A to Z

Absences – If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please contact the school office before 9.15 am that day, or email the classroom teacher, office and Principal, or complete the absentee notification on Skool Loop.

Accidents – If your child is injured at school, staff will take any appropriate first aid measures. We will notify you immediately if your child has fallen from a height, has been hit on the head, or has a serious injury.

Assembly – Full school assemblies are held once a fortnight to celebrate students’ learning. The classes take it in turn to “host” these assemblies. We encourage parents to attend if possible. A schedule will be provided at the start of each term. We do need to consider other events in the school and in some terms, assemblies will not run due to other opportunities for community participation.

Banking – For bank deposits for clothing, sports fees, camp fees etc, please use the following School Bank account:
Tasman School 03-1354-0498488-00

Behaviour – We expect students to care for themselves, others and our environment with respect. Behaviour is guided by 3 key questions: Is it safe? Is it fair? Is it kind? More detailed copies of the Tasman School Behaviour Support System are supplied at enrolment.

Bell Times – the school day is structured as follows:
School Starts - 8.55 am
Morning Tea - 10.30 to 10.55 am
Lunchtime - 12.30 to 1.15 pm
Finish Time - 2.55 pm

Biking to School – We encourage parents to make safe decisions e.g. accompanying their children to school if under 10 years old. Older students may bike to school on their own. They should bike directly to the bike sheds, up the pathway from the bus stop. They are not to bike up the driveway. In the afternoon, we ask that all riders walk their cycle down the path to the road as the pathway has greater use over a shorter period of time, increasing the risk of a collision with a pedestrian. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays children in Year 4 and above are allowed to bring their bikes to use on the pump track. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the pump track is for students Years 0-3. Wheels Days for the concrete court is Wednesday and Fridays for all students (bikes, scooters, skateboards, skates). Children are only allowed to ride their bikes/scooters etc if they have a helmet.

Bullying - Tasman School prides itself on its safe learning environment. Please encourage your child to speak to a duty teacher or a classroom teacher on the day. This helps staff to assess the most accurate picture of any incident that occurs. If you have any reason to believe your child is a victim of bullying, please contact the classroom teacher immediately. The Tasman School behaviour support plan will be followed and restorative justice processes applied as required on completion of investigation of incidents by staff.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – Senior students are able to bring to school for learning purposes, their notebook, tablet or i-pad. The school will provide a secure login facility. A guest Wifi password is provided by the Office Manager for students to connect to the internet. Devices are the responsibility of the student and the school takes no responsibility for the breakage, or loss of a device. The school does supply enough devices for students to complete their work, so ownership of a device is not essential and our preference is to just use the school devices.

Concerns – An open door policy exists at our school. If you have any concerns relating to school, we encourage you to talk to us about them. Please feel free to approach the class teacher or staff member first. An appointment should be requested via email, with a basic outline of the concern or issue. Further detail may be requested before a face to face meeting. Very few concerns should reach the Syndicate Leader or Principal in the first instance. Our complaints policy outlines this process. Breaking this procedure actually puts staff at risk.

Communication - We try to communicate to our parent community on a regular basis. We do this using email and Skool Loop. Skool Loop is a phone app that can be downloaded on your phone to stay up to date with newsletters, absence reporting etc. Ask at the office for more information. The Principal sends out a Weekly Community Comment each week with the upcoming week ahead as well as upcoming dates in the future. This is included as part of the school newsletter.

Dental Therapist – Dental therapy is available to all Tasman students through the Parklands School Dental Clinic. The Dental Nurse will contact families to arrange for annual checkups.

Discipline – We work to develop student self-management skills by providing clear boundaries and expectations. We use a restorative justice process to address wrongdoing. In some instances the Tasman School Behaviour Support System is utilised to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Enrolments - We welcome new enrolments. When enrolling a 5 year old for the first time, you MUST bring with you their Birth Certificate or Passport, Residency Permit or Citizenship Certificate and any immunization certificates, if applicable. To make the transition to school easier, we encourage parents to bring their children in for pre-enrolment visits. This can be arranged with Ally Nicholls (ally@tasman.school.nz).

