Parents
Absences
St Joseph’s School must be informed if your child is absent from school, for any reason, prior to 9.ooam.
You must tell us your child’s name, room number and the reason for their absence. If a child is absent from school without notification, the school will contact home to ensure the child’s safety.
There are several options for an absentee notification. You can ring the school, email the school office, or you can complete notification on the school app.
Our preferred method for absentee notifications is the school app. You can download this for free from the App Store or Google Play.
Before / After School Care
Attendance Dues
Attendance Dues are not a donation and are not tax-deductible.
These are set by the Diocesan Office and approved by the Minister of Education. Current dues are $444.00 (incl GST) per year, per student.
Accounts are sent out by the Catholic Integrated Schools Office each term and payment should be made directly to that office. The address is:
Catholic Integrated Schools Office
PO Box 4353
Hamilton East
Cheques should be made out to RC Bishop of Hamilton – Diocesan Schools Account.
Attendance Dues are a requirement under the Integration Act and parents are required to sign a contract upon enrolment, agreeing to pay these.
Banking
Student banking facilities are provided by First Credit Union and ASB.
Banking day is Wednesday. First Credit Union banking box is situated in the school office. ASB banking can be placed in the Drop Box.
Membership forms are available at the school office.
Bicycles & Scooters
Bicycles and scooters must not be ridden in the school grounds. All children are legally required to wear helmets when riding bicycles.
The bike rack is at the back of the staff car park and a lock is strongly recommended. The scooter shed is located at the back of the staff car park. Both areas are locked at 9.00 am and reopened at 2.45 pm.
Catholic Character Contribution
This is $50 per child per year, with a maximum of $150 per family of 3 or more children, and is used by the Diocese for the running of the schools’ section of the Pastoral Resource Centre.
Among the many functions of the PRC is the organising of religious education courses for teachers and acting as advisors to schools. This is a voluntary payment and is collected by the Diocese Office. The contribution is tax deductible.
Car Parking
There is NO PROVISION for parent parking in the school or church grounds between 8 am and 4 pm daily.
This is for the safety of all children and we ask that you adhere to this rule!
Parents are asked to drop off their children on Clarkin Road or Strowan Avenue. Please be mindful of residents and other motorists.
Please do not use the school driveway to walk your children into school, but use the path between the Church and Parish Office.
Cellphones
Students are not permitted to have cellphones at school unless prior arrangements have been made with the principal.
Any cellphone brought to school by a student after seeking permission must be handed into the school office until the end of the day.
Change of Contact Details
For open communication and the safety of your child, please inform the school of any change of contact details as soon as possible. This includes emergency contact numbers.
Library
Our Library
Our Librarian is Karen Frater
Email: k.frater@stjosephs.school.nz
Phone: 855 5434
General Information
The school library is the single largest resource in the school with approximately 6000 books and resources available to students and staff. We will continue to expand our collection of fiction and non-fiction books. Our fiction collection includes junior picture books, graphic novels, sophisticated picture books (picture books for older students), junior novels (easy reads), and senior fiction. The library also has a projector and screen.
Classes are allocated a weekly library session and regular borrowing is encouraged. Books need to be returned or renewed after two weeks. The number of books that students can borrow changes with the year level of the student.
Borrowing
Year 0-1 class can borrow up to two books at a time.
Year 2-6 classes can borrow up to three books at a time.
Year 7/8 classes can borrow up to five books at a time.
Books are issued for two weeks
The borrower is responsible for any material borrowed in their name and will be expected to pay the replacement cost of lost or intentionally damaged books
Overdue Books
Our overdue procedure is as follows:
1-2 weeks overdue – reminder notice is given to the class teacher
2-3 weeks overdue – reminder notice is given to class teacher with “final warning” on it.
3-4 weeks overdue – letter sent to parents
5-6 weeks overdue – invoice sent to parents
Students are suspended from borrowing until overdue books are returned (or they are paid for it the books(s) cannot be found)
New Books and Reserves
New books are placed on display for one week so that the whole school can see them. They may not be borrowed during this time but they can be reserved.
Books on the new book display can be reserved, as can any book that is our on loan.
Reserved books are placed on the reserves shelf when the book becomes available and the book is kept aside for one week.
Student Librarians
Book Club
Donations
- Donations of good quality books are gratefully accepted (subject to our standard book selection criteria).
We welcome all families to visit our library and see the classroom work that is on display.
Lunches
Money to School
Any money sent to school for trips, book club, concerts etc must be placed in a sealed envelope with the child’s name, room number, amount of money and its purpose clearly shown.
These need to put into the DROP BOX in the school office. Please do not give money to the classroom teacher.
We encourage internet banking for any money required by the school for various activities. Please see the school office for more information.
PE & Sport
St Joseph’s School has an excellent sporting programme. All children are expected to take part in our daily fitness programme. Our students take part in inter-school events from Years 4 – 8 and our Year 7-8 children have opportunities to participate in events at a regional level.
