Balmoral School Newsletter - 21 March 2025

Upcoming Events

Te Tumuaki / Principal

Kia ora e te whānau

At Balmoral, we believe in empowering our ākonga to take ownership of their learning. Everything we do at our school is linked to this belief, from teaching Philosophy 4 Children (P4C) to our approach to mathematics.

It's also why we hold student-whānau-teacher conferences. These conferences allow students to share their progress, reflect on their strengths and growth areas, and discuss their learning goals with you.

Why are these conferences so important? They:

• Build ownership and investment in learning.
• Develop self-reflection and understanding of their approaches to learning.
• Improve communication skills by explaining what they have learned to others.
• Boost engagement and motivation through developing student agency so that they develop an awareness that they can control their learning.
• Empower students to be active participants in their education.

These conferences also foster metacognition, essentially a 'thinking about thinking' toolkit. This helps students learn more effectively, solve problems, understand their strengths, make better decisions, learn independently, and adapt their learning strategies.

Get ready to be impressed by your child's insights at our upcoming conferences! We look forward to seeing you and your child there.

If you'd like to discuss your child's progress privately, please arrange a separate meeting with their teacher."

Ngā mihi

Malcolm

School Conferences 25th and 26th March

Ākonga (Student) and Whānau (Family) Learning Conversations will be held on Tuesday, 25th March, from 3:15 pm - 6 pm and then on Wednesday, 26th March, from 1 pm - 7 pm.

On Wednesday 26 March the Tamariki will need to be picked up from school at 12:30 pm so conferences can start at 1:00pm. 

Bookings will open on Friday, 14th March and we will send you an email at this time. All bookings close on Monday 24th  March at 11:55 pm

AFTER SCHOOL CARE FROM 12:30PM:

If you require after-school care on Wednesday, 26 March, from 12:30pm, please click below. 
Click here to book in for half a day Wednesday 26th March at Balmoral School, The Village Square Trust.

Cohort Entry

Balmoral School has adopted a Cohort Entry Enrolment Policy under Section 63 of the Education and Training Act 2020, starting from Term 3 2025.

Cohort entry refers to a system of staged enrolment dates for students starting school at the age of five.  Beginning students start school at the next available cohort entry enrolment date following their 5th birthday.  Parents can also wait for a later cohort entry point if they feel their child is not ready to start school (so long as the child begins school by the required enrolment age of 6).   There are two entry points per term - one on the first day of term and one at a mid-point of the term as determined by the Ministry of Education.

You can view the Board Policy here.

National Testing: A Step Backwards?

It's official. National Radio broke the news on Thursday: the Minister of Education announced national testing plans. It's not a shock to me, as some governments seem to love this approach.

But let's look at what happens when national testing takes hold. Take Texas, for example. What I saw there was a severe narrowing of the curriculum. The rich, diverse learning experience ākonga should have, gets whittled down, and teachers focus solely on the test. This means that ākonga who reach the test 'pass' grades early, get left to their own devices, while all the teacher's attention goes to those hovering just below the standard. What about those children really struggling? What then gets done in schools by teachers is what they have to do to pass the test and not necessarily what tamariki need, as seen in education systems such as the UK. It's not exactly a recipe for fostering a love of learning.

I am also worried because this government has put out a request for quotes for a national testing system, reaching out to international companies. Designing a test that genuinely reflects our New Zealand curriculum will be an uphill battle. How can an overseas company possibly understand the unique needs of our tamariki or the cultural nuances of our education system? We risk losing valuable local knowledge and sending our money overseas to a big corporation.

What's more frustrating is that we already have some fantastic assessment tools right here at home, which are respected worldwide. NZCER's PAT tests, for instance, give teachers and parents accurate, meaningful data to identify where tamariki are, and they are good enough to inform classroom programs. We use them here at Balmoral School, and they work.

Then there's NEMP, the National Education Monitoring Project. It gives us a broad picture of how our tamariki are achieving in Years 4 and 8. It's not just a pen-and-paper test; it's a comprehensive approach that provides the Ministry, the Minister, and school leaders with valuable system-wide data.

I know some adults might think national testing is about accountability. But what type of accountability and at what cost? We risk sacrificing the joy of learning, the breadth of the curriculum, and the individual needs of our students. We will be testing children against a national test, twice a year, for 11 years of their schooling. We already have solid assessment practices in place. Let's build on those strengths, not throw them out the window.

