February 2009

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

We welcome you and your children to Taradale Primary School and sincerely hope that your family's association with the school will be both beneficial and rewarding. We continue to encourage parents/caregivers to take an active part in the life of the school with the result that the response for assistance from parents/caregivers has been tremendously supportive over recent years. Regular School and Team Newsletters are put out to keep our families in touch with the numerous events and activities that take place at Taradale Primary School. Please feel welcome to come and discuss any matters concerning the welfare of your children who attend our school. I look forward to your continuing interest and support.

MISSION STATEMENT
'To prepare our children for life long learning by developing their social, intellectual and physical skills in a creative and caring environment' School Charter 2007

OUR SCHOOL VISION
To ensure that Taradale Primary School is:
- purposeful in its direction,
- clear in its organisation
- considered in its curriculum, and
- warm in its relationships.
Taradale Primary is a U5 Contributing School, Decile Rating: 10
Current Roll as at 07.02.09: 407

SPECIAL FEATURES OF OUR SCHOOL
- Library Information Centre
- Swimming Pool (heated and covered)
- Computer Suite - Class Computers and School Intranet (currently under redevelopment)
- Behaviour Management Programme: Making the Right Choice'
- Buddy Classes: Teams 1, 2 & 3
- Central Resource Room: Curriculum Resources (currently under redevelopment)
- After-school Care Programme (YMCA)
- Gifted and Talented Programmes - SenCo (Special Needs) Programmes
- 'Sun Safe' Policy - Shade Areas
- 'Smoke Free' School (2001)
- Upgraded School Hall and School Lunchroom (2006)

SCHOOL PHONE NUMBER: 844 2626

PARENT CALL LINE& FAX: Answer phone for Absent Children: 844 6789
DENTAL CLINIC PHONE NUMBER: 844 2984
SWIMMING POOL - Greendale Swimming Club 844 6352

SCHOOL HOURS
8.50am to 3.00pm
Teacher supervision at Taradale Primary School commences at 8.20am, however our children are permitted to enter the grounds prior to this time. Mrs Jones, our School Secretary commences work in the School Office each day at 8.30am.

WET LUNCH HOURS
Taradale Primary School has a policy that we do not take a short lunch hour when we have wet weather. School finishes always at 3.00 pm every afternoon.

SCHOOL CROSSINGS
Both the Puketapu Road and the Church Road crossings are supervised by parents, road patrollers and teachers from
8.20 - 8.45am and from 3.00 - 3.15pm.

ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL
Non-attendance has not been a problem at Taradale Primary School. Please notify the School Office via the PARENT CALL LINE
(844-6789) if your child is absent. Each day we follow up all cases of children being absent from school. A note to your child's class teacher explaining the reason for their absence is also appreciated.

CLOTHING
All school clothing should be clearly named. Please assist the school and name your child's clothing as this prevents unclaimed 'lost property' accumulating at school.
All of our 'lost property' is kept in the School Hall.
A compulsory school uniform for Year 1 - 4 children has been introduced this year. Please see the school office for details.

SWIMMING
We are very fortunate at Taradale Primary School in that we have a 25m covered and heated swimming pool to use for our class swimming programme. December February and March are the three official school swimming months. Children are all expected to take part in class swimming programmes unless they have a medical reason to be excused. The children are asked to have a cloth or plastic bag for the purpose of holding swimming togs and towel.

SCHOOL LUNCHES
We have a School Lunchroom that is operated by Mrs Stanford on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. Menu advice notices are available from each classroom. Our lunchroom has regularly been awarded 'Heartbeat Awards' for providing 'healthy food' to the children and staff.

FAMILY FILE - CONTACT NUMBERS
A contact telephone number is essential in case of the event of an emergency or illness. This is particularly important where parents/caregivers are working and may not be available at home. Please inform the School Office when there is a change of contact numbers.

SCHOOL Donations: 2009
The School Donations for 2009 have been set by the Board of Trustees at:
$100 per child per year, or $30 per child per term and $20 Activity donation per child.
A cultural donation component is included within the School Doantion. An Eftpos facility is available to pay both School Donations and Stationery Donations at the School Office.

ILLNESS/ACCIDENTS AT SCHOOL
In the event of a child taking ill or having an accident at school:
1. Every endeavour is made to contact and notify parents/caregivers;
2. If parents/caregivers are not available, then the school will transport children to a local Doctor, Dentist or to the Hawkes Bay Regional Hospital (Hastings).

SUN HATS
Due to the hot summer weather conditions in Taradale, we have adopted a 'Sun Safe' Policy where all children and staff are to wear a school sun hat which is provided by the school. This hat remains at school and is a way of providing protection from the sun between Labour Weekend and Easter. The Board of Trustees and the PTA have built 12 shade area bays in front of the classrooms as well as installed three large shade sails over part of the adventure playground.

TRAVELLING TO AND FROM SCHOOL
All children are encouraged to come directly to school in the morning and to return home the same way in the afternoon. If possible, we would appreciate it if they did this with other groups of children when either walking or biking.

COLLECTING CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL
Many parents/caregivers bring their children to school by car and also collect them by car at the end of the school day. If you are planning to do this, we ask that you either park in Church Road or in the extended school carpark off Ngarimu Crescent, but not in the Staff Car Park off Church Road. In the interests of safety, we also ask that you use the pedestrian crossing outside the School Hall when crossing Church Road. All Saints Church allows us to use their parking areas as long as cars are not parked on the grass areas in front of the Church.

SCHOOL BANKING:
In 2000, we re-introduced weekly school banking through Wine Country Credit Union. Banking day is Thursday. If you wish to have your children banking at school, enrolment forms are available from the School Office.

SCHOOL RULES:
These are based on common sense considerations and have been made in the interests of all the children themselves. We operate a successful Behaviour Management programme at Taradale Primary School which focuses on 'Making the Right Choice' positive aspects of the children's behaviour both in and outside the classroom are recognised and acknowledged by teachers and staff. Information about our Behaviour Management Policy is available in the office.

TERM DATES AND HOLIDAYS: 2009
Term 1 5 Feb - 9 April
Term 2 27 Aprl -3 July
Term 3 20 July - 25 September
Term 4 12 Oct - 16 Dec

Teacher Only Day 9 April
Good Friday: 10 April
Easter Monday: 13 April

Anzac Day: 25 April
Queen's Birthday: 1 June
HB Anniversary: 23 October
Labour Day: 26 October

Allen McMillan
PRINCIPAL