Attendance
If your child is absent from school, including being late, please telephone the school office before 9.00am on 2176129 Ext. 895.
The class roll is taken at 8.55am and absences are recorded on our school system which feeds daily through to the Ministry of Education. If your child arrives late, they are to go to the office to sign in before they go to their class. If you are aware in advance that your child is going to be absent, please advise the school office. As we do try to contact parents/caregivers regarding all unexplained absences, it is a great help to our office staff if absences are reported.
- Phone 2176129 (extn. 895)
- Email gfindlay@jameshargest.school.nz or
mcribb@jameshargest.school.nz - or via School App/Absentee
Illness and Injury
If you are hurt or unwell with any medical problem, you must report to staff in the Office. If you recover and wish to return to class, notify the Office staff, otherwise arrangements will be made for you to go home. If further medical attention is required, parents/caregivers will be notified where possible.
Health Nurse
The Health nurse is available by requesting a visit using the bottom slot in the red mailbox in the office. Parents can also request visits by emailing the Junior Campus office.
Lunchtime
At the Junior Campus, lunch is in homerooms for the first 10 minutes of lunchtime.
Students are not to leave the school grounds at lunchtime unless they sign out through the proper process.
Out of Bounds
This picture shows the Out of Bounds areas at the Junior Campus
Bicycles
There are bike stands at the Queens Drive and Layard St entrances to the school. As these stands are open to the street, all bicycles must be padlocked.
Electronic Devices
Junior Campus Cell phones are to be handed in to the homeroom teacher at 8:50am for safe storage. They are returned to students at the end of the day.
Students cannot use any electronic device to take images or record staff or students or any way (audio or streaming etc) without their knowledge/permission to do so.
Earphones
Students are not permitted to have earphones/plugs in unless they are under teacher direction to do so and for educational purposes. If teachers wish students to have music in their classrooms then it is supplied/vetted by teachers and played so all can hear.
Printing & e-Learning Information
Click here
Lost Property
This is kept at the office. Students can come to the student area of the office and ask if their item has been handed in. If the item is named it is immediately returned to the student’s homeroom class or the student is called to the office to pick it up. It is essential that parents name all items of clothing, including shoes.
Damage
Damage to school property must be reported immediately to the Deputy Principals.
Students who damage, deface or lose school property are liable for the cost of replacement/repair.
Behaviour
Wouldn’t it be great if rules weren’t needed! The Core Values reflect the positive ideals that we expect your behaviour to be based on.
Clearly, not every situation fits neatly into the Values. There are grey areas about whether certain behaviours are acceptable or not. Of the following, some are very serious, while others help maintain the order of the school. Not every situation is mentioned, otherwise the list might be endless! You could always ask your Homeroom Teacher if you’re unsure.
Examples of unacceptable behavior:
- Hurting other people physically or verbally
- Offensive language
- Possessing or using vapes, tobacco, alcohol or harmful drugs
- Theft
- Disobeying teachers’ instructions
- Interfering with the rights of others to learn
- Chewing, eating or drinking in class
- Endangering the safety of others
- Arriving late and being ill prepared for your class
- Wearing your uniform incorrectly
- Interfering with other people’s property
If these behaviours are noted by staff and cause concern, students will be dealt with depending on the nature of the behaviour. Very serious behaviours may result in students being referred to senior staff and possibly subject to a Board of Trustees’ meeting. Sometimes this results in being stood down from school. Examples might be, violence towards others, drugs and alcohol.
Detentions
We follow a restorative process to promote learning from our mistakes. If a student is required to be withdrawn from the playground at break times this will be arranged with the student and whānau will be notified. Remember, think before you act. If in doubt, ask!
Deans
The Deans have a role in dealing with the behaviour of students and they are also concerned about student progress.
- If you have problems with classwork
- If you are bothered by behaviour of others
Deans Contacts
Guidance Counsellors
The Guidance Counsellors are available to help you with any problems you may have. It may be:
- something at school
- something at home or out of school
- Anything mentioned is confidential – no-one else finds out unless you want them to.
Students can use the red mailbox in the office to request a meeting or their homeroom teacher can do this for them. Students can also use guidance@jameshargest.school.
Stationery
All school stationery requirements are provided to parents. Please ensure all stationery is named.
