FAQs
Absences
Please let us know if your child is not at school by 9.30am. You can phone email principal@aoraki.school.nz or text 020 4144504. You must also give a reason for absence. Please do not send verbal notices of absence with a sibling.
Parents are also asked to inform teachers when their child will need to leave early from school to attend health appointments or for other reasons.
Accidents
If your child is injured at school school staff will take any appropriate first aid measures. If the injury is serious and/or involves the child's head we will notify you. Please make sure you keep your contact and emergency details up-to-date.
Behaviour
While values vary in any community, the school tries to take the middle ground in ensuring a good standard of behaviour, safety of the individual and concern for the well-being of others. Children and teachers agree on playground and wet weather activities at the beginning of the year.
Biking
Parents/caregivers need to take responsibility to ensure their children are able to ride safely on the road. If your child does bike, we assume you have agreed to this, that you think they safe, and that they will bike straight home after school. We also expect to see all our cyclists wearing helmets.
Board
Class Dojo
Our Board consists of parent representatives, AMC parent community representatives and the Principal. They are responsible for all aspects of school governance. Day to day management of the school is the responsibility of the Principal. Parents are welcome to attend. Dates of these meetings will be advertised in Class Dojo. A copy of the board minutes are on this website.
We use Class Dojo as part of our reporting process. This is a great space for your child to share their learning with you.
Communicating Concerns
An open door policy exists in our school. If you have any concerns relating to school we encourage you to talk to us about them. Feel free to approach the class teacher or principal to organise a time to chat. The school complaints policy is available from the school office. A flowchart of the process is on the school notice board.
Emergencies
All parents are asked to provide an alternative contact in case of emergency. It is in your child’s interest that we know how to contact you or someone nominated by you at short notice. Please keep the school informed of any changes to daytime telephone numbers or emergency contacts.
The school has an emergency plan which can be viewed at the school office. In the case of natural disaster such as an earthquake, providing the school is still safe, all children will be kept at school until parents or caregiver collect them.
Enrolments
New Entrants – when enrolling your 5 year old for the first time it is important to provide their birth certificate and, if possible, an immunisation certificate obtained from your doctor. To make the transition to school easier we encourage parents to bring their children in for pre-entry visits. Please contact the Principal to organise this. If you are keen for some useful 'starting school' information you can check out the Parent Information page on the Education website for great info!
Other enrolments – The Principal in happy to show prospective families around the school. Please ring the office to organise a time.
Environment
We are proud to be an environmentally friendly school. We try to have environmental awareness developed through a range of learning topics, as well as a part of our everyday consciousness. Our school enviro-code is part of our values: We will respect and take responsibility for our environment.
Food, Fizzy and Lollies
We encourage students to bring a full healthy lunch. Children are not to bring lollies or fizzy drinks to school. We are a water and milk only school.
Home Reading
At school, instructional reading books and library books are used as part of the Reading Programme. These are taken home by children to be read to and with parents. It is expected that they are returned the next day, as they may be needed for the class use. Books do cost our school a lot of money, so please help to teach your children the importance of caring for them.
Holidays in School Time
The school discourages families from taking holidays in school time. However, if parents do decide to take their children on a holiday during the school term they must write a letter or email explaining the absence, specifically noting the dates the children will be absent. This is a Ministry of Education requirement.
Homework
Reading is expected every night at home and each child has a reading log to fill in. Appropriate further weekly homework will be set accordingly, which may include spelling or unfinished work. It is our belief that children work hard during the day and we will not load them with unnecessary homework as it has been proven to have no educational value for primary school aged children, and puts stress on the child and parents.
Internet
Internet is available in the school under supervision by the teacher and in accordance with our school internet safety policy. All new enrolments sign an internet permission form.
Keeping the School Informed
Aoraki Mount Cook School staff will go to considerable lengths to develop your child’s education and well-being, with our success depending upon the degree of cooperation between home and school. Please advise the school of physical or emotional upsets which could affect learning or your child’s well-being.
Library
The school library is kept up to date through regular purchases. We encourage pupils to take home library books for further reading. Please help to teach your children to care for our books.
Lost Property
It is important that all items of clothing and belongings are clearly named to assist with their return. If the item is second-hand please ensure that your child’s name is on the label. At the end of each term, lost property is sent to charity. The school is not insured for lost property or items brought to school by children and it is suggested that valuable items or special mementos/toys be kept at home.
