This is available at the school from 3pm to 5.30pm and is operated by Sandra North and Kidzone. For further information, please visit www.kidzones.co.nz or call Sandra on 021 249 3308 or 435 3342.

All children enrolled at a school must, by law, attend the school whenever it is open, unless they are unable to attend due to illness, or special circumstances. Our aim is for our students to attend school everyday.  It is very important to send your child to school regularly.  Frequent absences can negatively affect a child’s progress at school.

If your child is absent from school please contact the school by one of the methods below.  Continued unexplained absences will be followed up by the school. Frequent/regular absences and/or lateness will also be referred to the Ministry of Education Attendance Officer for further follow up.

Website: Report an Absence

Phone: 09-435 0019

Text: 021 0272 4313

Email: office@totaragrove.school.nz

Absences can also be reported via the Skool Loop app. 

Should a child become ill during school hours either you or an approved contact will be notified. 

If you intend to withdraw your child from the school, please inform the school as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to assist the child’s transfer to another school.

We have a breakfast club everyday from 8am – 8:30am.  Whaea Yvonne runs this and all students are most welcome.

Children will only be released from school during school hours when a parent/caregiver signs them out and receives a slip from the school office. 

This is necessary for the health and safety of all children.  

Parents are invited to make individual contact with your child’s teacher at any time through the year should you so wish. We request  that if you want an in depth interview, please make an appointment so that you can be given quality time.  

At Totara Grove School we use Seesaw for Real Time Reporting and Reports which show your child's curriculum level are posted via Seesaw at the end of Terms two and four. Three way conferences are held in Term one and in Term three.

Guidelines

• Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to discuss any concerns that they may have about aspects of their child’s learning or the school generally with teachers and/or the Deputy Principal. 
• The School Board is committed to resolving these concerns at the lowest possible level. 
• It is expected therefore that classroom concerns be raised with the teacher involved. 
• Concerns that are more general are to be discussed with the Deputy Principal. 
• In both these cases concerns should be discussed by way of an appointment.

Please see our School Policies for further infromation.

Our students receive checks and treatment cyclically when the Mobile Dental Caravan is onsite. Please phone the school office for assistance outside this time or ring  0800 698 3384 (0800 MY TEETH).

We have joined the Ministry of Education funding scheme to meet the basic school requirements. This means that we do not request a donation to cover general school fees.  The school also uses provides free stationery for all students.

The school engages with Harrison and Tew to support us with our emergency and evacuation practices to ensure we are up to date with all current best practices in this area.

Please contact the school office to arrange an enrolment appointment. Birth Certificates are required upon enrolment. A child cannot start school until a birth certificate has been sighted. New Entrant children are encouraged to enrol three weeks before their birthday so that they can have pre-entry visits between 9.00am and 1.00pm. Children enrolling from another school need to have their birth certificates. They are able to start school the day following enrolment.

Visit our Enrolments page.

When students are travelling outside the school your permission is required. We will require a one-off signature from you giving permission for any day event through the year. For overnight trips seperate permission will be sought.

We are unable to check children’s hair at school, however we do have products here at school which we can send home with the children. Please contact the office if you require any of these.

Totara Grove School is a signatory to Health Promoting Schools and Fruit in Schools schemes. We endeavour to put in place practices that provide good health, e.g. nutritious lunches, water in classrooms, sun smart practices.

All children are required to have an internet/computer use agreement signed by their parent/caregiver. This is to ensure the correct use of these facilities and tools. We also ask that children have a media release agreement signed by their parent/caregiver. This allows for the publication of their name, photograph or other identifying information in hard copy and digital formats.

At Totara Grove School, we ask that all property is named so that if it is lost it can be returned to its rightful owner.  Lost property is displayed regularly by our caretaker on the fences by our junior and senior areas of the school.

All lunches are provided by the school however if you would like to provide your child’s own lunch please feel free to do so. Children are responsible for bringing their own morning tea.

Please advise the office of any dietary needs or requests. 

Newsletters are available on our website or on our Skool Loop app. If you wish to have a paper copy sent home or have one emailed to you, please let the office know. 

The school is a Vape and Smoke-free zone. There is no smoking/vaping anywhere within the grounds.

Our school has a drop off zone which is our preferred area for you to drop off and pick up your child. The drop off zone is located in Okaihau Place which is off Wairau Road (just past The Totara Cafe.)

A bell goes at 2:55pm for children to assemble at the end of day collection points. Please ensure that your tamariki knows which point to meet at so they can be walked out to meet you.

Collection Points:

After School Care: Hall

Bottom crossing: Wairau Rd crossing/bottom of Corks Rd crossing – Te Kakano deck 

Drop off zone pick up: Kotahitanga deck 

Top crossing: Corks Rd – Stage 

Teachers will remain with the children until the bell goes at 3pm then there will be a walking bus to the appropriate crossing.

Drop off zone rules:

The Angled spaces – These are NOT a parking space – Drivers MUST remain in their cars at all times and wait for their children to come to them.

Children must wait on the deck with their siblings until they see their car and the teachers let them go.

The Corks Rd Carpark is for staff only and will be chained at 9:30 am until 3:30pm.

Children are encouraged for health and safety reasons to not be at school before 8am. Children who are late must report to the office on arrival.

We have joined the Ministry of Education funding scheme to meet basic school requirements. This means that we will provide the stationery our students require free of charge.

We operate a “sunsmart” policy at our school. We require all children to wear hats in Term 1 & 4. If students do not have their hats, children are required to play in the shade. The school also provides sunscreen for children. If children are allergic to any sunscreens the school needs to be informed please.

There are a number of people available to support students, teachers and families in various ways who are attached to the school. The Public Health Nurse (PHN), the Social Worker in Schools (SWIS) and the Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). Please ask at school if you wish to make contact with any of the above.

We also have our own Special Education Needs Coordinator and Learning Support Coordinator. A SENCO/LSC is responsible for special educational needs at school and works with other teachers and families to make sure that students with special educational needs get the right support and help they need at school.

Swimming during summer months is compulsory for all students as this is part of the Ministry of Education health curriculum. Togs and towel are required. 

Parents, Caregivers and all other visitors coming into school between 9.00am and 3.00pm must report to the office first and sign in