Information
Ready, Set, Go
Six months before children start school as a five year old, they can attend our ‘Ready, Set, Go’ programme. The intention of this programme is to raise the skill levels that children need, to be able to access the curriculum upon school entry. Parents are asked to stay with their children during the programme which is run on a Wednesday afternoon from 1.45 to 3.00pm
Transition to School
Four weeks before their fifth birthday, children can attend a ‘Transition Class’ each Wednesday morning from 9.00 - 11.00 am Children are accompanied by a caregiver for the first visit only.
New Entrant Free Uniform
New River Primary Board of Trustees pays for a basic uniform for all new entrant children upon enrolment. Please make inquiries with our Office Manager.
School Entry Assessment
Within six weeks of beginning school, new entrants are assessed using a School Entry Assessment package. This involves Early Numeracy snapshot, Concepts of Prints, Record of Oral Language.
Observation Survey
This is taken during the month of the child’s sixth birthday. The assessment is based on Writing Vocabulary, Alphabet knowledge, Word Knowledge, Concepts of Print, Dictation, Burt and Running Records. The results may also be used as part of the criteria for referral to Reading Recovery.
Literacy
Children will participate in a daily reading and writing programme which will cater to individual needs. Children will be taught in groups accordingly.
Literacy Professional Development has been a focal point for our staff and will continue to be. We are committed to raising levels of student achievement at New River. Students at risk are identified and appropriate programmes are put in place for them.
Our Reading Recovery Teacher is Sharen Calder-Wood.
If your child is involved in a Reading Recovery programme, a high level of home support is required and children need to be at school regularly and on time.
New River has the support of a Resource Teacher of Literacy for a short period of time over the year. She provides individual tuition, in class assistance and support to teachers at different times of the school year.
Oral Language Programmes
New River has a strong focus on oral language. Each day we run specifically targeted oral language programmes and teachers incorporate deliberate acts of oral language teaching within their daily programme.
All children write and present a speech on the topic of their choice. Top speakers from each class go forward to a whole school speech competition.
Play Based Learning
‘Play Based Learning’ is a pedagogical approach utilising play as the mode of learning, where children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways. ‘Play Based Learning’ is also called ‘Learning Through Play’ and is practised in our New Entrant classrooms.
Duffy Books
New River is part of the “Duffy Books in Home’s Programme”.
Children receive free books and take part in role model assemblies which promote literacy.
Literacy Packs
Each New Entrant child receives a Literacy Pack when they begin school. Parents must attend a workshop showing how to use the packs effectively before packs are given out.
Reading Together
'Reading Together’ is a research-based workshop programme which helps parents / whānau to provide effective support for their children’s reading. The programme has been shown to raise children’s reading achievement, in a significant and sustained way, and to improve relationships between parents and children and parents and teachers. Our programmes are dependent on interest and will be run once or twice a year.
Mathematics
Children will be grouped according to the level they are working at and may move to different classrooms for numeracy and other mathematics strands. Classroom programmes incorporate a strong focus on number, while other mathematics strands will be taught in small blocks each term. Mathematics is taught daily. Students at risk are identified and appropriate programmes are put in place for them.
Values and Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) Expectations
New River places a big emphasis on teaching our children values. Our chosen values and
PB4L Expectations are: To be a New River Learner ...
~ Be Respectful ~ Be Responsible ~ Be Honest
These guide us in all our actions at New River.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
New River is involved in the ‘Positive Behaviour for Learning’ programme (PB4L). This is a school wide intervention, based on a researched and successful model.
A reward system operates in each classroom. Children will receive 25 minutes Golden time per week. 5 minutes golden time can be lost daily for inappropriate behaviour, but can be regained with a change in behaviour and at the discretion of the classroom Teacher. Positive rewards are given to children as an incentive for good behaviour. This includes ‘Golden Time’, which is an organised and supervised activity. Teachers may choose to run their own positive behaviour incentive programme concurrently with the school wide behavioural systems. Consequences for inappropriate playground behaviour depend on the situation and whether the behaviour is minor or major. Children are rewarded with a ‘Gotcha’ card for positive playground and classroom behaviour. Gotchas are collected by children and rewards chosen when specific goals are reached.
Second Step Programme
Our ‘Second Step Programme’ supports PB4L. ‘Second Step’ is a social-emotional learning programme which supports children to make progress toward managing their emotions through age appropriate lessons, which include games, activities and media. Through ‘Second Step’s’ holistic approach, our goal is to create a more empathetic school environment by empowering our students with tools to improve their social-emotional health and well being.
