Uncategorised

A selection of photos from school events

Our friendly office staff (pictured above) are ready to respond to all questions and issues that may arise while your child is at school. 

Teachers are available for short chats between 8:30am - 8:50am in the morning and straight after school on most days.  

Teachers often have meetings starting from 3.15pm, so if you need a longer conversation with a teacher, please make arrangements with them directly or use this email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Emails will be forwarded to the relevant staff member. 

 A current staff list can be found here.

Home Zone

All students who live within the home zone described below (and shown on the attached map) shall be entitled to enrol at the school.

• Starting at the intersection of Auckland Road and Tamaki Drive, travel east along Tamaki Drive (345 and above included), south along Turua Street, east along Polygon Road, south west on Yattendon Road, south on Sylvia Road to Maskell Street. Travel east on Maskell Street (102, 91 and below included; Vale Road - 85 – 91 odd numbers only included; McArthur Street included), south east on Chesterfield Avenue (excluded), south west on Kesteven Avenue (35, 38 and below included; Kildare Avenue – 39, 38 and below included), west along Riddell Road (75, 50 and below included), south on Sierra Street (Wendover Road – 47, 48 and below included). Travel west on Mt Taylor Road (excluded), north on Ashby Avenue (57, 50 and below included), west on Odessa Crescent, north on Maxine Place to St Heliers Bay Road (283, 292 and below included; Lammermoor Drive included), north on Long Drive (93, 72 and above included; Tarawera Terrace – 50, 33 and below included), east and north along Challenger Street (all addresses included), east and north along Auckland Road (all addresses included) back to the starting point.

All residential addresses on included sides of boundary roads and all no exit roads off included sides of boundary roads are included in the zone unless otherwise stated.

Proof of residence within the home zone will be required.

Each year, applications for enrolment in the following year from in-zone students will be sought by a date which will be published in a daily or community newspaper circulating in the area served by the school. This will enable the board to assess the number of places which can be made available to students who live outside the zone.

Out of Zone Enrolments for 2024

Out of Zone applications for 2024 are now closed.  St Heliers School Board has determined that a limited number of places are likely to be available in all year levels for out-of-zone students for 2024. Exact numbers for each year group will be advertised on the school website, under 'How to Enrol' and the local community paper. 

All students who live within the home zone shall be entitled to enrol at the school.

Physical Address
126-160 St Heliers Bay Road, St Heliers, Auckland 1071 

Postal Address
PO Box 25110, St Heliers, Auckland 1740

Telephone
09 575 8311

Fax
09 575 3921

Email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Absentees

Please telephone the school if your child is absent for the day.
For safety reasons it is most important that we can account for students who are absent from his or her classroom when the Attendance Register is called at the beginning of the day.

   8:30 am — Classrooms open 

   8:50 am — Tuesday - Year 1 - 4 morning assembly
                      Thursday - Year 5 - 8 morning assembly

   9:00 am — Classes commence

10:40 am — Morning Tea

11:10 am — Classes recommence

12:40 pm — Lunch 

12:50 pm — Play time

  1:25 pm — Return to classroom

  1:30 pm — Classes recommence

  3:00 pm — End of school day

Assemblies

Award Assemblies - are on a Friday at 2.00 pm in the school hall. All are welcome.  Merit certificates are awarded during Year 0-4 and Year 5-8 assemblies. Excellence Awards and Citizenship Awards are presented at full school assemblies.

Staff will contact parents/caregivers to advise when a child is receiving an award. We like to keep this as a surprise for the student.

Please check the school community calendar for the dates of Friday assemblies.

Morning Assemblies - the principal holds short weekly 8:50 am morning assemblies. These are to deliver messages to students and acknowledge achievements.  These are held on:

Tuesday - Year 1 - 4, Thursday - Year 5 - 8.

Parents are welcome to attend. Please be aware they are frequently canceled due to weather and other school events.

