Wellbeing, Health & Safety

Wellbeing

We support the wellbeing of our students in many ways by:

  • engaging students in a rich, purposeful curriculum connected to our vision, values and strategic priorities
  • providing opportunities for students to make decisions about their wellbeing and to be active in leading their learning in agentic ways
  • developing student’s voice, student agency and student leadership
  • encouraging physical activities for healthy kids
  • promoting healthy lifestyles
  • supporting high health needs students
  • developing a positive school culture
  • strengthening the relationships and connections between all members of the school community
  • developing personal skills (such as problem-solving, conflict resolution), and helping young people to build resilience in the face of life challenges
  • targeting specific problem areas such as the transition between schools, behavioural problems and bullying
  • using researched programmes that prevent and deal with bullying

Safety guidelines

Children are not allowed to bring dangerous items to school e.g., matches, knives, razor blades, firecrackers, etc.

Valuables, especially toys or money, are also not permitted.

The school cannot be responsible for loss or damage to any property brought to school.

School Parking

We want to keep all students safe when children are being dropped off to and picked up from school. Please ensure that you park considerately around the school, i.e. no double parking or parking on yellow lines. Because so many children walk around the school entrance at drop-off and pick-up times, please do not use the main entrance as a turning point.

School Patrol

Our school patrol service is run by Year 6 children and supervised by a roster of parents and teachers. Crossings on Clyde St and Thames St are patrolled from 8.30am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 3.10pm.

We welcome parent assistance with patrols; if you can help, please email mel@islandbay.school.nz

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are not to be used by children during school hours. If children need a mobile phone for safety reasons, parents need to make an arrangement with the class teacher. The mobile phone should be given to the class teacher for safekeeping at the beginning of the school day; it will be returned to students at the end of the day.

Bicycles and Scooters

Children are encouraged to walk or ride to school. Helmets should be worn when riding a bicycle or a scooter. A bicycle stand is available next to the bottom turf. Children will need to padlock their bicycles to the stand. Scooters can be stored in the scooter rack next to the car park off Thames St. Bicycles and scooters are not to be ridden in the school grounds while children are playing there. Skateboards are not permitted within the school grounds.

Health

Sunhats & Sunscreen

During Terms 1 and 4 all children are required to wear a sunhat that covers their forehead and neck when they are outside. Children are welcome to wear a hat from home; Island Bay School sunhats are also available from the office at a reasonable cost.

Please ensure your child/ren have a named sunhat in their bag. Sunscreen in their bag is a good idea too. Talk to them about keeping safe in the sun. The School will provide sunscreen for students. Students without a hat will be asked to play in the shade.

Medication at school

If your child requires medication while at school please see the office to complete a permission slip. All medication is held in the office.

Please discuss any life-threatening allergies with the office.

The Public Health Nurse

Nurses are available to visit the school to help with any pupil health problems. A hearing/vision test is administered to every child in their first year at school if they have not been previously tested at an Early Childhood Education Centre.

Dental Nurse

The school provides dental checks at school once a year.

If you have concerns regarding your child’s dental care, you can make an appointment at the Selby Hub clinic on Adelaide Rd.

Please contact 0800 TALK TEETH ( 0800 825 583) or visit http://www.beehealthy.org.nz/ to discuss your concerns or make an appointment.

Head lice

From time to time, like all schools, we get head lice outbreaks.

When this happens we will put a reminder in the newsletter for everyone to please check your child’s hair for small white eggs or live lice.

Inspect your child’s clothes, particularly hats, shirts, scarves, and coats that have been worn during the past 48 hours, looking for lice and eggs.

See here for information on how to get rid of these nasty visitors.