If your child is going to be away from school, please notify us through our SMS app, or contact the office via email or phone, explaining why your child will be absent. If your child is sick, please let us know before 9:00am so their absence may be marked correctly in the register. This is both a legal requirement and an important safety measure. Any extended student absences lasting longer than three consecutive days should be discussed directly with your child's teacher. If your child arrives late to school, they must sign in at the front office before heading to their classroom.
Please ensure that the school has up-to-date emergency contact details and personal health data for your child, including your doctor’s name and phone number. If your child is involved in a significant accident, you will be informed immediately.
This program allows students to remain at school until 4:00pm - taking pressure off families who are working / picking other children up from town. If students are on site past 3:00pm (without a parent / caregiver), they are expected to be enrolled into this service. This service is supervision only - it is not organised learning, or activities. Students will be supervised as they play, with the same rules and expectations as our school day. If it is wet, indoor activities will be provided for students to enjoy. A snack of fruit and a milo will be provided. The cost is $5.00 a day per child. If there are multiple children from the same family - additional children are charged at $2.50 per day (Two children = $7.50, Three children = $10.00).
School Assembly is on Friday morning from 8:50am. Families and whanau are welcome to join. In terms 1 & 4 assembly is in our Hall, in terms 2 & 3 assemblies are in our junior classroom - Kōwhai.
Students are welcome to bring their bikes or scooters to school. For safety reasons, all riders must wear an approved helmet and footwear and can only bike, or scoot, on the designated bike track. Having these play items at school is the child's responsibility - they must look after them, put them away at the end of the day, and use them appropriately in line with the school guidelines. The school can not accept any responsibility for any damage or loss.
Please ensure that all children’s clothing is clearly named for easy identification. This ensures that we can return misplaced items to their owners promptly. For health and safety reasons, we ask that children keep jewellery to a minimum. If your child has pierced ears, please ensure they only wear small studs or sleepers to prevent accidental catching during sports and playground games.
Please inform the school office when you collect your child from the school premises, as all children are marked off the afternoon list as they leave. If there is any change to your child's usual travel arrangement, an email or phone call to the office is required. These measures are in place to ensure our tamariki are safe.
All our school communication is sent out via our EDGE app. We use this one platform to ensure clear and accurate communication - deliberately avoiding multiple platforms to avoid confusion. This is linked to our school management system. Communication includes newsletters, panui, sports notices, learning information, teacher / parent learning conversation bookings, class excursions, important dates, student reports and everything else. It is essential that all whanau download the app and check notifications when they arrive.
If you have a concern regarding your child or a school procedure, please feel free to approach their classroom teacher in the first instance. Our office will be happy to provide you with a copy of the school’s Concerns and Complaints Policy Statement, which outlines the official steps to take. Please note that no anonymous letters of complaint will be acted upon. Detailed school board policies and administrative guidelines can be accessed online at any time via the SchoolDocs portal using our school's specific login credentials.
As per government regulations, personal cellphones are not permitted to be used during school hours. If a child must bring a phone for safety on their commute, it must be switched off and handed to the class teacher or the office upon arrival, to be collected at 2:45pm. School-owned digital devices are provided for classroom learning under strict safety guidelines.
We welcome all placement enquiries for the upcoming school year. Families wishing to enrol their child are encouraged to contact the office to book an introductory meeting with the Principal. Thereafter your child will be enrolled to start either at the start of a term, or mid way through a term. Before their start date, they will have three school visits across three weeks. This enrollment process outlined in detail on our website - see button on the main menu 'enrollment'.
Fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills are carried out once a term on a rotational basis so that all students and staff are familiar with emergency procedures. Our priority is always student safety. In a real emergency situation, parents will be updated via email and text message as soon as it is safe to do so. Please ensure your contact details remain up to date at the office.
The school maintains an official public Facebook page to showcase student highlights, share learning moments, and post quick reminders. To protect student privacy, children are never explicitly tagged or named in public photos.
In keeping with our “Safe Schools” Policy and being a SunSmart school, children need a wide-brimmed bucket style sunhat to wear during morning tea and lunchtime, during Terms 1 and 4. Please ensure they have a hat in their bags during the summertime. School hats are available for purchase from the school office.
If your child suffers from asthma, allergies, or any other medical condition, please ensure that the school has full details along with any required medication to be held in the sick bay. Parents must give permission for staff to administer any medication. All serious accidents or incidents are recorded in a registry, and parents or emergency contacts are phoned immediately in the event of an emergency.
All New Entrant children are tested for vision and hearing during their first year at school. Thereafter, any children causing concern are re-tested. If you suspect a problem with your child’s sight or hearing, please contact the school so we can arrange a test during the next visit by the Hearing and Vision Tester.
At times, children may bring learning home. In the main, this will consist of reading, written work, spelling, or maths. Home learning should be a consolidation of previously taught work and should be an enjoyable, stress-free time for both children and parents.
A popular weekly event is our "Hot Lunch Day" held every Friday. Hot pies are available to be ordered for $4.00 and Juices for $3.00. All proceeds from this intuitive go towards our Y5 & Y6 annual camp. Pies, sausage rolls etc can also be brought from home to be heated in the pie warmer.
The morning bell rings at 8:45am to mark the start of the school day, and final dismissal is at 2:45pm. To ensure proper supervision is in place, we request that students are not dropped off on-site before 8:15am. Morning recess runs from 10:40am to 11:00am, followed by the main lunch break from 12:30pm to 1:15pm. Students must be signed out when they are collected at the end of each day.
