‘STARTING SCHOOL’ Info for Whanau

1. HOUGHTON VALLEY SCHOOL ‘STARTING SCHOOL’ Info for Whanau

2. Tenakoutoukatoa. Welcome to Houghton Valley School’s ‘starting school’ information site. Any child who is five years old and is living in the school’s zone is eligible for enrolment. Prior to enrolment, please contact the principal to meet and have a tour of the school. It is best to do this during the school day, so you can see what it looks like when our classes are working. Please do not hesitate to contact the principal if you have any enquiries about enrolling at our school. Ph 9393318 principal@houghton.school.nz Before enrolling….

3. ENROLLING YOUR NEW ENTRANT CHILD Contact Denise in our school office to say you intend to enroll your child. (phone 9393318 admin@houghton.school.nz) You will be sent an enrolment pack which includes an information book and an enrolment form. Most families like to visit our principal to have a look around the school and ask any questions about how things work at HVS. The new entrant teacher will phone you around five weeks before your child starts school to arrange ‘school visits’. Most children have three visits. They are designed to give children a taste of classroom life. The child and a parent usually visit from 8.55am until 10.50am. Please bring morning tea. On the day of your first visit, you will be given our ‘Starting School’ pack.

4. FORMS TO COMPLETE……. • * The enrolment form • * ‘Health of Your Child’ form • * The Immunisation Certificate • * Dental service form • * Annual permission slip • * ‘Photos on school website’ form

5. READINESS FOR SCHOOL • All children are unique, with different strengths, needs and levels of independence. We enjoy working with them all, no matter what they can do when they arrive at school. • These skills are useful as they allow children to be reasonably independent when they start school: • ·Put on/take off shoes and socks • ·Put on/take off a jacket • ·Open/close school bag, water bottle and lunchbox • ·Pack their own school bag • ·Hang bag and jacket on a hook • ·Turn a tap on and off • ·Recall name, address, and phone number • ·Look after belongings without adult help • ·Tie shoelaces • ·Hold a pencil correctly • ·Use a pencil or pen • ·Hold and use a paintbrush • ·Recognise colours • ·Recognise shapes • ·Use terms such as big, bigger, biggest.

6. Some children show interest in letters and numbers before starting school. Here are a few things to focus on, but only if your child is interested: · Recognise and name letters of the alphabet · Match some letters to sounds e.g. ‘b’ for ‘beach’, ‘L’ for ‘Leo’ · Write lower case letters of the alphabet — please avoid using capital letters unless writing a name or the beginning of a sentence · Write numbers to ten · Count to ten · Count a set of objects up to ten.

7. THE FIRST DAY AND BEYOND • SUGGESTIONS and INFORMATION • Arriving early enough for your child to unpack their bag and book bag, refill their drink and have a little play before mat time, may help them settle better in the mornings. • Drinking water from your child’s drink bottle is encouraged. Children enjoy refilling these independently at the sink each day. • Sunhats are used during Term 1 & 4 whenever we are outside. Keeping a named hat at school helps us develop sun safety awareness. Wide brimmed HVS hats can be purchased from the office. • The school bell goes at 9.00 am and an electronic roll is taken promptly. If you are delayed or your child is absent, please inform Denise, the office manager. Children learn that coming inside after the bell is important at each playtime and for afternoon roll call.

8. Home time for new entrant children is usually at 2.00pm for the first few weeks as the changes to their routines and their concentration levels can be tiring. This can be discussed when you visit. At the 2.55pm finish teachers wait outside for the child to be collected. If you are delayed please notify the office to avoid your child becoming anxious. School Library visits are on Tuesdays. The children are issued 2 books to be returned by the following Tuesday. Reading at home is encouraged every day and may be a ‘guided reading’ book, a ‘shared’ book to be read with more parental help, poems and published writing. Please find time to enjoy and discuss these together. News days are every Monday for all children, with a card system for other types of news towards our class newspaper and class mascot diary.

9. This is what our school looks like from the road.

10. This is what your classroom looks like. It is called Room 1 or Pohutukawa. This is your teacher, Jill Holmstead.

11. This is where we hang up our bags

12. This is what the toilets look like.

13. This is where we eat morning tea and lunch when the weather is fine.

14. This is the junior playground.

15. This is the field.

16. This is the flying fox.

17. This is the sandpit.

18. This is the library. This is Joanna, our librarian.

19. This is the office. This is Denise, who works in the office.

20. On Fridays we all get together for assembly in the hall.

21. At school we learn to write.

22. At school we learn to work with other children.

23. At school we learn to throw balls.

24. At school we learn to read.

25. At school we learn to play games.

26. At school we have fun!