P.O Box 96,
Balfour
201 6042
Phone/Fax
03 201 6042
e-mail [email protected]
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Friday 26 August 2016
Dear Parents / Caregivers
WEEKLY CERTIFICATE WINNERS
Congratulations to the following pupils who were awarded class certificates this week.
Front left to right –
Flynn – has been using great personal voice and
structure in writers workshops
Riley – for solving addition and subtraction problems
quickly by using groups of 10
Cody – knows his blended letter sounds by sight
RESILIENCE TROPHY RECIPIENT
Congratulations to Max McLean
Max always has a smile on his face and when
asked, “How are you?” He always replies
‘Great!’ Max can often be seen giving great
big cuddles to other children who are hurt.
Keep it up Max!
Back left to right Dylan – excellent reading in class
Jade – you have made it to 100. Super effort
Georgia – for writing an exciting mystery story
Oliver – you’re explanation on ‘how to play handball’
had amazing detail
Elliot – you are working super hard during Maths time
Sean – Happy Birthday
Isaac – amazing focus and writing skills in writer’s
workshop
Quinn – your bright and creative ideas make your
poems a joy to read
Amelia – amazing bus behaviour
Carrie – for lovely poetic rhyming ideas in your poetry
writing
Tiarahi – for showing a keen interest in the history of
Balfour
Liliana – for walking in the door each day with a
positive attitude and lovely smile
Liam – you are a speedy reader
Miea – super adding to 5!
Anika – for being so kind and caring by doing lots of
jobs around the class without being asked too
CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS
Wednesday 07 September - School closed from 12.00 pm for paid union meeting
Friday
09 September - last day for Bookclub orders and payments
Thursday 08 September - Rooms 1 & 2 speeches
Friday
09 September - Production Auditions
BOARD GAMES and JIGSAW PUZZLES
The junior classes would like some board games and jigsaw puzzles for children to play during
wet play and lunchtimes. If any families have board games in good condition they would like to
donate to the school they would be put to good use and much appreciated.
The school is also on the look out for a table tennis table or the board top for table tennis.
Please contact the school on 2016042 if you are able to help us out.
PROPAGATION SHED
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We ask you please help Balfour School!
A little group of seven kids and Mrs Stevenson have been wanting to fix up the old propagation
shed. We have been wondering if anyone can help us please. It was fine when I was five but over
the years is has been falling to pieces.
Who ever can build can come along to help. You might like to bring some tools down with you.
We would like to fix it before next term.
We would like to grow new plants. Restarting the propagation shed for little Kiwis to grow new
life would help us learn about plants. Some of our plants have been ruined and we would like to
keep Balfour School Beautiful.
Please phone school if you can help us.
From Safi, Isaac, Jack, Kyle and Ben S
ASSEMBLY
The Assembly group for next week will be
Reminder assembly commences at 10.00 am.
Parents are most welcome to join the staff for morning tea
following assembly.
4
MINIBALL
Could all miniball forms please be returned to Miss Burgess by Tuesday 30th August to confirm
numbers.
LOST PROPERTY
CAN WE PLEASE ASK THAT CHILDRENS CLOTHES PLEASE BE NAMED AS WE HAVE ‘MOUNTAINS’ OF
CLOTHES IN THE LOST PROPERTY. THESE CLOTHES HAVE TO BELONG TO THE CHILDREN AT THIS
SCHOOL BUT NOBODY EVER CLAIMS THEM. COULD PARENTS PLEASE COME IN AND CHECK THE
LOST PROPERTY.
HOME & SCHOOL NEWS
Hi everyone,
We had a meeting on Monday night to go over quite a few topics, firstly the Cafe YUM. This
fundraiser was a great success, thank you to all those involved. Balfour School has got a fabulous
reputation for catering, there has been a lot of positive feedback and we have the opportunity to
run it again next year.
A lot of the fundraising we have done over the past few years has been in preparation for Teacher
Funding, well the time has come and we do have to part with quite a substantial amount of money
(this has been on the cards for a while). We have got 58 Families at Balfour School now and if we
want to keep our Teacher:Student ratios where they are we do have to help with the funding of
this.
Our next major fundraiser has been decided and it is.......
