Although every reasonable precaution is exercised, accidents do happen. Minor ones receive first-aid treatment from the teacher on duty. In all cases of head injury, suspected bone injury, bad cuts, etc. the parent is notified immediately for the necessary medical attention to be sought. All accidents at the school are investigated, recorded and if serious enough, reported to the Board of Trustees. Children are not sent home unless their parents have been informed, and must be accompanied before leaving the school.

If your child does arrive home during lunch time or school time, and you have not had any communication from us, please contact the school immediately.

In order to keep our Emergency File up to date, please notify the school of any change of alternative contact, (for when a parent is not at home) and change of doctor.

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There is an after school programme run by the Neighbourhood Trust onsite that you can book your children into. There is also a before school programme held at Mairehau Primary School. Some of our children attend this and are walked down to school at 8.30am.

For more information please phone: (03) 355 6522

Assemblies are held every second Friday at 2.15pm. They will advertised on the school calendar also available on this website. Sometimes we need to make changes to the time and dates of assemblies – so it does pay to check the calendar.

Children are expected to regularly attend school. Caregivers are obliged by law to ensure their children maintain regular attendance. Each morning and afternoon teachers complete their class register electronically. If a student is absent from school for any reason, the teacher must enter a code. These absences fall under two main categories  ‘explained’ and ‘unexplained’.

It is the responsibility of parents to contact the school to explain why their child is absent. Use the school app  or phone 595 0730 before 9.00am to explain the child’s whereabouts or send a note via the class teacher. If an explanation is not received the office staff will attempt to contact parents to seek an explanation. These follow-ups do have a significant impact on our admin time so we really appreciate all parents ensuring that they have contacted the school if their child is going to be away. Please note that according to the Ministry of Education criteria, any absences due to travelling on family holidays during term time are treated as unjustified absences.

These absences need to be put in writing or email to principal@stfrancischch.school.nz

Attendance Dues are not a donation.  They are used for capital costs, such as new classrooms and insurance, to which the Government does not contribute.  When you enrol your child at a Catholic school and sign the Preference Certificate, you “agree to pay the Attendance Dues, in full, on or before the due date, or to contact the parish Priest to enter into an agreement for payment.” All Attendance Dues collected by the Parish are paid on to the Diocese.

Special Character Contributions  help fund the provision of Catholic Special Character within the school.  This contribution is tax deductible.  A receipt for this can be obtained from the parish office.

2021
Attendance Dues:  $362 incl gst per child per year ($90.50 per term)
Special Character:   $50 per child per year ($12.50 per term)

Total per year           $412.00 per child (4 Terms)
Total per Term         $103.00 per child

Letter from Bp Paul re: 2021 Attendance Dues Primary 2021

Attendance Dues & Special Character are paid to the Parish office NOT to the School.
Payment is expected each Term, or you may choose to pay for the whole year at once.  To help with budgeting, we give the option of paying weekly, fortnightly or monthly. We rely on parents to pay –  if they do not pay, the parish has to pay the Diocese on their behalf.

The Parish sends out invoices each Term. It is preferred that you pay by automatic payment. (The Bank account number is on invoice/ statement).

We strongly encourage children to arrive at school about 8.30am to prepare for the days learning. This gives them time to get organised for the day, catch up with their classmates and be ready for our 8.55am start.

Children left waiting for parents after 3.15pm must be within the school gates. We do not allow students to wait out on Innes Rd or Kensington Ave for parents after 3.15pm. This is for your child’s safety so please support us by not asking your children to wait for you at either of these places.

9:00 am Learning Block 1

10:25 am Morning tea (Play)

10:45 am Morning Tea (Eat)

11:00 am Learning Block 2

12:30 pm- Lunch (Play)

1:00 pm Lunch (Eat)

1:15 pm Learning Block 3

3:00 pm School ends

Hub Blogs

Each Hub has a  blog which is updated on a weekly basis. Blogs provide updates to parents and share and celebrate some of the class learning. Class blogs can be accessed via the blog link on the school website or via the St Francis of Assisi school app on mobile devices. Feel free to add a comment to the class blogs if you wish. Comments are always moderated by a teacher before they will be published on the blog so it may take a couple of days before your comment appears.

Activity Blogs

All school wide blogs can now be found on the website under the heading Our Learning. Get on check them out, and don’t forget to follow by email on those that you would like to receive updates on.

