School Communications

The Hub www.hub.rangiruru.school.nz

The Hub is the school’s community website and provides up-to-date information and reference material about the school. The site includes parent and student calendars, links to publications, handbooks and school policies.

The Parent Portal, which provides access to secure, student-specific information, can also be accessed from the Useful Links on The Hub. You will be issued with login details for the Parent Portal, if you do not have a login or are having difficulties with access, contact the IT Helpdesk on 03 983 3753.

Newsletters

InTouch is the school’s fortnighly (term time) newsletter to parents keeping you up to date on key news and events. InTouch is distributed via email every second Friday.

From time to time, the school sends important messages, invitations, updates and event reminders by email. Please ensure the school’s domain www.rangiruru.school.nz is not blocked to avoid it being rejected as spam.

Email

From time to time, the school sends important messages, invitations, updates and event reminders by email. Please ensure the school’s domain www.rangiruru.school.nz is not blocked to avoid it being rejected as spam.

Text Message (SMS)

In the event of an emergency, a text message will be our first point of contact with you.

School Yearbook

The school yearbook is a wrap up of photos and articles from the year. It is published at the beginning of the following year and distributed to girls who were at school in that year.

Website www.rangiruru.school.nz

The school’s public website provides information about the school and is used as a promotional tool to help inform prospective parents and students. We also use the site to share news and keep the wider community up to date on activities taking place at school.

Social Media

You may also wish to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube - search Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. We regularly post photos and updates of the girls’ activities on these pages.

Publicity

We regularly take photos of students recognising the achievements and activities of individuals or groups in the school for school communications and promotion.

Our Confirmation Form includes a section that asks for permission to use these photos and details of student achievements for publicity purposes for example on our website, social media, in brochures, press releases or posters. If you wish to change your status contact the School Office.

School Trips, Camps and Dances

School Trips and Activities

We offer students many opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Rangi Ruru takes issues of student safety extremely seriously and each school trip is evaluated carefully in terms of risk and student need and resourced appropriately. In some cases students undertake adventures and experiences that do include an element of risk. We believe that these are important for students to develop confidence and leadership skills.

All these activities are optional and the school does everything in its power to advise parents and students and to ensure risks are minimised.

School procedures determine student/adult ratios on trips in order to best ensure the safety of students, and the school often relies on the support of parents to enable these trips to happen. The ratio will change depending on the level of risk involved in the activity, the nature of the programme, the time of the day, the ages of the students, the competency and experience of the staff and whether any students have special needs.

Outdoor Education (EOTC)

Outdoor Education is an important and compulsory part of the curriculum. The experience of education outside the classroom enables students to develop strategies to overcome many personal fears, develop and practise skills such as cooperation, leadership and team play, problem solving, self-awareness and tolerance of others.

Outdoor Education is beneficial for the full personal development of students; this instruction takes place under the strict guidance of trained instructors in a safe and controlled environment.

All students in Years 7 to 12 will at some stage during the year have the opportunity to go on school camps or similar experiences.

Your daughter’s tutor will communicate information on specific Outdoor Education events and equipment, clothing etc needs. Please ensure that the school is kept informed on any health issues that may effect your daughter’s ability to participate in any activities.

Attendance on School Trips and Camps

In some cases school staff may need to meet with parents to be assured about their daughter’s mental or physical readiness to return to school or attend school camps or trips. The school reserves the right to decline attendance or inclusion in the best interests of the individual or others.

School Dances

School dances are much anticipated and popular events. Information on expectations of the school and arrangements are sent to senior girls and their parents prior to the event.

The school has strict guidelines on expected behaviours before, at and after school dances.

These are clearly communicated to students prior to the event. Any breaches of these standards of behaviour may put an attendance, or the event, in jeopardy.

For Juniors

Year 8 has a dance in Term 4 each year and other dances may be arranged on an occasional basis. The school hosts one junior event for Year 9 students to which boys from selected local boys’ schools are invited.

We also receive invitations to the junior dances of various boys’ schools, and because of the number and timing of these, we only select one or two per term to attend officially.

Students are sometimes able to buy tickets to other schools’ dances from the office of the host school but parents need to be aware that if they have not signed a Rangi Ruru permission slip, our staff and senior students will not be in attendance.

We do not oversee student behaviour at all school dances hosted by other schools. We do, however, expect Rangi Ruru students to behave in accordance with our school expectations at all times when they are recognised or representative of the Rangi Ruru community.

More information on dances is sent home prior to the event.

