Balmoral School Newsletter - 27 June 2024
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Acting Principal
Kia ora e te whānau
It was wonderful to see so many of our community join us yesterday for our dawn Mātariki celebration. Our Kapa Haka groups and speakers made a wonderful contribution to the event. Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year. Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in the night sky, it is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. We hope that you are able to take some time to reflect over the long weekend and to be with friends and whānau.
This is a full newsletter with lots to celebrate as we round off the term!
Mid-Year Reports
As we reach the mid-point of the school year, teachers and ākonga have been busy reflecting on the year of learning so far. This will be shared with you on Monday when the mid-year reports go live. Currently, the New Zealand Curriculum is not divided into Year Groups, but curriculum levels. These levels are broad and can spread across a number of years at school. However, the table below gives you an idea of the levels that children at each year group are 'expected' to be working within. Not all children will fit this pattern and it is important to keep in mind that we all learn at different rates. You are welcome to contact your child's class teacher if you wish to discuss the report.
| Yr 0/1 - Yr 2 | Working within level 1 | Yr 5 - Yr 6 | Working within level 3 |
| Yr 3 - Yr 4 | Working within level 2 | Yr 7 - Yr 8 | Working within level 4 |
Farewells
At the end of this term, we are saying goodbye to Liz Oorthius, Patrick Ahern and Carol-Anne Kempster. They have all made a significant contribution to our school over their combined years and we wish them all the very best in their next endeavours. We welcome Iva Pecirova-Stoev, Andrea Herrero and Tom Morgan to the Balmoral School Team.
Winter sickness
With winter illnesses at their peak, we have, at times, struggled to find relievers to cover our classes this term. We appreciate your understanding with this and would like to thank our staff and ākonga for their resilience and flexibility as we reorganised classes.
We are also experiencing a teacher shortage in New Zealand. We have been lucky enough to recruit some excellent teachers from overseas but unfortunately, there are also delays and back-logs in visas and employment immigration matters. Whilst we wait for our overseas teachers to join us, we are lucky to have experienced, part-time teachers, who are able to teach these classes.
Phones Away for the Day
The Government mandate around 'Phones being away for the day' was already in practice at Balmoral School. We continue to encourage students to leave their phones at home, but if they do need to bring them to school, they are turned off and handed into the classroom. The school's cellphone policy sets out the rules around bringing phones to school and the consequences for mis-use. This policy sits alongside our cyber safety agreement.
The cellphone policy and cyber agreement can be found on the school website within the A-Z of school life.
Kia pai tō rā whakatā.
Nāku noa, nā
Katy
Matariki Dawn Ceremony
By Summer Stilborn
I got to school at 7.00am. Kapa haka went down to the P4C room. We had a talk about what we were going to do and then we got called in our lines to go sit down on the big steps.
We did a song called karanga mai ra then Louis, William and Frankie stood up and said their lines then the other stars came up and did their part we then we had a moment of silence to remember the ones who came before us and passed away we sang a couple of songs.
We had some kai, like waffles, sausage in bread and hot chocolate. After we finished our food there were some games in the gym like colouring, weaving with harakeke (flax), weaving with paper and of course the scavenger hunt that was definitely my favourite! After that we got the choice to go to class or not but I wanted to so that's the end of my first time doing the Matariki celebration.
By Francesca Bailey
We arrived at school and set up in the gym with my brother. I got a bit nervous but that was ok. Everyone started arriving, kapa haka got called to go to the P4C room to get everyone's sheets.
We went outside and we all sat in our seats. We performed karanga mai ra then Louis, William and I stood up and said our parts. The stars went, then the others did. We had a quiet minute to think about the people who we loved who died in the past year.
We went up to the top court to get food and have fun. There were activities in the gym, like weaving, and my scavenger hunt. Thank you to Harry, Hillary and Alex for helping me set up my scavenger hunt and getting it ready. My highlight of Matariki was the scavenger hunt in the gym.
By Imogen King and Annabel Cooper
Matariki is a special time of the year. It's a time to look back at the past and make plans for the future.
