January 2024

15 January 2024

Dear parents

Welcome to Bellavista 2024

Greetings to the 2024 school year one and all! On behalf of the staff, the Parents Association and the Board of Governors, a warm welcome to all the new families who are joining the Bellavista School community. We trust that you quickly feel that you have found your place in the sun! Bellavista School is truly a community school. It is our firm belief that schools are places for recovery after the torrid times recently endured.

Here, we all get involved to create an environment and school experience that says to each and every child, “We see you and you matter.” New to the staff are Mrs Kerryn Prowse (Gr3), Mrs Samantha Swan (GrR and 1), Miss Katherine Thomas (Gr4), Mrs Sairah Rich (Speech-Language Therapist) and Mr Matthew Levings (Arts and Culture). We are privileged to have educators and therapists of such high calibre join our team and look forward to their input. Welcome back from maternity leave to Mrs Romy Saunders (OT) and Mrs Tamara Victor (OT). Our dynamic Parents Association is steered into its next memory making adventures by Mrs Kerry Harrison in 2024.

No, 2024 perhaps won’t be your best year yet.
Nor will it be the worst.
You see, a year is a mosaic of absolutely everything.
Joy, fear, heartache, loss, beauty, pain, love.
Failure, learning, friendship, misery, exhilaration.
Each day, each moment even, is a tiny shard of glass in this beautiful, confusing creation.
2024, like all the years before, will be another mosaic to add to your wall of art
A wall that shows life, you are continuously gifted.
A wall that shows you are human.
A wall of survival.
I wish you many broken pieces of glass this year, my friends.
Because this is living.
And before you march on into another year of ‘everything’, pause to look back, at the work
you have created thus far.
It is quite something.
You are quite something.
Now on we go, my friends.
Onwards we very much go.
-Donna Ashworth

Practical matters as we kick start the year

For a detailed Bellavista Handbook for parents, please see our website:
https://bellavista.org.za/admin-for-parents/

Parent Orientation Evening – school hall

Our Parent Orientation Evening is the ideal way to connect at Bellavista, especially your
child’s class teacher and therapists. Please diarise 17h30 on Monday 22nd January for this
important contact time. I would like to use my opportunity to greet you in the hall to ‘fill your
parent tank’ and set the intention for our year together. Thereafter, we will head to
classrooms where you will meet your child’s class teacher and be orientated to the routines
of the class.

Class Representatives
Ahead of the orientation evening, we are busy finalising the class moms and will communicate this soon.

Communication ‘lowdown’
Ironically, in our ‘24/7- always- on- content- loaded- information- bombarding’ world, it is often communication that lets us down. We try not to overwhelm you as parents but we have important logistical notices as well as thoughts and ideas to share with you through the year. Please consider your options in terms of accessing the information.

Where not to get it …. the class mum or class Whatsapp group!


Where to set your alerts or retrieve notices follows:
Newsletters from myself monthly; usually a 5 min read
Head’s Up notices will arrive in your inbox weekly, highlighting the
key communications of a given week. We keep these ‘snappy’ as
body text within the email.
The Bellavista School app is your information mainstay. On it
you can access the calendar, uniform lists, school times, the
Head’s Up or Newsletter notices, blog entries and order forms or
surveys, etc. Please download off the Google Play Store or Apple
Store. Remember to switch on “allow notifications” for this app.
Here is your link to the Edana Parent app: Edana Portal Apps.
This portal takes you to the documents you may need to access,
including forms you will need to complete and fill in this week.
www.bellavista.org.za has expanded information as well as links
to content for your own learning as a parent on Bellavista SHARE.
2
Whatsapp class or grade groups may be set up in the parent
body by the class mum and should be used respectfully for the
business of the PA and not for everyday ‘chit chat’. These forums
can be a powerful tool of community organisation and the
dissemination of critical information, so must remain uncluttered.
Respectfully, please do not set up ‘alternate’ groups.
Whatsapp school wide broadcast will be set up in the first few
days of the year. Please accept the invitation to join the
information stream. It will share any alerts (like lightning) and alert
you to other key notices.
Each teacher and therapist has an email address:
[email protected]. Remember, whilst email is
quick and easy, it doesn’t replace the relational value of a voice
conversation! Emails will not necessarily be attended to
immediately but within 24-36 hours. Emails for my attention
should be directed to [email protected]
Bellavista School and Bellavista S.H.A.R.E. send out news,
photos and encouragement on our Facebook and Instagram
pages – pop online and “like” our respective pages to stay in
touch with all the good news.
In Grades R-3, the children have a school issued
‘Communication Book’ for day-to-day matters and homework. In
Grades 4-7, we strive to teach the children to use Google
Classroom and an Agenda Book to organise their lives.

Timetables

Your child’s teacher will issue a timetable to your child on return to school. In the next week, therapists involved with your child will schedule personal therapy slots into this timetable. We continue with three breaks in the day. Two for free play and one ad hoc short session for a quick snack or a brain break. Please pack healthy snacks and lunches!

