Nau mai hoki mai - welcome back!
By Beth Downie | Posted: Thursday January 25, 2024
Welcome to 2024; we are excited for another year at Kaikorai Primary School. Welcome to our new teachers, Ruth Faulkner and Hannah Sims and our new pupils and their whānau who begin their journey with us in 2024.
Please familiarise yourself with some back-to-school routines and information on how Kaikorai Primary School operates.
School begins for the children on Wednesday, 31st January, at 9 am. Children are welcome in class from 8:30 am. If your child is new and you do not know their class, please ring the school office on Monday or Tuesday between 10 am - 2 pm.
Syndicates
A reminder that the syndicates' new names are Juniors - Pīwakawaka hapori, Middles - Tūī hapori, Seniors - Kerurū hapori.
Stationery
You can buy your child's stationery through Office Max by following this link.
SeeSaw
Teachers use SeeSaw as our main method of communication with our families. Each Sunday, you will receive a weekly overview of the learning focus in class, any extra events that are taking place, and ways you can support your child with their learning in class.
Teachers will also use SeeSaw as their main method of sharing your child's learning with you. You should expect to see frequent examples and celebrations of their work, photographs from class events and activities and a general 'window in the classroom'. If you need help accessing or understanding SeeSaw, please let us know.
School hats
School hats are compulsory in Term 1 and Term 4 and can be purchased from the school office.
Named Clothing
Please ensure all clothes are named. In 2023, 12 black rubbish bags of unnamed and unclaimed clothes were donated to the charity shop. Children do not recognise their clothes either. If your child's clothes are named, they can be returned.
Weekly newsletter and Facebook
The weekly newsletter is sent out at 2:30 pm each Friday. This is sent to your email and is published through this platform, HAIL. Newsletters, as are reminders and celebrations, are also shared on our Facebook page; if you are a Facebook user, I encourage you to 'like' our page.
School Calendar
Any important dates can be found on our school website calendar.
Road safety changes
Some changes have been made to Wright Street over the holidays, including removing the disability park. Anyone holding a permit is welcome to use the dedicated space in the car park. Please be mindful of this space when waiting for your child at 3 pm. This means the Wright Street spaces outside our school are no-stopping - pick up and drop off only. Please do not park there and leave your vehicle. If you arrive early and wait for your child, do not wait there; these areas will be coned off until 3 pm to ensure it is a quick pick-up zone only.
Also, we will no longer cross children on the Tyne/Wright Street corner as it is too unsafe. All children crossing Tyne Street must exit using the steps by the bell tower and be crossed safely to the other side of the road.
Scooters, bikes and skateboards
If your child uses one of these methods to get to school, they must have a helmet. Please discuss road safety and the appropriate use of their scooter when travelling to school, as we will be in the first week of school.
Arrival time to school
The school gates and doors open at 8:30 am; if your child arrives before 8:30 am, they must be enrolled with Kelly Club.
Absences and leaving school during class time
Please phone or email the school office when your child is absent or will be late. A phone call from the office follows up on all unexplained absences. Often, a message to the child's teacher is overlooked at the busy start of the day, and this means you can be phoned unnecessarily if you contact the teacher rather than the absence line on the phone.
Similarly, if your child arrives late or needs to leave school during the day, they must be signed out on the system in the office.
We are excited for another year of learning, celebration and achievements ahead of us. We encourage a strong home-school partnership. Please do not hesitate to chat with me at the gate or pop in to see your child's teacher.
Phones and smartwatches
If your child has a cell phone, it must be handed to their teacher at the start of the school day. Many children have smartwatches; please discuss the etiquette around owning these devices. If you need to contact your child during the day, please ring the school office, and a message will be passed on.
Sports sign-up for term 1- Please follow this link to sign up your child for sports in term 1.
Kapa haka sign up - please follow this link to sign your child up for our kapa haka roopu.
Music lessons sign up - We have guitar, drums and piano lessons; please see info below from Dynamite Music and MusiqHub
Group Piano Lessons at School
Piano lessons are offered during the school day.
Your child can learn to read music and play the piano in a fun and relaxed environment. These are small group classes with a cost of $16.50/week. There are currently six spaces available for new students. Sign up for a free trial at https://dynamitemusic.co.nz/kaikorai/ or email [email protected] for more information.
MusiqHub - See the advert below.
We look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday.
Ngā mihi mahana.
Beth Downie
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