Information Booklet 2021 - St. Pius X Primary School
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St Pius X Catholic School
Te Kura o Hato Paea X
Mission Statement and Whakatauki
“To Learn Love,
To Learn Wisdom,
The Way We Are.”
2021
Information
Booklet
57 Pine Avenue,
Melville,
HAMILTON 3206
Phone: 07 843.6554
Email: info@stpius.school.nz
Website: www.stpius.school.nz
Find us on Facebook
In this Booklet…………...
Page 3. About our School
Catholic Character
School Goals :
Page 4. Enrolments
Page 5. Staffing/Classes
Page 6. Uniforms
Page 7. School Banking
Parking
School Newsletter
Parent/Teacher Interviews
Friends of the School
Page 8. After School Care
School Calendar
Absences & Lateness to School
Attendance Dues
School Fees
Stationery
Page 9. Term Dates
Bell Times
House System
Incentive Days/End of Year Camp
Page 10. Your address details
Student Medical Details & Medication
Lunches
Pizza Tuesday
Mufti Days
Page 11. Your Concerns
General Information
Page 12. Library
Personal Property
Mobile Phones
St Pius X School Rules
2
About Our School
Nau mai, haere mai and welcome
St Pius X School is a Catholic school situated in the suburb of Melville in Hamilton near Waikato
hospital where a number of our parents work. The school is behind the Church in a back section with
excellent grounds. Our school is often referred to as a country school in the city.
St Pius X School was founded in 1958 by the Mission Sisters and caters for both boys and girls from
New Entrants through to Year 8.
The school is multi-cultural and we are enriched by at least 14 different cultures. We have a very good
ESOL programme with experienced staff in this area.
The maximum roll is 200. Melville is a growing area and there is pressure on the roll, so early enrolment
is advised. Our non-preference roll is full and therefore closed for the foreseeable future.
One of the strengths of our school is its community feel. Our staff know all the children and there are
often whole school activities such as singing, prayer assemblies and fitness.
We are a welcoming school and encourage parents and parishioners to be involved where possible.
We are proud to be Catholic. The gospel values and the values of our Founding Order are an integral
part of our school.
Our mission statement sums up for us what we are about for our students
'To learn love, To Learn Wisdom, The Way We Are.
Catholic Character
St Pius X is a Catholic school - our Special Character is the fundamental purpose of our existence.
Each day starts with class prayer and the Religious Education programme is taught from Years 1-8.
We aim to have Christian values reflected throughout our school - from the school charter and policies,
through to the staff and children relationships. We encourage support from parents. This includes
helping with their religious education homework, the sacramental programme, attending class Masses,
assemblies and whole school Masses.
School Goals
At St Pius X we are committed to educating our children towards excellence in self and in academic life.
We aim to develop life-long learners who will enjoy life and become good citizens in our society.
To nurture and foster a love of God.
To develop skills, values and attitudes that will help our people to be good citizens.
To deliver teaching that meets the needs of our children and promotes excellence
To promote Literacy and Numeracy
To respect all cultures
To provide a safe and challenging environment
To communicate effectively
3
Enrolments
Enrolment enquiries are taken at the School office, Monday to Friday, during school hours
Steps to enrolling at St Pius X Primary School, Melville.
You must take your child’s Baptism Certificate to our Parish Priest, Father Danny Fraser-Jones (843
5335), or you can contact Mrs. Margaret Dunford (Proprietor’s Rep) on 843 7950. You will be issued
a Preference Card, according to your child’s priority:
5.1-The child has been baptized or is being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church.
5.2-The child’s parents/guardians have already allowed one or more of his/her siblings to be baptized
in the Catholic faith.
5.3-At least one parent/guardian is a Catholic and attendance at the school may lead to the parents
having the child baptized.
5.4-With the agreement of the child’s parent/guardian, a significant familial adult such as
grandparent, aunt or uncle are actively involved in the child’s upbringing and undertake to support
the child’s formation in the faith and practices of the Catholic Church
5.5-One or both of the child’s non-Catholic parents/guardians is preparing to become a Catholic.
5.6-No Catholic preference (this roll is currently closed).
Please present this Preference Card and your Baptism Certificate to the school office. If everything is
in order, you will be offered an appointment to meet with our Principal. At the conclusion of this
meeting , you will be given enrolment papers to fill in. One form is for our school office and the other
is a contract, which is sent to the Catholic Integrated Schools Office.
Please fill in these forms as soon as you can. When you return them to the office, please also
provide a copy of your child’s immunization certificate, and if they were born in New Zealand, please
provide a copy of their birth certificate or New Zealand passport. If they were born overseas, we need
to sight their appropriate permit/visa details. These can all be photocopied and the originals returned
to you.
