Starting School

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Starting School is an exciting time and an important step in your child’s and your family’s life. At New Windsor School we provide children with many new experiences as well as building on their prior experiences from early childhood and family life. At the new entrant level, developing confidence, independence, and social skills are as important as developing academic skills.

Enrolment Procedures

We encourage whanau (family) or caregivers to contact the school as early as possible prior to their child’s fifth birthday – at least six weeks in advance is advisable. We would love to give you a guided tour of the school and encourage whanau to make an appointment through the office.

When you come in to enrol your child, you will be given enrolment forms to complete, and the office staff will be able to assist you with this and answer your questions. We are required to take a copy of your child’s New Zealand birth certificate or New Zealand passport and an immunisation certificate from a doctor. If your child was born overseas, we will require a copy of their current Student Visa or Residency Permit.

For some children and whanau, a longer transition to school is beneficial. If you wish to enrol a child with any additional needs, we recommend you make contact at an earlier time – even up to six months or a year prior to your child starting. This way we can work together to make starting school a positive transition for your child.

School Visits

Visiting school before your child starts helps them to know what to expect and to become familiar with the school environment. We encourage at least two morning visits or three visits if you wish. Please come to the office on your visit by 8:55am and we will show you to the classroom. We would prefer you to make alternative arrangements for preschoolers during these visits.

Staying with your child for some of the visit helps you to get to know what school is like so you can talk about it with your child later. Depending on how settled your child is, it may be helpful to leave them alone in the classroom at some stage of the visit – you and your child’s teacher can decide when is the best time for you to leave the classroom. Please do not leave the school grounds during this time.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Phonderly Siohane (Deputy Principal) on: psiohane@newwindsor.school.nz

Starting School – The First Day

Come to the school office to complete the enrolment procedures before going to the classroom. Then, we will show you to the classroom where the class teacher will welcome you.

The school day starts at 8:55am. It is a good idea to be at school by 8:45am to allow time for your child to prepare for the day and to socialise with the class teacher and their friends.

School finishes at 3:00pm and we ask all whanau of New Entrant children to collect their child from the classroom. Please wait outside the classroom for your child. If you have alternative arrangements for home time, please talk to your child’s teacher.

Students are not to arrive at school before 8:00am unless they enrolled in Before School Care ( https://www.newwindsor.school.nz/after-school-care/). Students who arrive before 8:30am are required to wait outside their classrooms. Before 8:30am our teachers are involved in meetings and preparation and are not available for supervision. 

If you wish to uplift your child during the school day, please report in person to the office and sign them out. Students are not permitted to sign themselves out. If a child needs picking up, the school office will contact you.

Any children arriving after the bell has rung is to sign in at the front office before going to their classroom.