INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

ABSENCES

If your child is going to be absent from school please advise the school of this no later than 9.30am by phoning the office on 276 4689 or emailing office@meps.school.nz. If your child is, absent for more than 3 days and you have not let us know, your child will be marked as Truant. This information is monitored by the Ministry of Education and a Truancy officer may come to your home.

ARRIVING LATE/LEAVING EARLY

School starts at 9.00am. If your child arrives at school late but before 9.10am, they should go straight to class. If they arrive after 9.15am, they must go to the office to get a late pass to present to the classroom teacher.

If you are taking your child out of school early for any reason, please go to the office first and sign them out. You will be given an early pass to give to the teacher.

ASSEMBLY

We hold full school assemblies in the school hall twice a term. This is advertised in the school newsletters and on the community notice board at the front of the school on Yates Road. There are also regular team assemblies, which you will be notified of by each team (watch your team notices). Children often perform some of their wonderful items at these assemblies.

BANK DETAILS

Name: Mangere East Primary School

Bank: ASB

Account No: 12-3079-0198833-00

CARS IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS

Parents are asked not to drive their cars down the driveway between 8.30 am and 9.15am and 2.45pm and 3.20pm. This is to ensure children are kept safe.

CLEAN GREEN TEAM - ENVIRONMENTAL WARRIORS

We have an environmental team, which your child can join. This team meets regularly and gets involved in keeping the school clean and tidy. They also learn many new gardening skills. They often look after school gardens, grow vegetables, and attend courses at the Auckland Botanic Gardens to upgrade their skills.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please contact the school office on 09 2764689 immediately if you or the emergency contacts for your child have any change of contact phone numbers (home, work, mobile) or physical address. It is important to keep our contact database current in case we need to contact you urgently regarding your child.

DATES 2023


DENTAL TREATMENT

You will be sent an appointment time when your child is due to have their teeth checked. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s teeth please call the Buckland Road Dental Clinic on 09 275 9200.

HEALTH

We have the services of public health nurses who are based on site next to the administration offices. If you have any concerns, you may contact the office and they will arrange for the nurse to contact you.

LEAVING THE GROUNDS

We do not allow children the leave the grounds during breaks unless there is a special circumstance. Children may only leave the grounds if we have a note from parents or parents phone the office. Children must be signed out by an adult at the school office.

LIBRARY

We have a fully equipped modern Library/Information Centre, which the children visit on a rostered basis with their classroom teacher. There is a wide range of books available at all levels from age 5 upwards. We encourage our students to read these books, and these books may be borrowed and kept in the classes at school. Teachers also borrow books as class sets for use in the class library corners. The Library is open before school from 8.30am and is open at break times.

There is also a large selection of activities available in the library including puzzles, games and the use of computers for either research or educational games. We employ a full time Teacher Aide Librarian who is always available to assist students. At break times, all these resources can be used along with the use of the television area of the library where movies and educational documentaries can be viewed.

LOST PROPERTY

Each day the grounds are checked for items of clothing. In the last week of term all lost items are put out on the seats for classes to look through them. If the clothing is not claimed, it is sent to the Salvation Army or another needy organization. Please name children’s clothing, especially jerseys, shoes and gumboots, as this makes it easier to identify and return. Please contact the office for lost property during school term.

LUNCH ROOM

The school has a tuck shop available for students to buy their lunches. This is run alongside our healthy eating scheme. Lunches can be ordered before school and are delivered to students at lunchtime.

MEDICATION

If your child has medication, they need to take during the day, please drop this at the office where it will be kept in a locked cupboard.

MONITORS

There is a variety of opportunities for the senior students to apply to be a monitor in the school community. We have Road Patrol, Fruit, Office, Library, Lunch and Class monitors. All these monitors take on a big responsibility when they are chosen for one of these roles. Each monitor is trained in the role and the duties it holds. Our students take these responsibilities very seriously and fulfil these roles with great pride.

MUSIC

Catherine Magallon is our Music Teacher. Most classes have a session with her each week. She also takes the School Band. Some years we have a school choir.
We also have a Kapa Haka group.

NEWSLETTERS

Weekly school newsletters are sent home with the eldest or only child in each family. Individual class notices let parents know about class trips and special class happenings. Team newsletters go home at the beginning of each term.