Once all the paperwork has been submitted, we will organize three visits for your child (if they are
starting at Year One). These visits are usually on a Wednesday morning and are from 9.00am until
10.30am. This gives the child and the teacher an opportunity to meet Often there are several
students on visits at the same time. This helps your child transition into school and to meet other
children starting school at around the same time.
4
Staff Members/Classes for 2021
Principal:
Ms Jane Rutherford
Deputy Principal Ms Urai Vanxay
Assistant Principal Antony Easto
Reading Recovery Mrs Tracey Vanxay
Director of Religious Studies John de Vega
2021 Classes
The Kea Block: (previously Rooms 2 and 3)
Kea Block A: New Entrants/Y1 Tracey and Urai Vanxay
Kea Block B Year 1 Rebecca Williams
Pīwakawaka Block : (previously Totara 1A and B new block)
Years 2 and 3 Lirissa Blommerde, Emma Millar, Rosemary Garsed
Kārearea Room : (Previously Room 5)
Year 4 Keegan Fernandes
Tara Iti Block: (previously 2A and the hall)
Years 5 and 6 Natalie Overmayer and John de Vega
Tui Room:
Years 7 & 8 Lisa Hayde
Hoiho Room :
Year 7 & 8 Antony Easto
School Secretary:
Mrs Maree Rutherford
Teacher Aides
E.S.O.L Tutor & Co-coordinator for
International Students:
Mrs Ann Bankier-Perry
Special Needs Tutor
Duffy Books-in-Home Co-coordinator:
Ms Paula Richter
Special Needs Teacher Aides:
Mrs Virginia Sarroca,
Mr Nathan Mollet (& Caretaker)
Ms Juliet Mason
Sharyn Brew
Mr Bibin Jacob
Special Needs Tutor:
Mrs Claire Cameron
5
Uniform for St Pius School
We encourage our students to wear their uniforms with pride so please ensure they are wearing their
correct uniform each day.
Our school uniform is available from Direct Group Uniforms 6 Latham Court (off Kahikatea Drive) 07 847 6664 or
email info@directgroup.co.nz. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am - 5pm. Phone 078476664. or
http://shop.directgroup.co.nz/
Children are required to wear hats during summer. We do have some second hand ones for $2 at the office. If
your child doesn’t have a hat, they are to sit in the shade during break times.
You can see our uniform requirements (below) on our website as well by clicking here.
Summer
Girls Boys
Tunic Grey summer shorts
Royal blue short sleeved polo shirt Royal blue short sleeved polo shirt
Royal blue zip tunic sweatshirt Royal blue zip tunic sweatshirt
Black, blue or brown sandals Black, blue or brown sandals
Black bike pants Sunhat
Sunhat
Please note:
Year 7 & 8 girls will wear skirts instead of tunics.
Winter
Girls Boys
Tunic Grey winter shorts
Royal blue short sleeved polo shirt Royal blue short sleeved polo shirt
Royal blue zip tunic sweatshirt Royal blue zip tunic sweatshirt
Grey socks with royal blue stripes Grey socks with royal blue stripes
Black flat plain shoes//& black bike shorts Black flat plain shoes
Royal blue polo fleece jacket Royal blue polo fleece jacket
Please note:
The polo fleece jackets are optional.
Naming of School Clothes
All school clothes should be named in permanent marker pen and preferably under the
collar. We encourage children to be responsible for their own clothing.
6
School Banking
The children can bank with First Credit Union. There will be forms available from the office if you wish to
open an account for your child. Banking is collected from the school every Wednesday and the bank
books returned to the children on the Friday of that week.
Parking
We ask that parents DO NOT drive down our driveway when dropping off or picking up your children.
You are to park in the Church carpark and walk down with your children, or they can walk down by
themselves. Make sure your child has an umbrella or raincoat. This is a safety message for ALL
FAMILIES. Our driveway is for staff and service vehicles. The only exception is if you have come to
collect a sick child during school hours.
Newsletters
These are emailed out to the email address you provide to the office on your child’s enrolment form. If
you want a paper copy, these are available from Thursday afternoons at reception. Our newsletters can
be found on our website, click HERE and on our Facebook page. It is also important to let us know if you
don’t want your child’s name/photo to appear in our newsletter, on Facebook etc.
Parent Interviews
There are two parent interview opportunities each year for Years 4 to 8 . One at the end of the first term
and a follow up July/ August.
At the mid-year interview parents are given a written report.
Another written report is given out at the end of the year.
Interviews for our Junior School will be every 6 months, in line with their birthdays. A written report is
given to parents at these interviews.
The teachers encourage you to contact them if you have any concerns regarding your child. Before
school, teachers are usually very busy preparing for the day and lengthy interviews are difficult.