Consultation

Māori Consultation Action Plan 2022 - 2023

Purpose to address parent suggestions that came out of the consultation to help us guide the strategic plan.

Please see the attached Action Plan Here

Weekly Te Reo Maori Sheet can be found here

Concerns/Queries

If parents have any concerns or queries about some aspect of their child's schooling, please make an appointment with your child's class teacher. If the matter requires further discussion or is unresolved, the appropriate team leader would become involved. The Principal would only become involved in such issues after discussions with the class teacher and team leader remained unresolved.

Damage to School Property

Where a pupil causes damage through deliberate destruction or undue carelessness it is school policy to inform the parents and seek their co-operation in rectifying the problem.

Local After School Activities for Students

Please click here for a list of local after school activities for students.

Lost Property

Lost Property is kept in the school hall. Every effort is made to return named items. All clothing must be named. Lost Property is cleaned out at the end of each term. Unclaimed items are put in the recycle clothing bin.

School Lunches (ezlunch)

You can order healthy and delicious lunches through Kindo.  Simple and easy. School lunch orders are available on a Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Term 2 2023 lunch orders will begin on Thursday 27 April 2023.
You will be able to order (or cancel) any time before 9:00am on the day or schedule in advance.
Your child's lunch will be delivered to the school in time for lunch.

Please click here for the ezlunch menu

Orders are made online through your myKindo account. One account for the whole family! Get started now and be ready... go to www.mykindo.co.nz to start ordering!
For ingredient information please click on the ‘i’, next to the menu item. It is also possible for Kindo to store allergen information so that future lunch orders adhere to the dietary restrictions. Click the My Details tab on the menu, then scroll to the bottom and select an option from the dropdown box
under Allergy Alert.
Please make sure to press save and continue at the top right after entering in the allergy alert.

Notifying the School

Please notify the school:

• If your child is to be picked up by anyone other than the usual people (grandparents, relations, friends)
• If your child has a notifiable disease - infectious
• If you change your telephone number or address.

Road Safety

Road safety is of key concern for children travelling to and from school. Pupils are constantly reminded, both in and out of the classroom, of the safety rules that must be observed daily. Programmes such as Safe Walking and Safe Cycling are taught within the curriculum. Please do not double park to pick up children.

Students who ride bicycles to school must be familiar with the Road Code and meet three conditions:

• The cycle is completely roadworthy
• Parents have given permission
• The student is wearing a cycle helmet.

School traffic wardens are on patrol at the traffic lights at the intersection of St Heliers Bay Road, Riddell Road and Maskell Street each afternoon from 3.00-3.10pm. A staff member supervises the afternoon crossings. Children are to cross the roads only at the patrolled traffic lights, and must use the Kea Crossing if crossing Walmsley Road.

School Newsletter

This is emailed to all parents and available on the website under day to day information.

It contains items of interest, information about school programmes, events and notable achievements. This is the main source of information to parents about upcoming events and reminders.

School Photos

Class, sibling and individual photos are taken in Term 3.

School Student Council

We have two student councils. Junior Student Council is Years 4 & 5 and Senior Student Council is Years 6 - 8. Meetings are held once a term with follow-up meetings when required. Both Councils work with the Assistant and Deputy Principals to discuss issues, help organise school events and support students, staff and community. Year 4 & 5 Student Council are elected by their classmates for two terms. Year 6 - 8 Student Council are elected by their classmates for the year. 

School Trips, Camps and Education Outside the Classroom

In order to enrich the students’ education, class trips are sometimes organised. These can be on a half or full day basis or can sometimes be for up to a week. Extensive planning is required by the teacher and a proposal outlining the purpose, plans and itinerary of each trip is given to the Principal. Regulations determining the required ratio of adults to pupils are adhered to. Invariably parents are invited to support, take part in and enjoy their child's class trip.

A travel consent form is completed on enrolment which is valid for the entire time your child is at St Heliers School. All trips and visits will be well-publicised either in the Principal's, team leader's or class teacher's newsletters.

