Term 3, 2025 Week 7

What's coming up at Ridgeview:What’s Coming Up

Our Mini Production – Around the World is happening at the end of this term, celebrating the amazing learning our students have been part of. We would love to see everyone on Thursday 18th September at 6:00pm. After the performance, please join us for a shared potluck dinner.

Tickets are available from the office. There is no set cost – we are asking for donations only – as we don’t want anyone to miss out. Tickets will help us manage numbers and ensure we have enough space (there will be some standing room available at the back).

Board Elections

A reminder that Board of Trustee elections are underway. It’s important that you take the time to vote – having a high-functioning board underpins a successful school. We are fortunate to have some outstanding candidates who have put their names forward. Please hand your completed voting papers into the ballot box in the office by Wednesday 17th September. Your participation makes a real difference to our school community.

End of Term

The last day of Term 3 is Friday 19th September. With lots of winter bugs around and the busyness of the term, we know many children are starting to feel a little tired and run down. To help them finish the term strongly, we encourage families to support their children with plenty of rest and healthy lunches to keep their energy up through the last couple of weeks.

📅 Key Dates

• Friday 5th September - Wear Purple to celebrate our support staff
• Wednesday 17th September – Board Election votes due (hand in at the office)
• Thursday 18th September, 6pm – Mini Production Around the World + Shared Potluck
• Friday 19th September – Last Day of Term 3

Behaviour at Ridgeview

Recently, we have noticed an increase in students responding to situations by physically hurting others. This is a real concern, and we want to be clear that physical assault is not tolerated at Ridgeview School. It is not in line with our school values, and most importantly, it makes our playground unsafe for everyone.

As a PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) school, we focus on explicitly teaching expectations and boundaries so that students are empowered to make the right choices. When incidents occur, we work through a restorative process. This means we support students to take responsibility for their actions, understand the impact of their behaviour on others, and restore relationships.

Alongside restorative practices, we also put in place appropriate consequences. These consequences are natural and relevant to the behaviour. For example, if a student hurts another child, they will not be allowed to remain in the playground as it compromises the safety of others. Instead, they will spend time in a supervised reset with the duty teacher, ensuring they still get fresh air and a break from the classroom.

If unsafe behaviour continues, the child will spend time resetting in the principal’s office. Ongoing physical incidents may result in a stand down, as student safety must always come first.

Parents will always be informed if their child is involved in an incident where they are hurt or where they have hurt someone else. We ask for your support in reinforcing our expectations at home so that together we can ensure Ridgeview remains a safe and positive place for all children.

Logo Consultation Feedback

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our logo consultation process. Your feedback was really valuable in helping us decide the direction for Ridgeview’s new school identity.

The kererū was chosen as the bird for our logo because of its deep significance to New Zealand’s native bush. Unlike the tūī, which was also considered, the kererū plays a unique role in spreading the seeds of many of our most important native trees. This connection feels especially meaningful for Ridgeview, given the strong ties our Paremoremo community has to the surrounding native bush.

The koru design on and around the kererū adds another important layer of meaning. In te reo Māori, koru means “fold, loop, or coil,” and refers to the unfurling frond of a fern. As a symbol, the koru represents new life, regeneration, peace, and harmony. It reminds us of growth and new beginnings – just as the fern frond opens into a strong leaf, our students grow, learn, and flourish during their time at Ridgeview.

We believe this logo is a powerful step in building a strong school identity. It captures both our connection to place and the potential of our learners, while also representing us proudly on a local, national, and international stage.

What’s Next for Our New Logo

You will begin to see our new logo appearing on school documentation and, shortly, online on our website.

As for the uniform, we will be moving to a new design gradually. There is no requirement for parents to purchase new uniform immediately. Instead, as new students enrol or as families need to replace items, they will be supplied with uniform featuring the new logo. The updated uniform will begin to be available from the start of next year.

Our school signage will also be updated, but this will be a longer process as it requires additional funding. We anticipate that signage changes will be rolled out over the next three years.

This staged approach means that we can celebrate our refreshed identity while ensuring the transition is smooth and manageable for our school community.

💜 Purple Friday – 5th September

On Friday 5th September, we invite all students and staff to wear purple to show support for our incredible support staff. Purple Friday is a chance to celebrate the amazing work they do every day, often going above and beyond their job descriptions to ensure Ridgeview runs smoothly and our students thrive.

We are so lucky to have such a dedicated team:

• Julie Doolan – works with our English as a Second Language students and supports speech and language development.
• Lucy – supports learning in the senior school, and is often found leading art activities or helping with extra gardening around the school.
• Carine – runs our before-school care programme and supports in Pitau and has a special talent for knowing when a child needs extra support.
• Sandy – supports our juniors in Koru, helps with class cover when needed, and has also volunteered her time as our staff board representative.
• Derek – volunteers across the school, helping in classes, looking after the chickens, supporting at the swimming pool, tackling tricky maths problems, and lending a hand with just about everything!

We appreciate them immensely, and Purple Friday is our way of saying thank you.

This day also comes at an important time, as support staff (alongside teachers) are currently negotiating their contracts with the Ministry of Education. By wearing purple, we can stand alongside them and show just how much we value the vital role they play in our Ridgeview whānau.

Attendance Reminders

A big thank you to our families for supporting attendance this term — it makes a real difference for our students’ learning. Just a few quick reminders:

• If your child is away, please contact the school to let us know.
• If your child arrives late, they must sign in through the office.
• If your child needs to leave early, please ensure they are signed out at the office.

These steps help us keep everyone safe and make sure our attendance records stay accurate. We really appreciate your support in keeping attendance strong at Ridgeview.

House Points Update

Congratulations to our winning house this week – Whetu!Ka pai Whetu, keep up the fantastic effort, positive behaviour, and teamwork.

Let’s see which house will take the lead next week!