Sunnynook School

SCHOOL ORGANISATION

SCHOOL STRUCTURE

We are a State Contributing School and are categorised as Decile 8. (Deciles are a measure of the socio-economic position of a school’s student community relative to other schools throughout the country.) We operate an enrolment zone. The school is organised into four syndicates or ‘teams’:

•      Year 1 includes New Entrants (Year 0)

•      Year 2

•      Year 3 & 4

•      Year 5 & 6

Wā Tangi o e te Pere / BELL TIMES

Class hours are 8.50am to 3.00pm.

Morning interval is from 10.35am to 11.00am.

Lunch is from 12.30pm to 1.25pm.

Office hours are 8.00am to 4.00pm.

ABSENCES

Pupils are required to be at school whenever it is open for instruction. If children are sick or have a good reason to be absent, it is very important to inform the school. Please ring the school on 410-6534 then press 1 and leave a message stating the child’s name, class and reason for absence. Alternatively download our free ptcalendar app onto your smartphone and use the absentee option to easily email us or call us directly through this app.  Attendance is checked at the start of each day. We ring parents as a safety precaution if their child is not accounted for. All children who arrive after 8.50am must report to the office, to be marked present. In cases of repeated lateness, the school will contact parents.

Students should not be arriving at school before 8.30am. If this cannot be avoided then they need to be enrolled into Skids Before School Care.

If you wish to take your child out of class during term time for a family trip or holiday, approval must be sought from the school Principal, and a formal letter will acknowledge this time out of school.

BEHAVIOUR

Sunnynook Primary School aims to provide a physically and emotionally safe environment for all children. In partnership with families we develop a range of personal attributes considered important and crucial for success in life. We particularly encourage the value of "Respect”.

We respect:

•      ourselves

•      our class members

•      our teachers

•      our school

These are expanded into a school set of rules for our school community where we:

•      treat others with respect and fairness in our actions and language

•      are in the right place at the right time

•      look after our own property and treat the property of others with care

•       act, work and play in a safe & sensible manner at school and on our way to and from school

•      know what we can bring to school

Our school has a clear policy of "Zero Tolerance” towards bullying and we encourage children to report any concerns they have immediately, to an adult they trust. We will take concerns seriously and endeavour to resolve them. We provide teacher supervision on the playing field and playgrounds and senior pupils are encouraged to become ‘Peer Mediators’ who are available at lunchtime to assist in solving simple playground problems. We make use of signage in our classrooms to reinforce our attitude towards bullying.

In addition we offer a Cool Schools Mediation and Kia Kaha programme where children are given life skills for social situations. Programmes involving the Life Education Trust and the NZ Police "Keeping Ourselves Safe” form part of our curriculum.

ROAD SAFETY

Lyford Crescent is the main entrance and exit and becomes congested at peak times. Parents are encouraged to use the three alternative entrances: Tobago Place, Wylie Avenue and Regency Place.

We have a marked area in the car park outside of the school which lets you quickly pick up or drop off your child/ren and drive on to keep traffic flowing. Children are supervised and wait on the footpath by the car park and parents can pull in and pick up their child if they are waiting. Otherwise, please park further down Lyford Crescent, in the car park, or loop around the car park until your child is waiting for you.

ROAD PATROL

Year 6 students undergo training each year with the NZ Police to enable them to operate the crossing on Tonkin Drive as trained Road Patrollers. This service relies on the assistance of Parent Volunteers, which is a great way for parents to be involved in the school. We encourage you to remind your child about safe walking and using the designated crossings.

HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Our first choice for communication is through our school website www.sunnynook.school.nz and emailed newsletters. Please ensure you sign up to our electronic mailing list by advising the office in person or emailing secretary@sunnynook.school.nz

All newsletters will be delivered electronically. Please inform the office if you’d like to receive these in hard copy.