For Seniors

It is traditional for Years 12 and Year 13 to hold a senior dance in Term 2. This is based around a fancy dress theme and is not a formal function. Year 11 have a semi formal in

Term 2. Once again parents of students and guests will receive a letter explaining the guidelines for the evening.

Year 13 Leavers’ Ball

Organised by the Old Girls’ Association, this is a formal function attended by your daughter, possibly her partner, and you. Leavers are Rangi Ruru students leaving formal schooling in Years 12 and 13. Students who left secondary school in Year 12 for tertiary study or exchange programmes may ask to attend the Leavers’ Ball with their cohort in the following year.

Students are presented to the Principal and the President of the Old Girls’ Association by either a parent, or another nominated adult. Dancing and dinner follow.

Pre Ball and School Dance Parties

The school will be responsible for students while they are at the ball or dance venue. Before students arrive, and after they leave, they are the responsibility of their parents. We expect girls to behave in a manner of which we can all be proud.

The school respectfully requests that no post-dance parties or events be organised on the same night as school dances as these will inevitably become associated with the school.

Use of Resources, Facilities and Technology

Textbooks, Library Books and School Facilities or Resources

Textbooks, library books and other resources to support students in their studies represent a major investment and Rangi Ruru expects students to use this equipment, as directed, to avoid damage so they will be available for other students.

When your daughter completes their course or transfers from the school, please assist them in returning books and equipment. Any costs incurred to the school due to damage to facilities or loss or damage to textbooks or equipment will be charged to the student(s) responsible for the resources.

Fitness Centre

We offer use of a well-equipped Fitness Centre to all students at no charge. The Fitness Centre Coordinator will personalise a programme to meet the needs of the individual student, whether it be for competitive sport, rehabilitation or for a balanced healthy lifestyle. She is available at lunchtimes and after school for appointments.

For further information see the Co-curricular Handbook or contact the Fitness Centre Coordinator.

Library - The Gibson Centre

The Gibson Centre is open from 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. For additional hours, students should check with Library staff. Library staff are trained to assist students with research and they welcome the opportunity to work with students, whether individually or in groups.

Cando cards can be used for photocopying and these costs are goldsheeted.

Facilities Hire

Rangi Ruru facilities are available for private hire by individuals and businesses. To enquire about booking a space contact the Venue Hire and Events Coordinator.

Technology Usage and Access

Technology is used extensively both inside and outside the classroom, and the school has invested heavily in a wide range of devices and applications where they support learning, collaboration and communication.

The school operates a compulsory Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy. This means that every student is required to bring a digital device that is capable of connecting to a wireless network and browsing the internet.

Information relating to use of personal digital devices and the connection to the network is available on The Hub. For further assistance contact the IT Helpdesk.

The school insurance does not provide cover for personal computers and technology. Parents will need to cover valuable items through their personal insurance. We have a very low incidence of theft at Rangi Ruru and this often leads to complacency about valuables. We strongly encourage students to look after their valuables, and to secure their lockers. Items of value may be left at the School Office.

All students and their parent are required to have read and agreed to our usage guidelines as a prerequisite to using the school computers and network. It is important to us that parents are informed on cybersafety and other technology issues. If you have questions relating to technology safety, please contact the Digital Engagement Coordinator.

Personal Cellphones

Phones will only be used when directed or agreed to by the teacher. Otherwise they will remain in bags or be stored by teachers. Access without permission will see the phone put in safe-keeping for the remainder of the lesson or day.

Online bullying continues to be a worrying phenomenon. The school expects personal devices to be used appropriately and with respect for others. The misuse of devices, whether voice, text or pictures, to bully others is unacceptable. The school reserves the right to restrict or ban individual’s cellphones at school if the school believes they are being misused.

Students should not use the camera or video capabilities of their phones at school without permission. Any photography taken within the school grounds belongs to Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. Photography or video taken of Rangi Ruru students or staff at Rangi Ruru must have the permission of the school and those who appear in the image.

The Rangi value of Respect is important here, and the school will reinforce the message that cellphones do not take precedence over the person or people in front of you. It is not necessary to reply immediately to texts, regardless of where you are or what you are doing, and that cellphones should be nowhere near dinner tables, formal occasions, celebrations or in any audience.

We urge parents to support us in ensuring that girls use their cellphones appropriately. If you need to contact your daughter urgently during the school day, you may do this through the School Office as her cellphone should be turned off in class.

Other Telephones For Student Use

Toll calls or calls to cellphones can be made from the School Office.