Newsletter Issue 5
Term 3 - August 24 2022
Sharing the successes and challenges of our rocket building in Hub 3
Principal’s Update
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
School Values Consultation
Thank you to the wonderful group of parents who joined us yesterday evening for our PB4L school values consultation. It was a small turn out, but this allowed for great discussion! We really appreciated hearing your perspectives on what you wish for your tamariki as they move through the school, as well as some thought provoking conversation and helpful suggestions around some of the other initiatives we are working on.
After almost three years of being unable to properly connect with our community it is very important to us at Bellevue to reestablish strong networks with our wānau and wider community. One of the taonga (or treasures) of our school are our richly diverse cultures. I have included a snapshot of our current ethnicity mix in the image below for your information. We are hopeful that our community consultations, school events and curriculum will include the voice of our families from as wide a group of our school cultures as possible so that we can work to ensure that every child feels valued and has a sense of tūrangawaewae (or belief that this is their place).
We would encourage our families from all backgrounds to consider getting involved - whether it be standing for the Board, attending a community evening, giving feedback in our online consultations or just popping in for a chat! If you have suggestions of ways in which we can do things differently to facilitate this, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Following on from last nights’ consultation, we will post another opportunity for our families to engage in this conversation by sharing our student voice on our Hub Seesaw pages with some prompts to discuss and reflect on this with your child/ren. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Hub 3 Rockets
Last week I was fortunate to join Hub 3 for their hui and hear about the incredible STEM learning the students had been doing (photos above). What impressed me most was the perseverance, creative thinking and problem solving that the students had demonstrated when faced with challenges like 'How do I get my rocket to be stable while giving it a large wingspan?' It is also inspiring to see children recognising each other's skillsets and the benefits of working collaboratively for a more effective outcome. Ka pai Hub 3!
Property Update
If you have popped into the school office recently you may have noticed this is looking rather bare! We are preparing for some exciting renovations to our office/admin area to improve the weather tightness. As part of this work we are also looking forward to a much needed extension to our staffroom, which currently does not fit in all of our team when seated! As the date for this build work is, like many things at present, being pushed out by sickness and material supply, please bear with us if this means the admin area is looking a little less than welcoming in the interim!
Spotlight on Maths
In an effort not to overwhelm you with information in this week’s newsletter, we will include our ‘Spotlight on Maths’ in next weeks communication.
Daffodil Day - Friday 26 August
Finally, this Friday is Daffodil Day - supporting the New Zealand Cancer Society. Although our student council carefully considers which fundraisers they will work to support each year so as to do less and do it well, if you are interested in donating to support this important cause, pop your Daffodil on, on Friday and visit this page for more information.
Ngā manaakitanga
Annette
HEALTH & SAFETY UDATE - Please note mask update
We remain open and our average attendance is 86% (as at today) for this week, which is encouraging as we aim for a steady 90% attendance again following the winter sicknesses and, of course Covid.
Mask wearing to continue until the end of Term 3
We continue to follow public health guidance to undertake regular assessments of risks from COVID-19. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, including when there are changes to risk.
At the beginning of Term 3, the Ministry of Education strongly recommended that masks be worn indoors by students Y4 and upwards, till Friday 19 August. This advice has now been reviewed by the Ministry and their recommendation remains unchanged.
Given the high levels of community sickness currently, not only from Covid-19, but also from other winter illnesses, the Bellevue Board asks that you support us to maintain our existing mask wearing settings (so masks continue to be worn indoors by those students who are able to in Yr 4-6 and any others who wish to) until the end of Term 3.
Our teaching team and all adults who are on site will continue to wear masks.
At the end of Term 3 we will review these settings in light of the current Health/Ministry recommendations and the health of the community.
Our priority continues to be the health and wellbeing of our tamariki and supporting face to face learning.
We are still operating under our 'Open' scenario for our provision of distance learning on our (updated for Orange) Community Plan - which can be found on the website.
Please do continue to inform us if your child tests positive or is required to isolate so we can code them accurately in the roll as:
- unwell
- self isolating - so accessing distance learning
- at home due to family decision - so accessing distance learning
annette@bellevue-newlands.school.nz and office@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Thank you.
If you have let us know that your child is self isolating or has tested positive, please also let the office know when they return to school.
Please continue to monitor your child and do not send your child to school if they have any symptoms.
Welcome
Haere mai ki te kura o Bellevue. Welcome to the following students and their whanau. It is great to have you in our Bellevue Learning Community.
Summer Lologa in Room 4
Adam Gawasmeh in Room 11
Leen Qwasmeh in Room 14
Min Sung Kim in Room 14
Thank you to our Board members and whānau who attended the PB4L values evening yesterday. Also to Sarah who gave up her time to be in the library for any tamariki who may have come along.
Dr Becky - Talking to our tamariki
This week a staff member shared with us Dr Becky.
A clinical psychologist and mother of three, Dr Becky is popular on Instagram for her quick and easy to access parenting tips.
Her website is https://www.goodinside.com/ where you can pay for courses but her Facebook page has some short and helpful clips for free.
ARTSPLASH
Bellevue High Notes (School Choir Years 3-6) are excited to be once again part of Artsplash after it being cancelled last year due to Covid.
We will be on stage as part of the massed choir in the Michael Fowler Centre on Monday 12 September at 7.30pm. The concert is about one hour in duration.
We would love you to come along and support us.
Tickets $5 from the school office
HUB 5 ENGINEERING
This term on a Thursday lunch time the Engineering Club has started to learn about coding and why it is an important tool to have in our kete.
Guided by Miss George, the children are learning about HTML, the most basic code to learn. Together they are building a faux website on her cat Pim. This week, they have learnt about tags called elements and have successfully coded the title tab 'Pim the Cat'.
Keep an eye out for pictures of their progress!
