A to Z

Absences – If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please contact the school office before 9.15 am that day, or email the classroom teacher, office and Principal, or complete the absentee notification on Skool Loop.

Accidents – If your child is injured at school, staff will take any appropriate first aid measures. We will notify you immediately if your child has fallen from a height, has been hit on the head, or has a serious injury.

Assembly – Full school assemblies are held once a fortnight to celebrate students’ learning. The classes take it in turn to “host” these assemblies. We encourage parents to attend if possible.

Banking – For bank deposits for clothing, sports fees, camp fees etc, please use the following School Bank account:
Tasman School Board of Trustees. 03-1354-0498488-00

Behaviour – We expect students to care for themselves, others and our environment with respect. Behaviour is guided by 3 key questions: Is it safe? Is it fair? Is it kind? More detailed copies of the Tasman School Behaviour Support System are supplied at enrolment.

Bell Times – the school day is structured as follows:
School Starts - 8.55 am
Morning Tea - 10.30 to 10.55 am
Lunchtime - 12.30 to 1.15 pm
Finish Time - 2.55 pm

Biking to School – We encourage parents to make safe decisions e.g. accompanying their children to school if under 10 years old. Older students may bike to school on their own. They should bike directly to the bike sheds, up the pathway from the bus stop. They are not to bike up the driveway. On Wednesdays and Fridays children are allowed to bring their skates, scooters, bikes and roller blades and can use the courts at lunchtime for this. Bike riders may use the field area. Children are only allowed to ride their bikes/scooters etc if they have a helmet. In the afternoon, we ask that all riders walk their cycle down the path to the road as the pathway has greater use over a shorter period of time, increasing the risk of a collision with a pedestrian.

Bullying - Tasman School prides itself on its safe learning environment. Please encourage your child to speak to a duty teacher or a classroom teacher on the day. This helps staff to assess the most accurate picture of any incident that occurs. If you have any reason to believe your child is a victim of bullying, please contact the classroom teacher immediately. The Tasman School behaviour support plan will be followed and restorative justice processes applied.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – Senior students are able to bring to school for learning purposes, their notebook, tablet or i-pad. The school will provide a secure login facility. A guest Wifi password is provided by the Office Manager for students to connect to the internet. Devices are the responsibility of the student and the school takes no responsibility for the breakage, or loss of a device. The school does supply enough devices for students to complete their work, so ownership of a device is not essential.

Concerns – An open door policy exists at our school. If you have any concerns relating to school, we encourage you to talk to us about them. Please feel free to approach the class teacher or staff member first. An appointment should be requested via email, with a basic outline of the concern or issue. Very few concerns should reach the Syndicate Leader or Principal in the first instance. Our complaints policy outlines this process.

Communication - We try to communicate to our parent community on a regular basis. We do this using email and Skool Loop. Skool Loop is a phone app that can be downloaded on your phone to stay up to date with newsletters, absence reporting etc. Ask at the office for more information. The Principal sends out a Weekly Community Comment each week with the upcoming week ahead as well as upcoming dates in the future. This is sent via email as well as Skool Loop. Our junior classes utilise See Saw to display examples of student work.

Dental Therapist – Dental therapy is available to all Tasman students through the Parklands School Dental Clinic. The Dental Nurse will contact families to arrange for annual checkups.

Discipline – We work to develop student self-management skills by providing clear boundaries and expectations. We use a restorative justice process to address wrongdoing. In some instances the Tasman School Behaviour Support System is utilised to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Enrolments - We welcome new enrolments. When enrolling a 5 year old for the first time, you MUST bring with you their Birth Certificate or Passport, Residency Permit or Citizenship Certificate and any immunization certificates, if applicable. To make the transition to school easier, we encourage parents to bring their children in for pre-enrolment visits.

Fundraising – Fundraising at Tasman School is run by a separate fundraising group who welcome new members. Our major fundraising event is Muddy Buddy and this usually occurs in March. This year’s date is Sunday 21st March 2021.

Homework – All classes provide homework of some degree. We ask for parents’ support with this. This is developed in consultation with students and whanau to meet learning needs.

Internet – This is available in all classrooms via a managed wifi. Students sign an Internet User Agreement and behaviour is guided by our school questions: is it fair, is it safe, is it kind? We have a filter that is provided by Network 4 Learning which filters out harmful material.

Library – Children are encouraged to take library books home on a regular basis (maximum 3). Please do not attempt to mend any damaged books, just return them and the mending team will tackle them. There are no fines for overdue books but we do ask you to return them weekly during class library times. We are always looking for people to help in the library and if you are interested, please let the office know.