The sports on offer at St Joseph’s School include soccer, netball, touch rugby, basketball, flippaball, waterpolo, cricket, hockey, gymnastics…..and more!
Parents interested in coaching and/or managing a team in one of these sports should contact the school office or the Sports Co-ordinator.
Policies
Please click on the link below to see the school’s policies and procedures.
St Joseph’s School Policies and Procedures – link to SchoolDocs
The community user name is: stjosephs
The community password is: joseph
PTFA
Parents, Teachers and Friends Association
This committee is a body of elected parents, teachers and friends, who work to provide numerous amenities for the school and organise many social and educational events for the benefit of our pupils and parents.
We are grateful for the many extras they obtain for the school and the many hours of work those committee members put in to make our school environment more conducive to learning.
ALL FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO JOIN!
Religious Education
Each class has a number of formal Religious Education lessons per week. However, the teachings of Jesus and the Church are an integral part of our school and our aim is for all to be followers of Christ and thus lead their lives as Christians.
A school resource assisting with our Religious Education Programme is now partially in digital format. In lieu of workbooks and parent booklets, the cost of this is $10.00 per child, per year.
Road Safety
All children should be constantly reminded of road safety when travelling to and from school, whether cycling, walking or scootering.
It is generally recommended that children below Year 5 do not cycle to school, especially if it involves cycling on Clarkin Road.
If collecting your child after school, please park on Clarkin Road or Strowan Avenue. Please be considerate of the residents of these streets. Parents are not permitted to park on the school or Church grounds during drop off or pick up times.
Children going out to Clarkin Road or crossing over the road are taken by a duty teacher. If waiting on Clarkin Road, please wait on the school side of the road as young children may run across the road without looking.
When it is necessary for children to cross Clarkin Road, they must do so at the traffic light crossing, whether accompanied by an adult or not.
Scholastic Book Club
Lucky Book Club brochures are sent home twice per term. Closing dates for orders are posted in the school newsletter and on the school Facebook page.
How to order:
Book Club Loop – order and pay online with Book Club Loop. No need to fill in the order form. Please do not return anything to school.
School Hours
Children are not permitted to be at school before 8.15 am. this is a safety concern as teachers may not be in their classrooms until 8.15 am, therefore your child could be unsupervised. Students arriving before 8am will be sent to Before School Care and parents will be charged.
All children should be in their classrooms at 8.45 am.
Key Times:
- 8.45 am School begins
- 11.00 am Morning interval
- 11.25 am Close of interval
- 12.45 pm Lunch
- 1.25 pm Warning bell
- 1.30 pm Afternoon session begins
- 2.45 pm End of the school day
Stationery Lists
ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL STATIONERY LISTS
Stationery items can be purchased via OfficeMax – MySchool
Go to https://www.myschool.co.nz/stjosephsfairfield
Term Dates 2023
Uniform
The correct uniform should be worn at all times. If this is not possible, a written explanation must be provided.
Full school uniform must be worn to assembly, mass and all off-site activities.
Please contact the school office for details about our uniform shop.
Hair is expected to be tidy. Shoulder length hair must be tied back with hair ties, clips or headbands. Hair accessories should be black, white, red, navy or maroon in colour.
Nail polish and jewellery is not to be worn, with the exception of one pair of studs or sleepers in the ears, a cross, a watch, pounamu, bone carving or item of cultural significance.
Uniform for Term 1 & 4
Please remember that this means plain black leather school sandals are required. Please see below for examples.
Uniform for Term 2 & 3
Please remember that this means plain black leather school shoes are required (no canvas sneakers). Please see below for examples.
Boys are to wear grey socks.
Girls can wear either navy socks to the knees or full-lenght navy stockings.
Kindo – Parent Payment System
We have a parent payment system called Kindo where you can pre order lunches, pay for donations, sports, trips, and other costs and activities. It’s easy to use and open 24/7.
If you don’t already have a Kindo account, please click here to create an account All you need is the email address the school has on file for you. Your account will be created and can be used for all students at any school. Add items to your cart and remember to ‘checkout.’
Kindo even offers a myKindo iPhone App.
- To get started, create a Kindo account using the above instructions.
- Then, just search ‘myKindo’ on the Apple App Store.
- Download, sign in and set up a PIN (you can even use TouchID or FaceID).
- Pay for last-minute lunches, sports subs, trip fees, fundraising products or anything school-related, right from your mobile device.
- Contact the Helpdesk Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm via email (hello@mykindo.co.nz) or telephone 0508 454 636 if you need assistance.
Click here for a helpful Kindo Tutorial Video.
St Joseph’s Fairfield has opted into the 2021 government initiative to provide period products for students. Parents of year 5-8 girls have been emailed.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s9FkkiqAImPpDZ8Y1HGocpIakfzu_a7X/view?usp=sharing
