Kim

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Modern Bell Block School with sports fields, playgrounds, and scenic volcanic backdrop in New Zealand.

21 February 2025

OPEN AFTERNOON 25 FEBRUARY

Next week we have our first Open Afternoon for the year on Tuesday 25 February. This is an opportunity to come into school and have a look at what your child has been doing during the first few weeks of the year. As with past Open Afternoons, your child will have a list of things to show you to help guide your visit. You are welcome to begin your visit at 1:00pm if you would like to have lunch with your child and see them or join in with their break time play. The end of lunch is at 1:40pm and that will be the time your children can show you their learning, classroom and around the school. Your child should return back to their usual classroom at 2:45pm for the end of day pack up routines. All our families are welcome and the students have always been excited to share their work and their school spaces with those closest to them. Please come along if you are able.

1:00pm Visitors welcome to arrive for lunch time
1:40pm Students return to class to share their learning and tour their visitors
2:45pm All students return to their classes for end of day routines

14 February 2025

Thank you, Hugo Charitable Trust

Kim

We are incredibly grateful to the Hugo Trust for their generous donation to support our new Structured Literacy journey. This contribution will help us build up our resource base, enabling us to successfully implement evidence-based approaches in our classrooms. With this support, we are confident that we can enhance academic progress for all our students.

Thank you, Hugo Trust, for investing in our school’s future!

Charitable trust logo for Bell Block School, New Zealand education charity.

24 January 2025

SWIMMING TIMETABLE TERM 1 2025

Kim

12 November 2024

SWIMMING TIMETABLE TERM 4 2024

Kim

24 October 2024

ATHLETICS DAYS 22 & 27 NOVEMBER

Kim

UPDATE: The Athletics Days have been POSTPONED and will now take place as follows:

Friday 22 November

9.15am-11.30am Middle Team (Rooms 7-10)

1.45pm-2.45pm Junior Team (Rooms 1-6)

Wednesday 27 November

9.15am-11.00am Senior Team (Rooms 11-14)

11.30am-1.15pm Intermediate Team (Rooms 17-20)

From 1.45pm Sprints 100m & 200m Finals (Years 3-8 finalists)

Approx. 2.20pm Class and Whānau Relays (Years 3-8)

Our Athletics Days are upcoming in mid-November and will be spread across two days. Please see the details below of when your child will be participating. We always have a great turnout of parents and families coming along to see the students in action so please mark your calendar and join us to cheer on your child if you are able.

The highly anticipated 100m and 200m sprint finals for Years 3-8 will be held on Thursday 21 November from 1.45pm. Heats are held during class time in the weeks prior so that finalists can be determined. If your student is Year 3-8, please check with them whether they have qualified for the 100m or 200m sprint final.

Wednesday 20 November

9.15am-11.30am Middle Team (Rooms 7-10)

1.45pm-2.45pm Junior Team (Rooms 1-6)

Thursday 21 November

9.15am-11.00am Senior Team (Rooms 11-14)

11.30am-1.15pm Intermediate Team (Rooms 17-20)

From 1.45pm Sprints 100m & 200m Finals (Years 3-8 finalists)

Approx. 2.20pm Class and Whānau Relays (Years 3-8)

Smiling grandmother and young girl at Bell Block School outdoor event in New Zealand.

24 October 2024

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY 1 DECEMBER

Kim

Please join us for Grandparents’ Day on Friday 1 November. We invite all Kuia, Koro, Grandmas and Grandads to come to school and have morning tea with their mokopuna, spend time in the classrooms and browse our Book Fair.

All whānau are welcome to attend and we would love to see you there!

Grandparents’ Day is held in conjunction with our Book Fair. Students are encouraged to dress up as their FAVOURITE BOOK CHARACTER. Prizes for best dressed will be awarded after the parades.

Our PTA will have tea, coffee and home baking available for sale, as well as raffle tickets to purchase.

The programme for the day is as follows:

11:00am Morning Tea Time: Grandparents arrive at school and head to classes to eat morning tea with their grandchildren or accompany them to the library to browse the Book Fair.

11:30am Book Character Parade: The bell will ring and students will go back to class. Whānau will assemble in the hall ready for our Book Character Parade.