Signing out at School Office

If a child needs to leave the school grounds during school hours, parents/caregivers of that student, where possible, should notify the classroom teacher before the start of the school day. All parents must report to the school office to sign the student out and only then will the student be sent for. Please do not take students directly from classrooms.

Student Leave Request

A 'Student Leave Request Form' must be completed in advance of any planned trips during term time.  These forms are available here as well as the school office and must be approved by the school principal in advance.  We do not provide school work for any trips taken during term time.

Student Progress

A Meet the Teachers Evening' happens early in Term 1 of each year.

Two written reports are issued for each student - one mid-year and one at the end of the year.

Parent/Teacher interviews are scheduled when mid-year reports are issued.

Staff are available to have informal chats before or after school for a few minutes. If you require a longer time, you can contact the office and a time will be organised with the teacher concerned. Staff have meetings after school on several days and will find a time that suits as soon as possible.

Supervision of the School Grounds

During morning tea interval and lunch break teachers are on duty in the school grounds. When injuries occur or concerns arise, students should initially contact the duty teacher.

A map of the St Heliers School grounds can be downloaded Here.

 2024

Term 1

Wednesday 7 February - Friday 12 April (Easter break 29 March, 1st and 2nd April)

Mid-term cohort date - Monday 11 March

Term 2

Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July  (Closed Staff Only day 31 May, King's Birthday 3 June & Matariki 28 June)

Mid-term cohort date - Tuesday 4 June

Term 3

Monday 22 July - Friday 27 September

Mid-term cohort date - Monday 26 August

Term 4 

Monday 14 October - Friday 20 December (Labour day 28 October & Staff only day 29 October)

Mid-term cohort date - Monday 18 November

From the ERO report 2017:

"The inclusive culture of the school supports all children well to reach their potential."

"St Heliers School is highly effective in achieving equitable outcomes for children."
"Teachers provide high-quality learning opportunities for children."

Full ERO Review Click Here

 Te Ao Māori

Aotearoa New Zealand has a proud bi-cultural history. At St Heliers School, our students participate in a range of cultural experiences relating to Tikanga, Te Reo and Te Ao Māori. We aim to uphold all of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.  Te Reo Māori is displayed in our classrooms and used by kaiāko (teachers) in their daily activities.

Language Weeks

New Zealand is home to many different cultures and languages.  Throughout the year, there are a number of official Language Weeks which are celebrated at schools across the country.  The countries celebrated include our Pacific Island neighbours, such as Samoa, Tonga, Niue, the Cook Islands and Fiji. There are also Māori and Chinese Language Weeks.  These Language Weeks are incorporated into our curriculum through words, songs and dance.

Second Language Programme - Mandarin

Mandarin is offered to students in Years 5 to 8. A well-qualified Mandarin Learning Assistant is employed to assist teachers in the delivery of the programme.

Students are taught to use Mandarin to communicate with one another in a variety of real-life social situations.

Confidence in speaking and comprehension goes hand in hand with an emphasis on cultural understanding of Chinese society. The interactive, student-centred lessons are supported by exciting language-teaching technology and resources; extending to students' involvement in Chinese cultural activities, where they can use their Mandarin language in genuine conversation.

Inquiry Learning - Diversity

One of the Big Ideas covered in Inquiry each year is Diversity. Inquiry Learning is guided by the investigation of concepts which are authentic, relevant, challenging, engaging and globally transferable. Inquiry Learning encourages a response resulting in a change in thinking and/or positive action, for the benefit of the learner and others.

The School Board is elected every three years and has a governance role ensuring compliance with Ministry of Education requirements.

In its governance role, the Board acknowledges community issues and responds where appropriate.                                                                                                                                                                            

We hereby declare the following candidates duly elected in 2022:

Selena Armstrong

Grant Gillingham

Kathy Harding

Laura Pateman

Janine Wiles Cosgrove

Staff representative:                                                                                                 

Lizanne Franklin (no election required)                                             

We hereby declare Lizanne Franklin duly elected.