Teachers are usually available down the drive after school and this is a good time to catch them if you
require a brief chat. Of course if you require more information it is best to make an appointment. This
gives the teacher the opportunity to have your child’s data available. Teachers will make time for you.
A Message from ‘Friends of the School
Friends of the School (FOTS) is a welcoming collaborative team of
parents/caregivers. We organise social activities within our school
community and fundraising to support and improve school resources.
All families are automatically members of FOTS when their child joins St
Pius X and we value any offer of support, whether it be in the form of
time, skills, ideas or useful contacts.
We meet up twice per term to plan events. “
All are welcome to attend.
7
After School Care
Brochures for After School Care are available from the school office.
School Calendar
Events and happenings can be found on our Calendar. You can access the school calendar by going
to www.stpius.co.nz and clicking on Calendar or you can click HERE
Absences & lateness to School
If your child is going to be absent, it is very important that you let us know as soon as possible. You
can enter your child’s absence by going to ww.stpius.co.nz and click Absences in the Quick Links
Menu or you can click HERE. You can also record your child’s absence on our App – Skool Loop.
You can download this app for free and look for St Pius X Catholic School – Melville. This App is very
helpful if we need to get messages out to families quickly, so it would be advisable to download this
app so you are among the first to know what is happening.
School starts at 8.45am. If your child arrives at school after this time, they must come to the office to
sign in. We can help them with this. If they are late and haven’t signed in, they come through as
being absent, with no reason. The office will then make contact with you to find out where your child
is. They are often sitting in class.
Absences for an illness of more than 3 days requires a Medical Certificate. All other absences of
more than 3 days requires notification in writing i.e. email.
Attendance Dues
Attendance Dues are set by the Catholic Education Office which are currently $444.00 (incl GST) per
year, per child. (This was correct at time of printing). You will be sent an invoice from the Catholic
Education Office and this outlines the various ways you can pay. The Catholic Education Office can
be contacted on 07 858 3710.
School Fees
We are currently taking advantage of the Government initiative, whereby the Government gives our
school a set amount, this then offsets any payments you would normally make to us.
Stationery
Children are required to start the school year with the necessary stationery. Lists are online
and you can access them by going to: myschool.nz or you can click HERE. Enter St Pius X
(Melville) in the search engine. View Requirements Lists and select the Room. For new
entrants, this will be the first tab – Kea—Block A & B—New Entrants & Year 1. Enter your
child’s name, and year level (as above, or select from the drop down box) and then click on
the ‘Requirements List’. If you place your order before the 31st December, you will receive a
free gift with your order. Delivery to your house is free for orders over $46. You can pay in
December or January and receive your order in December or delay your order until
January. Please note that we do not sell stationery at the school.
8
Term Dates for 2021
Term Dates for 2021
Term 1—3rd February—16th April
Term—23rd May—9th July
Term 3—26th July—1st October
Term 4— 18th October—TBA Bell Times
Children should not arrive at school before 8.15am. Children should be at school by 8.40am.
This allows them to hang up their bags and be in time to begin the school day.
8.45am First Bell—Children commence school
10.35am Morning Break
11.00am Classes recommence
12.45pm Outside/play time
1.15pm Children to eat lunch
1.30pm Classes recommence
2.45pm School dismissal
It is requested that children are punctual. Lateness disrupts class routines and
children miss out on important learning time.
Unless otherwise notified, bell times will remain the same in the winter as in the summer.
House System
We have 8 houses all named after a saint or a significant person in the Church. Each house has
children from all age groups. Each house has a leader, a deputy leader from the Years 7 & 8 classes
and a teacher. Points can be accrued for each house for participation in sports events, interschool
competitions and good behaviour. There is a trophy for the best house given at the prize giving
ceremony at the end of the year.
Incentive Day
Classes have an Incentive Day at the end of each term. This is to celebrate the class working
together cooperatively for the term. It is a Thanks for good behaviour day. Teachers will send home
information regarding this each term.
End of year Camp/Outdoor Education
Senior School—Years 7 and 8
Go away on camp. Comprehensive information is sent home to the parents closer to the time.
Middle School—Years 4, 5, and 6
Their End of Year Activities include a one night sleep over at the school. Comprehensive information
is sent home to parents closer to the time
Junior School
Junior School have 3 days of outdoor activities. Comprehensive information is sent home to parents
closer to the time.
9
Correct Information
Please let the office know if address/mobile/telephone/email details change. This is extremely
important, as we may need to contact you in an emergency (sick child, accident, injury etc). You can
email these changes through to the office at any time: info@stpius.school.nz
Medical Information
If your child has a medical condition that we need to be aware of, please note this on the enrolment
form and supply information and/or medication that we may need to manage this condition.