Canteen
Intervals 10.40am until 11.05am and lunchtime 1.00 to 1.40
Attendance
Students should ensure they are at school after 8:20am and before 8.45am and leave by 3.30pm. Outside these times students should be under direct supervision of a teacher e.g. working in the Library or sports practice.
By 9.00am staff have electronically marked attendance. By 10:00am if your child is not at school and we have not heard from you, you will receive a text message to let you know your child is not in class. It will be sent to the cellphones of both caregivers if we have two contact numbers. Please try to let us know of any absences by contacting our Attendance Officer before those link calls are made.
Absences
If your child is absent, contact us by 9.15am on the day of the absence with your child’s name, a reason for absence and the name of person calling. This facility is available at any time day or night so you need not wait until office hours to communicate. Students arriving late must sign in at Student Administration when they arrive.
• Phone 2176129 extn 205
• Email attendance@jameshargest.school.nz
• or via School App/Absentee
Leave
All requests for special leave should be directed to the Associate or Deputy Principal in writing. Please arrange family holidays during the school holidays. Student progress may be severely hindered if leave is required during term time. Such requests for leave are expected to be the exception rather than the norm. Teachers are not expected to provide work for students in the case of leave being granted. Assessments missed will be rescheduled if possible but this will not always be the case and students may miss opportunities to gain NCEA credits.
Appointments
When a student needs to leave school they must sign out and in at Student Administration. Verification in the form of a note or a phone call is required from parents/caregivers (please be specific about type of appointment). Medical, dental and other appointments should be made outside school hours whenever possible.
Medication
Parents should inform the school about any medication their child is taking. Medication should be stored at the sick bay and students should not be carrying it around at school.
Accidents
In cases where there is any doubt about the extent of an injury, students are referred to the Emergency Department at Southland Hospital. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible.
Bus Transport
Queries about school bus transport should be directed to Mrs McDowall (Senior Campus). Details of bus routes can be sourced from GoBus (Phone 2182419).
Concerns
Issues should be addressed in the first instance to the teacher concerned, or Form Teacher. For more serious issues contact the House Dean.
Lunchtimes
Students must remain on the school grounds at lunchtime unless they are going to their own homes. Students are not permitted to have other students at their home during the lunch break. The Salford Street shopping area is not to be visited during school hours. This includes lunchtimes and intervals. The only exceptions are Year 13 students.
Lunch Areas
Year 11 and 12 students may lunch in the Cafeteria. Year 9 and 10 students may, on cold or wet days, lunch in the hall. When the hall is unavailable the gallery in the Hargest Centre may be used instead. Students may not lunch in classrooms/corridors. When lunching outside students are to use the facilities provided in the main quad.
Out of Bounds Areas
- Trees on the sides of the fields
- All fence lines
- The staff car park and Main Entrance
- Street frontages
- Garden areas
Bicycles and Scooters
Stands are provided. Bicycles and scooters are not to be ridden in the school grounds. Bicycle helmets are compulsory. All bicycles should be locked and are left at the owner’s risk. Scooter stands are provided and a padlock is required to keep these secure.
Motor Vehicles
Students must register motor vehicles with the school. Students are not to park on the school grounds. We reserve the right to restrict the use of student motor vehicles if responsible driving standards are not met, and to make complaints to the Police if we believe student safety has been compromised.
Damage
Damage to school property must be reported immediately. Students who damage, deface or lose school property are liable for the cost of replacement/repair.
Vandalism
JHC will seek to recover costs for any deliberate damage or destruction of property.
Behaviour
Our Core Values reflect the positive ideals that we expect students’ behaviour to be based on.
Cell Phones
- Cell phones must be switched off and in your bag for the entire school day (this means classtime as well as intervals and lunchtime and other events such as assembly). If they are seen or heard they will be confiscated, and school procedures followed. Earpods are also not permitted.
- Students are permitted to use the school phone in emergencies.
- Cell phones are not to be used in the Student Administration area, the Guidance area or Sick Bay.
School App
The James Hargest College app can be downloaded free from the respective app stores. It provides a vast array of information and is an effective way to report absences and receive alerts. Download School Apps NZ and select James Hargest College.