In addition, please check your child’s bag for other important notices that are sent home to keep you up to date with events.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

February Meet the Teacher Evening

March Parent / Teacher Interviews

June Mid Year Written Report

August Parent / Teacher Interviews

December End of Year Written Report

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Once your child has settled into class and school routines, there may be opportunities to help in the class, with the teacher’s approval. If you need to either visit the school or pick up children for appointments etc. during school hours please report to the Office on arrival and your child will be called to the Office. Parents are welcome to make appointments to see the teacher as needs arise.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The role of the Board is to govern the school in accordance with Acts of Parliament and the School Charter. The Board works together with the School Principal and staff to develop school policies. Elections are held every three years. Board of Trustee meetings are held monthly and are public meetings. Dates of the scheduled meetings are advertised in the school newsletters. Board policies and information are available in a folder held in the School Office.

P.T.A (Parent Teacher Association)

The school has an established PTA with a hard working committee who are elected at an Annual General Meeting in Term 1 each year. All parents or guardians of children attending the school, along with staff, are welcome to attend meetings and are eligible to join the PTA. Meetings are held on a regular basis and dates are advised via the school newsletter.

STATIONERY

Each class has a stationery list appropriate to its needs. Items can be purchased from local shops at the beginning of each year or on enrolling your child. If you call ahead or visit Sunnynook Paper Plus at the start of the year, they provide pre-assembled packs containing all the required items per class, to make it easier for parents.

SCHOOL DONATION

Donations have a direct impact on the quality of education we can offer your children. Although our school is funded through an Operation Grant, which covers fixed running costs, we are very reliant on donations to maintain the standard we expect, with extra teacher hours, teacher aides, professional development for staff, computer equipment and new classroom resources.

Please make all payments to our school account number 12-3109-0012383-00. It’s important to use your eldest child’s name and customer number as reference.

Donations can be paid annually:

1 child family:   $180               2 child family:   $250               3 child family:   $290

 (Parent donations are tax deductible at the end of financial year.) 

Donations can also be paid on a term by term basis.

Parents can opt to use a weekly / monthly automatic payment made through their bank to pay the school donation. (A payment of $5 per week over the space of the school year accumulates without putting a financial strain on families).

Please Note:  The School Donation can be claimed as a Tax Rebate at the end of the Financial Year.

ACTIVITY FEE

This is separate to your school donation and is set each term for school trips and activities that are an important part of our education programme. Parents are informed in advance. A blanket consent form filled in by parents on enrolment covers all low risk trips. For high risk trips such as camp and water activities, parents are notified for further consent. The payment of this fee, also gives your consent.

LUNCHES

Children bring their own lunches to school and we encourage a ‘litter-less lunchbox’ as we aim to encourage environmental awareness. Children will need a healthy morning snack and lunch with water only in drink bottles.

Please be mindful of children with severe nut and egg allergies. If your child has a severe allergy, please inform the school so that a safety plan can be developed.

Parents can also order lunch from the ‘ezlunch’ website (www.ezlunch.co.nz) All orders and payments are simply completed online.  This service provides lunches only, so children will still need to bring in a healthy morning tea.  The menu and link is also on our school website.

HATS

Sunnynook is a ‘Sun Smart School’. All children are required to wear a sunhat during Terms One and Four in the playground. Children who do not have a hat at school are confined to a designated shade area. These are available from the office for $13.

UNIFORMS

The School uniform is compulsory for Years 0-6 students. The uniform can be purchased online at http://www.argyleonline.co.nz/ A tape measure is available for parents at reception to help with measurements. Second hand uniforms are available to purchase online at www.preloveduniforms.co.nz where all parents can list and sell used school uniforms. These can also be purchased from the PTA who will collect unclaimed lost property items at the end of each school term and sell them in the hall or other designated area.

Sports uniforms are currently available to rent for the season if your child is in a school sports team.

JEWELLERY

Wearing jewellery at school is not allowed unless it is a watch or cultural item. Earrings should be small studs only. We recommend that long hair be tied back while at school.

LOST PROPERTY

Clothing left at school is collected and stored in the lost property area in the hall. Please name all school clothing as this makes it easier to retrieve lost items. Any unclaimed items are sold by the PTA at the end of each term to help raise funds for the school.