Upon enrolment, every student is placed into one of our school houses. House groups compete throughout the year in sporting events, cultural activities, and fun learning challenges. Houses promote a sense of belonging, create leadership opportunities for our senior students, and foster a healthy team spirit across all year levels. Our houses are Ahititi (green), Horouta (yellow), Takitimu (red) and Waipaoa (blue).
Student aspiration and goal setting hui is held at the beginning of each year, and student-parent-teacher learning conversations take place at the end of term 2 and term 4 (after our mid year and end of year reports are sent out). You are always welcome to make an appointment to discuss your child’s progress at any time during the year with either your class teacher or the Principal.
All tamariki participate in weekly Kapa Haka sessions led by specialized cultural tutors. These sessions focus on teaching local history, Tikanga Māori, Te Reo, and traditional waiata. The school proudly showcases this learning by performing collectively at our regional cultural festival later in the school year.
A major focus of our school is library development and promoting information literacy skills. We have a well-stocked library taken care of by Mrs T., and children visit with their class on a weekly basis. Please help ensure all library books and readers are looked after and returned to school in good condition.
The lost property box is located in our corridor, just inside the back entrance to our school. Please feel free to check the box regularly for missing items. Clearly named items are returned to children as soon as they are found.
We encourage healthy, litter-free lunches to keep our students energised for learning. Please send your child with a nutritious lunch and a named, refillable water bottle every day (water only, please).
Students should not bring large sums of money or expensive toys, trading cards, electronic items, or the like, to school. The school cannot accept responsibility for the loss or damage of personal items brought onto the grounds. If money needs to be brought in for fees or trips, please ensure it is placed securely in an envelope clearly marked with your child’s name, room number, and the purpose of the payment, and hand it straight to the office.
Newsletters are sent out to each family via email on Fridays. These are an important part of communicating with our families and contain up-to-date information about current and future events.
An ‘open door policy’ exists throughout our school. You are always welcome here; however, if you wish to meet specifically with a classroom teacher or the Principal, please feel free to make an appointment via the school office for a mutually agreeable time.
The Ormond Community Hall is a great asset to have on the school grounds. It is available for hire, as are its tables, chairs, and trestles, for a very reasonable price. Please contact the school office, if you are interested in making a booking.
We are very proud of the Ormond Kindergarten, situated on the school grounds, which offers a fun, stimulating, and friendly learning environment for preschoolers. Samantha Jennings is the Kindergarten lead and can be contacted at the Kindergarten from 8:30am through to 2:30pm, Monday to Friday. The junior room and the Kindergarten enjoy frequent interaction with one another, which helps make the transition to school much easier for new entrants.
Parents and caregivers are often called upon to help with class programmes, trips, learning excursions, or assisting with school sports. When volunteering to transport children for school trips, drivers must provide the office with a copy of a current, full driver's licence. Additionally, your vehicle must hold an up-to-date registration and Warrant of Fitness (WoF), and functional seatbelts must be worn by all passengers.
Every year, the children participate in our annual “Pet Day.” This is a wonderful community event focused on the children and their many varied pets, but it also includes arts, crafts, baking, sand saucers, and floral art. It is a fantastic, fun-filled day held in term four.
School and class photographs are taken annually by a visiting professional photographer. Parents will receive an order form with instructions on how to purchase prints at this given time.
As part of celebrating student success, we occasionally publish photos or examples of student work in our school newsletter, on our official website, or on our school social media page. Parents are asked to sign a media consent waiver upon enrolment. If your privacy preferences change at any point, please update the office staff in writing.
Alongside our mid-year and end of year written reports and learning conversations, we aim to keep you regularly informed about your child’s learning journey. Teachers track student progress meticulously against curriculum benchmarks. If a teacher notices a student needing extra support or extension, they will reach out to you early rather than waiting for the formal reporting cycle. If you wish to speak with your child's teacher regarding their learning or development, please make an appointment at any time.
Go Bus provides the bus and driver for our school route. Our school route is decided upon by the MOE, not us as a school.
Our bus stops are as follows: 
Each morning, please ensure your children are ready to catch the bus in plenty of time. It is also vital to inform the school office via email or a phone call if there is to be any change in your child’s afternoon travel route. This is essential for your child’s safety.
Every year, the senior class (Year 5 and 6) enjoys a school camp. The location alternates each year between a home camp based around the Gisborne area and an away camp at Tui Ridge Camp in Rotorua. Fundraising is essential to offset camp costs and it is expected that all families support this kaupapa. The cost for the away camp is $250 per child. This is a great opportunity for parents and caregivers to become involved and is always a lot of fun!.
In term 1 and term 4, all students will participate in swimming with their classes, at our school pool. This is part of our PE program and it is expected that all students fully participate as part of their learning program. Students will need to bring togs and a towel everyday in the summer terms. Our school pool is also available for use to our school community over the summer holiday period - please enquire at our office if you would like to purchase a pool code.
We offer a variety of sports across the school year. These opportunities are communicated through our school newsletter and / or our school app / email. Caregivers are required to fill our permission forms if they wish for their child to participate. Certain sports are organised and run by us at school, others by local sports clubs. Alongside the usual team sport opportunities our senior students participate in a large number of inter-school one day tournaments across the year. These are communicated directly to the selected students' families in advance of the event. The Ormond School Triathlon, Athletics Day, Cross-country and Swimming sports are held annually.
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