Meetings

Please contact the school office for the time & date of the next board meeting.

The Current School Board 

St Heliers School Strategic Plan 2024-2025

This can be found here

Annual Accounts

• 2022 Annual Accounts can be found here
• 2021 Annual Accounts can be found here
• 2020 Annual Accounts can be found here
• 2019 Annual Accounts can be found here
• 2018 Annual Accounts can be found here
• 2017 Annual Accounts can be found here

St Heliers School Statement of Variance:

The report can be found here

Core Curriculum — Educating for Excellence

The school curriculum is made up of eight essential learning areas that are prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

EnglishMathematics & Statistics
Science
Technology
Social Science
Health & Physical Education
The Arts
Learning Languages

Underpinning the curriculum areas are five key competencies.

Thinking
Understanding language, symbols and texts
Relating to others
Managing self
Participating & contributing

Inquiry Learning

Inquiry Learning is a school-wide approach to learning, where many of the essential learning areas are taught through an Inquiry model.

St Heliers School Inquiry Learning enables students to become responsible, self-directed, and life-long learners, who are critical thinkers and effective problem solvers, with the ability to ask and act upon higher order questions. Our Inquiry Learning model gives the learner a focused approach through which they can search for meaning, construct understanding, build knowledge, and respond to big ideas and key concepts.

Inquiry Learning is guided by the investigation of concepts which are authentic, relevant, challenging, engaging and globally transferrable. Inquiry Learning encourages a response resulting in a change in thinking and/or positive action, for the benefit of the learner and others.

Curriculum Management

The essential learning areas have a specified allocation of teaching and learning time for all students

Student achievement is systematically monitored and barriers to learning identified.

Planning of individual classroom programmes is focused on programmes that reflect school curriculum and the New Zealand Curriculum Framework intent.

Year 7 and 8 students receive technology programmes at Selwyn College - an approved Technology Training Centre.

Intervention programmes support student learning to meet the standards set for St Heliers School.

Homework

St Heliers School has a policy of providing a small amount of homework for children on a regular basis. This promotes good work habits, learning to work independently and provides an opportunity for parents and children to share in learning experiences. In no case is this ever excessive and should always be set at an age appropriate level. If you have any questions regarding the homework set, please contact your child's teacher.

The school has a special place in the history of the District since it was the first public school to be established in the Tamaki area.

In 1877 a small private denominational school run by the Presbyterian Church on what is now the corner of Line and West Tamaki Roads provided the only educational facility in the St Heliers District. The nearest public schools available for children in the Tamaki District were Panmure and Mt Hobson (Remuera).

St Heliers residents petitioned the Education Board in 1877 asking that a Public School be established. The Education Board accepted the proposal and authorised the opening of the school on 12 February 1877 in a building in which a private school had been conducted. The first public school built in the District, the new 'Tamaki West' school opened at the beginning of June 1879. It was erected beside St Thomas' Church on a two-acre paddock fronting Kohimarama Road.

For thirty years the one-roomed school remained there. During the 1908-1909 Christmas holiday period the school was moved on wheels by a traction engine to the corner of St Heliers Bay Road and Maskell Street. The school was then named St Heliers School.  It remained the only state school in the Tamaki area until the opening of Glendowie School in 1952. 

 
Our Kāhui Ako

Glendowie Kāhui Ako or Community of Learners (CoL) is made up of four schools in our local Glendowie community.

These are: 

• Churchill Park School

• Glendowie School

• St. Heliers Primary School

• Glendowie College.

Our schools work together to provide seamless high-quality education. This is facilitated through the Principals and across School Leaders working together to engage all akonga/kaiako (students and staff) in the pursuit of shared school goals.

Glendowie Kāhui Ako started in 2018 with a focus in the primary sector to raise student achievement in writing, along with a focus on student agency.

