Welcome to Marist School, Mt Albert.
This booklet is designed to help you through the school year. We look forward to developing a positive relationship as we work together in partnership to progress your child’s education.
Contents
- Absences, lateness and withdrawals
- Accidents
- Assemblies
- Board of Trustees
- Charter
- Change of address
- Class placement
- Concerns
- Family holidays during term time
- Fostering independence
- Health and safety
- Home learning
- Houses
- Library
- Lost property
- Newsletters
- Office hours
- Parent help
- Parking
- Privacy
- Parent, Teachers and family association (PTFA)
- Reporting
- School fees
- School timetable
- School term dates
- School uniform
- Smokefree environment
- Sports
- Staff
- Staff contact / parent appointments
- Stationery
- Student health and welfare
- Toys / Games / Personal property
- Trips
Special Character
As a Catholic school our Special Character is at the heart of all we do. Gospel values underpin our daily lives.
We value our Christian faith. We deliver a morals based education; our children should clearly understand the difference between right and wrong.
We respect each child’s uniquenes and the special attributes they bring to the school.
Our Charism – Te Wairua O Maria, the Spirit of Mary.
With these words to guide us we strive to be, first and foremost, a person who says ‘Yes” as Mary did.
We strive to live a life true to the Gospel values as Mary did. We encourage each other, support each other, respect each other and most importantly, look to Mary our Mother, in times of adversity.
School Mass
We celebrate a week day school mass each term and parents and families are warmly invited to join us. Children are also invited to contribute items to the St Mary’s foodbank on these occasions.
Liturgies
School liturgies are an important part of our Friday morning assemblies. Parents and families are welcome to join us for these celebrations. We also acknowledge the ‘specialness’ of students and celebrate individual and team successes at these assemblies.
Prayers
Prayer is an essential part of daily school life. Each classroom has a prayer centre as a focus. Classes begin each day in prayer so it is important that all children arrive at school on time so as not to miss, or interrupt, this important start to the day.
Absences, lateness and withdrawals
Regular and punctual attendance is a requirement of the Education Act. If your child is absent, please telephone or email the office (absent@marist.school.nz) to notify us and please send a note of explanation on their return to school. The school is audited on its roll and absences need to be explained to the auditors. All unexplained absences will be followed up by a phone call.
You can also record an absence on our SchoolApp. Please download SchoolAppNZ on your phone or tablet.
Any requests to withdraw a child from school, for any reason, must be sent to the Principal in writing (principal@marist.school.nz). Under the Education Act, only the Principal can grant permission for children to be withdrawn from school. This should be done prior to the time/day of the withdrawal.
Accidents
In the case of serious accidents or head injuries, every effort will be made to contact parents/caregivers immediately. We need to be informed of any changes to your phone number or address. In case of an emergency your child will be taken directly to an A&E.
Friday Assemblies
At 2.15pm fortnightly on Friday afternoons, Celebration Assemblies are held in the Church. These are occasions to come together and celebrate as a Marist School family. Each class takes a turn to lead the prayer and showcase a Gospel story or an aspect of our school life. During the gathering students receive certificates and awards in recognition of academic, sporting or behavioural achievements. Parents and whanau are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Board of Trustees 2024
Presiding Member Amy Smith
Principal Carolynn Phillips
Parent representatives
- Kris Baker
- Margaret Joiner
- Masha Nair
- Michelle Plant
- Silao Taulu
Proprietor’s representatives
- Achala Perera
- Ramona Southern
- Amy Smith
- Robert O’Connor
Staff representative Brya Lister
Charter
The School Charter and Strategic Plan is revised annually, approved by the Board of Trustees, and forwarded to the Ministry of Education. Copies of the Charter are available for perusal from the School Office.
Change of address
It is extremely important that parents can be contacted in an emergency. Please ensure that the school always has up-to-date home and emergency phone numbers.
Class placements
Children are placed in classes according to a wide range of criteria including age, previous placements, and their learning needs. Class placements are at the discretion of the Principal in consultation with teachers.
In our school composite classes are used as we feel they enable us a greater number of options to ensure the best possible placement for your child. The combination of the composites may vary from year to year according to the numbers at each level. Children will be taught at their level and are not disadvantaged from working in a composite.
In any one class students may be working at a range of levels, both in the different learning areas, and within a single learning area. They will work at their own rate while being encouraged to strive for higher goals.
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, Ministry of Education.
Concerns
If you have a concern, a worry or a problem, please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance. Most problems are easily sorted out if they are dealt with early.
Family holidays during term time
Family holidays during term time are discouraged by the Principal and Board of Marist School, due to the disruption to learning and teaching when long absences occur. However, if the family wishes to remove a child during term time, they are asked to write a letter (or email) to the Principal communicating their intentions at least 5 days before the intended absence.
