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Parent Contributions / Support

Parent Involvement in School Activities

Your child will benefit the most if you can travel along on their journey, learning what is happening in the classroom and developing an understanding of the Steiner picture of child development.

This picture of the child as an incarnating being of body, soul, and spirit, whose individual capacities are supported by the teacher and the parents to unfold in an unhurried manner, is at the core of the Steiner Curriculum. The better informed you are about our intentions, the more effective your support will be for your child and their teacher.

Prior to enrolling at Taikura, whānau have a special character interview where their relationship to our Special Character is discussed and parental commitments to this character are outlined.

During these special character interviews, the expectation of parental attendance and participation is outlined. Attendance at parent evenings, festivals, parent–teacher interviews and plays, along with contributing and participating at the fête, working bees, or when supporting class activities, are reciprocal in nature. All are opportunities to grow understanding of the Special Character and deepen understanding of the student’s journey.

Our curriculum works best when there is alignment between home and school.

There are many ways in which your help or involvement is appreciated. These include:

  • Attending class meetings
  • Attending and participating in Festivals
  • Attending Community Assemblies
  • Attending Parent Education sessions
  • Assisting with class trips and camps
  • Assisting with class activities (e.g. handwork, swimming, reading and maths programmes)
  • Managing, coaching or umpiring a sports team
  • Mentoring students in Class 8 and Class 12 during their projects
  • Becoming a Class Liaison Parent
  • Participating in working bees
  • Supporting Class Plays (sewing, make-up, props)
  • Fundraising
  • Assisting with the School Fête
  • Supporting communications by reading the Grapevine, checking the school website, app, texts and emails before phoning the office for information

Liaison parents are a vital support to the community and the teaching staff. They help guide many processes from year to year by providing a conduit for information between the class teacher and parents.

This may include:

  • Arranging a telephone or email tree
  • Meeting with class teachers
  • Guiding parents in using the school website
  • Hosting meetings
  • Supporting festivals
  • Organising social events
  • Helping to develop class fundraising initiatives
  • Encouraging parent support for class outings, camps and working bees
  • Helping organise class participation in the school fête
  • Welcoming new families and supporting their integration into the class and wider school community

Each term, liaison parents from the school and kindergarten are invited to meet with the Principal and Deputy Principal to discuss matters, share ideas and strengthen community connection.

These are held each term. Dates and times for each class are listed in the Grapevine.

It is expected that all families in a class will be represented at a Parent Evening. If you are unable to attend, please send your apologies and ensure you catch up on the meeting content through another parent.

These evenings are important for teacher–parent communication, keeping up to date with curriculum development, and being informed about what is happening in the class and what is planned. They also provide an opportunity to build a strong class community.

The strength, support and interest of the parent body surrounding a class enhance the learning environment for both children and teachers.

Standards of Conduct

Taikura Rudolf Steiner School expects parents, caregivers and visitors to:

  • Treat everyone with respect
  • Work together in partnership with staff for the benefit of students
  • Respect and adhere to our school values
  • Set a good example for students at all times
  • Follow school procedures when raising or handling any complaints
  • Adhere to school policies and procedures (including those listed below), and comply with any legal requirements

 

Examples of Unsuitable Conduct

  • Threats, bullying or harassment
  • Profanity or offensive language
  • Insulting, abusive or intimidating behaviour
  • Discrimination (e.g. based on ethnicity or religion)
  • Physical aggression
  • Deception or fraud
  • Damaging school property
  • Smoking, or possessing or using alcohol, drugs or other harmful substances on school premises or at any venue where students and/or staff are assembled for school purposes (except possession or use of alcohol strictly in accordance with Taikura Rudolf Steiner School policy)
  • Placing unreasonable or excessive expectations on staff time or resources
  • Pursuing a complaint or campaign, or making defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments regarding the school, its board, staff or students on social media or other public forums

 

For the full version, please refer to SchoolDocs policies and procedures.

There is a clear expectation that one or both parents will attend the official parent–teacher interviews in both the High School and Primary School.

If you are unable to attend during the scheduled report evening, you are asked to arrange an alternative time through the office to meet with your child’s teacher(s).

Parents are always welcome to arrange a meeting with class teachers or sponsors if they have any questions or concerns about their child.

You will support your child’s educational success and wellbeing by ensuring that:

  • They arrive at school on time after a good night’s sleep
  • Any absences are justified
  • They are sent to school in a respectful and courteous frame of mind
  • They have breakfast and lunch
  • They have completed any homework
  • They are properly equipped for class (e.g. gym gear)

General guidelines are that foods have high nutritional value and are free of colouring and additives. We ask parents not to send “party” food such as potato chips, sweets, soft drinks or energy drinks to school.

We strongly encourage wholesome food, and plenty of it, for all children at school. We ask parents to use their own discretion while being mindful of how good nutrition supports children’s thinking and engagement in their learning.

Teachers do not wish to ‘police’ lunchboxes. However, they may specify their own guidelines and will contact parents, rather than children, if lunch foods need to be changed.

Food colouring, additives and excess sugars can affect children’s behaviour and concentration, and may have a detrimental effect on their participation in lessons and their learning generally.

Some children in our school have severe allergies to certain foods that can cause anaphylaxis. You will be informed if this applies in your child’s classroom. This may mean that specific food items, such as nuts, must not be included in lunchboxes.

Children and teenagers have growing bodies and busy school days; they need plenty of relaxation and sleep. We ask parents to ensure that their children are in bed at a reasonable and regular hour and that after-school plans allow rest time for young children.

Ideally, our kindergarten and school children should be engaged in active play, interacting with real people and experiencing the world through all their senses rather than being immersed in ‘cyber’ reality. Electronic technologies are now well embedded in most homes. We ask that you delay their use for as long as possible and, when introduced, ensure that use is carefully monitored and limited.

These activities are considered detrimental to the developmental principles and aims of Steiner Education, particularly during the kindergarten and Primary School years. Parental support and understanding of these issues strengthen the partnership between home and school and benefit the development and education of the children.

Within the educational context of a Steiner School, the appropriate developmental time for acquiring computer literacy is considered to be during the High School years. At this stage, the capacity for critical judgement enables students to make discerning choices and develop a healthy relationship with electronic media.

Helpful references available in our parent library include:

  • The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn
  • Who’s Bringing Them Up by Martin Large
  • Remotely Controlled by Dr Aric Sigman

Camera phones are now a common accessory, and with them can come the assumption that every event is available to be captured. Where parents once sought permission to take photographs at special events, there can now be an expectation that anything may be photographed anywhere.

There are significant privacy considerations inherent in this. As a school and kindergarten, we are required to obtain parent permission before publishing photographs of children. It is important that parents, students and teachers all feel comfortable with any photography taking place.

We ask that plays, festivals, Community Assemblies and class performances are not photographed or videoed. The clicking, flashing or filming of cameras and phones can be intrusive and distracting for both performers and audiences. This also applies to Class 12 Project Presentations, which are formal assessments and require a distraction-free environment.

Teachers may invite another teacher or parent to photograph a dress rehearsal and make copies available to other parents. High School teachers may also video some performances for assessment purposes.

We encourage everyone to enter fully into the participatory mood of a live performance and the experience being cultivated, rather than viewing it as a photo opportunity. We also ask that you remain part of an active and engaged audience, rather than placing a camera between yourself and the event or distracting others.

Please check with teachers about when it is appropriate to take photographs. There are many opportunities during camps and class activities where photographs of school life can be taken without being intrusive.

We also ask for your support in not using cellphones on the school site.