School Information
10 Key Facts
School starts at 8.55am and finishes at 3pm.
Children usually arrive from 8.30am. (The school cannot take any responsibility for students in the school facilities before 8.30am or after 3.00pm.)
Morning break is at 11.00am - 11.40am and lunch from 1.00pm - 1.40pm.
Student-led Assemblies are usually held at 9.10am every second Friday - come along. Dates are in the Newsletter and on the Calendar. Similarly, please join with us at Karakia every Monday and every other Friday morning just after 9.00am.
Worser Bay School does not have a uniform.
No child is permitted to leave the school grounds during the school day unless this has been arranged between the school and a parent/caregiver.
Children must not bring money, valuable or ’attractive‘ items to school.
Terms 1 and 4, children must wear a hat that shades the face, ears and neck. We also have sunblock in every classroom.
Wheels Day is every Wednesday.
Students are invited to bring scooters and helmets. No helmet, no scoot!
Whetūkairangi - Star Gazer
The school was established in 1897, on a historically significant pā site. The Ngai Tara tribe called the pā Whetu-kairangi (star gazer) to convey the idea it was located on high ground, from which only the stars and sea might be seen.
A Rich and Varied School Curriculum
Click on the link to read the Worser Bay School Curriculum Document - updated 2018
Click here for our Positive Education Strategy
Click on the link to read the Charter 2022 and Strategic Plan 2021-2024
Here's our Annual Report for 2021
Absences
A phone call (04-939 7281) or email is required explaining when and why your child/ren is/are absent from school.
If children arrive after 8.55am they must come to the office, sign in and get a Late Pass to give to their base group teacher. We will ring/text parents shortly after 9.15am if we have not been notified.
If your child needs to be collected early from school for any reason, please come to the office and sign them out of school.
Rolls are taken shortly after the bell rings at 8.55am and also after lunch.
After School Care
Some of our families choose Kids Community Hub. Children are collected by shuttle van just after 3pm.
Digital Technology at School
Instructions for parents*
Please read our guidelines carefully. If there are any points you would like to discuss with the school, let your child's Base Group teacher know as soon as possible.
The Worser Bay School Acceptable Use of Technologies Agreement was developed with the students, based on the school ‘rule’, the value of respect and learning about digital citizenship and safety on the net. WBS Cybersafety Guidelines and Agreement
The guidelines and agreement have been discussed at school in a way that is age appropriate. Please reinforce the messages and go through this information again at home.
Please sign the agreement and return it to the school. The other information can be kept at home for your future reference.
Starting in 2015, senior students (Years 4-6) will be able to bring a digital device to school to assist their learning. This is NOT compulsory. Students can use their own devices throughout the day for collaborative learning, web-based research and applications, including using Google Apps for Education. BYOD Agreement
*The term ‘parent’ used throughout this document also refers to legal guardians and caregivers.
Digital Portfolio - Seesaw
We use Seesaw - a digital portfolio. Seesaw gives your child creative tools to capture and reflect on their learning - in real time. Then this work is shared with you. Seesaw will give you a window into each of our classrooms and into your student’s learning process. Our students are excited to use this tool in partnership with the great things our teachers do in their classrooms.
You can download Seesaw’s Parent App for iOS, Android, or use the web to view your student’s learning artefacts. When your child adds new work, you will receive a notification to see, hear and respond to your child’s learning item. You only have access to your own child’s work and all of the content is stored securely.
Healthy Eating, Accidents and Sickness
Healthy Eating
The school promotes healthy eating habits. We discourage food and drink with high sugar content. Children are encouraged to have named water bottles handy in the classroom. In the junior area, an 'easy to grab out of tote tray' snack is encouraged. Lollies and soft drinks are not permitted.
We are ‘rubbish free’, so require students to take their lunch rubbish home with them. Better still, lunches can be placed in compartmentalised lunch boxes without any need for plastics or paper!
Important Information regarding Allergies
As in any environment, we have students with allergies, the most common being nuts, eggs and dairy. Allergic reactions can be so severe that they may be life threatening. Please read this Important Information regarding Allergies.
Order Lunch
Sausage Sizzle on a Tuesday, Pizza lunches monthly on a Wednesday, Sushi lunches on a Friday and can be ordered through our Online Payment link.
Better still, order for the whole term and then forget about it!
Accidents
Minor bumps or scratches receive first aid treatment in the school's medical room. In more serious cases, we will contact you immediately.
