Tararua College Student Support Information

Concern for each individual student is at the heart of the College's philosophy. The College believes care for students is best effected by a partnership between home and school.

Every student belongs to a Form class containing approximately 25 students. The Form class teacher has first responsibility for his/her students and he/she is a vital link between school and home. During the first three or four weeks of the year, each student's Form teacher will make contact with student caregivers by 'phone, if this is possible, to introduce themselves and establish lines of communication. We hope that parents will feel free to ask for information or discuss any causes for concern with these teachers; we believe that this sort of link works powerfully for the benefit of students.

We encourage both students and caregivers to use the Tararua College logbook system. Every student is issued with a logbook to record their homework and to act as a means of passing messages between parents and teachers. Apart from Year 13 students, all students are required to have the logbook signed weekly by their parents, and staff check these. We will contact you whenever the need arises at school. Likewise, we appreciate being informed of problems at home which may affect a student's performance at school.

Year level Deans are responsible for administrative support and pastoral care of students. They also deal with discipline matters in conjunction with the Deputy Principals.

A full-time Counsellor provides a confidential and professional counselling service to students. She is assisted by the College Health Nurse, who runs a free and confidential service for all students.

Year 13 peer supporters are trained to work with small groups of Year 9 to Year 11 students. The older students learn leadership skills and the younger students are assisted in their transition to College by having identified senior students as mentors.

Our Careers Counsellor assists all students with subject and course selection, career advice, CV writing, job research, work experience and employment.

We issue a College Bulletin monthly and provide regular oral and written reports on student progress. We welcome enquiries about school activities, encourage parent participation, and we invite you to contact the Form class teacher or year level Deans to discuss any matters. The Principal and Deputy Principals are also available.

Tararua College Educational Trust

Do you know about the Tararua College Educational Trust, and how it helps fund the education and development of the children of our district?
The Trust, which was set up in 1962, has the aim of the building up and managing a capital fund to generate income to be used for the benefit of the students of the College.
The income from the Trust funds is used to provide educational equipment, sporting gear and cultural resources which the College would otherwise not be able to obtain. In addition, the income is used to fund bursaries and scholarships for individual students. In this way the Trust helps Tararua College provide a top class education and facilities for our children.
Contributions by way of donations, membership subscriptions or bequests, are added to the Trust fund which, through wise investment, will provide an ever increasing source of income. This is used to fund projects which will benefit the College in accordance with the objectives of the Trust.
You can make a donation or become a member by contacting the College Office. Your contribution will qualify for a donation rebate (one third of the contribution).

Student Support Centre

Mr R Moffitt - B.Ed, Dip Tchg, is the teacher in charge of the Student Support Centre and Special Needs.
The Student Support Centre's role is to provide students with one-on-one academic and pastoral support by specially trained staff.
Students are taken through a combination of appropriate learning experiences to a level where they can cope in a mainstream class. Their progress is based on their abilities and often on individual education programmes which have been determined in conjunction with parents.
Successmaker is a programme which gives an extra boost to the literacy and maths skills of junior students. This is a computer programme which is tailored to the individual needs of each student.
The Student Support Centre provides supplementary tuition in literacy and mathematics for students in Years 9, 10 and 11. It also provides alternative methods of learning for students with these needs.
Lifeskills is another learning aspect for the individual programme set up for the students. This involves cooking, sewing and art.
Education Outside the Classroom enables staff to broaden the students' lifeskills. This offers interaction with members of the community, i.e. Police, Fire Service, Ambulance and local businesses.
International students study ESOL courses and extend their English language Skills. They are involved in learning about everyday experiences both inside and outside the classroom, experiencing a New Zealand lifestyle.

Harassment/Bullying

Harassment or bullying is abuse, which will become a serious problem if it is not dealt with. Harassment or bullying can lead a person to depression and to harming themselves or others. Tararua College has a zero tolerance for people who harass others. Everyone has the right to feel safe and to be treated with respect.

Sickness

Parents should notify the College of any medical or other condition which may impair their child's health or affect their schooling. The College has a sick bay and parents are notified of illness or accident as soon as possible. Students who are ill will not be released unless the caregiver has been notified.

Student Safety

After consulting local police and community groups, the Westpac Bank in Pahiatua (as well as other branches around the country) have been formalised as Safe Houses where help can be sought from an adult on the student's way to or from school, or at any other time Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 5.00pm.