Balmoral School Newsletter - 4 April 2025

Upcoming Events

Te Tumuaki / Principal

Kia ora e te whānau

National Testing and the Ministry’s Overreach: A Cause for Concern

The recent announcement of national testing by the Minister of Education has sparked considerable discussion. It’s a topic that understandably stirs strong feelings—how we assess our tamariki directly affects their learning experience, well-being, and the broader purpose of education itself. But what has become equally concerning is how this debate is monitored and, perhaps, quietly managed.

Late last week, I received a call from the Ministry of Education regarding the previous school’s newsletter, in which I had shared concerns about national testing. The Ministry confirmed that my statements had been factually correct at the time of publication, though they noted that new information had since been released. When I asked if national testing was no longer going ahead, they clarified that an RFP (Request for Proposal) was still out for a test to align with the curriculum. In other words, national testing is still very much on the table.

What troubled me was that the Ministry actively sought out and monitored our school newsletter. When I inquired about how many officials were scanning school websites and newsletters—especially when we are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, teacher shortages, and learning support deficits—I received no answer. That silence speaks volumes.

This raises questions about the Ministry’s priorities. Why is energy spent tracking the discourse around national testing rather than addressing the pressing issues facing our schools? The Ministry should engage with educators in open, collaborative dialogue rather than appearing to monitor what is said.

The concern is not just about national testing itself but the culture of control that seems to be creeping into our schools. Similar concerns have been raised by the medical profession, where professionals who have spoken out about medical issues are feeling gagged. Are we seeing a pattern emerge? 

National testing is a policy decision with significant implications and should be debated transparently. Our schools already have practical, well-regarded assessment tools that provide meaningful insights into student progress and system-wide data. If the government truly values evidence-based decision-making, it should listen to those at the coalface of education rather than simply monitoring them.

Educators must advocate for what is best for our tamariki based on their theoretical and practical understandings. That means pushing back when we see policies that could narrow the curriculum, place undue stress on students, and diminish the role of professional teacher judgment. But it also means calling out government overreach when it threatens open, honest conversations in our school community.

Ngā mihi

Malcolm

Maths Professional Development Day 

On Friday, 14th March, we took part in our first Maths MoE-led professional development (PD) day. It was a good opportunity to have time together to delve further into the new Mathematics and Statistics curriculum.

Last year, Sally Rawson, our maths leader within the school, spent time mapping the curriculum content to our current planning overview, and we are confident that our plan aligns with the curriculum. We have also spent time reading through the curriculum to be clear that the way we teach Maths at Balmoral School meets the requirements of the curriculum. It was heartening to have this further confirmed at the PD session. 

We appreciate that the curriculum is regularly spoken about in the media and that full details are not always easily shared. We wanted to take this opportunity to clarify a few points:

• The refreshed curriculum is still only in draft and will be expected to be taught in classrooms from 2026.
• The maths books that schools could use were not mandatory - schools did not have to order them.
• Currently, the draft curriculum doesn’t have a plan for assessment
• The curriculum is not a new way of teaching Maths for Balmoral School 

This term, we have spent some time unpacking the key elements of the new maths curriculum and how our maths pedagogy at Balmoral School aligns with this. If you are interested in learning more about this, please have a look at the documents linked here, which can also be found on our school website.

P4C Workshop and our Students' Thoughtful Contribution

Last week the school hosted the P4C NZ Advanced Teacher Workshop. This 3-day workshop provides teachers with skills and ideas to take their philosophy teaching to the next level.

On Wednesday, a group of Year 8s joined the workshop for a discussion on the topic of community. The children contributed their ideas beautifully, and we are proud of their ability to generate new ideas, compare thoughts across the conversation, summarise our thinking and disagree respectfully!

Lucy Henzell & Aurora Cawsey, two of the students involved in the workshop, said this about the experience:  "We enjoyed this workshop because it's not something that we had ever done before. We also hope the teachers had as much fun as we did. One of our favorite bits was how Vanya ran the session. She introduced hand signals to communicate what we wanted to add to the conversation and it was immensely helpful to make a  productive conversation and a good philosophical argument."

Year 7 Camp

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of seeing our Year 7 students immersed in outdoor education near Hamilton. The excitement and challenges for the students were a testament to the planning that went into this four-day experience for over 150 children. 

I saw more than just a fun outing; it was a real-life demonstration of learning in action. Students actively engaged with their peers, navigating challenges and forging lasting memories in a natural environment.

School Camps are a quintessential Kiwi experience, a rite of passage for generations, and are fundamental to developing well-rounded individuals.

Outdoor education is a vital part of our curriculum. It allows students to apply the key competencies outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum (Thinking, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing and Using Language Symbols and Texts)

By immersing themselves in nature, our students gain a deeper appreciation for the environment and learn invaluable life skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

These experiences, which I hope they will cherish for years, are only possible through the support and hard work of our dedicated staff and parent community. Thank you for making these moments a reality.

Photos from Year 7 Camp

Protect Against Measles

Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease. It can cause serious problems, including brain swelling, chest infections, or death. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effectiveat preventing measles. 

New Zealand is at risk of a measles outbreak, and immunisation is our best line of defence. When you have your flu or whooping cough vaccines, your vaccinator can also check that you are fully protected against measles. 

More information can be found at: Measles – Health New Zealand 
Check your immunisation status here: My Health Record – Health New Zealand

Primary School News

News from Whānau Koru

Although unable to regularly attend Field School this term, children in Koru have continued to notice and explore their surroundings and are discovering all those ‘tiny, perfect things’ that are everywhere around us. Sunflowers blooming at the start of the year inspired our developing inquiry. Seeds, weather, seasons are all being discussed, read and written about. Seed experiments and explanations of theories are taking place.