What can we do? Let's talk about it, write to our MPs. Let's ensure our voices are heard and stand up for our tamariki. Let's work together to protect the quality of education our tamariki deserve.

Maths at Home

For the second half of the term, children in Phase 1 have been working on number and Phases 2-3 have been working on Statistics. 

Fun Number Activities for Phase 1
Help your child build number skills in fun and easy ways at home! Here are some simple, hands-on activities to support their learning.  These activities help children see maths in their everyday world in a fun and engaging way!

Dice Games and Board Games.
Roll two dice and add the numbers together (try using 10-sided dice)
Try rolling and subtracting the smaller number from the bigger one.
Predict which number will be rolled the most after 10 turns.Set up a pretend shop where they “buy” small items using coins.Number Hunt
Find numbers around the house (on clocks, calendars, letterboxes).
Arrange numbers in order from smallest to biggest and vice versa.Exploring Statistics for Phases 2-3
Help your child see how maths connects to everyday life with these fun, hands-on statistics activities! Encouraging children to notice and explore data around them builds critical thinking skills and makes maths meaningful in everyday life! 

Phase 2: Years 4-6 Data Detectives
Keep track of the weather for a week (sunny, rainy, cloudy), create a tally chart to collect the data and make a simple bar graph. What do you notice?
Count different types of cars passing your house (colour, brand, size) and create a tally chart.Phase 3: Years 7-8Real-World Statistics
Track how long different household tasks take and calculate averages.
Track screen time for a week (TV, tablet, phone), calculate daily averages and compare weekdays vs weekends.
Look at sports scores or population data and discuss trends. Survey & Analyse
Compare supermarket prices and calculate the best deals.

Phase 3: Years 7-8: Real-World Statistics
Track how long different household tasks take and calculate averages.
Track screen time for a week (TV, tablet, phone), calculate daily averages and compare weekdays vs weekends.
Look at sports scores or population data and discuss trends. Survey & Analyse
Compare supermarket prices and calculate the best deals.

Primary School News

News from Whānau Mahira

I wonder if you can spot the difference between the two photos below? 

One is of the lake at the school many years ago, which was called Te Roto a Rangi and the other is of the children sitting where the lake once was, on the school field. 

There has been lots of discussion amongst the children about the lake and where the water went. This interest has also spilled into the play where the children have been exploring water and all its amazing qualities. These are some of the ideas and working theories the children have:

“Water can hide itself in sponges” 

“Water is an explorer” 

“Water can go into things” 

“Water is part of the earth” 

“The way water behaves, it has different feelings like we do” 

“Water can hide in the clouds”

“We can’t make water”

“We can't get the ingredients and mix them together.”

“Everything needs water” 

We have also been thinking about the creatures that would have once lived in the school lake. Using our close looking skills and scientific knowledge, we have drawn creatures that once roamed in this area, a kapowai (dragonfly), a tuatara (lizard) and a pepetuna (a puriri tree moth). These are also our class names, so we feel very attached to them.

We are really looking forward to our trip to Western Springs Park on April 3, where we can explore and experience a local lake and the creatures that live there.

Eden Albert Cricket 

Balmoral had a great day of Cricket this Tuesday! Cornwall Park was pretty sunny at the beginning of the day, and our 3 teams had a blast. Everyone had a great attitude and gave it their best effort.

The girls team won all of their games. Some of their highlights were Ahaana and Thea bowling a wicket, Zoë and Violet getting run outs, and Zoë and Thea showcasing their aggressive batting strategies!

The Boys A team won their last game, with Tom Wright pulling off a one-handed full dive of a catch when fielding!

The Boys B team won their first two games, showing off some incredible fielding skills and sportsmanship, as well as getting several wickets.

Well done to all of our teams, and a huge thank you to all of the parents who came and helped us out!

Here’s a recap of the day by Sophie Smith and Hilary Tagg:

As we got off the bus and walked to the cricket field, there was a swarm of people          laying their bags down on the grass. Some of our team went to practice, and the rest of us followed behind them.