Please note that the code building is completely safe. Students are saving a doc into their Google Drive folder (under the secure school domain) and using this doc for practising code.
SHOTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE - Hub 5
Hub 5 is creating a tent that can survive Wellington wind and rain - how appropriate this is at present!
SHOTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE - Hub 1
In Te Reo we played a bingo game learning about feelings and emotions. We learned how to ask " Kei te pēhea koe?" which means "How are you?" We then tried to respond by saying for eg: "Kei te pai au" which means "I am good"
In Maths we are learning all about ten frames and symmetry.
Library News
This week our display is on ‘dogs’.
We know there are many families at Bellevue who have a dog or two (or maybe more) at home, and thought what fun it would be to have a “Rogues gallery”.Please send us a photo of you with your pooch(es) so that we can display them in the Library. Email to library@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Thanks in advance.
Woof
Sports News
Miniball Results:
Hurricanes won against Newlands Eagles, 28:8. Players of the Day: Theo and Tyler
Lightning drew against St Benedict Hornets, 24-24. Player of the Day: Arlie
Thunder won against Wadestown Whirlwinds, 28:2. Player of the Day: Tom
Storm won against Cashmere Wizards, 46:11. Players of the Day: William and Jordan
CHICKEN POX & SHINGLES
We have been advised that Chicken Pox and Shingles are in our Community at the moment.
The Chicken Pox virus is spread through the air by infected people when they sneeze or cough, and by touching the chickenpox blisters then touching objects or other people. The illness starts 10–21 days after being exposed.
Chickenpox is contagious from 1–2 days before the blisters appear. Avoid close contact with other people, stay home from work and keep children home from school and early childhood education centres for 1 week from the appearance of the rash until all blisters have dried. A person with chickenpox can pass the virus on from 1 - 2 days before they get the rash until after the rash blisters have dried up, which usually takes 5 - days. Remember: chickenpox is serious for pregnant women and people who have a reduced immune response .
The chickenpox virus is spread through the air by infected people when they sneeze or cough.
Always turn away from others and use tissues when you cough or sneeze.
Always wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
Chickenpox can also spread through touching the blisters and then touching objects or other people.
Wash hands often, especially if you’re the caregiver of a child with chickenpox – make sure they do the same.
Discourage children from scratching the blisters.
Shingles:
After you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. It moves to the roots of your nerve cells (near the spinal cord) and becomes inactive (dormant). Later, if the virus becomes active again, shingles is the name given to the symptoms it causes.
You can only get shingles if you’ve had chickenpox in the past (usually as a child). While anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles, the risk of shingles increases as you get older.
It is not known what exactly causes the virus to become active again, but the risk of getting shingles is greater in people with a weakened immune system.
For more information on Shingles and Chicken Pox go to:
https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses
Onesie Day
Onesie day is a day to fundraise for the Wellington Free Ambulance so that we can keep it free. Wear any type of onesie, pjs, oodies or just some comfy clothes.
Bring a gold coin donation for support if you can but if you can't that is ok to.
So remember on Friday the second of September bring your comfy clothes, pjs, etc. to have some onesie fun with your friends!
By Alice, Frank with the rest of Student Council
LUNCHONLINE PROMOTION
Nada Bakery in Johnsonville provide school lunches on Wednesdays each week. If you would like to order a school lunch for your children you will need to go to their website to create an account - www.lunchonline.co.nz
Its halfway through the term already community… Whoa!
This last week we have been busy processing the Kids Art Works orders. It was a bit of a treat to check all that artwork out again! If you have been followed up for payment, please respond urgently as only fully paid orders will be sent off on Friday.
End of Term lunch survey. As previously reported, we have been looking into options for the end of term lunches as Hells Pizza can no longer offer a Friday delivery.
Please follow this link to give us your feedback on the options/preferences. This survey will close COB 29 August. https://forms.gle/bdHKCoRx5iePfiFh6
If you haven’t already, check out our webpage, which is part of the school website, https://www.bellevue-newlands.school.nz/fundraisers
Updates…
Kids Art Work (Calendar Art)
As above, orders are now closed and being processed.
We do not yet have a delivery date for the products, but my guess is early Term 4.
Pizza Lunches
As previously reported, Hells Pizza can no longer offer their pizza’s on Fridays for our traditional ‘End of term Pizza Lunch’. As above, please follow this survey link to provide us with your feedback - https://forms.gle/bdHKCoRx5iePfiFh6.
Bellevue Book Fair
Save the Date – 5th November 2020 2022!
We are delighted to finally hold the long-awaited Bellevue Book Fair in Term 4. Right on time for stocking up on summer holiday reading material!! More information to come soon…
Wildflower World Seed Fundraiser
For the avid (or novice) gardeners amongst us, we are going to be offering this seed fundraiser (very similar to the bulb fundraiser of 2021. Details will be distributed via the FUNdraisers Facebook page, or via school next week!
Important Dates
Wednesday 19 October - Wednesday 7 December (Term 4)
Hub 1 & 2 Swimming (every Wednesday)
Thursday 1 September
ICAS Maths (Y4-6 Only)
Friday 2 September
Onesie Day
Monday 12 September
Artsplash Choir
- Rehearsal 12 noon
- Performance 7.30pm
Wednesday 21 September
Learning celebration - open evening
Thursday 22 September
Board meeting
Friday 30 September
Term 3 ends
Monday 17 October
Term 4 begins
Friday 21 October
Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Saturday 5 November
Bellevue FUNdraisers Book Fair
Friday 18 November
Te Korowai ō Horokiwi Kapa Haka Festival - details to come
Wednesday 23 - Friday 25 November
Hub 5 Camp
Newsletter proudly sponsored by
Email: office@bellevue-newlands.school.nz
Phone: 04 4787037