Kia ora, Nameste, Talofa, Konnichiwa, Guten Tag, Gidday, Vannakkam, ni Hao, Kia orana, Hola, Salam, Sa wat deekha, Dia Dhuit, Goeie Dag, Bonjour, Καλημέρα, Greetings everyone
It is hard to believe that the end of the term is already upon us but, looking back at what we have accomplished as a school and community, it is not surprising it has flown by!
Bellevue has been lifted up by our community during this term.
From the enormous support with our myriad of sporting events (including the rearrangements!), our involvement in the teachers’ and principals’ strike action, our first hui for whānau Māori - both the guidance we received preparing for this and the wisdom shared by those who attended, the many voluntary offerings from families to;
tidy up our school grounds
improve our website
share expertise with our tamariki during our cultural day
provide extra curricular sporting opportunities
keep our Road Patrol team safe and supported
raise funds and inject even more FUN into school events,
to strategically planning and prioritising resourcing for our school year to keep the health, safety, learning and wellbeing of our school community at the fore.
WE THANK YOU - it is a privilege to work in a school that reflects such a true example of me mahi tahi tatou mo te oranga o te katoa.
The last few weeks of the term have been hard on our team with lots of sickness and relievers hard to find. I’d also like to thank our teaching and support staff for the wonderful work they do on a day to day basis, as well as the flexibility they show and their willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ to support our students (or one another!) when the going gets tough.
Property Update
Please see last week’s newsletter for an outline of the property ‘need to knows’ as we prepare for the weathertightness work on our administration block and our long awaited staffroom upgrade. We anticipate the build work, which will affect access from the Junior side of the school to the Middles, parking inside and outside the school grounds and the location of the main office, will last all of Term 2 and 3 at least. Please consider our school team when you drop your child in Term 2 by parking further away and walking in if possible.
You will notice two portable cabins outside the front of the hall. The first of these as you approach them from the main gate will be the administration office from the beginning of Term 2. Please head here with any enquiries or to sign your child in or out.
The second cabin will be Annette’s office and a workroom/medical room as needed.
School Production - postponed until 2024
Unfortunately the scheduled construction work, which is set to continue throughout Terms 2 and 3, has resulted in us having to reprioritise spaces around the school. During these terms, with it being winter and limited access around the school as well as spaces for groups to gather, managing health, safety and wellbeing will be our priority. As a result of this, the school production will be postponed until 2024.
We look forward to being able to make this a top priority once things have settled on the property front.
Annual Emergency Evacuation and Reunification Date - 15 September
The Board has confirmed the date for our Annual Emergency Evacuation and Reunification Practice as Friday 15 September - the Friday of the week before the final week of Term 3. We recognise that this practice is an inconvenience for families and are very grateful for your support with this so we wish to give as much notice as possible. We will send home your child’s emergency contacts for you to review and return in plenty of time prior to this.
Music Bus
Thanks for your patience with the postponement of the music bus concert scheduled for Friday last week. The music Bus is booked for Friday 28 April, same time of 1.45 -2.45pm.
For those families interested in music lessons for their child who missed the opportunity to pick up a flier on Friday afternoon, there are extra fliers in the school office - please pop in and collect one.
Learning Celebrations
Thank you to all families who attended the Learning Celebration three way conferences this week.
We know that one of the most significant factors in raising student achievement is making educationally powerful connections with children, their parents and whānau so that students participate and contribute more fully to their learning.
Teacher Only Day - Monday 24 April - School Closed
Please note that school will not be open on Monday or Tuesday (ANZAC day) after the break.
The teaching and learning team will spend Monday engaged in professional development. Our teacher aides are attending a session focused on supporting dysregulated students. The teachers will be exploring some of the resources that support the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories (ANZH) learning area of the NZC, and which are right on our doorstep. We will also be engaging with the ‘why’ behind the curriculum refresh and considering how this aligns to our school vision and local curriculum. Working with Matt Richards, our PLD provider, we will collaboratively plan learning activities that integrate the intention of the ANZH with our existing school approaches of learning through play and developing student agency.
Artsplash Choir - Highnotes
Although we do not yet have a confirmed date for the Artsplash choir performance, we know that this will be held during the week of 11-15 September. Choir practises start next term so if your child is interested in joining this group you may want to mark this date in your diary.
Start date Term 2 - Wednesday 26 April
Finally, a reminder that this Thursday ((6 April) is the final day of this term, with Good Friday on 7 April.
With the term beginning with a Teacher Only Day (24/4) followed by ANZAC Day holiday (25/4), we will look forward to seeing our tamariki back at school on Wednesday 26 April.
You can expect our first newsletter for Term 2 on Wednesday 3 May. Any necessary communications prior to this will come out via email or as updates on our closed group Bellevue Facebook Page, if you are not already, you may wish to consider following this.
Ngā manaakitanga
Annette and the Bellevue Whānau
