Prospective Parents
INTRODUCTION
A very warm welcome is extended to all parents who have enrolled or are enrolling children at Woodhill School.
We trust that your association with the school will be a happy one with close co-operation between parents and teachers to the benefit of your child's education. We value your support in the operation of our school programme.
This booklet will provide you with basic information about the school. It is complimented with the following documents -
• ‘Woodhill School Whanau Manual'
• School Charter
These documents are available from our school website or in hard copy from school. Every family will receive an updated version of the ‘Whanau Manual' in term 2, 2010.
You can also find up to date news and information about our school at www.woodhill.school.nz
Kind regards
Kit Murray
Principal
- Mission Statement
To Grow, To Care, To Learn...
Woodhill School will provide a positive and safe learning environment that will stimulate and challenge children to be intrinsically motivated.
To this end students will be proactive in taking charge of their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well being.
Close - Our Core Beliefs
Our mission statement is driven by six core beliefs:
1. Staff students and BOT are committed to obtaining high expectations of themselves and each other.
2. Tikanga and Te Reo Maori are fundamental to the bi-cultural foundations of Woodhill School and Aotearoa.
3. We embrace and celebrate all aspects of the individual.
4. Within a supported environment - participation, development and contribution is provided and expected of all staff and students.
5. We believe Key Competencies are fundamental to life long learning.
6. We believe literacy and numeracy are fundamental to the education process.
Close - Our Vision
We embrace the vision outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum. We design everything at Woodhill School to enable our pupils to be:
• Confident - positive in their own identity motivated and reliable - resourceful - enterprising and entrepreneurial - resilient
• Connected - able to relate well to others - effective users of communication tools - connected to the land and environment - members of communities - international citizens
• Actively Involved - participants in a range of life contexts - contributors to the wellbeing of New Zealand (Social, cultural, economical, and environmental)
• Lifelong Learners - literate and numerate - critical and creative thinkers - active seekers, users, and creators of knowledge - informed decision makers.
Close - Our Values
Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed by the ways that people think, feel and act. Our framework has been designed in unison with our ‘Mission Statement' and provides us with an initiative whereby we can model, motivate, monitor and measure.
Close - Key Competencies
Our curriculum is delivered through the 'Key Competencies.' These are competencies that we believe are essential to................... Every task, activity, inquiry, discussion, or assessment is delivered within this framework.
Students will become familiar with the language and structure of the KC's, equipping them with the ability to self reflect using the model. The depth and acquisition of each competency develops as each student matures and becomes more efficient and familiar with the framework. Woodhill School has developed the metaphor of the KC Tree - for more information on the KC Tree and key competencies please see the ‘Whanau Manual'
Each competency is broken down into several key components. These components give more clarity and detail so that the students are able to make accurate judgements and "I Statements' with regards to that particular competency within a particular activity/task/unit.
| Our ‘Key Competencies’ framework |
Managing Self
|
ICT |
Participating |
Thinking |
Relating to Others
|
-Ownership
-Proactive
-Pride |
-skills
-creativity
|
-Whanau
-School
-Local
-community
-Wider
-community
|
-Clever
-Questions
-Tools
-clarity of direction/reflection
-Creativity
|
-Negotiating
-Respect
-Communication
-Sharing
-Virtues
|
Close - Staffing for 2010
|
Year 1 Carmen Murray
Year 6 Bronwyn Howard
Year 3/4 Amanda Young
Principal
Deputy Principal
School Secretary
Special Needs
Caretaker
Teacher Aide
|
Year 2 Alison Rowe
Year 4/5 Leah Harworth
Year 7/8 Karen Algar
Kit Murray
Amanda Young
Kaye Simpson
Michelle Hildreth
Tom Grace
Stella Goodlud
|
Close - School Hours
Woodhill School's hours are as follows:
Start time : 8.30am
Morning Interval : 10.20am - 10.40am
Lunchtime : 12.30pm - 1.15pm
Finish time : 2.30pm
Close - Homework
Woodhill School acknowledges and respects the fact that each household may have differing views and understandings of homework. To this end an individual ‘Homework Contract' can be written for every child in accordance with each families wishes. This contract is constructed during the February/March ‘3 way conferences' between the child, parents/caregivers and teacher. Woodhill School has a Homework procedure and guidelines to guide teachers, students, and parents/caregivers.
