ABSENCES

The school operates a safety check system to ensure all children sent to school arrive safely and are accounted for each day.  We ask that you contact school (ph 308 5799, text 027 7522 488) between 8.30 - 9.00am on the days your child is absent.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMES

Ashburton Netherby School offers a wide range of additional learning opportunities including:

• Reading Recovery
• HELP Language Programme
• Gifted and Talented
• ICAS Exams
• Learning support with Teacher Aides
• Head Start programme for new entrants
• School Council
• House Captains
• Peer Mediators
• Musical Instrument Tuition
• P.M.P. (Perceptual Motor Programme)
• ESOL assistance for speakers of other languages

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board is responsible for the overall goverance, policy and strategic direction of the school. It is made up of elected parent / community representatives, a staff-elected representative and the Principal. Parents are most welcome to attend Board meetings, which occur twice a term.

BUSES

Children under 10 who live more that 3.2 kms from their nearest school (4.8 kms if you are 10 years or older) are entitled to travel to Netherby by bus.

For enrolments and information please visit  www.mcsts.co.nz or get a form from the school office. There may be a charge for children living closer than the above distances.

Please ensure your children know how they are travelling home before they leave for school each day, so that the school is aware of bus children for whom other arrangements have been made on any particular day.

If you live outside of the Ashburton Netherby School Transport Entitlement Zone, reciprocal travel arrangements may need to exist between ANS and your local school, in order for your child to be transported from within another TEZ. If no such agreement is in place, parents will need to transport their child to the zone boundary to catch the bus.

CLASS CAMPS TRIPS AND VISITS

Our school organises regular trips as they relate to our classroom or school-wide programmes. These trips are funded by parents and parental permission is necessary.  A small number of parents are required to assist on these trips. Class or syndicate trips relating to topics being studied are undertaken throughout the year.

Parents are notified and will be asked to provide transport or assistance when necessary.  Parents transporting children must have a seat belt for each child, and cars must have a current WOF and registration

COMMUNICATION

Communication is the key to a successful partnership between the home and school.  It is vital that you discuss any concerns with us at an early stage. Just ask the teacher to discuss your concerns with you. Your child’s teacher has regular staff and syndicate meetings each week.  Please make an appointment to discuss any matters with your child's teacher at a convenient time, preferably after 3pm. As well as fortnightly newsletters, teachers will send home notices advertising events.  Whenever there is a return slip, we appreciate this being returned on or before the due date.

CONCERNS and COMPLAINTS

Any complaints or questions should first be addressed to the staff member concerned.  In most cases you will find that this is the only person you need to contact.  However the school has a clear set of procedures you should follow if you feel your complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily.  Please approach the school at the first indication you are concerned, as small problems are easier to remedy early on when direct contact is made with the appropriate person. Often concerns are the result of misunderstandings, and can be quickly resolved once the necessary communication takes place.

CYCLISTS

Parents should ensure that children cycling to school have a road-worthy bicycle and know the Road Code.  Approved helmets must be worn.  We recommend that children under the age of nine be accompanied by an adult (over 18 years).  Police recommend children be nine or older before using the road.  Cyclists wheel their bicycles in and out of the school grounds and in front of the school fence. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure bicycles are locked in the racks provided.

EDUCATIONAL AND RELATED SERVICES

The school maintains contact with and utilises where necessary a variety of outside specialised agencies as appropriate to the welfare and learning of children. These include:

• Canterbury Health Services
• Children and Young Persons and their Families
• Group Special Education
• Ministry of Education
• Speech Language Therapist
• NZ Police
• Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour
• University of Canterbury
• Presbyterian Support Services
• Public Health Nurse
• Crown Public Health
• Sport Mid Canterbury
• Ashburton Public Library

ENROLMENT ZONE

Ashburton Netherby School does not have an enrolment zone, so we are therefore able to accept enrolments from throughout Mid Canterbury. Please check with Mid Canterbury School Transport for bus eligibility.

HOME AND SCHOOL GROUP

We have an active Home and School Group. Their purpose is to encourage parent involvement in a variety of activities - fundraising, barbecues for sports events, or promoting the school. The money they raise goes directly back into supporting children’s learning.

The Home and School works closely with the staff and Board of Trustees to ensure all groups are working towards a common goal. Notice of a meeting is given in advance through school newsletters and usually occurs 2 -3 times each term.

LIBRARY

Our library / information centre is fully computerised.  Children are issued two books at a time to take home to read.  Classes are timetabled for at least one period each week.  Parents are most welcome to visit the library with their children before or after school.  Please advise the class teacher first.

LUNCHES

Students are required to bring a healthy play lunch and lunch to school each day. On Fridays, they may order a sausage and flavoured milk. At lunchtime the orders are handed out from the kitchen in the hall.