An example of this was a conversation based on observations of seeds in contact with water. 

Hudson- they look a bit blobbier, a bit more softer and wiggly. 

Jacob- the longer they sit in water the greyer they get. 

Maia- maybe tomorrow a plant will be coming out. 

Jack- It’s exploding like a pipi shell. They are getting little cracks. 

Amelie- They look a bit bigger. 

Keshvi- the beans are hatching!

Katiola- there must be a baby in there.

Niamh- I don’t think seeds have babies.

Ava- don’t they?

Teachers then asked “Why do seeds need water?’, “What does water do to seeds?’ 

Water goes inside the seed and opens it. The roots are actually the mouth ~Willow

The seed cracks open like an egg. The plant hatches out ~Arty

Water goes inside the seed and makes it spring! ~Cole

Water gets in the seed and cracks it open and the plant can grow. And sun gets inside too~ Goldie

The water helps the seed dissolve ~ Rafa

Water gets inside and it explodes and then it grows ~ Spencer

When it cracks open, the sunlight comes in and gets more energy to help it grow bigger ~ Hudson

Within these two conversations is a wealth of information for our team around prior scientific knowledge, personal experiences that influence thinking, use and understanding of vocabulary, observation and oral language skills, urge to connect change and exploration to what is real in their own lives-and much more. This is what underpins our planning and knowledge of learning goals for our tamariki.

Since then Alf and Ross have helped us clear and compost our gardens ready for autumn.  We are in the process of planning what seeds we can plant for the coming months. The whole team has been out harvesting, clearing, cutting back, cooking and creating with as many parts of our garden as possible. Working together with friends was not only purposeful and productive, but full of joy and fun at connecting with nature.

We are so proud of the 2024 Koru tamariki who became passionate kaitiaki of our orchard. The children this year have made their mark by harvesting a magnificent crop of apples and pears. We hope to see you at the Farmers Market next week where you will see how the fruit has been used.

Primary Market Day

Date: Wednesday 9th April
Time: 3-4pm
CASH ONLY

All proceeds will contribute to sustainability initiatives within the school, such as purchasing resources for the school gardens or pest control. This will further link the learning to school outcomes. 

What we want to achieve 

• Fundraising 
• Community spirit 
• Classroom projects 
• Increase sustainability awareness - discussions and ideas 
• Sustainable packaging and products 
• Make/create sustainable things that classes or hubs can sell

Bring your own cups or pay 50c a cup for lemonade. CASH ONLY

Intermediate School News

Year 7’s Buzzing Beekeeping Experience

Last week, Year 7 was lucky to hear from Ken, the president of the Auckland Beekeepers Society. He brought along a demonstration hive and even tricked us into thinking it was full of real bees! Ken also showed us a skep, a traditional woven beehive from the Victorian era, which is now illegal in New Zealand.

To start, Ken wore a beekeeper suit and explained the intricate structure of a hive. We learned that bees are highly intelligent and selfless insects, dedicating their entire lives to the survival of the colony. Worker bees live for only 4–6 weeks and literally work themselves to death.

Did you know that when bees make honey, they pass nectar from one bee to another by regurgitating it?

Ken also spoke about the challenges beekeepers face today, including the threat of introduced diseases and viruses. One of the biggest problems is the Varroa mite, which has significantly impacted bee populations. In the past, a healthy Queen Bee could live for up to five years, but now beekeepers must replace her annually to ensure the strength and survival of the hive.

The session wrapped up with a Q&A, where Ken answered all our buzzing questions. It was an unforgettable experience, and we’re so grateful to Ken for sharing his expertise with us!

By Harry Wang and Nico Resch

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr

On Monday we celebrated Eid, which happens at the end of Ramadan. One of the best parts of Eid is getting eidi which is money, or presents when you are younger.

There is a lot of food, and a lot of visiting relatives to celebrate together.

You can eat as much as you like which feels good after all the fasting, although fasting feels very normal after a month. If you skip a day of fasting you have to feed sixty homeless people, or fast for longer.

Today we celebrated at school by making date cookies.

By Frishta, Fatima, Ayaan, Ishaaq, Naqib

Polyfest 

On the 2nd of April we went to Polyfest! Where a bunch of different cultures come together to put on a performance from different schools. There were a lot of schools, and we were lucky enough to be one of them. We could only watch 7 performances and there were a lot more after we left. The performances were truly astonishing and diverse from each other showcasing their respective cultures. There were also a lot of food stalls where we could get food, and it tasted amazing! After watching incredible performances and eating wonderful food we headed back to school with a lot of good memories!

By Harroop and Thenu

Mt. Roskill Grammar School Enrolments 2026

Wednesday 14 May 2025 – Open Day 3.30pm – 7.00pm

Wednesday 14 May 2025 – Enrolment Opens  

Wednesday 27 August 2025 – OUT OF ZONE APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 4.00PM

Wednesday 3 September 2025 – Out of Zone Ballot conducted

Ngā mihi nui

Glenda

Glenda Haines

Administration

Mt Roskill Grammar School | Frost Road | Auckland, 1041 | New Zealand

E: admin@mrgs.school.nz | P:  +64 9 621 0050 | F:  +64 9 621 0055

Community News

Hi my name is Xanthe Hunt, I'm an ex Balmoral student and currently attend Mt Albert Grammar school, I live near Balmoral school and I am looking for babysitting work in the area. 

I am available some weekday evenings and weekends day or night. 

I am experienced with looking after small children.

If you are interested, I would love to hear from you.

 Please message me on  027 416 74078