Medication
If your child needs to take medication during school hours, please hand this to the office with written
instructions regarding times and dosage.
Orders
You can order lunch for your child by going to: https://lunchorders.co.nz/. The orders are delivered to
the school.
Friday Lunch Orders
On Fridays, the children can put an order in at the office (before 10.00am) for lunch from our local
bakery, Tommos. Your child can order: mince & cheese pie ($2.50), choc/blueberry muffin ($1.50),
chicken/ham Naan wrap ($3.00), chicken/ham roll ($3.00), Savoury ($1.20) and apple pie ($2.50).
Please ensure your child has the correct money, as we are unable to give change at the office.
Pizza Tuesday
Children can buy pizza at school on Tuesdays. This is in Terms 2 and 3 and money goes towards
fundraising for outdoor education i.e. Camp
Mufti Day
Occasionally a note may come home advising of a Mufti day. This means your child doesn’t have to
wear their uniform on that day and can wear something else. These are generally done to raise money
for a worthy cause and your child will be asked to bring a gold coin donation. You will be advised when
these days are coming up.
10What to do if you have a concern
Discuss the matter with the class teacher
It is best to make an appointment by contacting the teacher directly or telephone the school office.
843.6554
Discuss the matter with the Principal
Should you wish to follow up your discussion with the class teacher, do not hesitate to contact the
Principal – please telephone the school office for an appointment.
Formal complaint to the Board of Trustees
If you are not satisfied, then a formal complaint, in writing, can be submitted to the Board of Trustees,
addressed to the Chairperson c/o the School Office.
The secretary will ensure it is passed on to the Chair, who in turn will present it at the earliest Board
meeting.
The procedure detailed above needs to be actioned in the order as listed.
It is our hope that St Pius X is a school with open, honest communications. It is far better to talk a
problem through in the early stages rather than risk it becoming a major issue.
General Information
Driveway Safety
As per our Safety Policy, no vehicles are permitted to use the school driveway. The exceptions are staff
cars, emergency vehicles and service vehicles.
Accidents
In the event of an accident to a pupil, the teacher will act as a wise parent in ensuring that proper and
adequate attention is given. Parents will be advised as soon as possible and if the teacher is doubtful as
to the nature of the injury, medical advice will be sought.
Sickness
If a child becomes ill at school, the parents will be contacted so that the child can be taken home and
receive the care and attention that is necessary.
Allergies, such as beestings and any medical conditions, are noted in the Sick Bay Log Book. If your
child needs medication for an allergy or illness, parents must fill out and sign a Medication
Administration consent form. All medication must be clearly labelled with your child’s name and dosage.
Homework
Homework is given out by all teachers, but the work content will vary between classes. The school
expects that all homework will be completed and handed in on time, for marking.
Religious Education Programme
We teach the official programme approved by the NZ Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Each unit is
explained fully in the Parent Booklet that is available from the school office.
Each term begins and ends with a full school Mass. Please check the school Newsletter for details.
Parents are encouraged to join us. Children attend class Masses throughout the term and reconciliation
is available during Lent. Senior students attend the Sacrament of the Sick, to support our elderly
parishioners.
We welcome parent participation in the Christian life of our school, through liturgies, parent evenings
and other activities, as the spiritual development of our children is of number one priority in our school
community.
11Library
All the pupils use the school library and parents should encourage their children to join the Hamilton
Public Library. The children are expected to care for library books and return them promptly.
Personal Property
We ask children not to bring toys and playthings to school as they cause distraction and are easily
broken. Toys brought to school are the responsibility of the child.
Mobile Telephones
We strongly discourage mobile phones at school. If your child must have a mobile phone then we ask
them to place it in a collection box in the office for safe keeping throughout the day. They can collect their
phone at the end of the school day.
If the teachers hear or see a phone throughout the day, then it will be confiscated and can only be picked
up by the child’s parent/caregiver.
St Pius X Catholic School Rules
1. I use my hands, feet, mouth and objects in the right way.
2. I wait to be acknowledged before I speak.
3. I follow instructions the first time they are given.
4. I respect myself and others in all that I do.
5. I respect my own, other people’s and the school’s property.
6. I never leave the school grounds unless I am directed to by a
staff member and I take a buddy.
7. The car park and bike stand are out of bounds.
8. The gully, behind Rooms 1,2, and 3, the grass area behind
Rooms 6 and 7 and the eastern side of the staff room are out of
bounds.
9. I never climb trees.
10. I never play a tackle game unless the game is supervised by
an adult.
11. Toys, cell phones, chewing gum and lollies remain at home.
12. Fizzy drinks are not permitted during school times.
God Bless
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