Lost Property – Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own property – particularly clothing. Clothes such as jackets, sweatshirts,

swimsuits, hats, etc. should be labelled with the child’s name. Lost property can be picked up on the deck outside Room 3 during term time. Unclaimed items will be disposed of at the end of each term.

Lunch orders – When we don’t have COVID-19 restrictions in place we make attempts to have fundraising lunch orders. These are advertised via the school newsletter and Weekly Community Comment. Sausage Sizzle orders will always be $2. From time to time we trial different options and the price of these will be specified when advertised.

MOTEC –All Year 7 and 8 students attend this technology session at Parklands School on a Thursday from 11:30am to 2.30 pm. Students are required to wear closed in footwear for safety reasons (shoes, gym shoes etc.) and long hair needs to be tied up. The students travel by bus to and from school. The MOTEC teachers will advise students of any special requirements for classes. There is an annual fee charged for each student to cover the cost of materials used.

Newsletters – Our school newsletter comes out weekly, on a Friday. Newsletters are emailed home and sent via Skool Loop. These are also available on the school website: www.tasman.school.nz.

Office Hours – The Tasman School office is staffed most days from 8.15am to 3.15pm by the Principal or Office Manager. The school answerphone is checked by staff regularly.

Parent Help – Tasman School actively encourages parent help, whether it be working with the children in a class or with transport and/or supervision of sports teams. Please talk to your child’s teacher or the Principal if you would like to help out. We would love to hear from you.

Payments – Ideally we would prefer to receive payments online. Any cash payment needs to be given to a staff member at the school office. Our bank account number at NBS is: Tasman School BOT 03-1354-0498488-00

Reporting to Parents - In Term 1 an interim written report accompanies parent interviews. There are follow-up student led interviews in Terms 2 or 3, as arranged by the teachers. A full written report is sent out in Term 3 and Term 4.

School Donation – Tasman School donations are $65 per year per child, $120 for two children with a maximum of $150 per year per family. These contributions are a donation to the school but are important to the operational running of the school.

School T-Shirts and Hats – We encourage each child to have a school sports top. The Board subsidises these by approximately $20 per shirt. T-shirts cost $30.00; hats cost $20.00. These are available to purchase at the Office.

Stationery – Stationery lists are available below and are updated at the end of each year. The school only stocks the more specialised items used by the new entrant room.
Tui - Ally Nichols
Kea - Sue Shand
Kakapo - Hayden Squance
Kereru - Maia Campbell
Weka - Cate Cable
Ruru

Sun-Smart – Tasman School is a “Sun-smart” school and has a “no hat, then play in the shade” policy. Hats are to be bucket type hats not baseball caps.

Swimming – The swimming programme usually runs for the last 6 weeks of Term 4 and the first 6 weeks of Term 1. Swimming is compulsory unless a note is sent from a parent / caregiver. The pool is available for use after school and during the weekend for pool key holders. Swimming pool keys are available from the office for $100 per season. Some pool water testing and maintenance may be required from pool key holders.

Toys at School – We would prefer children to keep their toys at home to avoid potential damage or loss. We take no responsibility for toys lost or damaged. If your child has a special toy they would like to share for news, please negotiate this with your teacher.

Uniform – There is no compulsory formal uniform although some families choose to wear the Tasman school sports t-shirt. We expect children to wear tidy clothing appropriate for learning and physical activity. Our school t-shirt is available for purchase ($30 from the office) for students to wear to represent our school at sporting or inter-school activities.

Getting Enrolled

Tasman School is a zoned school. To view our enrolment zone, please go to: http://nzschools.tki.org.nz/ and search for Tasman School, you can zoom in and out on the map to find streets. We ask that families considering enrolment from outside our zone, to contact our Principal Rob Boomer directly to discuss further.

We are currently accepting enrolments to all year levels for in zone students.

We are also registered to provide education for international students. See below for more details.

Transition to school is an important step for children and their families, so the earlier we know you are joining our Tasman team - the better we are able to plan for your child’s successful integration into our school.

If you know of friends or families who may be considering our school please give them a gentle nudge to contact us. We welcome queries - so make a time to meet with our principal and find out more about us.

Enquiries and expressions of interest concerning enrolment can be made by contacting us. If you live in zone you can also complete our Enrolment form now and drop it in to us.

When making your initial enquiry, please include the following information:

  • Your name, address and contact details (including email please).

  • Your child's/children's full name, age and birth dates.

  • Your intended start date - if you have one.

  • Citizenship or immigration status.

