Dated: March 2014
Welcome to Kadimah School – Principal
Dear parents and students
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you all, especially to those of you who are new to the Kadimah Family. I hope that your child’s journey with Kadimah is a happy and fulfilling one and we look forward to celebrating their learning successes with you.
Kadimah School celebrates and promotes the joy of learning and the achievement of every child. Underlying all that we do are Jewish values. Kadimah School is for and of its community.
Our core values are:
Learning: Fostering a culture which promotes knowledge, fulfillment and creativity
T’fillah: Incorporating prayer, belief and spirituality
Identity: Respecting individuality, diversity and community
Middot (Torah Values): Encouraging good deeds exemplified by compassion, kindness and empathy
Partnership: Strengthening the ties between families, community and school
This handbook has been produced to help you and your child settle into Kadimah. If there is anything that we may have missed please don’t hesitate to contact the School Office to let us know how we can help you.
Robert Minahan – Principal
A few words from the Rabbi…
The Talmud states: “Teach your child values and values will guide him”. Learning in a nourishing Jewish environment empowers students, notjustacademicallyand socially but also spiritually. This is essential since academic skills alone are not sufficient to cultivate moral, ethical, and responsible leaders for the next generation. Kadimah offers more than lessons, wisdom, and history; it teaches the students how to learn, and how to be for themselves and for others in the world.
108 Greys Avenue, Newton, Auckland, 1010 – ph: (09) 373 3072 – Fax: (09) 366 6121–
Kadimah School Motto
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
If not now, when?”
Rabbi Hillel
Kadimah School Rules
I Am Respectful
I respect myself and others
I treat others as I like to be treated
I will make good choices
I Come To School To Learn
I come to school to learn and will always strive to do my best
I will be in the fight place at the right time doing the right thing
I Stay Safe
I will keep myself and others safe
I will look after others in the playground
I Look After Kadimah
I will look after my own belongings
I will take care of our class and school property
108 Greys Avenue, Newton, Auckland, 1010 – ph: (09) 373 3072 – Fax: (09) 366 6121–
Important Information A-Z
Contents
Welcome to Kadimah School – Principal
A few words from the Rabbi…
Kadimah School Motto
Kadimah School Rules
Important Information A-Z
Afterschool Care Programme
Assemblies
Attendance
Birthday Celebrations
Board Members
Bullying and Inappropriate Social Behaviour
Complaints
Daily Routine
Tefillah
Lunch and Break Time
Blessing over food – Berachot
Play Time
Daily Timetable
Dental
Fees
Homework and Assignments
Houses
Internet
Illness at school
Jewellery
Kadimah Parents and Friends Association (known as the KPFA)
Kadimah School Library
Leaving school grounds
Lost Property
Mobile Phones
Music and Music Facilities
Newsnotes
Office Hours
Parent/Parent Communication
Parent/Teacher Communication
Parent Interviews
Policy and Procedures
Reporting to parents
Sports and Sport Facilities
Student Leadership and Kadimah Buddies
Stationery
Toys and Valuable Items
Travelling to and from School
Uniform
Uniform Centre Price List
Volunteering
Afterschool Care Programme
Kadimah School offers an afterschool care programme run by Louise Canning, the Year 1 teacher,that runs from 3.00pm till 5.00pm. Your child can attend this programme on a casual or regular basis. Please contact Louise at to find out more.
Assemblies
Assemblies are held fortnightly at 2.00pm (day to be advised each term). Your child’s teacher will advise the class as to when they will be hosting the assembly during each term. We welcome friends and family to sit in on these assemblies.
Attendance
- Parents will be advised at the end of the school year, of the following year’s school term dates. There are days during the term when the school will be closed for observance of Jewish holidays. The dates and significance of these will be communicated to the community through the “Newsnotes” emailed fortnightly and a calendar is sent home at the end of the school year.
- Students are to be at school and in their classroom at 8.00am for 8.10am start. The school day finishes at 3.00pm. If your child arrives after 8.10am they must report to reception to collect a late note.
- If a student is sick and unable to attend school please call 373 3072and leave a message on the Absentee Line before 8.30am.
- Rest assured that you will be contacted if your child becomes unwell during the school day. The school will offer temporary care until you are able to collect your child from school.
- If your child needs medication during the day please clearly label this with the child’s name, dosage and administration times. You will need to give this to your child’s teacher.
- Excursions are part of the school educational programme and these are planned well in advance. Parental approval is sought for each educational visit. Without signed permission, your child will not be able to participate. Some excursions will have a cost. Excursions require parental help and any assistance you can give will be greatly appreciated.