The Dawn Ceremony
The matariki helpers met Jacqui at 6:55am in the P4C room to hand out our scripts and go over the plan for the day. At 7:00am and went on to the middle school courts to get into position and perform. The middle courts were filled with people. We sang a song and said two karakia before heading up to the top court for kai.
After the ceremony everyone could go up to the top courts for some breakfast or hot drinks. They were prepared before and during the ceremony. The fam favorite was the sausage sizzle or the waffles but there was also porridge, milo and tea.
Once we were all full we went to the gym and there were seven options for you to do: poi, weaving, weaving with harakeke (flax), drawing, rakau, reading, and a scavenger hunt. We were all in the hall until roughly 8:30am.
In conclusion, the Matariki performance was really meaningful and fun. On behalf of Balmoral, thank you and we hope to see you next year to celebrate once more.
Matariki Stars
Matariki is set around the nine stars of matariki; they symbolize a new year and new beginnings. Each star has a different meaning. matariki the mother star and holds them all together, tuarāngi food that grows above our heads and flies by our side, Waipuna-ā-Rangi the star of the rain and clouds, Waitī the star of freshwater and waterfalls, Tupuānuku the food that grows in the ground and feeds our animals, Ururangi the star of the wind, Waitā the star of the star of salt water and the fish we eat, Pōhutukawa the star that guides friends and family who have died in the past year across the sky and Hiwa-i-te-Rangithe star of growth both mentally and physically.
Dawn Ceremony photo supplied by Emma McDowall
Primary School News
Hiringa News
Inquiry
This year, the students have been exploring the question ‘how are we connected’. Earlier in the year the students spent a lot of time sharing stories and family taonga (treasure). Many of the artefacts, memories or stories the students brought in connected to their whānau history, and so this naturally led to sharing more stories of how family or ancestors came to New Zealand. The students began to realise that the story behind the taonga holds the most meaning. Gradually, the students started to explore more stories of migration through listening and reading. The students wrote their own stories based on the sophisticated picture book Migrants by Issa Watanabe. They also looked at birds that migrate on long journeys, for example, the bar-tailed godwit, and started to make comparisons between animal and human migration. They learned the story of Kupe and Te Wheke. The students wrote more stories about what it would be like to be a voyager discovering Aotearoa for the first time. This week, the students are beginning to connect their learning about migration, navigation and voyaging to Matariki. They have been looking into the 9 stars of matariki and what they are connected to, and representing the star cluster through abstract portraits.
Cross Country
On June the 4th students from years 3-6 were huffing and puffing and blew the supporters all away with the effort put into the primary Cross Country. After many weeks of practice, students were ready for the big day. Everyone showed great perseverance and determination to get through the course, with some amazing times set. We had a great turnout with support which really motivated a lot of students. The top 3 from years 5-6 were:
Year 5 Girls: 1st Olivia Wright, 2nd Hilary Tagg, 3rd Sophie Smith
Year 5 Boys: 1st Taj Singh, 2nd Henry Richmond, 3rd Heath Brady
Year 6 Girls: 1st Tilly Haaghh, 2nd Edie Rattenbury, 3rd Octavia Walsh
Year 6 Boys: 1st Henry York, 2nd Reuben Trowsdale, 3rd Beau Thomas
Maths/Statistics
This term, Hiringa has been looking at how to conduct a Statistical Inquiry. We have been learning how to read and sort data, as well as how to ask questions based on given information. After some practice, we have been focusing on obtaining data within our own classes and are working towards displaying our results using graphs and tables. It has been interesting to look at multivariant data, as we have discussed which sections may have correlations and why.
Readers Writers Festival
Earlier this term, 40 students from Hiringa and Intermediate had the opportunity to go to the Auckland Writer’s Festival. At this event, we got to listen to a variety of talented authors, including Jason Gunn, Maryam Masters, Tim Tipene and Giselle Clarkson. We listened to each author talk about their experiences and even got to ask them questions at the end of each session. After a long time queueing, some students managed to get their books signed by the authors, luckily we got a signed copy of ‘Jason Mason and the World’s Most Powerful Itching Powder’ for the Balmoral Library! It was a fantastic day, full of stories and inspiration.