Below is a list of addresses for these blogs:

Code Club http://codeclubstfrancischch.blogspot.co.nz/

The Arts http://theartsstfrancischch.blogspot.co.nz/

Lit Club http://stfrancischchlitclub.blogspot.co.nz/

Kapa Haka http://kapahakastfrancischch.blogspot.co.nz/

Sport http://sportsstfrancischch.blogspot.com/

St Francis of Assisi School’s Choir is made up of Year 4-8 students. They practise weekly throughout the year to perfect their singing for performances at the Christchurch School’s Music Festival, Open Days, Community events and school Assemblies. Using a mixture of contemporary music and more traditional pieces the students greatly enjoy performing to various audiences. The school Choir is a great opportunity to stretch and extend those children who display an interest in music.

We have a culture of open communication at St Francis of Assisi Catholic School. We aim to inform parents of all upcoming events and school projects through our website, class blogs, email and newsletters. Newsletters are posted on the website on Fridays. If you do not have access to this you can come to the office and we can print this for you.

Newsletters can be accessed here.

Class teachers will also post any notices on the Hub Blogs. You can follow the blog by entering your email address in the “Follow by email” section. Teachers will email as well if there is an important message that needs to go out.

Parents and teachers have the same goal – the best possible education for the children.

Parents are most welcome to discuss any concern they have about their child’s progress with the class teacher firstly, then the team leader by appointment. If a parent or caregiver feels that they have not been listened to or that their concern has not been addressed then they are most welcome to make a time to meet with the principal or one of the Senior Leadership team (SLT). The SLT is made up of the Principal, Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal. You can make contact with them by making an appointment at the office.

All complaints must be referred to the class teacher concerned, then on to the appropriate team leader. If not resolved, then contact the principal SLT or a member of the who will take any necessary action. Parents and teachers have the same goal – the best possible education for the children.

For further details on concerns or complaints please visit our schooldocs site to read the following policies.

Complaints

Guidelines for Informal Complaints

Formal Complaints

Student Information Sharing Consent

This form needs to be complete for each child upon enrolment.

EOTC Blanket Consent – must be completed at the beginning of each year. You can read more about EOTC on this link.

At this school, parents complete a blanket permission form at enrolment or at the start of each year, which covers almost all lower risk activities and some higher risk activities as outlined on this link. However, we notify parents about certain activities as outlined in our policy.

Digital Technologies Guidelines

Year 1-4

Year 5-8 Digital Technologies Consent Form

This information can be found on our website under the Digital Technologies @ St Francis tab. Read through these Guidelines and discuss them with your child. If you have more than one child, please submit the form for each child. This form needs to be completed on entry into Year 5 (or enrolment in Yr 6/7/8).

Phone: (03) 5950730

Email: admin@stfrancischch.school.nz

All staff emails are firstname.lastname@stfrancischch.school.nz These can be accessed on the staff page of our website.

E-Learning (the use of electronic educational technology in teaching and learning) is incorporated into day to day learning in the classroom at all year levels. To ensure that all students exercise safe and responsible use of the internet, St Francis of Assisi School has Student Cyber-safety Guidelines in place. These guidelines are discussed in the classroom, however it is essential that parents/caregivers go through these with their child/children regularly.

Your children need permission to access the internet at St Francis.

Parents are urged to ensure that children are not only proficient cyclists but that they also have an adequate understanding of basic road rules before allowing them to ride to school. Children below Year 4 are not encouraged to cycle to school for this reason. It is compulsory for all children to wear an approved type helmet when cycling to and from school. It is recommended that all bicycles left at school be locked as we cannot be responsible for stolen cycles.

Requests for contributions towards the school donation and curriculum associated activities are forwarded to parents/caregivers at the beginning of each term.

The school donation is $100.00 per year ($25 each term) for up to two children. Please be aware that this is a donation and therefore parents are not obligated to pay. School donations however, are an important component in the school’s fundraising and without them we would not be able to provide the same level of learning support and high standard of teaching programmes.

In case of emergency (illness or accident) we will telephone you or the emergency number you have given us.  Minor accidents can be dealt with by the school staff.  If we feel it is necessary, we will phone an ambulance to take your child to the hospital and also get hold of you to inform you of this.

Please keep us updated with your contact numbers if and when they change on admin@stfrancischch.school.nz

Enrolment Policy can be found on this link.

Children have their hearing and vision tested at 4yrs as part of the B4 School check. If your child has not previously had a hearing or vision screening check, they will be tested during their first year at school.

If there are any further concerns about your child’s eyesight, please arrange an appointment with an optometrist / eye specialist.