Te Reo and Tikanga
Basic greetings, commands and tikanga are included in the everyday classroom programme. School assemblies incorporate waiata and actions. The school continues to develop its own Kapa Haka group, which performs at Polyfest. All students in the school develop their Mihi. Parents are asked to support their child to research this.
Pacific Island Culture and Language
New River is proud of its multicultural makeup. We are continuing to develop our own Pacific Island Performance Group. We actively support students from a Pacific Island background, value and promote their culture and language. We have a Pacific Cultural group which performs at Polyfest.
Culture Club
Kapa Haka, Pacifica, Bollywood, Choir are ‘Culture Club’ options children can choose to opt into every second week.
Dance, Drama, Visual Arts
The teaching of the Arts curriculum which includes Dance, Drama, Visual Arts will be covered through a 2-year cyclical plan
Health and Physical Education
A swimming programme is delivered each year.
The school is split into two groups, each group will receive 10 swimming sessions.
Each classroom has a daily Fitness programme.
After School Sports
Teams are entered in local competitions such as Netball and Touch. Participation of these teams in competitions is dependent on availability of coaches. Parents are responsible for the payment of any subscriptions or costs relating to after school sport and also for the transportation of their children to and from the venue.
Science, Technology, Social Studies
The Social Sciences, Science and Technology curriculums will be covered through a 2-year cyclical plan.
Education Outside the Classroom
Year Six students will attend a school camp each year. The venue and dates for school camp will be confirmed and communicated to the parents of year six students during the year.
Other Education outside the Classroom opportunities will support and enhance curriculum learning.
Leadership Opportunities
There are a variety of leadership opportunities available for students, such as Student Council, Road Safety Team, Health team, House Captains, Road Patrol, Recreation Shed, PALS Leaders.
Student Council
Each year, a Student Council is formed. Our Student Council carries out projects which will be of benefit to the school.
House System
A house system operates, consisting of four houses, Titi, Pukeko, Hoiho and Kiwi. Children are family grouped into houses. Each staff member belongs to a house also. House activities and competitions are run throughout the year.
Social Worker in Schools
Our Barnardos Social Worker in Schools is Vignesh Suriynarayanan. Our school receives 20 hours a week . If you think the Social Worker may be able to assist either your child or family please discuss a referral with the Principal, Deputy Principal or classroom teacher.
School Chaplain
Louisa Makitae is the New River Primary Chaplain. She is available to support students, staff and families. If you feel you need someone to talk to, ring the school office and an appointment can be made for you to meet with her.
Helping Agencies
The following outside agencies are available for support through referral processes. Speech Therapist, Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour, Resource Teachers of Literacy, Learning Support, Family Works, Oranga Tamariki, South City Centre, Social Worker in Schools, CAFS.
All referrals for assistance with helping agencies must be discussed with the Principal. Principals consent is necessary for referrals to be made. Parental knowledge of and consent to any referral is also standard procedure.
Homework
Homework focusses on reading, spelling and maths and should take no longer than thirty minutes each day. The focus for maths homework is the learning of basic facts. Extra work may be provided in consultation with parents. All homework must relate to the classroom programme and what is being learnt at the time, not a photocopied sheet out of a book.
All children have click clack containers to store their maths numbers or basic facts.
School Uniform
New River does have its own school uniform, which is compulsory.
Uniforms are available for purchase at uniformnz, 142 Otepuni Avenue, Invercargill
Orders can also be made online at www.uniformnz.com
PLEASE NAME ALL UNIFORMS.
Free uniforms will be supplied to New entrants .
We would appreciate if parents support us in the wearing of our school uniform. We notice definite changes in behaviour if children do not wear uniform. We would also appreciate it, if children didn’t have extreme haircuts such as mohawks or bright dyes through their hair. Other items of plain navy uniform can be purchased from The Warehouse/ K-Mart/ PostiePlus.
Sunhats
All children are supplied with a school sunhat which must be worn when out in the playground during Terms 1 and 4. If children are not wearing a hat, they will be asked to sit in a shaded area such as under a verandah. Sunhats are named and stay at school.
Meet the Teacher and School Picnic
At the beginning of each year we provide an opportunity for parents to meet and discuss classroom systems and expectations with their child’s classroom teacher.
Book Bags
Every child should have a book bag for taking home reading books, homework and partnerships books.
Medication
If your child needs medication during school hours, there are forms that need to be filled out to give us permission to administer it. The medication will be looked after at the school office. Children must not be in possession of medication while at school.
Partnership Books
These books are to encourage and strengthen communication between home and school. Notices should be glued into these books. Partnership books are a daily communication tool to convey any concerns, issues or positive comments between home and school. These books should go home each night and returned to school daily.