Eden Albert Cross Country
The Eden Albert cross country event was filled with sunshine, cheering and a whole lot of puffing! On the 18th of June, 23 Balmoral students went and competed at the event down at the Auckland Domain. All students did really well and put in 100% effort. We managed to come 5th place overall out of 12 schools. We had a number of top 20 finishes across years 5 and 6 and even had Olivia Wright score 3rd place in the year 5 girls' race.
Overall it was a great day with a highlight being the amount of cheering and encouragement that was shown across all schools but especially Balmoral!
Well done to all the students who competed and thank you to parents who came along and supported.
Intermediate School News
Hub 2 Inquiry
Throughout the term the hub has continued to build their communication and negotiation skills. They have been learning to plan and delegate tasks to improve the efficiency of their work.
The groups found there were multiple ways people can express their voice towards any given problem. For example some groups have written scripts, and sketched scenes for a video that will raise awareness on the concept and impact of bullying. Others have created petitions and collected signatures for a longer morning tea time or having the tuck shop open for 5 days.
Monty lakie and Horacio have written a brief blurb about how Inquiry is going for them:
At the start of the term we had a lot of questions about rules, for example, is it ok to break any rule? And if so, when is it ok to break a rule? This led to the conversation and idea of protests which is our current topic. We looked into the history of protests in New Zealand and we researched a lot about other protests in the past and present. We learnt about the Springbok Tour, Dawn Raids, the Palestine and Israel conflict, Women’s suffrage, and Nuclear-Free NZ. So far we listened to guest speakers sharing their story about the Dawn Raids, Springbok Tour, and Palestine while learning how to take notes and ask relevant questions. At the same time, we thought about the problem that we are facing in our school. We are working in our groups to take actions towards making a change that we want to see.
Thank you to our guest speakers, Nadine, Christina, and Joe. We really appreciated them taking the time to come and talk to us, and answer some of the questions we had.
Central Zone Sport
Girls' Hockey
In the early morning of Tuesday 18th June, a small group of girls gathered on the top court, ready and excited to represent Balmoral School at CZ Hockey.
We played at North Harbour Hockey Stadium, kitted out and nervous for our first match. Most of our team had never played hockey before so we learnt heaps during our first few matches. We learnt how to dribble, what a PC was (it’s kind of like a corner mixed with a free kick in football) what positions we were best at, and what to do with the ball once we got it. We also must acknowledge our goalie, Elise, for the long hours she spent in her pillow-like goalie suit (see picture), and how she stopped so many goals.
Whilst we didn’t get any goals, we still had a lot of fun and learnt how to cooperate as a team (check out our serious team talks!). A big thank you to Cathy and Kylie for making the day possible.
By Emma Steel and Ilene Ebby
Table Tennis
On Thursday the 22nd of June a group of students went to central zones table tennis at the Epsom Table Tennis Stadium. It was a new experience for a lot of us. The tournament started as a round-robin and then moved onto group stages. Slowly the competitors were whittled down to 4 contestants that had to battle for their place in the final. When the long dreaded time for the final came it was A.N.I. vs R.I. and R.I. came out victorious after a long and sweaty battle. Although we did not place, we are super proud of our Balmoral team who tried their hardest and stayed humbled the entire time.
By Art Ritchie
Reminder - Mt Roskill Grammar School 2025 Enrolment
Enrolment for In-Zone and Out-of-Zone places at MRGS for 2025 is underway. If you would like to make an application you can do this online or pick up a paper copy from Reception at MRGS. Paper forms may also be available from the Office at your child’s Intermediate school.
If you are waiting for your child’s 2024 mid-year report, please still apply and you can send a copy to us once you have the report.
Information about how to apply and what documents you need is on our website under the Enrolment tab at: https://www.mrgs.school.nz
You can also check our In-Zone street list at: https://www.mrgs.school.nz/schoolzone
If your street is not on this list, please apply using an Out-of-Zone form.
