Bellevue School - Where Learning Grows

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School Information

 

Teaching Programmes
 


Junior School


In the Junior school there is a strong emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy. Every morning all classes are learning to read, write, listen, speak, view and present information and understand mathematical concepts.

The afternoon consists of other curriculum areas, including Science, Social Studies, Technology, Health, Physical Education, the Arts and Te Reo.

Every week all classes participate in activities including singing, specialized art lessons or sports rotation. There are also weekly visits to the school library. We aim to have one learning experience outside of the school per term. This may involve a trip somewhere to help achieve a specific learning outcome.

We invite both local kindergartens to visit our junior classes. We encourage children enrolling in our New Entrant class to come in for classroom visits before they start school. There is also a New Entrant meeting once a term to outline the programme and expectations when children start school.

Reading

At the heart of the reading programme, teachers take children for guided reading lessons. Ability groups are taught regularly and focus on using reading strategies, understanding text and processing information. Reading interchange between classes may take place to benefit children’s learning.

Many other reading activities take place that practice, reinforce and extend reading skills.

These may include:

Independent browsing boxes
Follow up reading activities
Poems
Big Books
Class story
Buddy reading
Library books
Library visits
Listening Post
Worksheet
Computer

As well as learning reading strategies and comprehension children need to be reading with fluency. The re-reading of familiar books reinforces this important skill.

Writing
Teachers model daily writing ensuring that students contribute to the process of using letter/sound links to provide the correct spelling of the words. The teacher will have set language skills to teach during these sessions that children are expected to use in their own writing with support.
An alphabet card is used to assist children with their letter/sound links.
Children plan their own writing by drawing a picture plan or completing simple brainstorms. This provides the opportunity for children to talk about and organise their ideas before writing.
A variety of genres are introduced to ensure all the writing components of the English Curriculum are taught.

Spelling
Alphabet cards and junior dictionaries are used to help children approximate the spelling of a word. Spelling lists are compiled for each child from their writing and from the essential word list. The spelling programme varies from class to class depending on the specific needs of the children.

Handwriting
Lessons are taken that focus on both lower and upper case letters and forming numbers correctly. The size of lines in their books are determined by their age and motor skill development.

Reading Recovery
All students are tested as they turn six years old on a national six year net test. This provides an overall picture of a child's reading and writing knowledge. Students who are experiencing the most difficulties are chosen for the reading recovery programme. This specialised programme ensures that children catch up to the level required for their age. Students in the programme have a one-on-one, half hour lesson every day with a specialist reading recovery teacher.

Mathematics
The mathematical strands that are taught are Number and Algebra, Geometry and Measurement and Statistics. There is a strong emphasis in the junior school on teaching Number.

Teachers plan units of work appropriate to the level of children in their class. Children are taught daily, in groups according to their ability. A number of resources are used such as Early Numeracy and Beginning School Mathematics. Learning is practised and reinforced through supported activities and a variety of structured games. The use of mathematical equipment is vital in teaching early mathematics. Computers are also used as part of the classroom programme i.e Mathletics. Every class is well provided with appropriate resources.

Preparation For School
• Teach your child to write their name
• Teach your child to identify and form letters and numbers correctly
• Read and discuss books and ask questions about the story
• Develop their concentration span by completing puzzles, games, paintings etc.
• Teach your child to count to 10 and back to 0.
• Identify colours.
• Use life experiences to enhance maths understanding ie. Discuss capacity when cooking, talk about money and reading numbers when shopping.
• Develop fine motor skills by holding a pencil and scissors correctly, painting and drawing, catching and kicking balls.
• Help your child to learn to share with others when using equipment.
• Take your child on trips and talk about these experiences.

How You Can Help Your Child After Starting School
• Talk to them about what is happening at school.
• Visit their classroom and show an interest.
• Look in their books and get them to read you their stories.
• Acknowledge art work and creative activities.
• Listen to your child read their homework reading book.
• Support them in other work sent home
• Read library books to your child.
• Encourage your child to develop special interests.
• Encourage them to develop friendships and invite children to your home to play.
• It is important to continue to stimulate your child by ensuring they are exposed to as many life experiences as possible.

The best thing you can give your child is TIME!

 

 

 

Middle School

In the middle school there is a strong emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy. To encourage the children to take more responsibility for their learning we share with them the purposes for their learning and how to succeed in their learning. Children’s learning intentions and success criteria are displayed and discussed daily to enable a deeper understanding of their own learning.

