Celebrations and Farewells

Kia ora everyone,

The end of 2023 is almost here! It is hard to believe another year is almost over and our outstanding Year 6 students are almost on their way to intermediate in a few weeks time. 

Sadly, we will also be farewelling a few staff at the end of this year.

We would like to thank Miss Kate Hodson for joining us last term to work alongside the students of Room 3 and we wish her well as she moves on to teaching some of our Bethlehem Kids at Otumoetai Intermediate School next year.

Miss Samantha Gillard is preparing to travel overseas and will be starting the year working at Kawaha Point School in Rotorua. We would like to acknowledge Miss Gillard's growth and development over the past two years as she has begun her teaching journey with us. We wish her well for this next chapter in her teaching career.

Some of the highly valued members of our "A-Team" of world class relievers will also be leaving us at the end of this year. These wonderful teachers have been on staff at our kura at various times throughout the years and have been part of the backbone of our highly effective team of relievers. Mrs Zenda Johns is moving to Taupo with her whānau and Mrs Jill Dinniss is officially retiring from teaching. We are deeply grateful for their time, expertise and aroha over the years. 

I would also like to acknowledge the retirement of one our of longest-serving and most dedicated teachers. Mrs Leigh Field will be retiring as a regular full-time classroom teacher at the end of 2023. After being on a year's leave for this year, Mrs Field will be farewelled by staff and students on the morning of December 12th @11am. Leigh has been at Bethlehem School for many years and her service to education is exceptional. Fortunately, we hope to see her join our "A Team" of relievers for day relief in 2024.

We have also had the pleasure this week of celebrating our amazing Bethlehem community volunteers at our Annual Volunteer Morning Tea. Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support of our kura and tamariki.

Take good care everyone and we hope to see you at our end of year celebrations over the final two weeks of the school year.

Noho ora mai 

Cath