Attendance

Arrival, Attendance, Early Dismissal and Reporting Absences

The Importance of Regular Attendance and Punctuality

At Hare Krishna School, we believe that regular attendance and punctuality are crucial for student success. The Ministry of Education, alongside schools across New Zealand, places a strong emphasis on ensuring every child gets the most out of their education by attending school every day. Every school day is a big day!

Missing school can create learning gaps that can be challenging to bridge later. Excellent attendance is considered to be 90% or higher for the year.

Family and caregiver support is vital in ensuring a child’s regular attendance. We encourage open communication between whānau (family), caregivers, and the school. If there are any challenges that might affect your child’s ability to attend school regularly, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, the school office team, or Mrs Subhadra Mataji – one of the deputy principals. We are here to work together and support your child’s education.

By attending school regularly and arriving on time, students can maximize their learning potential, build strong relationships with teachers and classmates, and develop positive routines that benefit them throughout their lives.

The School Day Starts at 8:40 am

Students should be in their classrooms by 8:40 am for the morning roll call. Those absent without notification will be marked as unaccounted for. We’ll then follow up with parents/caregivers to understand the reason for the absence.

Reporting Student Absences

Please notify the school by 8:30 am on the day of your child’s absence. Here are the preferred methods:

KAMAR Parent Portal (recommended): This is the fastest and most convenient way to report absences.

Email: admin@harekrishna.school.nz

Phone: (09 412 6325) Speak to a member of our office staff and explain the reason for your child’s absence.

In Person: Visit the school office to report an absence.

KAMAR

If you haven’t already, please make register and login to the KAMAR Parent Portal: https://harekrishna.school.kiwi/

Medical Absences

A doctor’s certificate is required for any medical absence of three or more days.

Overseas Trips and Holidays During Term Time

With regard to term time holidays, our recommendation is that family holidays are taken during school holiday periods.

Please note that the school does not approve of such long periods of time away from school for family visits because of the negative impacts that being away has on student learning. The Ministry of Education provides clear guidelines to schools about student absences which our school absence policy is based on. Attendance data is submitted to the ministry of education on a daily basis. Visiting family overseas during school terms for periods longer than 5 days is considered an “explained but unjustified absence”.

If you need to travel overseas during term time to engage in a religious cultural event such as a puja, vrata, parikrama, yajna, or samskara please inform the school as such cultural reasons for absence are viewed differently to holidays and may be considered an “explained and justified absence”.

Arriving Late

Students arriving after 8:45 am must sign in late at the school office. This involves using a tablet to:

Select “Learner” and “Lateness”
Type their name
Provide a reason for being late

Occasional lateness is understandable, but habitual lateness disrupts the class and can cause students to miss out on important learning activities. We encourage you to ensure your child arrives at school by 8:30 am.

Early Dismissal

Students needing to leave early must have a parent/caregiver sign them out at the office using the tablet:

Select “Learner” and “Sign Out”
Type the student’s name
Provide a reason for early dismissal and the name/relationship of the person signing out

An afternoon roll call occurs at 1:15 pm. A missing student triggers school emergency protocols.

Authorized Sign-Outs

Parents/caregivers wishing to authorize others to sign out students must list them as contacts in the school database or provide their details by phone. Minors cannot sign out students.

Early Dismissal for Legitimate Reasons Only

Please reserve early dismissal for medical/ dental appointments or other valid reasons. Frequent early dismissal can disrupt learning and progress.

We encourage open communication with the school. If you have any questions or concerns regarding arrival, attendance, or early dismissal procedures, please don’t hesitate to contact us.