First, the girls team was against Marist. We won in the end, and we were so excited we forgot to do the cheer and shake their hands. When the adults told us we felt terrible. Our second game was against Maps/ Mount Albert Primary School, we thought we tied, but thanks to Zoe R and Thea, they got three more runs so we won. Our last game was against Maungawhau, and Flora was captain. This girl bowled really fast at Zoe B and Sophie but she got no wickets.

When we heard we were in the finals going for first and second, we were bursting with excitement. But then it started to rain, we were gutted when we heard that it was cancelled! 

Intermediate School News

Author Visit - Kiri Lightfoot

This morning in assembly we were lucky enough to have a visit from Kiri Lightfoot about her new book Bear. She read a sample of the book and talked about how she came to write it. Nina and Ted talked to her in more depth about her writing process, and some of the big ideas in Bear, you can read Nina's article in the upcoming issue of Kawepūrongo. Thank you to Liz for organising this inspiring visit for us!

Images of Inquiry

At our school conferences next week we look forward to showing you all the amazing Inquiry work that has been happening. From finding out more about the role both bees and wasps play in our environment, to looking at what part symbolism plays in telling stories, there has been a huge amount of work going on. Here is a sneak peak of some of the great work in Hub 1 and Hub 4 to pique your interest!

Balmoral Sports Leagues

Netball 2025

Year 1-4 Netball

The final date to sign up to netball is next Friday 28^th March 2025. There is only one week to register if this is something you have been meaning to get around to doing. We have space in the teams for more players in our Year 1/2, Year 3 and Year 4 teams. At these levels netball should be fun so putting friends together is what we aim to do. Consider getting a group of friends together and registering. Please register using the link below and feel free to email me with the friends they would like to be with: sport@balmoral.school.nz

https://www.balmoral.school.nz/netball

Year 8 Netball

We still have space for a few more players in our Year 8 teams. Please register here and I will be in contact with the next steps.

https://www.balmoral.school.nz/netball

Waterpolo

The registrations for the 2025 waterpolo season are still open. Waterpolo is open to all Year 7 & 8 students. I have had confirmation of the playing dates which are spread across Terms 2 & 3. This information may be helpful is working out if players are available. There are many Friday's with no play due to public holidays, tournaments, AIMS and school holidays.

Please register here:

https://www.balmoral.school.nz/waterpolo-yr78

Basketball Term 2

Term 2 registrations will be available on the school website next Friday 28^th March. Basketball is open to all Year 5 - 8 students. Please note that all term1 players are required to re-register for term 2.

Flippaball/Minipolo Term 2

Term 2 registrations will be available on the school website next Friday 28th March. Flippaball is open to all Year 4 - 6 students. Minipolo is open to all experienced flippaball players or strong swimmers in Year 5 - 6. Please note that all term 1 players are required to re-register for term 2.

Please contact me of you have any questions

Meredith Hughes

Sports League Coordinator

sport@balmoral.school.nz

Tuckshop Week 8 - 26th March

School closes at 12:30pm so no lunch orders.

The tuckshop is open for morning tea. Cash only, no online orders will be accepted.

Community News

Take the pledge - Working together to manage smartphone use for kids 

Join a growing number of school parents who are making the decision to delay giving their children a smartphone.

Last term Unplugged Together Balmoral launched the Balmoral Smartphone Free Pledge initiative and 95 school families signed up in the first week!

Unplugged Together Balmoral is a parent-led advocacy group. We came together in response to the growing body of evidence highlighting the negative effects of early smartphone use on mental health, social skills, and childhood development. We want to work with the wider school community to safely manage the use of smartphones for kids at the school. To read more about our mission and vision, click here.

We are encouraging every family in the school community to take a pledge to delay giving their child a smartphone until they complete intermediate school.

To make your pledge, add your name to this Google Form. Your information will not be shared with other parents, and you are not required to provide children’s names. This is simply a tracking tool so we can monitor how many families sign up. 

Finally, we completely understand that some families may need to give children smartphones for logistical and/or educational purposes, we get that - members of our group are in the same position. You can still take the pledge - signing up is about making a commitment to reduce smartphone/screen use as much as you possibly can, and especially for recreational purposes. We can also highly recommend checking out the resources and list of recommended phone options on Smartphone Free Childhood NZ’s website  https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.co.nz/resources

Ngā mihi nui

Unplugged Together Balmoral

E: unpluggedtogetherbalmoral@gmail.com