HOME LEARNING

Each syndicate sets home learning on a weekly basis. The amount of home learning and the expectations around this will be set out at the beginning of each year. Home learning is age appropriate. If you need support or guidance with your child’s home learning please contact their class teacher in the first instance. Mathletics is offered as an extra online learning resource for mathematics and children are encouraged to utilise this as part of their daily home learning.

TOYS AND GAMES

Bringing toys to school is discouraged, unless arrangements are made with the teacher. We do have "Seasons” which run for two week periods to cater for activities like marbles, cards, cars, rubix cubes, fidget spinners, something that fits into the palm of your hand or board games. The specific "Season” is announced at assembly and published in our fortnightly newsletter.

MEDICATION

When children need to be on medication, parents are required to fill out a Medication Authority Form at the office and the medication will be kept in the staffroom fridge or school office.

WHAT WE OFFER

LEARNING PROGRAMMES

While our Mathematics and Literacy Programmes form the basis of our core curriculum, each term a specific BIG concept is explored as an Inquiry topic across the school. The concept may have a Science, Social Sciences, Health or Technology focus. The concepts are then put into appropriate contexts for the students. This process allows students to access all the NZ Curriculum objectives in their years at Sunnynook Primary School.

SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMMES

Programmes and assistance for pupils with physical, social, emotional and learning needs are available, to enable them to fully integrate into the classroom. We employ Teacher Aides to work alongside these children and are supported by professionals from outside agencies.

Special programmes, including Reading Recovery, Rainbow Reading, and Talk to Learn are in place where required.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMES

Our Enrichment Programmes provide opportunities for selected children with special abilities. Various extension programmes are offered throughout the course of the year in different curriculum areas. Within the classroom environment, a variety of teaching strategies are used to ensure that each level of ability is challenged and extended.

NON ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGROUND

Our school has a dedicated ESOL support programme with many resources appropriate for English Language Learners (ELLs) including language focused activities, and literacy support. These resources are constantly developed and adapted to ensure individual needs are met. We have an ESOL Teacher and teacher aide who work across the school.

e-LEARNING

We aim to prepare students for the 21st Century by using technologies to enhance learning. Our ICT suite contains iMac computers and a projector for class instruction. The Technology suite is a large open space with modern cooking equipment and tools for creating. The use of these facilities is integrated into class schedules, providing an interactive environment which promotes learning through practical, creative and technological activities.

We aim to provide a rich e-learning environment for our children. Classrooms are equipped with a variety of devices supported by the use of the computer suite. The school is linked up to Ultra Fast Broadband and has a recently upgraded computer network. Class and "Team” websites are being developed to encourage and guide students to become "successful digital citizens” and to enhance their learning. Year 4 to 6 students complete their e-asTTle assessments online. iPads are increasingly being used to support mathematics and literacy in the middle school and junior  classrooms. Chrome books have been recently purchased for the senior classes.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

‘Assessment for Learning’ forms the basis of our teaching philosophy. Much recent research indicates that effective ‘Assessment for Learning’ is a key factor in raising standards of achievement and equipping children for lifelong learning. Central to ‘Assessment for Learning’ is formative assessment that consists of:

•   The active involvement of pupils in their own learning

•   Sharing learning goals with pupils

•   Involving pupils in self assessment

•   Effective questioning

•   Providing feedback which leads to pupils recognising their next steps and how to take them

•   Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment

•   Confidence that every student can improve

LIBRARY

We have a well stocked library and a qualified librarian. All classes have a weekly library session and it would be appreciated if parents could check that children are bringing home and returning books regularly.

