Welcome to Week 6! It is hard to believe we are already halfway through Term 3, and hopefully, we will start seeing some warmer spring weather very soon. Our Year 4 and 5 students are making great progress in the pool and have just one week left of their swimming program.
Term Dates for 2027
The Term Dates for 2027 have now been approved by the Bellevue Board and can be found HERE and will be on our website next week. You may wish to print this document to refer to. These dates have been coordinated with our cluster primary schools with the aim of minimising disruption to families in our community.
School Organisation for 2027
Term 4 is always busy! At this time of year we begin looking at the number of students we anticipate in each year level to make decisions about class organisation and placement for the following year.
At Bellevue, providing the best environment for learning is at the forefront of our decisions. The number of classes we start the year with is dependent on the staffing entitlement received from the Ministry of Education. This is based on the number of students in the school.
Our teachers are capable of teaching at all levels of the school and so we can allocate teachers to classes no matter the structure of the school or where they were teaching the previous year.
When looking at class composition, we aim to meet each child's needs regardless of the whānau class or mix of year groups. Our team of skilled educators takes the following factors into account when considering class placement for students:
Individual needs and achievement
Peer relationships
Learning groups and friendship groups
Age and year group
Gender balance and number of students
Siblings in other classes and year groups
Students are asked for the people they work/play well with. We are committed to making the most appropriate placement, considering all the information.
If there are any factors we may not be aware of that you believe are important for us to take into account please contact the school over the coming month - by Friday 16 October (end of the first week of Term 4) at the latest. There will be another reminder in the last newsletter before the term break.
You can talk with your child's teacher or a member of the leadership team or email us at:
Anne Smith (Deputy Principal Year 0-3) annes@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Cassie Woodhouse (Hub Coach Year 4/5) cassie@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Megan Walters (Hub Coach Year 3) megan@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Deeann Daniels (Deputy Principal Year 4-6) deeann@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Rachel Johnston (Principal) principal@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Once again, please make sure that you have contacted us before 16 October so we can take this into consideration when planning classes early next term.
Sickness, Absences and Attendance Codes
It is that time of year again, and we are currently seeing a higher-than-average number of students and staff away sick. We continue to find it difficult at times to find relievers, as demand across local schools is so high.
The Bellevue team are well practiced at this now and regularly give up their release time to be back in the classroom, cover across classes when needed, and prioritize the needs of the children so that families are often not even aware of it. However, when we face these shortages, we manage things behind the scenes to keep learning running as smoothly as possible by:
Postponing scheduled teacher release or canceling professional development
Temporarily splitting classes
Shifting teachers to cover vacancies across different teams
We wanted to share this with you because over the past couple of weeks, there have been times when an alternative program has needed to be offered to manage short staffing. Please keep this in mind if you hear from your child that they had a different teacher or worked a bit differently than usual. Keeping learning programs as calm, consistent, and uninterrupted as possible continues to be our top priority, and we really appreciate your ongoing understanding and support!
Health New Zealand has provided the following information to help you decide if your child is well enough to be at school:
https://www.education.govt.nz/news/how-decide-if-child-well-enough-be-school-or-early-learning
Important Reminder: Road Patrol Safety & Respect for Staff
Our school road patrol operates daily to keep all of our tamariki safe.
Recently, staff on duty have received inappropriate language and pushback from some adults when reminding them about safe parking and walking areas. Our staff give their time to manage traffic and keep children safe, and they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect at all times.
Please support us by following road safety rules, parking in designated areas, and setting a positive example for our students. Thank you to the vast majority of our community who help keep Bellevue safe and supportive every day.
