Balmoral School Newsletter 16 December 2022 -
Principal's Welcome
Kia ora e te whānua
Whew, we have nearly made it to the end of our school year.
This year our staff committed to try and keep school as normal as possible for all the tamariki. They have worked hard through the COVID waves, and we have managed to stay open from 9-3. Over the last few months and weeks, we have also met other key outcomes, including school camps, a new website, extensive landscaping, opened the pool, EOTC weeks, Pinnacles Tramps, discos, picnics, prizegivings, sports events, open evenings, music extravaganza, athletics days, a cultural day and a poroporoaki. I want to thank all our staff for giving it their all for our ākonga.
At this time of the year, we also say farewell to several members of our whanau, both ākonga and staff. While it is sad to see people leave, it is also reassuring to know that they are off to have new experiences and learn more about the world.
Kia hora te marino,
Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana,
Kia tere te Kārohirohi i mua i tōu huarahi.
May the calm be widespread, May the ocean glisten as greenstone, and May the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway.
To all of you, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful summer break. "Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia" ki ngā whānau katoa.
Naku noa
Malcolm
Intermediate School Prizegiving
This morning we celebrated the learning in our Intermediate School at our Intermediate Prizegiving.
At Balmoral, we view success broadly. So today, we shared our successful learning through Kapa Haka, Pacifika Performance Group, Ruru Band, Kaiawa Band, Bollywood Dancers and public speaking by our MCs - Jacob, Frances, Prisha, Soren, Milly and Sienna. We also had two beautiful slideshows showing a year in the life of an intermediate school and then all the sports.
Congratulations to our academic prize winners:
Sport: Eric Couling, Isla Robson
Mathematics: Benny Snow and Piata Cameron
English: Kionasina Bradbeer, Lulu Stanley, Jacob Ng, Hannah Jack, Pippa MacDonald, Prisha Aravind
Balmoral Cup: (Awarded to a learner who lives the Balmora Habits) Jacob Ng
Mrs Afosa
Next week we will be saying farewell to Mrs Afosa after 48 years in education. The last 22 of those here at Balmoral Intermediate. Her dedication to our community has been greatly appreciated, and we wish her all the best for her retirement. Initially, Mrs Afosa and Kwame will return to Ghana to visit family and friends and their daughter in Brisbane.
Schools are a place where stories are made and told. Several intermediate students, past and present have recalled a story about Mrs Afosa to me over the last month. Apparently, at the end of a sports game or a birthday, the ākonga all do one clap and say, "And one for Mrs Afosa."
Let us all say, "And one for Mrs Afosa!" to congratulate her on her contribution to our community.
School Reports
School reports will be available at 9 am on Monday. You can access these through the school portal.
Ordering Stationery Packs 2023
This year we are using a different supplier who will deliver your stationery directly to you. This means stationery packs will no longer be available for purchase at the school office or on the portal. You will be purchasing directly from the supplier Quizzle. You are able to order now if you wish.
Go to https://qizzle.co.nz .
Click on the School Packs tab.
Search for Balmoral School and order the appropriate year group pack.
Teacher-only Days - 2023
The Ministry of Education announced last week that schools will be given four teacher-only days for 2023 and 2024. These days don't replace the teacher call back days we utilise in the holidays bringing staff in before the school year begins.
The Ministry confirmed four additional teacher-only days (TOD) in 2023 and 2024 (two days per year). These TODs will focus on implementation across The New Zealand Curriculum refresh, re-design of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
The first TOD in 2023 can be held during the first two weeks of Term 2, 2023 – between Monday, 24 April and Friday, 5 May 2023. We will notify you at the start of 2023 of this day.
Primary School News
News
from Whānau Whetu
Our pathway for the Mahira Inquiry this year started with a pirate visit and finished with the construction of Maungawhau and Te Roto a Rangi! Lots of learning happened along the way, for example: How did the Maori explorers find their way to New Zealand - navigation using the stars and the ocean’s currents. The role of the Moari Gods in our lives and their gifts to us eg Tangaroa and shells.
What did the New Zealand Landscape look like prior to the arrival of Maori?
Throughout this learning there was lots of talking, making, sketching, painting, weaving, writing, discovering, pondering and imagining.
We would like to share some writing from Addey and James F as they imagine what it would be like on arrival in New Zealand hundreds of years ago:
By James F
A long time ago I arrived at Te Roto a Rangi. It was a beautiful lake. I decided to make a village but first I had to take a nap. It had been a long journey and I was tired. After my nap, me and my crew started to make a village. We chopped and we tied til it was done. Then we sat to admire the lake. The sun was setting and we watched the stars twinkle on the lake. Suddenly I smelled food. I turned around to find that one of my crew mates had cooked some food and his name was Cole.
By Addey
A long time ago I arrived at Te Roto a Rangi. I saw the sky shining with sunlight. In Te Roto a Rangi there were beautiful creatures, colourful and bright. There were frogs and kiwi, pukeko colourful as can be. The grass is tall and the trees are swaying in the wind. Leaves are falling down to the ground. I feel the wind stopping on me. I hear the birds singing a lovely song. At night the stars sparkle so bright. All night and all day long Te Roto a Rangi gets bigger and bigger. The fish are swimming while the waka goes along Te Roto a Rangi. I saw a boat floating. In the night, bats are flying all around. In the day the bats go into the cave. I will make lots of gardens everywhere. I listen to my leader.
We would like to thank all the Mahira families this year for your support. It has been lovely to start rebuilding our school community and have whānau back in Hub 11, whether it be to share a child’s learning or a friendly chat before school. We have seen tremendous growth in the children both physically and emotionally; many new friendships have developed and existing ones cemented. We continue to marvel at the children’s ideas and their never ending sense of wonder about the world.
Primary School Picnic - Cornwall Park
It was so good to be back at Cornwall Park this week! With construction going on at the Park and COVID, it's been 3 years since we've been able to be there - and we had an amazing return! The weather was truly in our favour, the only day in the week without rain!
Thank you to the parents who were able to give up their time to support us on the trip - we wouldn't have been able to take the entire Primary School out for the day without your help!
I asked our youngest students what the best part of the picnic was and these were some of their replies: "Running down the big hill; face painting; the bus ride; relaxing under the trees and reading a book with my mum; climbing trees; having lunch under the shady trees; building camp fires (pretend of course!)"
All of the children represented Balmoral School impeccably and made their own fun - it was a fabulous day!
Intermediate School News
Well Done to the Wendy Performers
Congratulations to all our students who performed earlier this month in the National Youth Theatre's production of Wendy, the Peter Pan Musical. A very special congratulations to Milly, who played Peter!
Central Zone Athletics
Last week, a handful of students were selected to represent the school at the Central Zones athletics competition. It was held at Pakuranga Athletic Club in Lloyd Elsmore Park. The event was canceled a couple of weeks prior as a result of Auckland's unpredictable weather conditions, this made it that much more exciting. On the day, it was very warm and sunny. Everyone had a great time. It was so nice seeing students from all over Auckland taking pride in their school, pushing themselves to their limits and supporting their school mates. Our school managed to get quite a few top 3 placements and we were incredibly proud of all our athletes. Overall it was an outstanding event and we are glad we got to participate in the end.
Payton and Isla