Fundraising – Fundraising at Tasman School is run by a separate fundraising group who welcome new members. Our major fundraising event is Muddy Buddy and this usually occurs in March.

Homework – All classes provide homework of some degree. We ask for parents’ support with this. This is developed in consultation with students and whanau to meet learning needs.

Internet – This is available in all classrooms via a managed wifi. Students sign an Internet User Agreement and behaviour is guided by our school questions: is it fair, is it safe, is it kind? We have a filter that is provided by Network 4 Learning which filters out harmful material.

Library – Children are encouraged to take library books home on a regular basis (maximum 3). Please do not attempt to mend any damaged books, just return them and the mending team will tackle them. There are no fines for overdue books but we do ask you to return them weekly during class library times. We are always looking for people to help in the library and if you are interested, please let the office know.

Lost Property – Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own property – particularly clothing. Clothes such as jackets, sweatshirts, swimsuits, hats, etc should be labelled with the child’s name. Lost property can be picked up on the deck outside Kererū Class during term time. Unclaimed items will be disposed of at the end of each term.

Lunch orders – These are advertised via the school newsletter and Weekly Community Comment. Sausage Sizzle orders will be $2.50. From time to time we trial different options and the price of these will be specified when advertised.

MOTEC –All Year 7 and 8 students attend this technology session at Parklands School on a Friday from 9.30 am to 12.00 pm. Students are required to wear closed in footwear for safety reasons (shoes, gym shoes etc.) and long hair needs to be tied up. The students travel by bus to and from school. The MOTEC teachers will advise students of any special requirements for classes. There is an annual fee charged for each student to cover the cost of materials used.

Newsletters – Our school newsletter comes out weekly, on a Friday. Newsletters are emailed home and sent via Skool Loop. These are also available on the school website: www.tasman.school.nz.

Office Hours – The Tasman School office is staffed most days from 8.15am to 3.15pm by the Principal or Office Manager. The school answerphone is checked by staff regularly.

Parent Help – Tasman School actively encourages parent help, whether it be working with the children in a class or with transport and/or supervision of sports teams. Please talk to your child’s teacher or the Principal if you would like to help out. We would love to hear from you. Regular scheduled parent help or overnight assistance at school camps does require a police check.

Payments – Ideally we would prefer to receive payments online. Any cash payment needs to be given to a staff member at the school office. Our bank account number at NBS is: Tasman School 03-1354-0498488-00

Reporting to Parents - The school reports to parents two times a year. In Term 1 we hold initial parent conferences. There are follow-up student led interviews in Terms 2 or 3, as arranged by the teachers. A full written report is sent out in Term 3 and Term 4.

School Donation – Tasman School donations are $65 per year per child, $120 for two children with a maximum of $150 per year per family. These contributions are a donation to the school but are important to the operational running of the school.

School T-Shirts and Hats – We encourage each child to have a school sports top. The Board subsidises these by approximately $20 per shirt. T-shirts cost $30.00; hats cost $20.00. These are available to purchase at the Office.

Stationery – Stationery lists are available on the Stationery tab of the website and are updated at the end of each year. The school only stocks the more specialised items used by the new entrant room.

Sun-Smart – Tasman School is a “Sun-smart” school and has a “no hat, then play in the shade” policy. Hats are to be bucket type hats not baseball caps.

Swimming – The swimming programme usually runs for the last 6 weeks of Term 4 and the first 6 weeks of Term 1. Swimming is compulsory unless a note is sent from a parent / caregiver. The pool is available for use after school and during the weekend for pool key holders. Swimming pool keys are available from the office for $120 per season. This is discounted for those families who assist with summer and weekend testing.

Toys at School – We would prefer children to keep their toys at home to avoid potential damage or loss. We take no responsibility for toys lost or damaged. If your child has a special toy they would like to share for news, please negotiate this with your teacher.

Uniform – There is no compulsory formal uniform although some families choose to wear the Tasman school sports t-shirt. We expect children to wear tidy clothing appropriate for learning and physical activity. Our school t-shirt is available for purchase ($30 from the office) for students to wear to represent our school at sporting or inter-school activities.

Reviewed January 2024.