If your child is absent our preferred notification method is to use our school app HERO. You may also phone the school office ( 5787077 ), or text the school cell phone ( 022 311 8789 ) by 9am and leave a message explaining why they are absent. This ensures we know your children are safe.

School Assembly is every third week on Thursday afternoon between 2.30 and 3pm. (Please check the calendar link for dates) Classes take turns to present the assembly. You will get an email from our office the week of assembly if your child is receiving a class certificate. You are most welcome to come along as we love seeing parents/whānau there supporting and celebrating our achievements with us!

Bank: ASB Account Name: Riverlands School Board of Trustees Account Number: 12-3167-0232405-00 Please enter the last name of your child and their first initial as a reference.

At our school, we embrace PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) as our consistent approach to fostering a positive school culture. By promoting our four values of respect, responsibility, resilience and relationships, we aim to create an environment where all students can thrive. We celebrate and encourage good behaviour through whole-school rewards, ensuring that students who consistently demonstrate positive actions are recognised. These rewards not only motivate students to maintain their behaviour but also help build a sense of community and shared success, reinforcing the importance of kindness, responsibility, and respect for all

Our School Board of Trustees provides direction for the school in its governance role. Our Board meets once a month at 6.30pm in our staffroom. Parents are always welcome to attend. Dates for the meetings are mentioned in the school’s newsletter and are on our School Calendar.

As per the governments policy - Phones away for the day rules mean students cannot use or access their phone at school, including during lunch time and breaks. If a child brings a cellphone to school they must either hand it in to their teacher (Room 4 and 5 only) or to the office to be securely stored for the day.

A weekly newsletter goes home via our HERO app each Friday. Class teachers use the HERO app to communicate with their classes' families. Teachers use Seesaw occasionally for learning celebrations such as photos of children’s learning.

We ask that children do not bring any toys or personal items to school as they can get lost or damaged.

If you ever have a complaint, concern or compliment please discuss this with the class teacher first. If you need to, please then speak to the team leader for your child’s class, and finally the Principal (Bradley Roberts) if necessary. Our Complaints Procedure is available via the School Docs website and from the office.

Please ensure these are up-to-date at all times. If you move or change phone numbers please let us know.

We are part of the Dental Clinic Hub. It is located at 60-62 Nelson Street., Blenheim. For dental enquiries please contact them on 5209922.

Our school is part of the KEGS (Kids Edible Gardens) programme run with help from the Marlborough District Council. Our KEGS programme runs in Term 1 and 4 and all classes have the opportunity to take part in this programme. At Riverlands School we care about our environment and the food that our tamariki are eating. Part of this is encouraging tamariki to bring “nude food” to school. Nude food is food that is not wrapped in foil, plastic or any other commercial packaging. Nude food is essentially fresh food that is healthy and nutritious.

Our school homework expectations are 15 mins per night for Team Teina students and 30 mins for Team Tuakana Monday - Thursday. Home Learning consists of reading, heart word spelling and maths basic facts.

Hero is an app that you will need to download to view your child's academic achievement and progress, let us know about attendance and view your child’s attendance and to share communications from school. You will gain access to this app once your child starts school. Our friendly office staff can help you with installing the HERO app and help you if you are having any difficulties with the app.

School starts at 8.55am and finishes at 3pm weekdays. Children may enter the school grounds once the bell has rung at 8.30am. We encourage children to be at school by 8.45 so they can be settled and ready for the day. Children need to be collected either from the Riverlands Hall (Team Tuakana) or at school by 3.10pm.

Structure of our school day 8.55am - 11:00am: 11:00am - 11:30am: Morning Tea 11:30am - 12.45pm: 12.45pm - 1:25pm: Lunch 1.25pm - 3:00pm

Both our schoolwide Kapa Haka/Waiata and our performance Kapa Haka group - Whenua iti is on Friday afternoons. Children from year 4-8 can choose to be involved in Whenua iti and children below year 4 can be involved with parent permission.

Stationary is purchased from our office.

Our library has student librarians who supervise the library at lunchtimes. Each class has a specific library day and time when they visit the library as a class and get either one or two books that they are able to bring home. Children in Team Teina bring their books home in their school zippit. Children can only get a new book once they have returned their previous book.

At Riverlands School we believe that children should be responsible for their own property as this reinforces our school value - responsibility. Lost property is left where it is in the school or placed outside the closest classroom. We have found that this helps children to remember where they last had their property and recover it easily. Please ensure that all of your children’s clothing and equipment is clearly named. We have a special pen available at our office for this if needed.

If your child needs special medication please take it to the office and complete a medication form. Medication is not kept in the classrooms or in school bags.

Our wonderful parent support group are called our FOTS group (Friends of the School). They meet once a month after school. Their meetings are advertised in our school newsletter and on our school calendar. Meetings are held from 3.15 in the Petrie Room.

We use School Docs for all our policies and procedures. This is an online system.. To access the documents please login to the School Docs website, https://www.schooldocs.co.nz/ and find Riverlands School. Our username is: "riverlands" and our password is: "cobcottage".

Please log in to the app if you wish to order subway for your child. It is delivered to school and handed out to your child at lunch eating time.

Riverlands School offer a number of sporting opportunities for students. Sports notices are shared with families via our HERO doc. We do not send paper notices home. Please join any sporting group that your child may be interested in on HERO.

We take pride in being able to offer a range of valuable leadership opportunities for children. All children in our senior school (Team Tuakana) are a big buddy to a child in our junior school (Team Teina). Children in Team Tuakana have the opportunity to be student leaders (Kaiārahi ākonga), house leaders, librarians, school waiata leaders and kapa haka leaders, technology leaders, sports monitors, recycling monitors and much more. Our staff are always open to helping children reach their potential in all areas. They welcome and are keen to help support student initiated leadership suggestions. This has included talent shows, art competitions and lunchtime activities.

Please see our school calendar for information on term dates as these can change year by year according to requirements by the Ministry of Education.