Fostering independence
We value the partnership we have with parents and welcome the opportunities we have to help children become confident and indepedent learners. We know that:
- Children are capable of looking after their own belongings, getting themselves ready for the classroom day, hanging up their own bags and tidying up after themselves. Children need to be expected to and allowed to, do these things.
- Making mistakes is an essential part of learning.
- Children have different strengths and skills.
- We are loved for what we are, not for what we can do.
- Being successful meand doing our very best, not being better than others.
Health and Safety
All visitors and contractors are required to sign in and out at the office. All parents on-site between 9:00am and 3:00pm must sign in and out at the office. This is a requirement under the Health and safety in the Work place Act.
Home learning
We believe that home learning must be relevant to the classroom programme and appropriate to the class level. Home learning can be a major cause of stress for families. Busy parents need quality interactions with their children, not arguments about homework. To this end we endeavour to set regular, manageable home learning that can mostly be completed by the student. Home learning should:
- develop study habits and organisational skills
- encourage a positive and responsible learning attitude
- develop independence in children’s learning
- provide opportunities for participation and sharing with parents/caregivers
- reinforce learning already covered in the classrooms
Home learning will usually involve daily reading, the learning of basic mathematics facts, spelling words, Religious Education activities, and for Years 5 & 6 completing or reinforcing learning from class.
Parents are encouraged to support home learning activities, but we do not expect you to ‘do the home learning’. This does not foster independence. Teachers will follow up on students who are not completing the required tasks.
Houses
The school has four Houses. These are used for classroom and school based activities and for sports day competitions. The Houses are:
Austin (yellow), Bernard (green), Chavoin (red) and Pompallier (blue). The four Houses are named after men and women important to our Marist history.
Children are allocated a House upon enrolment and given a House badge. They are part of this House for the duration of their time at Marist. Families are in the same Houses.
Knowledge Nest
Each class visits the school library every week and children have the opportunity to choose books to bring home for a week. New books cannot be issued unless the previous ones have been checked back in. Families will be asked to replace lost or damaged books. Every child needs a book bag for their library books.
Lost Property
Please ensure your child’s clothing is named. In the event that items of school uniform have been misplaced, students are encouraged to look in the lost property box located in the school office.
Newsletters
School newsletters are emailed out to your nominated email address and can be viewed on the school website.
Office hours
Mrs Denise Da Costa-Sampson works as the office manager along with her assistants Mrs Bethany Lockie and Mrs Carla Smith. Their hours are 8.30am – 3.30pm.
Parent Help
We welcome and encourage parents to become involved in the life of the school. There are many opportunities, such as:
- Helping in the classrooms as the need arises
- Helping on school trips and events
- Supporting school functions, both social and educational
- Coaching sports teams
- Helping process and repair resources and books
- Joining the PTFA
Parking
We expect all parents to model the correct road safety procedures. Pick-up and drop-off times are busy and we would ask that You help keep all our children safe by obeying all no parking signs and road markings and displaying road courtesy to each other.
Privacy
Marist upholds the requirements of the Privacy Act and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that all information is treated in confidence and only used for the purpose for which it is intended. To this end, we are unable to release contact details of other parents or children, or use images/ photos of students without permission.
We request that while parents are in the classroom they refrain from:
- Looking at books or work belonging to other students, unless it is on display
- Looking at or accessing materials or information held on a teachers’ desk.
We also ask that parents who take photos or video footage at school events exercise caution with the distribution of these images especially through websites such as Facebook or Youtube.
Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA)
This group of people have a focus on creating opportunities to enhance the Marist School family and to support the school through fundraising for extra resources. Meetings are held monthly in the school staffroom and you are warmly invited to come along.
Reporting
Parent / Teacher /Student conferences are held in term 1.
Parent / Teacher conferences are held in term 2 to discuss academic progress, your child’s learning goals and what you can do at home to help and support their learning.
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School Term Dates 2024
Term 1 Thursday 1st February Friday 12th April
Term 2 Wednesday 29th April Friday 5th July
Term 3 Monday 22nd July Friday 27th Sept
Term 4 Monday 14th October Friday 13th December
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School Fees 2023
Attendance Dues $516 (i.e. $129.00 per term)
Special Character Contribution $60 (i.e. $15.00 per term)
Board of Trustees Contribution $TBC
Activities/School Trip Contribution $TBC
Religious Education Fee $10.00
Stationery costs will vary depending on year level.
