Absences

When a child is absent from school, the office must be notified of why the student is absent. This can be done through your Hero App or by phoning the office. This is necessary for our records and is a Ministry of Education requirement.

When notifying the school office of absences or lateness, parents are asked to advise the office before 9.00am if your child is going to be absent for that day (unless you have already indicated the absence will be longer). We ask parents to use their Hero App to notify the school of their child's absence. We take attendance electronically and where we have an absence with no notification a text message will be sent to the parents cell phone. 

If you are planning an extended period of time away from school during term time, you will need to apply for this in writing to office@taupaki.school.nz.  This email needs to include where the student will be going, what dates they will be away from school, and an explanation for this absence.

For more information about absences, please visit our 'Reporting an Absence' page

Access Agreements and Court Orders

It is important to inform the office and classroom teacher if there are any access agreements in force that affect your children. In any and all cases we need a copy of the agreement or court orders for our records. We are happy to make arrangements for non - custodial parents to receive copies of school reports and/or newsletters.

Accidents / Sick Children

Children injured or taken ill will be treated appropriately and parents notified where necessary. It is important the school has updated contact numbers for those occasions. It is important that we have accurate records of your home, work, and mobile numbers as well as other emergency contact numbers. If you change any of these contact details (including home address) please make notifying the school a priority.

Parents are required to notify the school when their child is suffering a contagious condition or has other health problems.

NB: Panadol cannot be administered to pupils without parent consent.  If your child needs panadol to stay well enough to cope with their day, they need to be home.  Panadol will only be given in rare circumstances.

Schools can be breeding grounds for infections if sick children are sent to school. Please keep unwell children at home.

Addressing Concerns

We all want the best for our children. There will be times when you have concerns or questions and we encourage you to see your child’s class teacher as a first port of call. We value open communication and pledge to keep you informed about any concerns we have.

We have a complaints procedure you can follow here.

After School Care

Both before school and after school care is available through SKIDS. Please contact the office for more information or follow this link.

Assembly

Full School Assemblies are held most Friday's at 9.00am in the school hall. This is a time to celebrate the week’s events and the successes of our students. We have the assembly at this time to promote parent attendance. Parents are very welcome and indeed encouraged to attend.

Bus Bay

Our Technology Centre has pupils arriving from other schools by bus each day. The buses must have instant access to the Bus Bay.  Parents should only use this as a 'drop off' or 'pick up' zone before and after school.  We ask that parents do not leave their vehicle at any time and students should be able to competently get out/get in of the vehicle unaided. Please do not park and leave your vehicle as this causes frustration for the bus drivers and for other parents who cannot get kerb access to drop off or collect their children.

If you need to collect a sick or injured child from the office during the day, you are welcome to park in the Bus Bay for a short time between 9.30am and 2pm.

Cycling to School

In the interest of safety all students 10 years and over need to have the written permission of the Principal to cycle to school. This process will involve a bicycle safety and helmet check, road safety lesson and practical test.

Dental Therapist

If you have not already received free dental care through your pre school, you will be contacted after enrolment by Westgate Children’s Community Clinic.

Ph 09 832 2116 or call Let's Talk Teeth on 0800 825 583.

Dress code

We do not have a uniform at Taupaki School. 

However we do have a set of guidelines about what students should and should not be wearing based on health and safety and appropriate school wear.

Sun smart

During Term 1 and 4 all students must wear the Taupaki sun hat or a wide brimmed sun hat when outside. Taupaki hats are available to buy at the office for $12 and are available to purchase in their house colours.

Students should be wearing tee-shirts that cover their shoulders as opposed to spaghetti straps to protect themselves from the sun.

Being appropriate

Dress appropriate for the situation - learning and playing at school.

Offensive slogans on clothing are not accepted.

Jewellery safety

We encourage jewellery to be kept at a minimum at school.

Small studs or sleepers for pierced ears or noses are allowed however - no large hoops, rings or dangly earrings as these can be a risk during sporting and technology activities.

If jewellery is deemed to be dangerous for technology or sports students will be asked to remove it for the activity.

