mobile Dental Clinic. The clinic visits the school once a year to check on all children’s teeth.

Every year the hearing and vision technician from the Health Department comes to school and tests all New Entrants, and also rechecks any teacher referrals among the older children. Parents may also request a referral.

Hours

We keep normal regular school hours at Waerenga School.

9:00 am – School Starts

10am – Break

10:15 am – School resumes

11:15 am – Break

11:30 am – School resumes

12:30 pm – Lunchtime

1:30 pm – Afternoon school begins

3:00 pm – End of school

Lunches & Lunchtime

Children sit down, usually outside, during lunch eating time from 12:30 to 12:45.

Often this time is longer than 15 minutes to allow children to finish eating. Little ones especially don’t like to remain seated after the bell has gone, and frequently they leave most of their lunch uneaten. You could help by explaining to your child that he/she should remain seated until such time as they have had sufficient to eat.

We encourage children to eat what they have been given, but ask them to take home what they can’t finish so you can discuss it with them, and make any alterations you feel necessary.

Every Friday, or the last school day of each week, children may purchase their lunches through the school. For our current menu and order process click here

WASTE WISE WAERENGA

We are taking up the challenge and trying to reduce or remove the waste from our lunch boxes.

We often see glad wrap, muesli bar wrappers, chip packets and more floating around our school grounds. It is unsightly and adds to the mountains of rubbish entering landfills every day around the world.

We want to encourage the use of small re-usable containers instead of packets and wrap. The key is to buy large and repack. We provide rubbish bins for all wet goods e.g. yoghurt containers etc, and a ‘pig bin’ for food scraps. All other litter that comes to school e.g. paper and wrappers, will be coming back home in their lunchbox or bag.

Let’s work together to educate and encourage our future generation!

WASTE WISE WAERENGA

Playground Supervision

Teachers are rostered to supervise the children from 8:15am, when the first bus arrives, till 3:20pm when the last bus departs.

Children are watched during their lunch eating time, and while they are at play before school, playtime, lunchtime and after school. Teachers cannot be everywhere at once, but a presence is maintained to let children know they are being supervised, and that help is at hand, especially the very young ones, if they need it.

Special Education Services

We have access to a number of skilled, trained and experienced people for all sorts of free information, advice, assessments, support and advocacy. Special Education works in partnership with parents and the child, where possible to match needs with services, and can help in the following areas:

Advise on Deaf Children – Guidance and support with hearing impairment.

Early Intervention – Support for infants with developmental delays, and their families.

Itinerant Teachers – Support for children, families, whanau and staff in playcentres, kindergartens, kohanga reo and childcare centres.

Psychologists – Assess educational problems and offer practical advice on learning difficulties, behavioural problems and emotional needs.

Speech and Language Therapy – Help for children who have problems speaking, understanding language or expressing ideas.

Visiting Teachers – Work with parents and the school to assist where there are concerns about a child’s social, educational or emotional welfare.

Sickness and Injuries

If a child falls sick during the day we have a Sick-Bay where he/she can be put to lie down. Young children will be put down to rest in the classroom where they can be watched more regularly.

Should the child appear to be very unwell we will contact the home as soon as possible. It is in cases of this nature, where we are unable to contact home, then we will make use of the emergency contact you supply when you enroll your child.

Should the child be injured while at school, and the injury is sufficient to warrant medical attention we will contact you so that you can collect the child and take her/him to the doctor. If the injury is a serious one, you will be contacted, but we can also phone the doctor in Te Kauwhata and arrange transport to the surgery.

Scholastic NZ Book Club

From time to time Scholastic New Zealand sends us leaflets and order forms for reasonably priced soft-bound books which children and teachers can buy. They are good quality stories, and we recommend them, but it is up to you whether you want to buy them or not.

School Functions

Each term there are things that involve the whole school.

Term One

Tryfunathon

Swimming Sports

Term Two

Reports

Term Three

Speeches

Cross Country

Term Four

Calf Club, followed by Group Day

Athletics

Flower Show

End of Year Concert and Prizegiving

Term Dates

School terms are generally 10 weeks long, with two weeks holiday between them.

For current dates, please click the calendar icon at the top of this page.

Toilets

Young children sometimes find it hard adjusting to using school toilets. Please reinforce the fact that they may go whenever they find it necessary, and they don’t have to ask. Accidents occur when children are too shy or diffident to check with the teacher. The “no asking” rule helps to remove this pressure from the child. 

However, accidents do occur, and a supply of emergency clothing is kept here at school. If necessary we will contact you. If your child comes home in ‘borrowed’ clothing we would appreciate it being returned in a clean state for future use.

Trips

Every so often there are worthwhile visits to make or travelling groups to see. If we feel it is worthwhile for the children to take part we will let you know, and there will usually be a charge of some sort. Often there is some sports coaching available, and that costs nothing unless the use of some facility is involved. Most trips are voluntary, but we always hope that every child can join in and enjoy the experience.

A permission slip will be sent home for each event. This must be signed and returned before the student can go.