Please keep the school informed of any changes of work, mobile or home phone numbers, as well as other contacts in case we are unable get hold of you.
If your child requires specific medication during school hours, we prefer that they receive this type of medication from a parent, or at home.
Click here for our School's Health and Safety Policy.
Sickness
In the event of your child being sick with an infectious condition, please check with the office as to when is appropriate for your child to return to school.
We have access to the regular services of:
Public Health Nurse
Speech Therapist
School Psychologist
Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour
Resource Teacher of Literacy
Children's vision and hearing are professionally checked at intervals throughout their time at Worser Bay School.
Stationery
Once again, we have teamed up with OfficeMax MySchool for ordering school stationery.
Benefits:
Stationery lists online
You receive competitive prices direct from the supplier.
Save time by avoiding busy retail stores.
Free delivery on orders over $50. Delivery must be to your home or place of work – not to the school.
Order early & have plenty of time to cover your books.
Your child will start the year with the correct supplies.
Every dollar spent with OfficeMax MySchool will earn us School Rewards.
To order online using your credit card, go to OfficeMax MySchool - Worser Bay.
Simply select your child's Year Group and follow the instructions on the website. You do not need to enter a student ID.
There are additional products available, that’s up to you.
Term Dates
Term Dates for 2023
Term 1 ends on Thursday 6 April
Term 2 - Wednesday 26 April to Friday 30 June
Term 3 - Monday 17 July to Friday 22 September
Term 4 - Monday 9 October to Friday 15 December
Additional Days the School is closed in 2023
Monday 24 April (Teacher Only Day) and Tuesday 25 April (Anzac Day)
Monday 5 June (King's Birthday) and Tuesday 6 June
Monday 23 October (Labour Day) and Tuesday 24 October
Voluntary Contributions 2023
At Worser Bay School, we enjoy an active school community and depend heavily on the families and whānau who contribute to the school in many different ways.
The Ministry of Education provides all schools with an equity-index-based Operational Grant, which funds basic administration, teaching and property running costs of schools. The Government considers our students come from the highest socio-economic area, so we receive a smaller operational grant per student than some other schools. As a school with a smaller roll, our funding base is more modest than other larger schools.
To enable us to provide a quality educational environment and additional resources to enhance the learning we strive for at Worser Bay School, we particularly rely on the Voluntary Contributions made by our families and whānau. This makes up half of the fundraising we undertake each year. Follow the link for more information about Fundraising.
The Voluntary Contribution for 2023 is $360 per student. We appreciate that family incomes may be stretched and payments can continue to be made by instalments during the year. If you wish to pay in 2 instalments, these will be $180 to be made by the end of Term 1 (Thursday 6 April) and by the end of Term 3 (Friday 22 September). If your child starts part way through the year this is calculated on a pro-rata basis. Please discuss with office staff or pay online in 2023 via our website.
Claim your donation rebates with Supergenerous
Did you know that if you have donated to us, you are eligible to get 33% back in donation rebates? Supergenerous is a small, Kiwi social enterprise helping get these rebates back to charities like us.
Their aim is to supercharge human generosity and tap into the estimated 1 billion dollars of unclaimed donation rebates sitting in a government bank account right now.
How it works:
You sign up online with them, give them your details and the names of the charities you donated to - that's it. They'll collect the receipts from charities, schools and religious organisations you donated to and manage the IRD side of things so you can sit back and relax.
They don't assume that you want to keep the money for yourself, they know you are already Supergenerous by donating in the first place. They give you the option to become a Supergiver by re-gifting the rebate right back to us. They handle that side of things too. The option is yours.
If they secure your rebate, they take a small fee that allows them to keep operating and reaching out to more generous individuals like yourself.
Still have questions? Visit their website https://www.supergenerous.co.nz/superpartners/worser-bay-school or sign up via Online Payments. Receipts also available there.
Re-gifting:
We know that, if you've donated to our cause before, you are already generous. Supergenerous helps your generosity go even further through their re-gift option. Regifting donation rebates also has a powerful compounding effect because each financial year the rebate re-gift is considered a new donation and therefore is entitled to another rebate.
These funds will go towards extra staffing and support in the classroom, for creating a new library/creative space, purchasing new library books and upgrading outdoor learning areas.
For further information, see Balancing the School’s Books and Drivers for the Annual Budget.