11:40am Junior and Middle Team Parade (Rooms 1-10)

12:20pm Senior and Intermediate Team Parade (Rooms 11-20)

After the parade, grandparents are invited to join us around the school until lunchtime at 1pm. Your tamariki may wish to share some work in their classroom or browse the Book Fair in the library. We encourage you to spend some time in classrooms, check out our wonderful class displays and ask your tamariki to show you through their learning. It is a great time to touch base with what is going on in our classrooms and we would love to see you in our spaces.

1:40pm: Classes resume as normal after lunch.

Bright daytime view of Bell Block School with sports fields, playgrounds, and facilities, set against a scenic mountain backdrop.

29 August 2024

OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS 2025

Kim

The Board invites applications from parents who wish to enrol their children at Bell Block School for next year. Enrolment at the school is governed by an enrolment scheme, details of which are available from the school office.

To apply for a place for your child please download an enrolment form from the Enrolments page of our website and provide your child’s birth certificate and immunisation record to the school office. Enrolment packs are also available from the school office.

Applications for out of zone enrolments for 2025 must be received by 3:30pm on Friday 11 October 2024 (please see the timeline below for further information). Parents of students who live within the home zone should also apply by this date to assist the school to plan appropriately for next year. Please note that children with siblings currently enrolled who live outside of the school zone must apply as an out of zone student.

The exact number of places available will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school’s home zone.

If the number of out of zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot is required it will be held on Wednesday 16 October 2024. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three school days of the ballot being held.

An Open Morning is scheduled for Thursday 12 September from 9am – 10am for families and children who are interested in seeing what our school has to offer. Please sign in at the office and meet in the staffroom. No reservations required.

Should you have any questions regarding enrolments, please contact Kim Thomas in the office on 06 755 0838 or email office@bellblock.school.nz.

26 August 2024

SHREK JNR SCHOOL PRODUCTION

Kim

Tickets to the school-wide production of Shrek Jnr are now available to purchase from the myKindo shop:

Tickets cost $10 per person and seats are non-allocated.
To allow for as many families to attend the performance as possible, families are able to purchase a maximum of five tickets per family. Should your family require more than five tickets, please contact the office to add your name to the ticket wait list.

After purchasing your ticket you will receive an email confirmation which you may be required to show at the door upon entry.

Performance times are as follows:

- Tuesday 17 September – Matinee performance at 1pm – Featuring CAST A

- Wednesday 18 September – Matinee performance at 1pm – Featuring CAST B

- Wednesday 18 September – Evening performance at 6:30pm – Featuring CAST A

- Thursday 19 September – Evening performance at 6:30pm – Featuring CAST B

Tickets are only available to purchase via myKindo. If you are yet to set up a myKindo account please visit the Kindo page on this website.

Shrek Jnr Production FAQs

Which performance is my child’s class in? All students are performing in all shows. There are two casts for the main roles (Cast A and Cast B) – each cast performs at one matinee and one evening show. Teachers have a list of which cast members are performing each night. On the nights the main cast are not performing, they are still expected to be at the show, as they will be part of the choir. The rest of the school are performing their class dance in every show.

Do Juniors come to the evening performances? Yes, the whole school will need to come to every performance.

Do I need to buy a ticket for my baby or toddler? Babies can sit on your lap so don’t need to buy a ticket, but due to the loud sounds and the crowded environment, this may distress them. Toddlers will need to buy a ticket and have their own seat.

Do students need to buy a ticket? No, students do not need to buy a ticket as they are performing.

Are there allocated seats? No, seating is on a first come, first served basis and all seats will be filled!

How long is the show? Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When purchasing tickets does it matter which child I select on myKindo? No, you can select either child but are only allowed to purchase five tickets in total.

What time does my child need to be at school for the evening performances? Students are required to be dropped off to their holding room at 5:45pm. For non-cast members this is their own classroom where they will get changed.

5:00pm to Room 17 = Face painters, Shrek, Mama Ogre, Papa Ogre, Little Ogre, Pinocchio, Wicked Witch, 3 Bears, 3 Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, Ugly Duckling, Puss in Boots, Donkey, Gingy, Dragon
5:00pm to Room 18 = Storytellers, Captain of the Guard, Peter Pan, Pied Piper, Extra Guards, Farquaad, Young Fiona, Teen Fiona, Fiona, Knights, Bishop, Dwarf
5:45pm to Room 19 = Fairytale Dancers and Royal Dancers
5:45pm to Room 20 = Choir (please wear all black)
5:45pm to Hall = Backstage, sound and lighting (please wear all black)
5:45pm to own classroom = Rooms 1 – 14

What time do I need to collect my child after the performance? We anticipate that the show will be finished at approximately 7:45pm.

