Rights & Responsibilities at Matamata College
Matamata College is first and foremost a place of work. Everyone at Matamata College has a job to do and it is their right to get on with it without being kept back in any way by other people. All students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and work as hard as they can.

General Principles
In order to respect the rights of every person in Matamata College, we all have the responsibility to treat each other with respect. This means being:

Considerate
We must accept each other’s differences and make sure our words and actions do not cause hurt, offence or inconvenience to anyone.

Courteous
We must be polite, helpful and truthful at all times.

Co-operative
We must be willing to work as part of a community.

Rights
Pupils have a right to:

• The highest standard of education
• Be safe and secure in a non-bullying environment
• Be treated with respect Be taught in a clean orderly environment
• Access all areas of the curriculum
• Have classes start punctually and have lessons that are well prepared
• Be assessed regularly and be informed about their progress promptly
• Have work marked and handed back promptly
• Have access to extra curricular activities

Responsibilities
Pupils have the responsibility to:

• Be well behaved both inside and outside school and obey school rules
• Not bully others
• Treat everyone with respect
• Wear the correct uniform and take care of property
• Work hard in class and cooperate with the teacher
• Arrive punctually and be prepared for class and do nothing to interrupt the teaching of the lesson
• Work to the best of their ability Take part in at least one extra curricular activity

The Bottom Line
At Matamata College we avoid raising our voices, swearing, using offensive language or spreading rumours and we protect against bullying. We treat everyone with courtesy and good manners. We respect the school environment.
There are certain things that are absolutely forbidden at Matamata College. They are:

• Physical violence
• Theft
• Damage to property
• Threatening or intimidating behaviour
• Alcohol
• Using tobacco or other drugs
• Leaving litter

Taking Action
Everyone has the responsibility to do something when they hear or see something that is not right. We have the responsibility to;

• Talk to a Dean or Form Teacher
• Talk to a Deputy Principal or the Principal
• Talk to a senior class student
• Talk to the student BOT representative
• Talk to a parent who will contact the school
• Talk to the Guidance Counsellor
• Talk to a friend who will talk to a teacher.

Succeeding at School
Success at Matamata College is easy, if students do the following:

• Attend school regularly
• Have a positive attitude towards learning and school
• Do all work set to the best of their ability
• Do regular home study
• Practise reading regularly at home
• Always have the correct gear for learning
• Get involved in school life

Buses & Cars

All school buses that operate through Matamata are coordinated by Mr Kent, who is a teacher at a College. If you have any questions please contact him in the A Block corridor that leads to S Block.   All students who drive a car to school must first register their details with Mr Munro. This includes the registration number of any car they might use, driver licence details and any authorised passengers. Students must operate within the limitations of their licence.  

Careers Advice & Councilling
Sometimes students need extra support to help them with their school or personal lives. At Matamata College there are people that can help.

Guidance Counsellor
Mrs Kelleher is available by appointment for students and parents. She deals with personal, relationship, career and academic issues. Mrs Kelleher is located in A Block.  

Careers Advisor
Mr Murray works with individuals, groups and classes assisting students with career pathway choices. He brings visiting speakers from the workplace and the tertiary institutions into school to talk to groups and also arranges visits to Careers Field Days and tertiary institutions’ Open Days etc. Mr Murray also runs the year 10 Designing Careers programme which starts our year 10 students in thinking about their career options and starting their own personal career file and CV. Mr Murray is located in A Block.

More Information can be found in the Careers & Councilling book

Deans
Deans are responsible for a horizontal level of students (e.g. year 9 or year 13.) They help students with option choices, class placement and also work with students on performance, discipline and career options. Deans liaise closely with teachers and also with parents when they are working with a student. They will often place a student on daily report to monitor his or her attendance, behaviour and work effort.  The school Deans are Year 9 Mrs Williams. Her office is to the right of the main entrance to the hall. Year 10 Mr Kent and Mrs Davidson. Their offices are in the hallway in A block that leads to S block Year 11  Mr Garrud. His office is to the right of the main entrance to the hall. Year 12  Ms Liddle. Her office is near student reception. Year 13 Mr Kilham (ext 234). His office is near student reception.