From the Principal

Apologies for sending this out so late. I am sure you will have heard about the shortage of relief teachers in the media. We have certainly been affected by the inability to get relievers. The upshot of this is that I have been spending a lot of time in the classroom, which is wonderful for relaitonships with the children but not so great for doing admin jobs.

This will be a short newsletter with a few very important items.

Mask Wearing

As the spread of COVID seems to be waning, we will now make mask wearing optional for students in Years 4 - 6. The wearing of masks remains a strong recommendation by the Ministry of Health. Should we notice an increase in illness, we will revert to compulsory mask wearing.

Open-door Policy

Everyone at Ridgeview is passionate about trying to teach and support each child as an individual in an environment where every child feels safe and happy.

We are always happy to listen to your concerns and ideas, and love to get feedback when something has worked really well. Please come and talk to the teachers or to me at any time.

Student-led Conferences

We are delighted to see that most of our families will be coming along to share in their tamariki's progress this Thursday. School closes at 1pm on this day.

Production 2022

Tickets are now on sale for our production of The Hare and The Tortoise. Tickets cost $12 each and we will be performing on Tuesday 27 September, Wednesday 28 September, and Thursday 29 September.

The actual show is about 45 minutes long and our kids sing, dance and act their hearts out.

We will be selling tea/coffee, cake and fizzy drinks. I am looking for 2 or 3 volunteers who would be happy to sell refreshments on one of the nights.

Teacher-only Day

We have our teacher-only day on Friday 9 September. School will be closed on this day while the staff does training.

Start of the school day

I thought it might be helpful to explain why it is so important that children are at school on time. The first part of every morning is spent explaining to the children what we will be doing during the day and giving them instructions. If your child is late, they miss this information and are either quite lost and interrupt others or the teacher has to stop teaching in order to give out the information again.

Period Supplies

A couple of our older girls have started their period somewhat unexpectedly. This might be a good time to make sure your child is prepared for what is going to happen. Please also make sure that your child knows that Kalene has supplies in the office. She has daughters of her own and will help your daughter in a sensitive, but matter of fact way.

If your child is sick...

Advice received from the Ministry of Education states that children may return to school:

24 hours after they are symptom free if they have colds or flu
48 hours after they are symptom free if the have diarrhoea or vomiting

Please note that you need to contact the school every day that your child is away as we cannot just assume that your child is still sick.

Headlice and Nits

We have a couple of children with headlice/nits in the school. Please can you check your child and treat if necessary. It is also a good idea for those children with longer hair to keep their hair tied up.

Yummy Stickers

Please send your yummy stickers in over the next two weeks.

Paint for our Murals

I am still looking for test pots or leftover paint for our murals - particularly bright or unusual colours. I will happily take your leftovers to use.

Drink Bottles

We still have a number of children who are not bringing their water bottle to school. Please can you check that they pack it and bring it with them.

Old Mobile Phones and iPads

We are still on the lookout for old phones and iPads.

New Telephone Number

Our new telephone number is 027 593 5963.

Important Dates for your Diary