Birthday Celebrations
Birthday celebrations are recommended to occur outside of school hours and not during the period of Shabbat (Sunset Friday until Sunset Saturday). If you wish to provide birthday treats for your child to share with classmates, please contact the office on 373 3072 before the big day, to confirm that the treats meet the school’s Kosher requirements. All food purchased next door at the Greys Ave Deli is Kosher and may be purchased for any occasion. If the whole class has been invited to your child’s party outside of school then you may hand out invitations at school. If you are unable to host the whole class please use the KIT book to send parents the invitations directly to avoid causing disappointment.
Board Members
The Kadimah Board of Trustees welcome contact from the wider community.
Denise Cohen (Chair)email:
Justin Edgar (Parent Representative)email:
Edward Robinson (Parent Representative)email:
Martyn Levy (Parent Representative)email:
Elaine Silverman (Staff Representative)email:
Barbara Hill (Goldwater Trust Representative)email:
Mike Silverman (Goldwater Trust Representative)email:
Robert Minahan (Principal)email:
Bullying and Inappropriate Social Behaviour
Kadimah has a very proactive approach to bullying and inappropriate social behaviour. If you believe your child is the victim of bullying, it is essential that you call the school and talk to a teacher or the Principal as soon as possible. Prompt contact with the school is your best course of action.
Complaints
The school has a formal complaints policy and procedure. This is available by contacting the school office.
Daily Routine
The school building at 108 Greys Ave will be open from 7.30 a.m.
Teachers will be officially on duty from 8.00 a.m. but are in the classroom from before then. We recommend that students arrive between 7.45am and 8.00 a.m. so that they have time to put their belongings in their classroom before school begins at 8.10am.
Tefillah
Every day at Kadimah begins with Tefillah, words of prayer. The morning prayers express a fundamental gratitude over having been given another precious day to live, love and learn. It sets a bright tone for the beginning of the day and allows the students to gather their focus and come together as a group. The Tefillot follow the flow of the year and change with the times (festival etc.).
Lunch and Break Time
The process of keeping kosher is fundamental to the school culture. It is observed within the school and at all school functions. Though quite straightforward, the practices do take some getting used to. KadimahSchool is a vegetarian site. Please ensure that no meat, chicken or meat/chicken flavoured products are included in lunch boxes. We do not allow children to share food.
The school promotes healthy eating and advises children bring with them a cheese, tuna or egg sandwich for example, fruit, yoghurt, crackers and a water bottle. For the younger children it is advised that the fruit is cut into smaller pieces. Please wrap the children’s food in plastic or paper wrap (as opposed to a plastic container) so that if they would like to take it to the park with them they can transport it easily and not have to worry about loosing lunchbox items.
Blessing over food – Berachot
Hakarat hatov or gratitude is a key concept in Judaism. Taking things for granted frequently grows a bad attitude and often leads to unnecessary disappointment. Before we eat we express our gratitude over receiving what we are about to eat by saying a short blessing. Food does not come from nowhere – it comes from something that is greater than ourselves and someone has made an effort to bring it before us. Therefore we reciprocate by saying thank you. After a full meal,including bread, a longer blessing is said as conclusion. This elevates the meal to more than just a fulfilment of physical needs.For different groups of food there are different blessings and the students will learn to incorporate this as a part of their school life.
Play Time
Myers Park is used by the whole school during lunch time. Our security officer, along with the duty teachers, supervise the children. The students can still access the bathroom facilities on the school grounds. They do not use the public toilets in the park. During Term 1 and 4 the children need to bring a sunhat each day to class to wear while outside. During the colder months please make sure to send your child to school with a warm hat.
The Parisian courtyard adjacent to the upper end of the school is another recreation site used by the school and is secure within the school grounds. This space is used by some classes for morning tea break, along with Myers Park.
On wet days the children will either use their classroom or the gym for recreation.
Daily Timetable
Below is daily timetable for the whole school. Please talk directly with your child’s teacher to understand the elements of your child’s education on a daily basis.
8.10 – 8.30am / School begins - T'fillah8.30 – 8.40am / Class time, check roll
8.40 – 9.20am / Period 1
9.20 – 10.00am / Period 2
10.00 – 10.30 / Morning Break
10.30 – 11.10am / Period 3
11.10 – 11.50am / Period 4
11.50 – 12.30pm / Period 5
12.30 – 12.50 / Supervised Lunch
12.50 – 1.30 / Lunch Break and Play
1.30 – 2.10pm / Period 6
2.10 – 2.50pm / Period 7
2.50 – 3.00pm / Class time, homework
3.00 / School ends
Dental
Your child’s dental care will be at Ponsonby Intermediate Dental Clinic. The Dental Service will contact you directly when your child is due for a dental checkup. If your child has a dental emergency in the meantime please contact the Clinic directly on 09 976 6327, 33 Sheehan Street, Ponsonby.
