School begins at 8.55 a.m. and finishes at 3.00 p.m. Children are expected to arrive at school no earlier than 8.30 a.m. and no later than 8.50 a.m. Your child attends full time from the first day.

There is no provision for early closing on wet days.

Lunchtime is from 12.30 pm – 1.30 p.m.

After school, children are expected to leave the school grounds by 3.10 p.m.

Onekawa School does not currently have a formal uniform. However all children are expected to wear a school hat. These can be purchased from the office for $10. Children representing the school for sports or other activities are provided with a uniform.

Parents are encouraged to visit the school office to meet with the Principal, Deputy Principal or Assistant Principal, as appropriate.

The school office staff will be able to answer many of your questions. Senior staff like to meet prospective new pupils and their parents when they arrive to enrol.

Five year olds are encouraged to have a familiarisation visit on Thursday mornings in the weeks before starting school. Please see the office for further details. An information pack for parents of new entrants is available from the office.

New entrants may start school on their 5th birthday.

You are asked to complete a health record for your child when he/she enrols as a five year old. We also require to see the child’s birth certificate and immunisation certificate.Y0/Y1 children are seen by the Vision/Hearing tester during the first year at school. We also ask that you advise us of any allergy or medical problems that your child may have, or if they need to have medication held at school.

Onekawa School is committed to a free flow of information between parents, caregivers and teachers.

Please endeavour to make an appointment to discuss matters concerning your child so that your teacher is able to allocate time with you out of class.

Our school has clear guidelines for dealing with complaints. Parents are asked to refer to our policy and procedure of how to go about making a complaint. A copy of this information is available from the office or click on the following link. 

The Receptionist may be contacted between 8.15 a.m. and 3.45 p.m. The school telephone number is 06-843 8297.

When children are absent from school, we ask that you contact the school by 9.00 a.m.  The best way to do this is by using the school app ‘HERO’. The school telephone number is 06-843 8297. There is an absence line to leave a message. You may also text in absences at 021 0251 9173.

We will contact you if your child is absent without explanation. We do this to ensure that all pupils are accounted for (for safety reasons).

If your child has to leave school for medical, urgent or other reasons, please write his/her teacher a note. Children are not able to leave the school during school hours without an adult with them and we do not send children home on their own. We only release children to known adults. You must go to the Office to get a note to pass to the teacher before collecting the child.

An emergency number, where you can be reached in case of accident or illness, is essential and must be kept up to date. It is most important that we are able to reach you if medical treatment is required for your child.

This school encourages active participation by parents in school activities. Teachers are always indebted to parents for any assistance they may offer. Your assistance may be sought to help teachers with individual and small groups of children in the classroom, library book repairs, sports team coaching, working bees, supervision on field trips and camps.

If you have any interests or skills that could help our pupils, we would like to hear from you. Please let the office or teacher know.

Please name all items of clothing, shoes, lunch boxes and plastic drink bottles.

Lost property is situated in the school office. Come and look if your child loses any items.

Plan with your child the safest way to school. Avoid busy intersections if possible and use the crossings.

After school all children should return straight home. If your child comes home with another child without prior arrangement, please phone that child’s parents or the school. This will help to eliminate some of the problems we have with children getting lost after school. Children who have not been picked up by their parents by 3.10 p.m. must wait in the school foyer.

The road crossings outside the school on Kennedy Road are patrolled by responsible Year 6 pupils who are supervised by an adult under the authority and training of the Police Transport Division. The crossings are patrolled from 8.25 a.m. to 8.50 a.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 3.15 p.m. Children are expected to use the crossings and not cross the road elsewhere.

We suggest the guidelines from the Police Traffic Department that only children from Year 4 up may ride their bikes to school. Bikes must be walked in and out of the school grounds. A lock must be used to secure bikes in our covered bike stands.

Traffic flow outside our school is difficult at the best of times and particular care is required in wet weather.

Some suggestions for making traffic flow easier include:

• Arrive a little later to pick children up (by 3.10 p.m. the street is half empty).Find pick up/drop off points a little distance away, i.e.
• Consider children’s safety at all times – on foot or on bicycles
• No parking across foot paths.
• Consider local residents’ access
• No parking across driveways.
• Consider other drivers
• The entrance on Kennedy Road is not for parents. It is access for service/trade vehicles, and staff parking.

Your assistance in these matters will be very much appreciated by all.