MEDICAL

If your child requires regular medication, please fill in a form available at the school office and supply it in a suitably labelled container, giving details.  This will be kept in a locked cabinet in the Medical Room and given as required. We cannot supply children with any medication without parents consent.

NEWSLETTERS / NOTICES

Every second Wednesday a newsletter will be sent home with the eldest child in your family at school. These newsletters contain information about recent and coming events, and day-to-day matters of school routine. Classroom letters and notices about visits will be sent home with children.  Parents of junior class pupils in particular should check school bags for notes and newsletters.

PARENT HELP

Parent help is very much appreciated at Netherby. We encourage parents, grandparents and extended whanau to help and welcome any inquiries in this area.
Suggestions where you can help are:

• classroom help - reading, maths, language work, P.M.P (perceptual motor programme) especially in the junior school.
• help with sports teams.
• school trips, supervision and transport.

If you would like to help, please see a staff member or your child's teacher, to discuss your options.  You will not be asked to do anything which you don't feel confident about.  We are grateful for any help you can offer.

PLAYGROUND AREAS

The playground consists of an exciting adventure playground, a large playing field, netball and basketball courts and a shaded sandpit.  Children are discouraged from being inside during fine weather.  We have a well-stocked sports shed, which students have access to at lunchtimes. Parts of the school fields are designated as being out of bounds to enable duty teachers to do their supervision effectively. Students are informed of these areas.

POLICIES and PROCEDURES

These are used as guidelines for parents, staff and the Board of Trustees.  They are reviewed on a 2-year cycle, and those which directly affect parents and children are circulated with the newsletter for your feedback.  Copies of all polices and procedures are available at the school office.

PRE-ENROLMENT

If you are intending to enrol your child at Ashburton Netherby School, please try to let us know of your intention to enrol as early as possible as it helps with preparation towards your child's first day at school.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

The day before the school year begins we hold 3 way conferences.  These give you and your child the opportunity to meet your classroom teacher, discuss programmes planned for the year and to set goals for the first term.

3 way conferences are also held at the end of Term 1 and Term 3.  Children are expected to attend, as goal setting is an important part of these conferences.  A written report is issued at the end of terms 2 and 4.  Portfolios are also sent home at the end of terms 2 and 4.  These consist of samples of children’s work, and an opportunity for parents to comment.

SCHOOL DONATIONS

These cover such costs as visiting performers, subsidising some bus transport and programmes such as Life Education.  They can be paid either by the term or yearly.  An invoice is sent to each family and a receipt issued on payment.  School donations qualify for an income tax rebate.

While they are voluntary, the school relies on parents making these donations to ensure we are able to provide an education with a variety of experiences. There are also additional activity costs which parents are required to pay, such as swimming and sports levies.

SCHOOL HOUSES

The school is divided into three houses - Hutt, Somers and Taylor.
All children are in one of these houses, allocated upon enrolment. Class teachers reward positive behaviour by allocation of house points.  House points are also given for sports events. Points from classrooms and sports are tallied weekly and announced at assembly. Senior students are selected to be house captains and deputies early in the year.

SCHOOL RULES

These are few and based on common sense, safety, personal responsibility and consideration for others. They relate to commonly-held values within society.

We have a school-wide behaviour system in place and classroom teachers have their own behaviour management system for use in classrooms.

SCHOOL TIMES

Children are requested not to be at school before 8.30am and to be clear of the school in the afternoon by 3.15pm.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Ashburton Netherby School has a designated school uniform, which students are required to wear. It provides away to identify the students and through this identification, a source of pride in our school and who we are. Uniform item details can be found within the enrolment folder and in the foyer of the school office.

STATIONERY

Stationery lists for each class are issued at the end of each year. Competitively-priced book packs specific to each class are sold through the school office towards the end of the summer holidays. In the New Entrant room stationery is provided at school on entry.

At all times we try to keep requirements to the minimum. A supply of most exercise books, pencils and rubbers are sold at the school. When a purchase is made we ask you to send the correct money in the envelope provided as soon as possible.

SUNHATS

Students are required to wear a school sunhat in terms 1 and 4. We have a No Hat - No Play policy. Sunhats are part of the school uniform and should have the Netherby School logo printed on them. Please ask at the school office for further details.

SWIMMING

Our swimming programme is undertaken at the Community Pool.  Children are grouped according to ability. There is a cost associated with this for bus, tuition and entry to the pool.

TRAVELLING TO AND FROM SCHOOL

Make sure your child knows how to cross roads safely if they are walking by themselves.  Children and parents are to use the crossing outside the school gate when crossing the road.  Please ensure you do not ask your child to cross to the other side of the road without using the crossing. There is a teacher on crossing duty every day after school.

The yellow lines either side of the pedestrian crossing are no parking areas.  They are there for the safety of pedestrians and your children.   We also ask that parents refrain from performing U-turns in front of the school.