Ticket allocation: In order for everyone in our school community to be able to see their children perform, we have limited the number of tickets allowed to be purchased (five tickets in total per family).

Children outdoors engaging in a race at Bell Block School, NZ, during a school sports event.

9 August 2024

CROSS COUNTRY 28-29 AUGUST

Kim

***UPDATE*** The Year 3-8 Cross Country has been postponed until Wednesday 11 September.

Our school-wide cross country event will be held on Wednesday 28 August and Thursday 29 August. The postponement date is Monday 2 September. Please check the schedule below for the date and time of your child’s race.

The events for ages 7-13 are held around the Mangati Walkway, starting at the top bridge (near the entry to the walkway from Antonio Place). A map of the track can be found below.

The Junior Team (Years 1-2) run on the school field.

Please note that students’ age is calculated as follows:

5-8 year olds – age as at Wednesday 28 August

9-13 year olds – age as at 25 September 2024 which is the date of the Taranaki Cross Country.

Students run in age groups and always give a massive effort, while also being great supporters of each other when they are not running their event. Every student who runs earns points for their whānau and we encourage students to dress up in their whānau colours and get into the spirit of the day.

Please come along if you are able and cheer on your runners as they give it their best on Cross Country Day.

Wednesday 28 August
Venue: School field
First race starts 2:00pm
*7 year old boys (in Year 2) 3 laps
*7 year old girls (in Year 2) 3 laps
6 year old boys 3 laps
6 year old girls 3 laps
5 year old boys 2 laps
5 year old girls 2 laps

Thursday 29 August
Venue: Mangati Walkway
First race starts 9:15am
*7 year old boys (in Year 3)    2 laps (2.4km)
*7 year old girls (in Year 3)     2 laps (2.4km)
8 year old boys                        2 laps (2.4km)
8 year old girls                        2 laps (2.4km)
Venue: Mangati Walkway
First race starts 11:00am
9 year old boys                        2 laps (2.4km)
9 year old girls                        2 laps (2.4km)
10 year old boys                      3 laps (3.6km)
10 year old girls                      3 laps (3.6km)
Venue: Mangati Walkway
First race starts 1pm
11 year old boys                      3 laps (3.6km)
11 year old girls                      3 laps (3.6km)
12 year old boys                      3 laps (3.6km)
12 year old girls                      3 laps (3.6km)
13 year old boys                      3 laps (3.6km)
13 year old girls                      3 laps (3.6km)

Bell block school New Zealand map with walking trail and surrounding streets.

29 July 2024

INTERMEDIATE CAMP – FOREST LAKES 23-27 SEPTEMBER 2024

Kim

We are in the process of organising the traditional two-yearly Intermediate camp. This camp is a significant event for our students, providing them with lifelong memorable experiences. We plan to stay at Forest Lakes, Otaki from Monday 23 September to Friday 27 September 2024.
Students will take part in the following activities:

Te Papa
Wellington Zoo
Ferg’s Rock Climbing
Wellington Museum
Porirua Aquatic Centre
Adrenalin Forest
Campsite activities: Horse riding, kayaking, gladiator, confidence course, mud slide

As a school and an Intermediate team, we strongly believe in providing opportunities for students to push themselves outside of their comfort zones. We endeavour to ensure that every student, regardless of their financial situation, has the opportunity to attend camp if they wish to do so.

The school made the decision to ‘opt in’ to the Government Donation Scheme again this year, but unfortunately, this impacts on how we fund the camp experience. We have decided to try and raise the money first, by requesting voluntary donations towards the camp. The camp can go ahead on the basis of donations, but we have estimated that we will need to raise $480 per student. Any donations made are tax-deductible and parents can claim an income tax credit from Inland Revenue in relation to any donations made to the school. We will provide parents with a donation receipt.

Donations can be made by downloading the myKindo app and setting up an account using the same email address we have recorded for you. If your child has sold chocolate last year to fundraise for camp, the donation amount requested has been adjusted to reflect the money raised. Any monies already paid to school for camp will be applied to your account after you have set up a myKindo account.
Students who have dietary requirements are required to pay a separate and compulsory fee of $25 via myKindo.
Camp parent volunteers are required to pay a separate and compulsory camp fee of $280 also via myKindo.

CAMP FAQS