This is the last newsletter of the year, and a reminder that School Closes Thursday 18 December at 12.30pm.
What a pleasure to see some sun and more settled, if windy, weather as the end of year events begin.
Please keep your fingers crossed for more of this as we enjoy the celebrations of the final week of term.
This newsletter is full of the celebrations we have had, those to come and acknowledgements for the ‘village’ that it takes to run a successful school. It is long because there is lots to say!
Next week will see the Important Dates come out to families with any last minute updates if required. Also a reminder that this newsletter usually extends beyond what you can see in the email (and is highly likely to at the end of the year!). We suggest clicking the page to open the full newsletter in a browser/on your phone so that you do not miss all the good stuff!
Last Week
Firstly, thank you to all those families who came along to the three way conferences to celebrate their children’s progress for the 2025 year and to learn how they might support progress at home. This is always a celebration for the team here, too, who work so hard because seeing a child’s growth and recognition of their own success is the number one reason why they chose this profession!
Also our thanks to those who were able to join us for our ‘Helpers Morning Tea’ last Friday (albeit just a tiny portion of all those who support our school) and/or attended the Kahikatea Carnival after school which was a huge success and an excellent example of student led learning. The weather was kind, the school spirit was high and it was a special time to connect.
Coming Up
Coming up this week we have more festive fun planned. Rimu/Tōtara have an in-school carnival planned for Thursday this week at the same time as the Mānuka Teddy Bear’s Picnic!
Please note that the Board meeting this week - Thursday 11 December - will be held at the earlier time of 5.30pm in the staffroom.
On Friday we celebrate student leadership with our Year 3-6 Awards Assembly, the Dojo (values acknowledgement) celebration (this is a Wheels Day in the Junior school in the morning), the visit for the students to their 2026 classes and teachers, and the Little Whare opening for the Junior school. The students from Mānuka and Nikau have been helping to paint this, with support from Kahikatea and Beverley Warwick - it looks awesome! Friday is also the day that you can expect the information to come home about your child’s 2026 teacher, class and stationery.
Next week, our Kahikatea school leavers have their special celebration evening on Monday, Mānuka have a petting zoo visit on Tuesday, the Board is hosting an afterschool BBQ (with ice blocks too) so bring along your coins ($2 for a sausage and $1 for an ice block) and join the fun.
Wednesday afternoon is the principal farewell assembly from 2pm. As you are aware, our hall does not have capacity for all of our children, teachers and whānau who may like to attend so we are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather, in which case everyone is invited (do bring a hat, water and cover up if it is baking!). If we are forced to hold the assembly indoors, there will be tea and coffee available at the hall at 3pm for anyone who might like to swing by for a few minutes to catch me at pick up time.
Our final event for the term is the leavers assembly for our Year 4-6 students, which will be held in the school hall on Thursday 18 December at 10.30. It will be a little ‘cosy’ but a very important time to thank and farewell our Year 6 leaders for 2025 and those families whose children are in their final year with us, many of whom have been connected with the school for many years.
Staff News
At the end of this term, we farewell our wonderful teacher aide Nathaniel Daley who has been with us for two years. Nat has done a great deal to strengthen our tikanga, working with the Kapa Haka group as well as a range of students across the school. Although we are sad to lose him, we are excited to hear that, after taking 2026 to complete his Bachelors degree, Nat is considering embarking on a career as a teacher! We may well see him at Bellevue in the future - just in a different capacity.
Principal Appointment Update
Appointing a Principal is one of the most significant tasks a board can undertake during their time in governance, but much of this work is unseen, and therefore unknown, by the community.
As I prepare to leave Bellevue at the end of the year, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the enormous efforts of our dedicated board with all the work that is taking place 'behind the scenes'.
All schools are unique in so many ways and Bellevue is no different. The Bellevue Board is focused on finding an educational leader with the passion, energy and skills to lead the school in its next chapter.
So how does a group of community volunteers do this?
Remembering that, when they received my notice, more than half of the community volunteers who make up our Board were new to the role, they wasted no time in finding out about and planning a principal recruitment pathway.
This involved engaging an educational recruitment agency - a senior recruiter and a principal recruitment consultant (who is himself a highly experienced Principal). This team is supporting the Board through the process, especially with the education-specific aspects.