The school day is only one part of your child’s education.  There are many ways you can help at home:

• At school, we encourage children to learn to self manage , make decisions and develop responsibility for their own learning.  You can encourage this by   giving them responsibilities at home.
• Praise your child’s efforts and value things they bring home.
• If writing things for your child to read, use clear printing similar to the style used at school.  Use capital letters only for the beginning of a name or sentence.
• Play lots of games with numbers and words.
• Read lots of stories and encourage reading and writing.
• Set a limit on TV time and encourage your child to be selective in their TV watching.
• Make sure you child has adequate sleep.
• Recognise that different children progress at different rates.
• Be positive about school – your attitude affects your child.

Most importantly, please keep in touch with your child’s teacher – communication between home and school is most important.

Lost property is an on going problem.

Please name all articles of clothing, footwear and swimwear. Unnamed lost property is collected and kept in a container in our First Aid Room. At the end of each term lost property is displayed outside the library.

Any uncollected uniform items are washed and put into the second hand uniform sale.

Lunch Online

Children may buy their lunch on a Friday. Lunches are provided by Pita Pit and Subway and can be ordered online. You will need to create an account using this link.

We encourage all children to take their lunch rubbish home with them. This keeps litter on the school grounds to a minimum and also helps parents monitor their child(ren)’s eating habits.

To keep parents informed about school activities, meetings and other functions, a weekly newsletter is posted on our website every Friday afternoon and is sent via email where possible. If you are registered on our school app you will receive a text as soon as the newsletter has been posted. The newsletter keeps you informed of coming events, school policy changes and matters concerning the everyday running of the school.

Please read newsletters carefully and let us know if there is any other information you require.

Newsletters can be accessed on this link.

Parish Website

Sunday Mass Times:

Saturday Vigil 5:30pm

Sunday: 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am (Choral Mass), 4:30pm, 6:00pm.

Mass at Te Rangimarie Centre 11am Sunday

Weekday Mass Times:

Monday to Friday: 7:30am, 9:15am, 12:05pm (preceded by Reconciliation at 11:30am)

Saturday: 9:15am followed by Reconciliation

Fr Simo Eccleton

Cathedral Administrator
frsimon@cathedralparish.nz
Phone: 03 377 5610

Colleen Carr

Parish Secretary
office@cathedralparish.nz
Phone: 03 379 1068

This is a movement-based programme that concentrates on the development of perception and language through a series of planned activities. The objective of the PMP programme is to improve a number of skills such as language, concentration, concepts of print, social skills, behaviour and motor skills.

Children are assessed as to whether this programme will be beneficial for them and if so you will be contacted by our SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) Maire Bowler.

If you have any questions about this programme you can contact our SENCO on rebecca.methven@stfrancischch.school.nz

Pick up and drop off:

Please park on the street at all times. The Parish carpark in front and behind the church is for parish use only.

There are three ways to enter the school on foot:

1. Main gate between the presbytery and the church
2. Kensington Ave has an alleyway into the school which enters at the back of the field
3. Nancy Ave has a gate onto the back of the field.

• Teachers are on duty at the Innes Rd and Kensington Ave gates between 2. 55 and 3.15 pm. Children are to wait inside the school grounds if parents are delayed.

St Francis of Assisi Catholic School uses SchoolDocs to maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date, set of policies and procedures. These policies and procedures follow  guidelines and legislation and best practice, and have been tailored for our school. For more information about SchoolDocs, see schooldocs.co.nz.

The principal, board of trustees, and members of our school community all have access to SchoolDocs. This section highlights information of particular interest to parents and whanāu. (SchoolDocs uses the term “parents” to refer to parents and caregivers. Sometimes, whānau is also used.)

You can access the St Francis Schooldocs site on this link https://stfrancischch.schooldocs.co.nz

Username: stfrancischch  Password: assisi

“Copyright: Except where stated, the content on this site is the copyright of SchoolDocs Ltd. It may not be reproduced without written permission from SchoolDocs Ltd.”

You can use the quick links to find information, or use Search to find information on the site.

Quick Policy Links for Parents

At St Francis of Assisi Catholic School our behaviour management procedures are based around Restorative Justice principles. We manage inappropriate behaviour, based on Gospel values and discipline processes that are just, reasonable, respectful and consistent.

Behaviour Management (Restorative Justice)

From time to time small conflicts arise between children in the playground.

Conflict is a normal part of life and learning to deal with it helps children master the social skills they will need as adults. Bullying is not normal. In fact, there are some distinct differences between bullying and peer conflict. Being able to identify these differences helps us know how to respond.

Conflict

There are a number of ways to identify peer conflict. First, when a conflict occurs, both people involved have equal power in the relationship. And while both people are emotional and upset neither one is seeking power or attention. They just happen to disagree.