Close - Reporting to Parents/Caregivers
Reporting to parents/caregivers is an important part of your child's education. Students receive three written reports a year and these are complemented with two formal ‘3 way conferences.'
After 5 weeks Report followed by 3-way conference
End of Term 2 Written report/portfolio
Beginning of Term 3 3-Way Conference
End of Term 4 Written Report/portfolio
Close - Room Parents
In keeping with our ‘Open School' philosophy we have introduced a ‘Room Parents' system across the school this year. The are 2 main functions of the ‘Room Parents'
1.To assist with communication between the class teacher and class families
2.To assist in the development of a roster for parental help within the classroom programme.
As each class has different dynamics and each teacher different styles, strengths and programmes, the ‘Room Parents' programme may run quite differently in each classroom. For more information on the room parent strategy see your child/s class teacher or myself.
Close - Fees
There are essentially 3 parts to the fee structure for your child's learning at Woodhill School in 2010 - School Donation, Stationery Fee, and Activity Fee. These are set at the following rates-
| School Donation |
$20 per term |
$80 per year |
| Stationery Fee |
$10 per term |
$40 per year |
| Activity Fee |
$10 per term |
$40 per year |
| |
$40 per term
|
$160 per year
|
•Note - there is no discount for families with more than 1 child at school. Prices are based simply on a per student basis - e.g.: a book costs the same for every student regardless of whether they live in the same house.
•Note - Year 7/8 students have an additional $20 for manual fees
•Note - School camps are not included in the activity fee.
School Donation - There is often confusion around the notion of school fees/donations. The school donation is optional and therefore not compulsory. It is a figure set by the Board of Trustees in relation to our Bulk Grant from the Ministry of Education and our Strategic Goals derived from our Charter and Core beliefs. The BOT believe that $20 per term is a sensible and realistic amount for our community. Families are welcome to nominate their own amount for donation.
Stationery Fee - Our aim with the stationery fee is two-fold - 1) to standardise the stationery, systems, and prices throughout the school and 2) to ensure that every child always has the appropriate equipment to enable their learning. The idea is that your child will be provided with all the stationery that they need throughout the year for the fee of $10 per term. We strongly encourage families to try this system in 2010 knowing that it is in stark contrast to past practices. If families do not wish to utilise this system they will need to contact the school.
Activity Fee - The activity fee will cover all class/curriculum trips and school based performers for 2010. Families will not be asked to pay anything extra throughout the year for any EOTC excursions. This excludes school camp. It is expected that all families will pay this fee.
Close - WOODHILL SCHOOL PARENT-RUN BUS
If you are a travelling parent to Woodhill School we invite you to board the bus.
The bus is convenient with stops in Helensville, Parakai and Highway 16, this service helps to reduce the traffic hazards at School, and best of all saves you time, petrol and vehicle costs.
| |
WEEK |
HALF TERM |
FULL TERM |
| One Child |
25.00 |
125.00 |
250.00 |
| Two Children |
35.00 |
175.00 |
350.00 |
| Three or more |
40.00 |
200.00 |
400.00 |
Although a per term commitment is needed, payment can be made by weekly A/P, or half term and full term passes. If you have a younger child we operate a buddy system, and we are able to offer payment flexibility in the first weeks as your five-year-old gets to grips with school.
To secure your child's place please phone, the organiser, Deanna on (09) 420-9969.
Close - BUS ROUTES – MINISTRY FUNDED
There are currently 2 free buses available for children to catch to get to and from Woodhill School. The routes and times are as follows:
| Morning Run
From Bradley Road
Leaving at 7.45 am
Twin Springs at 7.48 am
Kiwitahi Road at 7.50 am
School at 7.55 am
From Reweti
Leaving Tree tops at 8.10 am
McPike Road at 8.12 am
School at 8.15 am
|
Afternoon Run
To Bradley Road
Leaving School at 2.35 pm
Kiwitahi Road at 2.40 pm
Twin Springs - 2.43 pm
Bradley Road at 2.50 pm
To Reweti
Leaving School at 2.32 pm
Into McPike Road at 2.40 pm
Treetops at 2.45 pm
|
Close
|
