Birkenhead Primary School


General questions:
Will my child be safe at this school?
I think your child will be safe. The school grounds are fully fenced, and there are high latches on all gates. The grounds staff keep a close eye on the grounds. There are two teachers on duty at all times during breaks. We push the safe play message with the children. The children are pretty good natured, and while we can't say that there is no bullying, we think it fairly minimal. There is certainly very little physical aggression towards others. We encourage the children to "tell someone' if they are having any problems, and encourage parents to let us know of any concerns.

Where do the children go when they finish at Birkenhead Primary School?
The children actually scatteer in many directions. They go to:
Northcote Intermediate
Birkdale Intermediate
Takapuna Normal Intermediate
Ponsonby Intermediate

Some children go elsewhere - to Private Schools, Integrated Schools, or to other Intermediates - eg Belmont Intermediate.

However, many of the children come back tio Northcote College for secondary education, so the children come back together, which is really good.

Questions and Answers for New Entrant parents

What should I look for when buying a school bag?
Try for a bag which:
Has a separate pocket for school notices, and library books.
The newsletter goes into the child’s book folder.
Is large enough for his/her lunchbox, drink bottle, togs/towel, raincoat.

What type of footwear is best?
Track shoes or sandals are fine in summer, but during winter, leather or vinyl shoes keep your child’s feet drier. Velcro fasteners are preferable.

When does my child have to start?
Your child should start on his/her fifth birthday. He/she will be expecting to do so, and may be very disappointed not to do so. However, legally, your child does not have to start until he/she is six years old. Some children benefit from having extra time at Kindergarten. Once your child is enrolled, he/she has to be at school every day. You cannot start your child, and then pull him/her out of school.

What do we do on the first day?
Come to the school office. Mrs Neville needs to confirm that your child is starting as planned. I would like to say hello to your child, and one of the admin staff will take you down to class.
Stay with your child for as long as it takes to settle him/her in, and head home as soon as that is the case. You will have to play that by ear. Make the decision with the teacher.

What are the school hours?
Normal hours are 8.50 am to 3pm, with 11.05 to 11.30 for Interval, and 12.30 to 1.30 for lunch (we have a short brain food break at 10.00). There is a lunch eating time from 12.30 to 12.40. The children are supervised during lunch eating, and Junior children’s lunch boxes are checked to see that sufficient lunch has been eaten.
Your child can go home at 2pm for the first week or two if need be. Keep in touch with teacher, and decide what is best.

What should I give my child for lunch?
Perhaps some things to avoid:
Yoghurts
Sweets
Too many chips, cheezels etc.
Sweet bars

Please do not bring takeaway food for your child on a regular basis. An occasional treat is no problem.

When do we get our child’s stationery?
We work with Paper Plus to provide the children's stationery. Come to the Office and speak to Elaine. The amount of stationery your child will need will depend on the time of year your child starts at.

What do the Year levels mean?
If your child starts before or on July 1st, then he/she is a Year One child as far as the Ministry of Education is concerned. If your child starts after July 1st, then he/she is a Year Zero for the rest of that year, and then becomes Year One in the following year. These dates are for statistical purposes for the Ministry of Education.

However, within the school, we find that a child who starts after May 1st or thereabouts should then do the rest of that year and then two more years in the Junior School. This is not a hard and fast rule, and we look at individual children. Why? Basically because 19 or 20 months in the Junior School does not usually give the children a solid enough start in their Literacy and Numeracy.
We do not want your child to be a very young Year Six child going off to Intermediate, when the extra time would have given more maturity and confidence. This is a very important point, and should be carefully considered by all parties.

What size class will my child start in?

This is difficult to say, as it depends on how many unexpected children enrol from in zone. We fill one New Entrant class  but we overfill it for a short while in order to form a group of five or six children to take out to form the next class. We usually have Teacher Aide support for the teacher during this time before the new class's teacher starts and takes the five or six younger children off to form the new class. However, we may have to keep the children in the same room if we do not have a spare teaching space. In this case, we would start the new teacher straight away and have the two teachers working with the children.

Who teaches my child?
Usually, your child will have the one teacher. If your child goes into the class of one of the Senior Staff, your child will also be taught by that teacher’s release teacher. The teacher is released one day per week to do administrative work – organising programmes etc. The school cannot operate without this provision.

Does my child have homework?
Your child should bring home a reader within the first week of school. Please make this a really positive time for your child. If it is not positive from the start, seek help from your child’s teacher. Some senior teachers use a homework grid whereby the children have basic essential homework, and then earn house-points for additional activities they choose from a grid.
There may be no other homework, but your child could bring things to show the other children, or to talk about in “Newstime”.

Does my child have swimming lessons?
If your child starts in late October or in Term One, they will have lessons. The pool is not deep, and it is heated, so the children feel quite confident. The focus for New Entrants is on water confidence.

What should I do if my child has health issues?
You should have filled these in on the enrolment form, but please talk to your child’s teacher about these, and ask that he/she copy off any information you have for their own reference, and for the school file. Talk about medications with the teacher, and bring them to the Office if they need to be in the Sick Bay.

What should I do if I cannot pick my child up in time at 3.00pm?
Phone the office. It is not a problem at all. We Phone a friend if you prefer to do so. We will send for/fetch your child to the School Office. Please remind your child of this on a regular basis. If you are not there to pick them up, they should come to the Office.

How can I become involved in the school?
Keep in contact with your child’s teacher. As a New Entrant parent, you might be happy to act as your child’s class’s Classroom Liaison Parent. There is one of these parents for each class in the school. Ask if you can do parent help in class. This shows your child that you think school is an OK place, and that you value what happens there. It also helps you to see what your child is working on, and gives you an idea of how they are coping/doing. Come along to a P.T.A. meeting or a Board meeting. This will give you an idea of the issues the school faces, and you may have skills which would be of real value to the school. Come and see the Principal. There is no shortage of ways in which you can help if you have time.