Mobile Phones
Children can bring their mobile phones to school for the purpose of contacting parents before and after school. Students are not to use their phones in school time and during the breaks. Students must hand their phone into the school office or to their class teacher, and they bring them to school at their own risk. If students abuse the privilege of having a phone at school they will be told to take it home and leave it there.
Newsletters
These are a very important form of communication and are sent out on as (twice a term) to inform parents/caregivers and the community of developments, events, and issues within the school and the wider community.
We welcome any community notices which you may wish to have published, although space priority is given to school news. Please notify the school if you know of anyone in the community who wishes to be on the receiving list. Newsletters will be available on our school blog or can be sent electronically on request.
Office Hours
The school office is not staffed, however we do have an answer phone outside of these hours which is checked regularly by staff. If you need to contact the school urgently or wish to text absences, please use the school cellphone number: 020 4144504
To prevent disruption to class teaching it would be helpful if phone contact is made to the teachers during the following times:
8.30 – 9am
1.00 – 1.40pm
3.15pm onwards.
A message can be left at the school office anytime. Emails are a reliable form of communication. The office can be reached at principal@aoraki.school.nz.
Parent Help
The school likes to encourage parents to participate in the life of the school. You may be interested in:
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Library sorting
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Providing art materials for school, i.e. cardboard, wool, lino, carpet
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Attending open days, sports days, assemblies, meet the teacher evenings, Parent/Teacher Interviews, ski days and whanau events
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Working Bees
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Coaching and Sporting activities
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Transporting students to events
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Friday lunch cooking
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Taking groups for skills building sessions e.g. carpentry, carving, electronics, coding, art, cooking, etc.
Requests for help will be made when needed throughout the year giving details of time, commitment and skills required. If you have any skills that we could tap into for the students, please let us know!
Punctuality
It is important students get to school on time. Students that are late often miss important school notices given first thing in the morning and may also miss the morning roll call so would be marked absent for the morning. If your child is going to be late for school please phone, text or email the school office and let us know.
School Hours
School is open from 8.30am til 3.30pm each day. If a child needs to be present earlier or later, please make special arrangements with the Principal.
Learning times and breaks are as follows:
1st Session: 9am – 10.15
Break: 10.15 - 10.30
2nd Session: 10.30 - 11.15
Morning Tea: 11.15 - 11.40
3rd Session: 11.40 - 1.00
Lunch: 1.00 - 1.40
4th Session: 1.40 - 3.00
We encourage families to use the school grounds after school hours, as we believe this is a great community resource. Of course, there is the expectation that all property is treated with respect, safely and sensibly.
School Policies and Procedures
To view our school's policies and procedures:
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Go to the website http://aorakimtcook.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
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Enter the username (aorakimtcook) and password (Aoraki).
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
School Trips
School trips are a key part of our classroom programme. We encourage parents to come along on trips as we have a set ratio of adults to students that we must adhere to for students safety. On enrolment parents sign a general permission slip that will allow us to take students on trips within easy range of the school (e.g. Twizel). However, for any trips that require transport we will require a permission slip filled in for every student in that class. All children 7 and under must be accompanied by an parent/nominated guardian on trips deemed 'at risk' e.g. skiing.
Smokefree School
Aoraki Mount Cook School is a Smokefree school and smoking/vaping is not permitted in the school grounds or buildings at all times and at events, camps and outings associated with the school.
Stationery
All required stationery will be provided for your child at the start of each year and throughout the year when needed. Accounts for this will be sent out as they occur.
Sun Smart
All students are expected to wear a brimmed hat in terms 1 and 4 at all times outside. A cap is not suitable. Parents should ensure that children have sunblock applied at home. Sunblock is available in the classroom as an extra.
School Pool
Our school pool is a highly valued resource and we use it regularly throughout the warmer months (Dec-April). School swimming is part of our curriculum.
The pool is not available for use outside of school hours as we don’t have the consents for this.
Uniform
Uniform can be purchased through Uniform Hub website. The main item required is the polo shirt, but other items are also available and are great quality too.
Zero Tolerance to Bullying
Aoraki Mount Cook School prides itself on its safe learning environment. For this reason we have no tolerance for bullying whatsoever. If your child has been involved in bullying expect a call, and if you suspect your child is a victim of bullying please don’t hesitate to contact the Principal.