Once enrolled new entrants are invited to visit us, and meet our New Entrant teacher, in the couple of months before their expected start. They will join us in our classroom to become familiar with our place, our people, and our activities, and receive our Transition Kit - a fun, hands-on activity box which contains a selection of activities designed to help prepare children for learning at school.

International Students Enrolment

We welcome International Students at Tasman School. We are licensed to accept enrolments for International Students from all over the world.

Our school has a roll of about 130 students and is located in the picturesque Tasman coastal village.

Our school is over 100 years old, but is still a very modern school. It is located on 5 acres of park like grounds, with mature trees and two playing fields, an adventure playground, and a large community pool.

The friendly staff at Tasman School will cater to the learning and support of needs of International Students. Your child will have opportunities to develop their knowledge of our culture and language within our supportive family orientated environment. We will work with you, as parents, to identify learning goals, both social and academic, during your stay.

We are proud of our school and what it offers and hope to work with you to form a vital part of your child’s experiences and growth over this time.

We have Ministry approval to host International students at Tasman School for short or longer stays.

If you are planning on coming to this vibrant area, Tasman School is the perfect environment for your children to experience 'Kiwi learning' in a small nurturing semi-rural setting.

We have had several students over the years from Germany, Japan and Canada who have really enjoyed the unique opportunities that Tasman School offers.

Please check out our International Students Enrolment Guide. If you would like to know more, contact our Principal.

Is my child eligible to study at Tasman School?

We welcome applications for children aged from 5 – 14 years for periods from 10 weeks to 8 years.

Enrolment Procedures for International Students

All New Zealand children enrolled at a State School are entitled to a ‘free education’. Children can be enrolled at a New Zealand State Primary School from their fifth birthday. Education becomes compulsory at age six. Children fourteen years and over attend Secondary School. Education for New Zealand children remains compulsory until the age of sixteen.

State schools are funded by the Government and teachers are paid by a Central Government pay service. International students do not qualify for ‘free’ education and are required to pay a fee. Tasman School is a signatory to the New Zealand Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students and therefore approved for the enrolment of international students. Tasman School policy requires International Students to enrol for a period no less than one term (approximately 10 weeks.)

International Students enrolled at Tasman School must live with a parent or legal guardian for the entire duration of their enrolment.

How to Enrol

The process for enrolment involves completing the 5 steps below:

  1. Send a completed application form together with the non-refundable application fee, the child's latest school report and a photocopy of the first page of the caregivers and the child's passport. Send to the Principal by email at: rob@tasman.school.nz.

  2. We will review your application and if it's successful we'll send back an acceptance letter or email as well as an invoice for tuition fees.

  3. You write or email back your acceptance of the place offered, pay the fees and expenses to our bank account.

  4. We send back a letter (or email) confirming your place and a receipt for fees paid.

  5. You apply for a student visa from the nearest New Zealand High Commission or Embassy.

Fees & Expenses per child

  • Application fee: $200 (non-refundable) This is non-refundable if you decide against coming, but is deducted from your school fees if you accept a place here.

  • Government Levy: up to $900 per year.

  • Tuition fees are approximately $250 per week (including GST). The school year is approximately 40 weeks in duration.

  • You will need to plan for other school expenses, such as stationery, school camp charges, Motec (technology programme for Years 7 & 8 students), after school sporting activities, etc. These amount to approximately $400 per year.

  • There will also be insurance and student visa costs. We cannot accept any enrolment if there is no insurance cover for the period whilst in New Zealand.

Student Visas

International students studying in New Zealand require a Student Visa. Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration Service, and can be viewed on their website at www.immigration.govt.nz.The details completed in the ‘Offer of a Place’ form provided by the School are required by New Zealand Immigration for the issuing of a Student Visa or Permit.

The School will inform the New Zealand Immigration Service when:

  • Students complete the course for which they have enrolled and return to their home country.

  • Choose to leave Tasman School to continue their study at another school in New Zealand.

  • Students fail to attend school on a regular basis (act truant).

Health and Travel Insurance

Most students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand unless they are:

  • A resident or citizen of Australia; or

  • A national of the United Kingdom in New Zealand; or

  • The holder of a temporary permit that is valid for two years or more

If you do not belong to one of these special categories and you receive medical treatment during your visit, you will be liable for the full costs of that treatment.
Therefore, all students must have Health and Travel Insurance for the duration of their stay in New Zealand. Proof of cover will be required as part of the enrolment process. We also strongly recommend that you obtain insurance to cover your travel to and from New Zealand.

Other charges you may have to meet include:

  • The cost of dental treatment

  • Specialist services, eg Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychological Services