Enhanced Opportunities

Sport: Please lookout for a grade specific letter in your inbox
● Cocurricular activities are compulsory for Grade 3-7 children and happen twice a week: on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cricket match fixtures, when these commence
for our league, will be on Wednesday afternoons.
● The children in Grade 3-7 will continue to choose their preferred activity for the term, as they always have done. They will do this in class, with their teacher, this week.
● In Grade R-2, their children’s sport needs are met in the school day in Physical Education lessons and in the Integrated Day.
● Timetabled sport sessions across all grades remain on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays so the children will come to school in sports attire and no changing is
required.

General Admin for you to do ASAP

All your 2024 parent admin must be completed on the Edana Portal Apps if not already submitted. This includes fee payment forms, medical form updates and code of conduct/ ITC permissions. A detailed ‘how to’ is loaded to the Bellavista School app.

Has anything changed from your side?

If anything has changed on your contact details or pertaining to your residential address, contact numbers or emergency contact numbers, please remember to let us know. This is an imperative and a priority. For changes, update the details on the Edana Parent App or send an email to: [email protected].

Of importance too, if we are carrying any medication for your child, e.g., anti-histamines, please drop by the office at some point to check that the stock has not expired! The onus is on the parent. Visitor access protocols will apply. Any medication for the new term can be handed to the staff member on the morning gate, with your clear written instructions.

Calendar

A school calendar for the first term is available already on the Bellavista School app, the Edana app and the school website. Please diarise important events. Please endeavour to plan all holidays etc. around the school term dates. EVERY DAY counts at Bellavista. Our community is very diverse and we attempt to distribute weekend activities evenly over Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate all.

Support Group for parents walking the autism spectrum journey with their child

Each Wednesday at 08h30, at the Rose House on 32 Wingfield, Leslie Rosenthal (Psychologist) runs a support group for parents who walk a journey with ASD and their child. The strength, encouragement and learning is invaluable. Please join the group if you would like to.

Dates to diarise: Bellavista S.H.A.R.E

Bellavista S.H.A.R.E. is our professional development arm. It is an active and well subscribed hub offering training and knowledge sharing to parents, educators and health
professionals across the Southern Africa region. Talks and webinar events are offered at no charge to registered Bellavista School parents.
Please do hop online to register and receive monthly updates about what opportunities lie ahead: https://bellavista.org.za/bellavista-share/

Uniforms

Please consult the webpage: www.bellavista.org.za/uniforms or the uniforms tab on the app for an updated list describing the school’s dress code for formal wear and sportswear. You can also reach Romy Ancer on 082 465 4461.
Our pattern of attire:

Monday and Friday: formal uniform for Grades R-3

  • Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: sports uniform for Grades R-3
  • Monday, Wednesday and Friday: formal uniform for Grades 4-7
  • Tuesday and Thursday: sports uniform for Grades 4-7

The dress code will be strictly enforced – pride of appearance is a good start to ‘best foot forward’. Thank you to Romy for holding prices so reasonably even into this year to support parents. Thank you to Julie-Ann Mclintock and the PA for creating an inventory of quality second hand items that we call “seconds”. The “seconds” shop is now located alongside the uniform shop on the school property, for your convenience.

A note from the Seconds Shop: Secondhand clothing

We appreciate all the uniform donations to the secondhand shop. Please feel free to drop any Bellavista uniforms that you’d like to donate with Max or Trevor at the main gate. The secondhand shop will be open on Monday and Tuesday from 10 am until 12pm.

Coming and going

Please note that Wingfield Avenue access is strictly a ONE WAY system. Further, the road is narrow and, in the interest of the safety of every child, I must urge drivers to be courteous and mindful of other road users and of our neighbours.
● Please drive slowly, don’t double park and walk a few meters if the road is congested.
● Please do not obstruct the school driveway even for a ’quick drop off’.
● Our staff at the gate are the people who work to look out for your child and courtesy towards each and every staff member is appreciated.

Please note the gates for your child:

Grade Morning Gate Afternoon Gate
R Wingfield Avenue Main Gate Wingfield Avenue Main Gate
1-2 St Andrews Gate St Andrews Gate
3-4 Wingfield Avenue Main Gate Wingfield Avenue Main Gate
5-7 Wingfield Avenue Main Gate Pedestrian Gate on Wingfield (off Pridwin Field)

Please have your child at school between 07h20 and 07h40 to be settled and ready for our early morning CEA line up. We work an efficient ‘drop and go’ in the mornings – say a warm, loving goodbye, remind your child where you will meet them at the end of the day and wave farewell. New children are expected to come in with their parents initially.

Textbooks, stationery and bags

You should have equipped your child with all textbooks and stationery before the first day. If not, please reach out to Romy Ancer on 082 465 4461 to arrange. Exercise books and workbooks that are additional have been ordered for you and will be invoiced on your school fee account. Please be sure to make manual payment on receipt of the statement if you paid your fees upfront.
We look forward to welcoming you to school next week.!

Alison M Scott (Mrs)
Executive Principal

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