PARENT HELPERS

There are many school activities, which are only possible because of the tremendous support given by parents of our students. People help with day trips, mending books, making equipment, working bees and fundraising activities. If you are able to help with any of these kinds of things, or anything else we have not listed, we would like to hear from you!

PARENT REPORTING

We report formally to parents twice a year. WE also have a ‘Meet-the-Teacher’ afternoon and have Open mornings and afternoons. Outside these occasions, we welcome parents to come along to school to discuss any problems you may have. If you have any concern please telephone or see the teacher before or after school. Likewise, if we have any concerns we will get in contact with you.

PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF CHILDREN

Parents must drop off their child/children in the morning no earlier than 8.00am. Please note there is no outside supervision until 8.30am. Parents are required to pick up their child/children after school no later than 3.15pm.

A school procedure is in place as follows:

• Children are expected to go straight home after school. Children will not be kept in after school unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case parents will be advised in advance.

• Any child who has been picked up by 3.10pm will be collected by a staff member and taken to the school office where parents/caregivers can collect them.

• The Board of Trustees expects parents/caregivers who are running late to phone the school and advise the time of their arrival. Many young children are very upset when they are not picked up on time.

• After 3.15pm, office staff will be trying to make phone contact with the parents/emergency contacts of the children who are still at school.

• If a child is still at school at 4.00pm and we have not heard from or have been unable to contact the parents or emergency family contacts, we will then call the Police to collect your child and the authorities will then resolve this matter.

RADIO STATION

Mangere East Primary School has its own Radio Station called 107.1 MEPS FM. It is looked after by a large crew of DJ’s who are trained and organized by Mr. Andrew Bell. This is a wonderful confidence-building opportunity for these students and gives them experience with oral language and public speaking, amongst other things. The local community can tune in to 107.1 MEPS FM, as it is available within 5km of our school.

READING AT HOME

Reading books are sent home regularly for children to practice on their own. We encourage you to read and discuss these books with your child. Tell them how well they read, be positive and praise a good try. We want this to be a positive experience for both parent and child.

SICK BAY

We have a well-stocked sick bay where we care for minor injuries and children who fall ill during the day. Our office staff are qualified first aiders and will look after your children to the best of their ability, however parents will be called to collect children if it is felt necessary. It is therefore extremely important that we have correct contact details for you and your emergency contacts.

STATIONERY

Stationery can be purchased daily from the school office between 8.30am and 9.00am or during morning tea interval between 11.00am and 11.40am.

At the beginning of the year, stationery packs are sold for each year level. Your child will be given a stationery list by the classroom teacher during the first two days of the school year. The stationery packs are sold at the office. We have Eftpos available in our school office.

SPORTS

As well as regular weekly class or syndicate sports, the school also holds sports exchanges with other schools.

Many of our classes have Jump Jam programmes they enjoy with their teacher, many of whom have attended Jump Jam training courses.

We regularly attend a variety of interschool competitions in rugby, league, netball, soccer, hockey, swimming, athletics, and cross-country. If your child has made it into one of the travelling teams, a notice will come home. The school supplies these teams with a sports uniform for the competition – these are returned to school and are not kept by the student.

Our school has a swimming pool and in Terms 1 and 4 (weather permitting) we have rostered classroom swimming. It is important that your child bring a towel and togs to school on the days they have swimming.

We also participate in the John Walker Field of Dreams community-swimming programme, which is for Year 3-6 students. This is fully funded and the children attend 8 regular swimming lessons in one of our Manukau pools. A notice of times and dates will come home with your child.

UNIFORM

The school has a school uniform. These are available for purchase at NZ Uniforms, which is located at 28E Lambie Drive, Manukau. The new uniform will be able to be purchased at school at least twice a year, summer and winter uniforms. Dates / times will be advertised in the school newsletter or on the school website: www.meps.school.nz.

VALUABLE ITEMS

Please do not let your child bring valuable items to school. We cannot be responsible for them. The safest way is to leave valuable toys, watches etc. at home.

VISION AND HEARING TESTS

These are carried out on students who were identified in their Preschool Health Checks or on those children referred. If you are concerned about your child’s vision or hearing, please speak to their teacher.