VPN Use
VPN’s are not permitted on devices connected to the school network. Access to school WiFi will be withdrawn if they are found on student devices.
Cafeterias
The cafeterias are open at intervals and lunchtimes. Full lists of food available and prices are advertised. EFTPOS facilities, including payWave, are available. Junior Campus students order their lunch before school or at interval.
Naming Property
All items of uniform and property must be named.
Students may check lost property at Student Administration.
Newsletters
These are published on a Friday early each month, during term time. These are available on the school app and on-line on the Hargest web site. The link is also emailed to whānau.
EFTPOS/payWave
This is available at both offices to pay accounts and at the Canteen. Cash is not given out.
School Donation
$55 per annum per student. This fee, fixed by the Board of Trustees, is used to meet the demands which cannot be met from operational grants.
PTA Donation
$15 per annum per student provides for essential items of equipment not funded by the government. The Parent Teacher Association determines which projects this donation is used to support.
School Accounts
School accounts are e-mailed every term. Payment can be made to the school office by EFTPOS or direct credit – Account number 020924-0408612-02
Difficulties with payment should be directed to the school office.
Some practical subjects have costs for materials used as outlined in the Subject Outline guide.
Trips, camp, sports teams and recreation costs are paid for on a user pays basis. Parents will be notified well in advance when payment is due. Junior Campus has a Transport Activities cost to cover bus, excursions and activities throughout the year.
Form Teachers
Form Teachers take a personal interest in the progress and achievement of their students. Students meet with their Form Teachers twice a week and most will have the same Form Teacher while at the Senior Campus. Form Teachers have a pastoral, mentoring role and do not teach their Form Class.
Deans
Students are supported by a House Dean. House Deans oversee the welfare and progress of their students and provide academic and pastoral support for students in their care. The teacher of Te Reo Māori also works in a pastoral care capacity with Māori students.
Deans Contacts
House Leaders
House Leaders work with House Captains to organise House events. These events are designed to be inclusive and cater to a range of talents and abilities. House Leaders support the pastoral sense of belonging for students in their Houses..
Guidance Counsellors
The Guidance Team work with students and their families to provide a sound support base so that any problems can be identified and addressed. They provide a professional, specialist and confidential service which helps students discover their own strengths and take responsibility for themselves. The key to managing stress or difficulties is having a strong support team.
The Counsellors can put you in touch with organisations in the community if you wish. To see the Guidance Counsellors, fill in a yellow slip in the Guidance waiting room, or book an appointment online.
Careers Advisors
The Careers Advisors will help you find out about jobs you might be interested in once you leave school. They will help you choose your options and subjects to be best able to meet the needs of your career interests.
To see them fill in a yellow slip in the Guidance waiting area.
More Careers Information
Stationery
All school stationery requirements are available from Student Administration at intervals and lunchtimes only. These are very competitively priced. Stationery lists are found here. Terms are strictly cash unless otherwise arranged.
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
Sustained Silent Writing (SSW)
We all do this every day for 15 minutes after lunch (except on Fridays). All students are expected to have reading books (not magazines) in their possession, every day! Libraries are open at intervals and lunchtimes for students to get books.
Reporting to Parents
We report in three ways:
- The Hargest Way, Effort and Respect Grades are sent home every three weeks.
- Academic Achievement Grades are sent home at the time they are published.
- Academic Summary Reports are sent home at the end of terms two and four. These provide a collation of all grades earned across the curriculum as well as student reflection and goal setting.
Parent/Teacher Interviews (Senior Campus) and Student Centred Conferences (Junior Campus) are held twice a year.
Other Information Evenings
Year 9 Meet the Teacher evenings are held early in Term One. Careers and course information evenings are held for parents and students in Years 10 – 12 in Term Four.
School Regulations
Essential rules are outlined here. The Board of Trustees and Principal reserve the right to make and enforce such regulations as necessary for the satisfactory running of the school. Parents, by enrolling their son/daughter, agree to these regulations.
Use of Student Photos
At James Hargest College we celebrate student success in a number of forums often involving photos of our students. These images are likely to become part of our public documents eg newsletters, website and promotional materials. The specific purpose for photos will normally be indicated at the time they are taken. Parents can notify the school if they are not comfortable with the publication of images of their child.
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