Any parents, grandparents or friends who would like to volunteer to help out with library tasks like covering and mending are very welcome. Please contact Angela Soutar on Ext 119 or angelas@sunnynook.school.nz

TRAVELWISE

We are a ‘Travelwise School’ and actively promote walking, scootering and cycling to school. We organise various initiatives including Prize Draws, Scooter Days and ‘WOW’ (Wheels or Walking on Wednesdays). If a child would like to scooter or cycle to school, please apply at reception for a scooter or bike licence to receive a high visibility vest. These vests, a helmet and a lock are compulsory. There are secure parking areas for scooters and bikes. For safety reasons, it is recommended that children need to be 10 years old to apply for a bike licence. Alternatively children can bike to school at any age, if accompanied by a parent.

ENVIRONMENT

We have a gardening club for Year 4 - 6 students who spend Monday lunchtimes developing their gardening skills and learning about the environment. They grow vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from seeds and plants and harvest a selection to take home and share with their families. Weekly competitions are run to encourage litterless lunches.

CULTURE

At Sunnynook Primary School we are proud of our cultural diversity. We recognise important events on the cultural calendars from the diverse cultures in our school community and organise cultural events. We nurture our Maori tradition in consultation with our community. We have a very strong Kapa Haka group who perform for special school / community events including the Onepoto Cultural Festival and Matariki festivals. Our Pasifika heritage is also celebrated through our Pasifika performance group who perform songs and dances at special events.

ARTS

There are various initiatives to encourage art and music. Some examples include an annual ‘Cushion Concert’ to showcase individual and group talent, participation of dance groups and the showcasing of visual art at the local Wairau Intermediate Arts Festival as well as regular opportunities to perform at School Assemblies. Lunchtime activities include dance groups and drama club. We also support an ‘Artworks around the School’ initiative including ceramics and murals by local artists where children can observe or participate. Check out our beautiful Flox artwork (Hayley King). These birds represent our school houses.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

At Sunnynook Primary School, children are given the opportunity to participate in:

•      Choir

•      Kapa Haka

•      Sports Events: Athletics, Cross Country, Kiwi Sport

•      School Sports Teams: Netball, Miniball, Cricket, Rippa Rugby, Rugby League, TAG, Touch     Rugby, Flippaball

•      Gardening club

•      Special interest clubs i.e. craft, chess, guitar, construction and coding clubs.

•      Specialist music lessons such as Ukulele and Piano

•      Specialist Swimming Teacher in our heated, fully covered pool.

•      Lunchtime Activities e.g. Dance, Drama, Sports, Crafts and I.C.T.

•      Year 6 Camp

SCHOOL TRIPS

Your child will have the opportunity to participate in educational trips. The costs of these are included in termly activity fees.

AFTER SCHOOL CARE

sKids (safe kids in daily supervision) is our before and after school care provider. They are based in the school hall from 7:00am - 8.30am and 3pm - 6pm. Please contact Rechelle on 021 026 73396 or rechelle@skids.co.nz for further information or enquire at the school reception desk. In addition, sKids offer holiday programmes from 7am - 6pm.

SWIM SCHOOL

We are fortunate to have an indoor heated pool where children have group lessons with trained swimming instructors. Lessons for each syndicate are scheduled throughout the school year.

VISION & HEARING TESTS

These are carried out on all New Entrants in the first few months at school and then on a follow-up or referral basis.

DENTAL CLINIC

The Mobile Dental Van attends the school regularly throughout the year to survey the children. If your child has a problem, they will receive a notice with appointment details. Most appointments are at the Forrest Hill Primary School dental clinic. In case of an emergency, please phone 0800 825 583.

FACILITIES

We are constantly maintaining and upgrading our facilities at Sunnynook Primary School:

•    Fully fenced school grounds

•    Pick up and drop off zone

•    Spacious ICT enabled classrooms

•    Apple Computer Suite

•    Technology Room

•    A networked computer system

•    A computerised library

•    An indoor heated swimming pool

•    Large Junior and Senior adventure playgrounds

•    Junior sandpit

•    Drinking fountains

•    Large playing field with permanent cricket pitch

•    Scooter and bike racks

•    Vegetable patches for gardening club

•    Before and after school care

•    Holiday programmes

•    Playground game markings and netball hoops