Also, when people experience conflict they likely will feel remorse and take responsibility for what they did wrong. They just want to solve the problem so that they can start having fun again. Lastly, conflict happens occasionally and is usually not serious or emotionally damaging to either person.

Bullying

There are a number of ways that children can be hurtful to one another but not all of it is bullying. Sometimes it is simply unkind behaviour. The best way to identify bullying is to realise that it is a deliberate act with the intention to hurt, insult or threaten another person.

There’s also an imbalance of power in the situation. Bullies usually exert control over other people either by intimidating them, insulting them or threatening them. Bullying also is repeated and purposeful and poses a threat of serious emotional or physical harm.

Typically, when bullying occurs, there is very little emotional reaction from the bully but the target is usually visibly upset. Additionally, bullies may even get satisfaction from hurting people because it gains attention.

Lastly, there is usually no remorse from the bully and no attempt to resolve anything. Bullies are not interested in having a relationship with the intended target.

How do we deal with this at our school?

At St Francis of Assisi Catholic School our behaviour management procedures are based around Restorative Justice principles. We manage inappropriate behaviour, based on Gospel values and discipline processes that are just, reasonable, respectful and consistent.

Restorative justice demands that we think about what happens to the victim, and how the victim’s needs might be met. It also requires us to consider the other stakeholders in the event and what their needs might be.

Our Year 7/8 children will be trained as peer mediators and this is the first step (and often the last step) for our children when things go wrong in the playground. Our peer mediators will wear Hi Viz jackets and wander around the playground during the breaks – making themselves available to the children who need help sorting small issues. The mediators facilitate a discussion and usually all parties agree to move forward positively.

Occasionally the children need adult help to restore the relationships that have been broken – in this case the peer mediators would find the duty teacher who would then take over facilitating the discussion.

When a teacher is helping facilitate the discussion we call this a mini-chat. The teacher will ensure that both sides of the story are listened to and will then ask both parties what needs to be done to restore the relationship. If this is a one off, this will possibly be all that needs to happen, the teacher on duty will ensure that the classroom teacher knows there has been a chat.

The Restorative Chat:

Teachers and students engage in restorative conversations both as prevention and as an early intervention for relatively low-level classroom or playground disruption. This approach models calm, respectful dialogue and makes use of established language such as :

What is happening?

What were you thinking?

Who do you think is being affected?

How do you think they are affected?

What do you need to put it right?

If, in order to restore the relationship, a consequence is required, this will be negotiated by all of the stakeholders and will be appropriate to the harm done and the needs of the children concerned.

If the problem is recurring parents will be informed and involved so that they can support us from home.

We encourage students to take responsibility for their own behaviour by making appropriate choices and learning from their mistakes and reconciliation is the aim of all conflict resolution.

Why use Restorative Practices at St Francis of Assisi Catholic School?

• Restorative Justice is based on gospel values and has reconciliation at its core.

• It creates better relationships with young people and teaches our young people the importance of restoring relationships.

• It promotes greater engagement in learning.

• It creates greater development of important social and emotional competence in learners.

A good Catholic school, over and above all, should help all its students to become saints.

Pope Benedict XV1

Our students operate the crossing on Innes Road pedestrian crossing each morning from 8.30am to 8.50am and from 3.00pm to 3.15pm.

Parents and friends of the school are rostered on in the mornings to supervise this crossing. If you would like to help with this please contact

The crossing is supervised by Teaching Staff in the afternoons.

Parents are not allowed to park in the Parish car park. Parents are asked to observe rules relating to double parking and yellow lines as it makes visibility difficult for patrollers.  We ask that you support us in our bid to keep to keep your children safe by observing these rules.

The Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003, requires that the buildings and grounds of schools and early childhood centres are Smoke Free at all times.

Our School has a character, a special character, a Catholic character.

“ First and Foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming   love and truth”       Pope Benedict XVI

At St Francis of Assisi Catholic School our students are offered a wide range of sporting opportunities.

You can read about what is on offer on our sports blog.

We are a sun smart accredited school! As part of the requirements in our Sunsafe Policy, sun hats are to be worn in Terms 1 and 4. These are required to be large brimmed or legionnaire hats.

Information about Sun Smart Schools

Years 7 and 8 pupils attend classes at Te Waka Unua once a week. This allows them to develop skills in Technology, Woodcraft, Metal craft, Home craft and Clothing. Pupils attend on Monday afternoons from 1pm – 3pm.

Click here to find out about our School Uniform. You can purchase uniform at or order online from Mainland Uniforms or order online from Mainland Uniforms . You can also purchase from Susan Ross Uniforms in Rutland street and The Warehouse has some pieces of the boys uniform also.