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How else can we support Whānau

We have strong connections with outside agencies and work alongside them to provide support and information for all our families. We provide food parcels, free bread, clothing parcels, knitting for winter, transport for outings, financial support, parent education and classes and free books for all our Tamariki. This supports all our whānau for a better way of life.

We have copies of all our policies and procedures available by the signing in desk, and you will play a part on the review process around making sure these policies suit our learning needs. If you would like a copy of our policies, then please feel free to ask.

Parents as Partners

We love to work in partnership with you and keep you informed on what your child has been learning. We have Storypark, which is an app that you can read learning stories and keep informed of centre happenings. Your child will also have a printed profile to revisit in centre.  We set your child`s learning intentions in consultation with you and we would love you to share what makes your child special with us so we can celebrate this. We love to stay informed of your family life, and you influence learning intentions for your child based on the information you share and discuss with us, and our observations as your child interacts with their learning environment.
You also have the opportunity to join us as a Board member and have a say in the governance and management of Avonside Early Childhood Centre.
We celebrate family events and gathering together throughout the year, and would love you to join us! 
We have a weekly summary of learning that shows what learning your child has been involved in with photos of  learning and special events, outings and visitors to the centre.

What to do in an emergency

If there is an emergency situation and we need to evacuate the preschool, you will be notified by text message through our system, and asked to come and collect your child as soon as possible. We have plans in place for every situation so please be assured your child will be safe with trained kaiako who know what to do. We practice fire drills, evacuation and lockdown drills regularly with tamariki, so that they aren’t alarmed if we need to put this in practice.

What to bring

Pack a few changes of clothes, as we love to get messy; preschool clothes, not your sunday best! In summer, a rash top and togs with a towel is great, and a named sunhat that covers and shades the neck and face.
We provide sunscreen but if you would prefer, please pack some sunscreen for your child.
In winter, a warm hat and jacket is ideal for outside play.
Your child`s lunchbox; this should contain a variety of  wholesome and healthy snacks that are going to keep your child happy and full for all the learning they are going to be doing. Enough to last all day, as we have three mealtimes here; morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
A named drink bottle containing water, not juice or another sweet drink, just healthy H2O!
Nappies, wipes and a wet bag for wet/ messy and soiled clothes. 
A sleeping bag or toy to help children settle if they require a nap during their day.

What to do if your child is unwell

-see sickness & infectious diseases policy or speak to a teacher

We require a phone call to advise staff if your child is going to be absent due to sickness or otherwise.
If your child has any infectious illnesses, e.g. chicken pox, measles, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, head lice etc., they must be kept away from the Centre.
(See sickness & infectious diseases policy)
IMMUNISATION- Please present a copy of your child’s immunization certificate on enrolment. This is a Ministry of Education requirement. Please inform us if you have chosen not to immunize your child, thank you.
FIRST AID -Teachers are trained in first aid and hold current first aid certificates.
ALLERGIES -Please alert us to any allergies on enrolment and update these when applicable.
MEDICATION -A medical and accident register is maintained, and it is essential for a parent/caregiver to complete and sign, should it be required.
No medicine should ever be left in your child’s bag. if you require Kaiako to administer Medicine to your child, we need to fill in the correct forms. The Medicine needs to have a prescription label attached with your Childs name and doctor on and be current.

Signing in and out

Your child must be signed in and out on the ipad provided and loaded with the discover system.
If you are not the person dropping your child off or collecting them, could you please remind the carer that they will need to do this. You will receive a four digit number that is specific to you.
When collecting your child, please come five minutes before the session time ends, when the children are getting ready to leave. It is essential that you notify staff if you will not be picking your child up.
We appreciate you observing the session times, as staff need time for preparation and it is essential that we are never overbooked for safety purposes and Ministry of Education regulations. Our capacity is 35 children per day.
If you arrive late to drop your child off, we loose the funding per 30 minutes that you are late, and if you collect early, the same rule applies. If you book a full day, we do ask that you drop off your child before 9am and collect later than 3pm, so that we don’t lose too many funded hours. If you feel you would like a shorter day from 9-3, then please talk to the centre manager.