The College focus is to raise the number of Year 11-13 students achieving NZ Scholarship and NCEA endorsed with merit or excellence. They are also developing the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Middle Years' Programme (MYP) as a new initiative in the college.

Fostering student wellbeing is an ongoing focus as we move into the next phase of the Glendowie Kāhui Ako future development.

Our Schools

Glendowie Community of Learning Lead Principal’s Term 2 Report

2019 Presentation

2018 Presentation 

St Heliers School offers the highest standards of education for primary and intermediate school students.

Read more: Vision and Values

To complement the core curriculum, St Heliers School provides a wide range of experiences and resources to foster student learning.

Aquatics

St Heliers School features an aquatics programme that prepares students for safe use of the local environment and develops basic swimming competencies.

Years 5 and 6 taking part in a swimming competition

Tutored Swim Programme

Students in Years 3 and 5 are tutored by specialist swimming tutors.

Aquapass

This is a swim skill and personal survival programme for Year 7&8 students.

Waterwise

St Heliers School is one of seven schools that form the Okahu Bay Waterwise Society. The Waterwise group own Optimist sailing dinghies and kayaks. Year 8 students receive instruction in sailing and kayaking. This is carried out by trained instructors and is dependent on parent support.

Education Outside of the Classroom

Opportunities are provided for students to make use of resources within our region. These experiences are an important part of enriching learning.

ESOL (English for speakers of other languages)

The school has a language unit which caters for students for whom English is a second language and who need extra support to enable them to fully participate in classroom programmes. ESOL students are taught by specialist ESOL teachers.

Essay Competition

Through a generous bequest Year 8 students take part in 'The Whitley Family Essay Competition' which provides two substantial prizes to assist students with their secondary school education expenses.

Problem Challenge

Year 7 and 8 students take part in the University of Otago's 'Problem Challenge'.

Year 7 students constructing for the Epro8 Challenge, an engineering and problem solving race

Performing Arts

Each year many opportunities are available for students to take part in performing arts groups, including the school choir, boys' choir, cheer squad, hip hop and jump jam - students leading other students in aerobic exercise.

School Camp

A school camp is offered to Year 5&6 and Y7&8 students every other year. The camps are 'Education Outside the Classroom' programmes and seek to test communication, problem solving, self-management, social co-operation and physical skills. They are great fun and eagerly awaited by students.

Second Language Programme

Mandarin is offered to Year 5 to Year 8 students. A mandarin learning assistant is employed to assist in the delivery of the programme.

Speech Contest

Each year, students from Years 5 & 6 and Years 7 & 8 compete to represent the school at a prepared and impromptu speech competition held throughout the Auckland region.

Student Council

Students from Years 3 - 8 make up the Student Council. Each classroom has two elected representatives who are issued with a badge. They attend regular meetings to discuss issues, help organise school events and support students, staff and community.

Student Leaders

Several Year 8 students are selected to be School Leaders. They have a range of duties around the school and are issued with a badge. They support students, staff and community.

Student Leadership Opportunities

Opportunities exist for students to develop leadership and complementary skills through becoming student monitors. These include librarians, bank tellers for school banking, road patrol monitors and membership of the Student Council.

After Hours Programmes

From time to time programmes are offered by specialist tutors on site after the end of the school day.

Use the Contact form below.

You message will be forwarded to the relevant person.

Name *

Phone

Email *

Subject

Message *

Security Check

Please enter these letters in the text box below:

Sport is an integral part of the school curriculum and all students are expected to participate in organised programmes to develop physical skills, co-ordination, learn co-operation and determination.

Classroom sports programmes occur weekly or twice weekly, as well as regular short fitness exercises.

If your child cannot participate for any medical reason, we request a notice from the parent or caregiver outlining the reasons.

Highlights of our Sports year are:

• Bay Suburbs Sports
• Eastern Zone Sports
• Cross Country
• Year 1-4 Athletics Day
• Year 5-8 Athletics Day
• Year 5-8 Swimming Sports
• The AIMS Games