Literacy and Numeracy are taught daily during the first half of the day. All classes are learning to read, write, listen, speak, view and present information. Mathematics main focus is numeracy.

The afternoon consists of topic studies, (Science, Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, Technology) including a rotation of specialized Arts lessons once a week.

Relationships
We promote a caring, friendly environment by treating people the way we would like to be treated. Parents are encouraged to share any queries or concerns as soon as they arise so they can be addressed quickly.

Mathematics
There is an emphasis on Numeracy skills during the year but other the strands of the Mathematics curriculum, geometry, statistics, algebra and measurement are covered throughout the year. Student’s progress is assessed at the beginning of each unit and they are grouped according to their needs. The learning of Basic Facts (addition and subtraction, followed by multiplication and division) are new challenges.

English
The programme consists of writing, reading, word study and handwriting. These areas are taught according to children’s learning needs or interests. Reading can be supported at home through shared and/or individual reading with a follow up discussion where possible about what they have read. We use the Joy Allcock spelling programme, based on sounds.

Homework
There is a weekly homework sheet for each student. The activities are practice of learning already happening in the class. Please take the time to support your child completing homework and talk to them about what they are learning and doing at school.

Arts Interchange and Sport
The Arts interchange is one afternoon a week and includes, visual art, drama, and music.

Trips (Education Outside the Classroom – EOTC)
To support the teaching programme, these will generally occur once a term. We need parental support for these to happen.

Other activities
Kapa Haka - is offered one lunchtime a week. Children are given an opportunity to further develop Maori/Pacific Island performance art skills. They have an opportunity to perform in a variety of situations.


Senior School

Relationships
To maintain and further develop good relationships amongst the children and the teachers in the Senior Team, we often participate in activities together. This includes meeting all together at the beginning of the day and doing many different activities collectively. We encourage the children to treat each other with respect both in the classroom and in the playground.

Learning
To encourage the children to take more responsibility for their education we regularly share with them the purposes for their learning. Consequently the children are developing skills to recognize what they have learnt, as well as identifying areas in which they need to improve.

Mathematics
There is an emphasis on Numeracy skills during the year but other the strands of the Mathematics curriculum, geometry, statistics, algebra and measurement are covered throughout the year. For each unit of work children are assessed to see what they know and what they don’t know. The programme then caters for the learning needs that have been identified. This may mean that at times, during the year, children may work with other teachers in the Team.

Literacy -Reading and Writing
The Senior Syndicate teaches Literacy in a 2 hour morning block. All children learn in a Reading rotation that consist of Guided Reading in leveled groups, a follow up activity to consolidate the learning and several classroom based activities to support reading. Reading can be supported at home through sharing and/or individual reading with a follow up discussion where possible about what they have read.

Writing is often taught by the teacher modelling writing and the whole class participating in shared writing. Children are taught individual needs in group settings or often one on one conferencing with the teacher.  Writing can be supported at home by children writing to relatives and friends or encouragement of creative stories.

Inquiry

Inquiry is child led. Children are asked to formulate a 'big question' and several supporting questions to inquire about a chosen topic. All children are encouraged to research these questions using several different sources including reference books/materials, Internet, specialised people and any other sources they can find.


Homework
Children will receive homework on Monday through Thursday nights each week. It may consist of the following:

1. A piece of work that needs to be completed by the following morning;
2. A sheet that is to be completed at the end of the week;
3. An assignment that is completed over a number of weeks.

As much as possible, the work will be related to the programme occurring in the classroom. Homework should take no longer than 20 minutes each night. If you have any concerns about your child’s homework please contact their teacher.

Year Six Camp
This occurs at the end of the year for the Year Six students. The camp takes place off the school site at a reputable and suitable venue within the Wellington region.

Optional Extras

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Kapa Haka – This is an activity that is offered during lunchtime in which children are given an opportunity to further develop Maori/Pacific Island performance art skills. They have an opportunity to perform in a variety of situations.

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Senior Choir – This activity is also offered during lunchtime. Children learn a variety of songs and have an opportunity, once again, to perform in a variety of situations.

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Northern Zone Sports – There is an opportunity for all Year Five and Six students to trial for a variety of sports teams who represent the school throughout the year at the Northern Zone Sports. These sports fixtures occur at different venues within Wellington.

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School Patrols - Year Six students are given the opportunity to train as Road Patrol Wardens and are then expected to carry out this responsibility once a week both in the morning and in the afternoon.