Absence notes and calls
Parents are required to inform the office if their child is absent from school. Parents can either talk to our office manager, leave a message on the answer phone (211 0035), or text on the school cell phone (027 232 0427). If the school is not contacted regarding an absence, a follow up phone call or text will be made by a staff member. This is to ensure the safety of children. If children are absent for an extended period, a medical certificate should be provided to the school. All children must be at school every day and on time, unless they are sick or there is a valid reason.
Lunch / Interval
Teachers supervise children for the first 15 minutes of lunch time and the first ten minutes of interval to ensure food is eaten.
Lunch Time Zone
An area in the school is equipped with a variety of games and activities at interval and lunch time for children who choose to be in there. This area is always supervised by a teacher.
Beginning and End of School Day
Students are not permitted on the school grounds until 8.30 am. The school does not provide supervision before this time. Students should not arrive earlier than 8.30 am.We also ask that parents pick their children up at 3.00 pm. Sometimes when children are not picked up for long periods of time after school, there is no one to supervise them as staff have a variety of commitments from 3.15 pm onwards. Students need to be collected from the school gates, unless they are walking home. We do discourage early pick-ups, as end of day routines are extremely important
Fruit in Schools
Each child is provided with one piece of fruit each day. This fruit is eaten at designated ‘Fruit’ breaks during the school day. This fruit is not a replacement for fruit normally included in lunch boxes, but is an added extra.
Health Promotion
New River is proud to be a ‘Health Promoting’ School. We are a water and plain milk drinking only school and ask that children do not bring fizzy or other sugar sweetened drinks to school. We encourage children to bring healthy options for morning teas, and lunch time ‘top ups’, not daily packets of chips or too many sweet things.
Free Lunch in Schools ProgrammeNew River Primary is provided with free lunches daily for each child. Our current lunch providers are Pita Pit and Kaan’s. Children can supplement morning tea and lunches with extra healthy food options if they wish, but it is not necessary.
Toothbrushing Programme
In 2014 New River was involved in a pilot toothbrushing programme. All children are supplied with their own toothbrush and brush their teeth daily. This has proven to be a very successful programme which we will continue.
Headlice
If your child has headlice, please do not send them to school untreated. If they have headlice, please let us know so that we can send a letter out to all parents in that classroom. If headlice are obvious when a child is at school, parents will be rung, asked to pick them up and treat them. If everyone is vigilant, we can make this problem a lot less frustrating for everyone concerned. Long hair needs to be tied up, as this lessens the spread of headlice
School Garden
New River is lucky enough to have its own school garden. The purpose of the garden is to teach children how to grow vegetables and what to do with them when harvested
Wet Days
Classes remain inside their rooms or under the verandah areas on wet days. Activities are provided for the children
Road Patrol & Crossing
School staff, Parents and Road Patrol monitors are responsible for supervising the Elizabeth and Ness Street crossings before and after school. We ask that parents model safe practises and use the pedestrian crossings.
Computer use in class and school
Students are not permitted to use classroom computers when there is no teacher in the classroom. All users are required to sign a user access agreement to access the school intranet and internet. At no time should any i-pads or computer equipment be taken home.
Accidents and Emergencies
The medical room has facilities for the treatment of minor incidents. In the event of uncertainty, parents and caregivers are contacted. Should the parents be unavailable, a staff member will determine what action will be taken. Every effort will be made to contact the parents regarding the emergency. It is essential that parents keep us up to date with new phone numbers and addresses so they can be contacted in the event of an emergency or illness
Emergency Drills
A Fire Drill and Emergency Lockdown drill will be held once a term.
Cell Phones
Children are not allowed cell phones at school.
Bikes
Children under the age of ten years are NOT permitted to cycle to school unless accompanied by an adult. This policy is in alignment with New Zealand Police guidelines. All bicycles should be placed in the stands provided and securely locked. No responsibility will be accepted for unlocked cycles. Bicycles will be checked from time to time for safety reasons. Bikes must be walked into and out of the school grounds and helmets worn.
Scooters
If children are being dropped off at school by car, it is requested that they do not bring their scooter to school. The only time that this is acceptable, is for Golden Time, which is once a week. For safety reasons, children are not permitted to scooter into or out of the school grounds. Children on scooters are just as prone to accidents as those on bikes. It is suggested that a helmet be worn.
Parents in School
Support from parents on school trips, sports and cultural activities is always sought and appreciated. Police Vetting and Vaccination status is a necessary requirement when working alongside students,.
Newsletters
A school newsletter is sent home every second Friday.
School Fees
The school does not ask for donations.
Toys at School
The school takes no responsibility for toys brought to school by the students. Children should not bring personal toys and games to school.