Out-of-Zone enrolments close at 4.00pm on Wednesday 4 September. Enrolments received after this date will not be included in the ballot and will go on a waiting list.
For all enquiries, please email enrolment@mrgs.school.nz or call Reception on 621 0050
NZMSM Competition Results
On Saturday 15th June 2024, New Zealand Modern School of Music held its Annual Music Competitions. There were over 500 entries from students Auckland wide.
Congratulations to all the students who participated including Lucy Meade and Adnah Manthri.
Thea Bruns- 2 Trophies for the Keyboard Open Section & for Students up to Preparatory Grade, 3 Gold Medals, 1 Silver Medals, 1 Very Highly Commended Certificates, 4 Highly Commended Certificate
Kate Rosser - 1 Gold Medal, 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate.
Leo Cairncross - 1 Silver Medal, 6 Bronze Medals, 2 Very Highly Commended Certificates and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Zoey Pearson - 1 Silver Medal, 1 Bronze Medal, 2 Very Highly Commended Certificates and 2 Highly Commended Certificates.
Blake Spalding - 1 Silver Medal, 4 Very Highly Commended Certificates and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Ellie Spalding - 1 Silver Medal, 1 Bronze Medal, 2 Very Highly Commended Certificates and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Victoria Wang - 1 Silver Medal, 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 2 Highly Commended Certificates.
Hudson Falconer - 1 Silver Medal and 1 Bronze Medal.
Emma Steel - 1 Bronze Medal, 4 Very Highly Commended Certificates and 2 Highly Commended Certificates.
Ahaana Duffadar - 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 3 Highly Commended Certificates
Becca Spalding - 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Samuel Thompson - 1 Bronze Medal and 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate.
Theo Fisher - 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Chloe Hodgson- 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Fern Orr - 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Jan Vogels - 1 Very Highly Commended Certificate and 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Susie Pham - 3 Highly Commended Certificates.
Ayaansh Duffadar- 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
Tom Green - 1 Highly Commended Certificate.
News from the Library
Peter Millett visited today. Veteran author of about 100 books for children, he had us all enthralled with his videos, readings, and explanation of writing.
If the children would like to order one of his brand new picture books, you can do so with the form below.
Click here to fill in the order form.
Ngā mihi
Liz Hamilton and Nicola Brown
Librarians
Sports League
FlippaBall - Balmoral Kingfish
The Balmoral Kingfish had a great term, showing huge determination and improving their skills. During practices, we were able to develop our skills in deep water - such as passing, swimming with the ball, and doing the egg-beater. During the games, the team worked together well - showing impressive defence skills and great passing. We placed second equal in our pool. Thanks to all the team and parents for a great term.
Katie Wright, manager
MiniPolo - Balmoral Makos
MiniPolo is a team sport with 6 on a side, made up of 2 players in defence, 2 attack 1 mid and a goalie. Two teams compete to get the ball in their goal at either end of the pool
Mini polo is tough because you have to swim and tread water for the whole 20 mins (you can’t touch the bottom in MiniPolo)
It is a really fun and fast paced game and you won’t be bored for any of the time!!
This term was the first season of MiniPolo for the Balmoral Makos. We had all played Flippaball previously.
It was really fun to challenge ourselves!
Overall, at the end of the season, we hadn’t lost a single game and we got a Gold certificate! (first equal)
Elsa, Year 6
Parent Support
To be able to enter teams into our external competitions we rely on parental support to manage and coach these teams. So far in 2024 we have had over 290 students enter into 30 teams across flippaball, minipolo, waterpolo, netball & basketball. To achieve this we have had 43 parent volunteers and these parents have arranged 7 student coaches to support these teams. We would like to thank these 50 volunteers that have made these sports teams happen.
I am pleased to announce that we are adding a new Intermediate Girls Basketball team in Term 3. The Balmoral Aces will play in an all girls league at Marist College and again can only take the court due to a parent offering their support.
If you would like to help out with our sports teams, please get in touch.
Meredith Hughes
Sports League Coordinator
Community News