Next, there is a rigorous consultation period that involves the following:
information gathering about the school; its students, the community make up, its journey to date, what makes it unique and what makes it a great place to work. This is important if we wish to attract candidates that will love the school.
seeking the views of the children and staff on their new principal.
creation of a recruitment pack, including the above information to 'sell' the school to prospective candidates.
advertisement, visits and conversations with interested candidates.
shortlisting applicants.
All of the above has already taken place this term!
Interviews will be held in January with an appointment made for the start of Term 2. An earlier start date is unlikely as a notice period is normally 8 weeks.
To work through this process to the interview stage within just a term is a huge task for the Board, involving many long hours, late evenings and out of cycle meetings. The Bellevue team is deeply grateful to our Board for balancing a robust process with a swift turnaround so as to keep the transition as smooth as possible. It is heartening to know that the school and its community are in such good hands.
Thank yous
We recognise how blessed we are as a school community because there are so many people to thank for their contribution to the school!
Our Board:
As described above, much of the work the Board does is ‘invisible’, but this does not make it less valuable. It is through the Board’s foresight, willingness to work to deeply understand the educational context of the school and prioritising of the safety, learning and wellbeing of the students and staff that we have achieved what we have as a school. They have supported a stable staffing situation at a time when this is not common in schools, they have worked to keep class sizes smaller and to provide students with the learning or behaviour support they need to thrive. It has been a privilege to work alongside this proactive, solutions focused and community minded group of people.
Our Whānau:
We are truly fortunate to have an engaged, supportive community. The Bellevue staff have deeply appreciated your willingness to get involved in school events, to give up your time to improve the school, to fundraise and/or to give a kind word of feedback when things are tough - or going well!
Thank you for working in such close partnership with us to offer the best to our students.
As I near the end of my time at Bellevue, I urge you to continue to take care of this special place and its special people. Not all schools are created equal! The strength of the Bellevue team is its closeness with its community and the Aroha that we extend to one another.
To our school staff:
You are inspirational. There has been so much ‘noise’ on the educational front this year, divisive messaging and devaluing of what you do. True to our values of Resilience and Integrity, you have protected our school and our students from this by keeping our school environment consistently caring, positive, student focused and engaging. You understand that everything good begins with relationships and you work tirelessly at building these. Whatever happens in politics, in the media or outside the school gate, your students and your colleagues benefit from your clarity of purpose and determination to do what is best for kids! Thank you.
Year 6 Leavers
You have embodied our school vision of ‘Igniting Learning, Empowering Learners’ throughout your time at Bellevue and are finishing on the highest note! It is so rewarding to see you taking everything you have learned these past five years and applying it in your leadership, mahi tahi (working together) and contributions to the school. You are exemplary Tuakana Teina (support to your younger peers), you have taken responsibility for planting, painting, caring for the grounds, fundraising and setting a shining example of our values to others every day. Thank you for taking care of your place and our place.
We encourage you to make the best of your last week, enjoy your special celebration on Monday, and go on to represent Bellevue fabulously as you continue your learning journey. We are so proud of you!
Last Day of School— School Closes Thursday 18 December at 12.30pm
A reminder that school closes at 12.30pm. Please organise for someone to pick up your child. You are most welcome to visit classrooms and say farewell to teachers, and they would also love to wish you all the best for the holidays. We have our staff Christmas lunch at 1.30pm so please ensure that your child is picked up promptly.
Other Reminders:
2026 Term Dates - A reminder that our 2025 dates are HERE on our school website.
Please remember to make payment for your child’s swimming lessons before the end of the year, if you have not done so already.
Attendance Target and Attendance Management Plan for 2026 - From Term 1 2026, all state and state-integrated schools in New Zealand are required to implement an Attendance Management Plan. Our full attendance management plan is HERE and will be published on our website before the end of the year, ready for implementation in 2026. A summary of the key points is here: Bellevue Attendance Management Summary Sheet. These will both be linked under Attendance on the Parent Portal - A-Z Information page of our website from Term 1 2026.
We wish all of you a wonderful summer break and our team look forward to reconnecting in 2026 at our Whānau/Meet the Teacher Event - Friday 30 January.