Make-up

Make-up is to be kept to a very natural minimum.
Long fake nails are not permitted - some exceptions with adequate explanation.

Natural nail length of short to medium is encouraged, especially if sport is played often, to avoid injuries to themselves and other players.

These rules apply for visiting schools that come to learn at the Taupaki Technology Centre.

Correct, enclosed footwear is required for the Technology Centre.

Certain school trips and camps will have their own dress codes due to health and safety and will be communicated in the trip/camp letters.

Fundraising – Friends of Taupaki

We welcome all efforts by parents to raise funds for our school. These funds provide essential resources that are not covered by government funding. Please keep an eye on your Hero App for dates of meetings and fundraising events, especially our Term 4 Monster Fireworks event. We need your support to provide facilities and resources that your children need.

Home Learning

Home learning is given to support in-class learning and be a vehicle for students to share their learning with their caregivers on a regular basis.

Learning is a shared responsibility between the caregivers, the child and the school. Daily reading at home will be encouraged at all levels.

General Guidelines

Piwakawaka Team Year 1: daily reading and spelling - max 15 mins daily

Piwakawaka Team Year 2: daily reading and spelling - max 20 mins daily

Tui, Kereru and Kahu Teams Year 3-8: max 30 minutes daily

Please contact the classroom teacher, if you or your child is having difficulty with their home learning. Open discussion about home learning beliefs and expectations between parents and teachers is important.

Lost Property

Please encourage your child to look after their clothing at school. If your child has lost clothing, please check the Lost Property located in the large cupboard in the office. Any unclaimed clothing will be donated to a worthy charity at the end of the term. The office tries their best to return lost items to their owners so please ensure that all items are named. 

Lunchtime

Children sit together for the first ten minutes of lunchtime. This enables teachers to supervise the eating time. Rubbish is a constant problem for schools. We have rubbish bins around the school but would ask that all rubbish be taken home. This enables you to monitor what your child is eating. We ask that you refrain from packing lollies or chocolate bars in your child’s lunch. We ask you to also avoid any type of juice, fizzy or energy drinks at school. You should also be aware that we have children at school who have severe nut and food allergies. Although we can not and will not ban nut derivative products, we ask that you exercise restraint in this area.

We have two teachers on duty at lunchtime with another teacher running organised sports. In swimming season there is a lunchtime swim for certain year levels.

Manaaki Taupaki

Engaged behaviour for learning is a focus for all areas of the school and our school programme helps raise behaviour, improve children's well-being, and increase educational achievement. By strengthening relationships and creating more positive home and school environments, we remove barriers to engagement and improve students' chances to achieve at school and beyond. Our programme is based on our school values and keys to success and promotes celebration of positive behaviour. 

Money

Any money brought to school should be in a named, sealed envelope or ziplock bag with what the purpose of the money written on the outside. It can be given to the classroom teacher who will send it to the office. Payments are accepted at the office during office hours.

Medication

If your child requires regular medication administered at school it is essential that you talk with the office staff and complete a 'Medicine Authority' form at the office.

Parent Helpers

The assistance of parents in the classroom throughout the day is welcomed and valued, particularly in the Junior School.  If you would like to be a parent helper please talk to the class teacher or contact the office. It is essential that all parents who are visiting school sign in and out at the office. This is a requirement for Health and Safety purposes.

Photographs

Class, individual and sibling photos are taken every year. Notification is provided through your Hero App and in the newsletter.

Smoke Free and Vape Free Environment

Taupaki School is a Smoke Free and Vape Free environment. Smoking and vaping in school buildings and on school grounds (including our pool area) is prohibited at all times.

Sun Safe School

Children are encouraged to wear sunblock during the hotter months in the playground and it is mandatory to wear wide brimmed hats in Terms 1 & 4. If hats are not worn, children will be directed to play in the shade areas of the playground. It is school policy that students wear wide brimmed hats. These may be of your choice or you may purchase one in your child’s house colour for $12 at the office.

Swimming Pool

Students enjoy classtime swimming during our summer months.  Our pool in now solar heated which is great for extending the swimming season.