Fees
Attendance Dues – $575 per year (includes GST)
- Kadimah is a state integrated school, which means it receives some funding from the Government, however parents are required to contribute to the school to ensure that the high level of education and quality resources can continue to be supplied to your child.
- Attendance dues are compulsory under the terms of the Integration Act and are determined, from time to time, by the Proprietor and approved by the Minister of Education. Attendance dues are collected by the Goldwater Trust who are the Proprietor of Kadimah School and are used to maintain the school buildings to an acceptable standard. Attendance dues are not tax deductible and due in Term 1 of each year. You will be invoiced directly by the Goldwater Trust.
Parent Contributions – $1,500 per year
- Although Kadimah receives an operational grant from the Government, it needs to be supplemented by contributions from parents as the grant only covers approx. two-thirds of the school’s operating costs. In simple terms, Integration means that the New Zealand Government commits to contribute towards the cost of teachers and basic resources. Other costs such as staffing for music, art, Hebrew, Jewish Studies, ICT, security, and the like, need to be borne by the School. Parent contributions are tax deductible and are GST exclusive.
- Parent contribution requests are made by the Kadimah Board of Trustees at the beginning of the year and can be paid in one lump sum,quarterly instalments at the beginning of each term or 10 equal payments during the year. The Board requires each and every parent to contribute their fair share so all families equally benefit. Payments can be made at the office by eftpos, credit card or direct credit.
Homework and Assignments
We believe in a balance between homework and the after school activities in which children participate. We realise that students are involved and participate in sports, dance practices and the like. Students are encouraged to assess their activities after school and work out a manageable timetable for themselves. For some, completing a bit of homework each night is ideal where older students find some nights are heavily committed with sport and outside activities so they are able to work around this and put more time into completing work on another night. Homework will be set for each child according to each class teacher’s expectations. The children will be well advised by their teacher as to their particular homework requirements.
Houses
Manning, Nathan and Goldwater are the three school houses at Kadimah. The houses are named after three families who have been instrumental in shaping the Auckland Jewish community. House points are awarded in class each week and house points are announced each week during assembly. At the end of each term the winning house is recognized with an award. Your child will be assigned a house when they start at Kadimah. Siblings and cousins are considered when assigning a student to a house.
Internet
The school has strong guidelines with regard to the internet. Each user (child or teacher) is required to sign an agreement which is provided upon enrolment. For those who have not completed one of these agreements, please contact Elaine at the office (Tel: 3733072).
Illness at school
Should a child’s health be of concern, parents/caregivers will be contacted and asked to pick up their child from school. The medical room is only equipped to provide temporary accommodation. Sick children are happiest and safest when cared for by their own family.
Jewellery
For safety and security reasons, jewellery may not be worn to school unless it is for religious or cultural reasons. if special permission is given, such items must be worn beneath the uniform and must be not be visible. Plain silver or gold studs may be worn.
Kadimah Parents and Friends Association (known as the KPFA)
The Kadimah Parents and Friends Association is the body which helps maintain a close link between home and school. It promotes a wide range of activities in support of Kadimah. It is a wonderful way for parents to make a real difference. The KPFA raises money to help buy items for the school such as new chairs, sporting equipment, musical instruments, art supplies, teaching resources etc. They also provide opportunities for students and parents to catch up socially outside of school hours.The KPFA arranges for an informal parent social early in the first term.
There is a core group of parents who meet regularly and from time to time other parents get involved to help with specific projects, task or events run by the school.
If you are able to help with the following please contact Caroline Robinson or Katie Noble. You can find their details in the ‘Keep in Touch Book’ (KIT). Even if you can only spare a few hours it all adds up to help us achieve our goal of assisting our teachers to provide the best education we can for our children.
If you think you might have unique skills or contacts but don’t want to ‘officially” raise your hand, please notify Caroline or Rebecca or your Class Representative listed inside the back page of the KIT book. We might need help with sewing costumes, repairing curtains, sourcing soil for gardens–we really don’t know–but we would love to know that you could point us in the right direction even if you are short on free time. We know the one thing all of us have in common is that we want to help Kadimah deliver the best educational experience for our children. The principal and teachers do their part to make Kadimah the gem that is and it is up to us parents to polish this KPFA ‘jewel’.
Kadimah School Library
Each week your child will be invited to take a book out from our richly resourced library. Your child needs to be responsible for remembering to return the book to the library on their scheduled class day the following week. If they haven’t finished reading it they may renew it.