General Information

Awards
Each class teacher awards:

Before and After School Care

Before school care is available from 7.30 – 8.30 each morning and is run by the staff.  If you wish to book your child in for before school care please email the office.  Cost is $6 per day or $10 for 2 or more children.  Breakfast is available.  Please request this when you book in.

After school care is also available from 3pm – 5pm and is run by staff.  $12 per child or $20 for two or more.  Afternoon tea is provided.  Please book in via the office.

Invoices are sent out at the beginning of each month for the month prior.

Clubs

At St Leo’s we facilitate a number of clubs and activities for children to participate in.  These change from time to time but in 2024 may include a Kapa Haka, gardening, singing group and ukulele group.  Contact the school office for more information.

Composite classes

Composite classes, with two-year levels in one class, are in place throughout the school.  We find they are a particularly useful way to teach children at their own level.  Each class is a composite class in that there are many levels of social, emotional and academic ability/maturity in each room.

Homework

Teachers set homework that is appropriate to the age and maturity of students.  You can expect to see regular reading and there may be some spelling, Religious Education, maths and topic work.  The purpose of homework is to reinforce or complete work being done at school and to allow parents an opportunity to share in the learning.  The school expectations for homework are not more than 30 minutes daily.

Information Technology 
As a school St Leo’s believes that Information Technology is a key skill which our students must master to succeed in the modern world.  All classes at St Leo’s have big screen TVs.  Computers are in each class and are used as part of regular teaching.  Before students use the computers, they need to sign a cybersafety agreement.  There is an emphasis on digital citizenship and using devices correctly.  Children also have the option to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

Library 
Our school has an excellent library collection.  Each class visits our library typically once a week.  Please ensure that books brought home are respectfully cared for as part of developing a life long love of literacy.  Please ensure that your child has a library bag for their library books. Books are issued for a period of two weeks and need to be returned or re-issued after this time.  As a school we recommend that you join your local library and visit with your child on a regular basis if possible.  Biannually we have a book week in which families are able to purchase books for the school and themselves.

Mass

School/Parish Mass is held each term.  It is expected that all students attend.  Parish School Mass is regarded as an integral part of attending St Leo’s Catholic School and belonging to our school community.  It always provides us with great joy to see families attending Mass with their children on these occasions.  We also attend weekday Mass on fortnightly Fridays at midday.  Parents are welcome to attend.

Music

Music is an important part of our core curriculum.  In addition to this we have a choir and ukulele group that senior children are able to join.

Out of School Trips 
The value of Out of School trips are widely recognised and at St Leo’s it is linked to curriculum study for the term.  We ensure strict guidelines are upheld when organising trips, e.g. checking for WOF, registration, seatbelts etc.  Please do not be offended by these enquiries when you volunteer for transport as it is in the best interest of our students.  Ratios of parents to students are imperative so please consider whether you are able to help out.

Physical Education 
All children participate in regular physical education as a compulsory part of the school curriculum.  We emphasise physical fitness and the mastery of skills.  All children are expected to participate in physical education lessons and fitness unless they have a note from home excusing them.  PE Uniform must be worn for fitness and children should have full PE uniform at school five days a week.

Religious Education 
Religious Education is an integral part of our curriculum.  Children participate in Religious Education  lessons for around two hours a week and will sometimes have homework to complete. This is a good opportunity for families to discuss the learning and for your child share what they know. We endeavour to integrate RE into all our school day and there is a strong influence of the Mercy Values and following in Jesus’  footstep in all we do at St Leo’s.  As part of our religious education programme all families can access the Whanau Book Online. This site provides a wealth of spiritual knowledge and valuable information to assist families in the faith formation of their children.

Specialist Teaching 
At St Leo’s our small class sizes mean that all our children can receive a focused and individualised program of learning.  However we also operate a number of more specialised teaching programs.

Sports 

St Leo’s teams play in a large range of sports and have great success – particularly given our size.

Sports include netball, touch rugby, rippa rugby, soccer, basketball, hockey, splash polo and cross country.  We encourage everyone to have a go.

Stationery 
At the end of each year, your child will be advised of their stationery requirements for the following year.  Stationery is supplied from the School office at very competitive prices.  At St Leo’s we have very strict guidelines about the presentation of exercise books and how they are maintained.  We ask that exercise books are not covered or adorned with any additional decoration. We believe this creates a level playing field in the classroom: it eliminates peer pressure regarding expensive covering materials, eliminates the use of inappropriate images on books and supports the good condition of the books.

Student Leaders
Our Year 5 and 6 students are given a range of opportunities to show leadership throughout the school.
These include: