Balmoral School Newsletter - 24 October 2025

Upcoming Events

Te Tumuaki / Principal

Kia ora e te whānau

Kia ora koutou,

It’s hard to believe we are already moving towards the end of another busy and exciting year! It is a privilege to work in a school and experience the sound of our students engaged in their learning, collaborating on inquiries, and simply enjoying their time at school. 

As we look ahead to 2026, I would like to touch on some recent news from the Ministry of Education. On Sunday, a new direction for the teaching of Literacy and Mathematics was announced, which will come into effect for the 2026 school year.

This announcement marks the third iteration of the curriculum that schools have been asked to prepare for in a very short space of time. As a school, our commitment is always to provide the highest quality education for your children. However, I want to be open with you about my concerns regarding the pace and scale of these changes.

Our teachers are dedicated professionals who have spent this year preparing for a curriculum that has now been significantly altered at the last minute. This new direction requires a massive undertaking to revise our planning, resourcing, and teaching approaches, all within a very tight timeframe.

My primary concern is for the preparedness of our teachers and the potential impact this rushed implementation could have on our students. For children's achievement to be high, teachers need a deep and thorough understanding of the content they are teaching. The rapid timeline for these changes presents a significant challenge to developing a deep understanding. I believe that for any curriculum to be successful, it must be developed in partnership with the teaching profession—the people who are with your children every day and understand their needs best.

I also worry that a narrowed focus on just Literacy and Numeracy has the very real potential to sideline other vital learning areas, such as the Arts, Science, and Social Sciences, as well as PE and Health, which are crucial for engagement and developing well-rounded young people. Having completed a degree in History, I am also extremely upset about the removal of NZ Histories from the MoE website. Our tamariki love learning about Te Roto a Rangi and our older tamariki about such concepts as the dawn raids and the suffragette movement. Our staff had also done a lot of work on the history curriculum, and there is so much more to know about our place in the world.

You can be assured that our school's focus remains squarely on our tamariki and their learning. We will continue to do what we do best: creating a positive, supportive, challenging and engaging learning environment. We will navigate these changes thoughtfully, prioritising what is best for your children's learning and wellbeing. We have a fantastic team here, and we will continue to support and challenge each other through this process.

Ngā mihi nui,

Malcolm

Thanks for Stay and Play

A big thank you to Esther and Kate, who were the main organisers behind Wednesday's 'Stay and Play'.

Thank you also to the other parents who stayed and engaged with their children in the play. The tamariki made bivouacs, made harekeke darts, and cooked doughnuts over a fire. Everyone had a wonderful time in the drizzle. 

Primary School News

Ngā pitopito kōrero - Whānau  Koru

Happy Diwali!

The children have loved learning about and celebrating Diwali this week. There has been lots of colour, light and music in Koru as we learn about this very special time of year for many of our whānau. Children that are celebrating at home and with their wider communities have loved sharing experiences.

Prishi- We light fire crackers every day!

Paarv- I gave Prishi a present and she gave me a chocolate and a candy cane.

Kyra- My mum makes spicy food for the family and she has lots of treats out.

Nischay- At night time I light the fireworks and they blast off. I make barfi and I make cupcakes with my friends. My rangoli pattern is outside and we put diyas around it. I also make sweet pretzels in an orange colour.

Pranshi-I go to my cousin’s house and I light up fire crackers. We’ve put some Diwali lights around my house.

Rayansh- We make sweets and I like helping my Mum to make food. We go to a playground because Diwali is in the playground with friends. Sometimes at Diwali visitors come.

Inquiry

We have a problem in the garden- something is eating our plants! 

Our expert gardeners are looking for evidence of what might be doing this and working out ways to protect the plants. Theories so far, after investigating the garden:

Determined to solve this problem, children have suggested:

• make nets 
• make a scarecrow
• put a sprinkler out to scare creatures away
• put boxes over the plants 
• make bug traps 
• rat traps 
• make bug hotels to attract ‘beneficial’ bugs 
• plant other plants to scare bugs away - and we can only use natural materials, no poison or plastic! 

Making bug hotels ‘for the good bugs to live in beside the garden’ is underway. The question was asked in Hub 8, ‘But what if the bad bugs move into the hotel before the good bugs get there?’. Curiosity, developing thinking skills and the confidence to question drive our inquiries. As teachers we know just how rich a question like this is.

The children’s garden is thriving and they have learnt very quickly that their daily gardening jobs and new learning to sustain it are never done!

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Intermediate School News

Inquiry in Hub 3

Hub 3 have been inquiring into making our community spaces more accessible and enticing to use for everyone. As part of this they looked at all sorts of initiatives including rewilding and repurposing old abandoned spaces. Above you can see three of the designs for parks in our area.

As part of the literacy programme running alongside this inquiry, they wrote persuasive letters to the Auckland Council suggesting ways that local parks could be improved. Here is one of these fabulous letters:

Dear Auckland Council,

I am requesting $485,000 to update Edendale Reserve into a safe, vibrant and inclusive hun for the community. The plan includes a new playground with a large slide (approx. $45,000), swings ($20,000), and climbing frames ($35,000), alongside a ball pit ($15,000), sand pit ($10,000), and trampoline ($12,000). For older children and adults, I propose installing ten permanent outdoor chess tables ($50,000), football goals ($18,000), a full basketball court ($200,000), and two cricket practice nets ($80,000).

To ensure fairness and access, I will also set up an equipment borrowing system where visitors can register with their email and phone number. These improvements will not only promote healthy and active lifestyles but also provide inclusive opportunities for all ages, strengthen community bonds, and offer schools and clubs safe, modern facilities.

Revitalising the reserve will also enhance the area's appeal, encourage local events, increase property values, and bring long-term benefits to residents and businesses alike. I strongly believe this investment will serve as a lasting asset to the community, and I would welcome the chance to discuss it further.

Sincerely,

Soham

We look forward to hearing the Council's reply.

Mount Albert Grammar School Testing for 2026

Academic Testing

All Year 9 2026 students will be involved in MAGS academic testing at MAGS as follows: 

Students should assemble outside the Main Hall before 8.30am

Sports Academy Trials: 12.30pm-2.30pm approx

Separate Girls/Boys Sports Academy trials, for those students who wish to be considered, will be held as per the table above.  Following the academic testing, students interested in academy trials will report to the Grandstand and have a brief lunch break before participating in their chosen Sports Academy.  Please bring lunch and a drink, sunhat/sunblock and appropriate sports attire.  

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE:   Hockey

Most Academy trials will take place on Friday 31 October for girls and Monday 3 November for boys. The exception to this is Hockey, as due to safety, the courts will only be used for one sport at a time so the trials for both girls and boys Hockey trials:

• Hockey trials will be on Monday 3 November at 12.30pm (for both girls and boys) 

Please ensure they report to the Grandstand at that time in appropriate sports attire.

Dance and Drama Academies

Following academic testing, students who wish to apply for either the Dance or Drama Academy, will be able to meet briefly with Jacqui Cesan, Director of Co-curricular Arts.  

Note - this does not prevent them from attending the sports academy trials.

Community News

Want to Make a Difference? Volunteer with the Disabled Citizens' Society!
We’re a local non-profit on Dominion Road working alongside people with disabilities to provide paid work and a great social atmosphere.

We’re looking for:

• Op shop helpers- keep things running smoothly
• Garden lovers- help us grow our new veggie patch
• Volunteer in your own time- mend clothes at home or grow seedlings for our garden

Whether you’ve got a few hours during the week or want to help from home, we’d love to hear from you!

Get in touch with Lexie at info@dcsinc.org.nz or call 09 638 8153.

Not sure what your space restrictions are like, but here's an alternate shorter option:

Volunteer With Us!
At The Disabled Citizens' Society, we work alongside people with disabilities to create paid work opportunities and an amazing social space. We’re looking for op shop helpers, garden lovers and people who can volunteer in their own time - like fixing clothes at home or growing seedlings for our veggie patch. Every bit of help makes a big difference!

Contact Lexie: info@dcsinc.org.nz | 09 638 8153