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School timetable
9.00am School commences
3.00pm Finish of school
Staff are on playground duty during playtime and lunchtime. Please note there is no formal supervision of children outside of the 8.30am-3.15 time frame, therefore it is very important that children are dropped off and picked up at times as close as possible to the bell time. Children, not picked up directly from the classroom, will wait on the Kitenui Avenue side of the school. An 8.30 bell signals that classrooms are open and children may hang up their bags and get prepared for their day. During school hours children are not permitted to leave the school grounds unless accompanied by a parent.
School uniform
The wearing of our school uniform is compulsory. Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly and indelibly named.
Summer
Girls School dress, school jersey, school sunhat, black sandals.
Boys Short sleeved blue cotton shirt, navy all-seasons shorts, school jersey, school sunhat, black sandals.
Winter
Girls School tunic, long sleeved blue blouse, school jersey, black school shoes, black tights or white ankle socks.
Boys Long sleeved blue shirt, navy all-seasons shorts, school jersey, black school shoes, knee high navy socks.
Sports uniform
Girls & Boys – School sports shirt, school sports sweatshirt, school sports shorts.
If your child is wearing incorrect uniform for a day or two, a note must be brought to the class teacher. Any long term problems need to be discussed with the Teacher or Principal.
Watches and simple pierced earring studs are acceptable but no other jewellery may be worn. Nail polish may not be worn. Hair accessories should be simple and match the uniform ie, black, blue or white.
Our school uniform is seen as an important part of our school culture and students are expected to wear the correct uniform at all times including when they arrive and leave school each day. Please support us in this.
Smoke Free Environment
Under the Smoke Free Environments Act, Marist School is smoke free at all times. Smoking is not permitted in or around school buildings or in any part of the grounds, at any time.
Sports
The school holds its own competition in cross country and athletics. The school also participates in the local zone competitions. Teams are generally selected from the senior school for the following sports:
- swimming
- rippa rugby
- touch
- cross country
- rugby
- netball
- soccer
- cricket
- softball
- athletics
- gymnastics
- hockey
Staff 2024
Leadership team
Carolynn Phillips Principal
Jo-anne Suelto Deputy Principal
Janet Lulich Assistant Principal
Marie Walker Director of Religious Studies
Teachers
Christine Allen
Marisca Britz
Simon Collins
Deborah Esther
Erica Gracias
Vicki Hartstronge
Amy Hayward
Dot Howard-Smith
Erena Kolodzinki
Catherine Lal
Brya Lister
Shauna McGlinchey
Niamh McKiernan
Anne MacLeod
Anne Politini
Nicola Richardson
Marie Walker
Rosemary Young
Office staff
Denise Da Costa-Sampson
Bethany Lockie
Carla Smith
Teacher Aides
Sophie Douglas
Catriona Kelly
Caoimhe McLaughlin
Amanda Olliver
Kirsten Wolfgramm
Maintenance/Groundsman
Rex Woodward
Staff contact / Parent appointments
The Staff are more than happy to assist you in any way possible. If you would like to arrange an appointment with your child’s class teacher, either speak to the teacher persoanlly to make an appointment or leave a message at the school office. Teachers are often unable to talk with you during interval and lunchtimes, so when you leave a message, please include an after hours contact.
Stationery
Replacement stationery items are available from the school office.
Student Health and Welfare
Our Public Health nurse visits the school on request to monitor our students’ health.
Medication
When students need to be on medication the class teacher should be informed. Parents whose children are required to take medication during school hours are required to inform the office staff who will ask you to sign a consent form. All medical supplies will be kept in a secure place.
Healthy food
Quality food enhances your child’s learning potential. For this reason we discourage sweets, fizzy drinks and highly coloured and flavoured snack foods at school. Please ensure that your child has adequate food and drink each day.
Sun smart
Children must wear a school hat at all times they are outside during terms 1 and 4. This includes coming to and from school. Children without a hat will be required to stay in the shade areas during breaks and will be unable to participate in outside activities.
Nits
Nits are an ongoing problem in all schools. For this reason we ask that all students ( girls and boys) with hair below shoulder length have it tied back. This helps prevent the spread of nits between children. If there is a concern about nits in a particular room(s) then you will be notified. We ask that you treat your child(ren) as soon as possible and ask that you do not send your child(ren) back to school until this has been done.
Toys/Games/Personal property
We prefer children to keep toys and other items of value at home. The BOT and staff accept no responsibility in the case of loss or damage to valuables or articles brought to school.
Children are discouraged from bringing cellphones to school. If there are circumstances that require one to be brought to school the cellphone must be handed into the office before school and collected at the end of the day.
Trips
In order to enrich the teaching programme and enhance learning, teachers plan visits to places of interest outside the school. A letter outlining the trip will be sent prior to the event and all out of school visits have an educational objective related to the curriculum.