Hike o' The Glen (name to be finalised)
This is going to be a Run/Walk starting at the Glenure hill, up over the top onto Farmland and
through to a Field of Flowering Heather then back over the top taking in the Vista of the Waimea.
There is going to be potentially 3 courses to go on of varying ability. There will be information
out soon but if we can all get in behind this event it could be huge. Please keep Saturday February
18th 2017 free, it will be lots of fun!
Calves
If you are rearing a calf for the school this season SGT Dan STOCKFOODS is kindly donating 1
bag of Calf Meal per calf to go towards helping rear that calf. Give Jody a call on 0272885978 and
she will drop it off. Thankyou in advance!
Repairs
There are a few wee jobs that need done around the school (repairs) if anyone has a bit of spare
time and is good on a hammer please let us know, it could even be a grandparent that wants to
help out. We will have a working bee at some stage but date is TBA
Toilet Paper
There are a few people wanting some more of the toilet paper bales $22 per bale (45 rolls), we are
doing an order next Friday 2nd Sept if anyone is wanting some please get orders in ASAP.
If anyone wishes to discuss any of the above please give me a call
I hope calving is going well for everyone, lambing is just around the corner. It is a stressful time of
year so please look after yourselves.
Kind Regards
Jody Drysdale
Home 2016202
Cell 0272885978
PRINCIPALS REPORT
Next week I am off to Dunedin for a day to attend the Regional Leadership forum. Hekia
Parata is speaking so it will be interesting to hear what she has to say on Global Funding and
Online Schools.
‘Iain Taylor, President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF) said he was
gobsmacked to have yet another choice of school, 'Online Schools' turn up in the Education
Act Update announcement.
'It's ridiculous,' he said. 'The literature is bulging with studies showing the importance of
social engagement and building relationships with teachers and peers as precursors to
successful learning, especially for struggling learners. Employers are telling us kids need to
be team builders, engaging and have a developed sense of civic and community service and
be creative and critical thinkers. How will they learn these skills shut away at the kitchen
table with a tablet?' he said.’
I totally agree with Ian Taylor. I know this proposal would not be endorsed by Teachers and
Principals and I am quite sure that Parents would be opposed to it too. I talked with some of
the children this morning to get their views and here is what they said.
“Online school would be boring because you would just be at home on a computer all day.
Mum and Dad are too busy working so they wouldn’t like it.” Ben R
“I would play games on my tablet and go to the field to play rugby with Mani.” Kalopoli
“It would be fun because I would get to spend time with my family and sleep in.” Sam W
“For some people it would be ideal because some people find school torture. It should just
be a small break though. I would rather stay at school because it is more social. We learn
how to be imaginative and to be happy.” Gemma
“You learn how to make the right choices at school. That is important because in life if you
make a mistake you need think and sometimes you need help form others to learn things”.
Molly W
As you all know we are finishing school early on September the 7th to attend the NZEI
meeting on ‘Global Funding’. It will be interesting to hear the Union point of view on this.
Again there is not much support for this proposal and we know that this idea has been
bandied around in the past unsuccessfully.
‘NZPF has observed many 'fish hooks' in the global funding proposal. It would dramatically
change the way schools are funded, and not in a positive way. We are concerned that the
global budget would be a far more complex system of funding schools than the present
system and would create more financial strain for principals and Boards of Trustees. The
disappearance of maximum class numbers and the staffing schedule leads to the
possibility of fewer teachers and larger class sizes, less job security for teachers and
fewer hours for support staff.’
Decisions made at a Government level are generally handed down to small fish like me but
hopefully via NZEI (Union) and NZPF (Principals) we will get a voice in these matters. Thank
you for your support on the 7th. It is important that all staff are well informed to make
decisions that best meet the needs of our children. If you would like any further
information just let me know and I can send it via email.
Kind regards
Louise Stevenson
Balfour School
The adventure tower is a mountain shining in the sun
The trees are monsters spying on the whole school
Room Fives garden is a slide, children skidding in the mud
The concrete, a big lake with waves going onto the shore.
Kids swimming, yelling in the water.
By Jud Duffy Age 7
ME!
I am taller than a table
And taller than a chair
I’m shorter than a giraffe
And shorter than a bear
I am longer than a pencil
But shorter than a tree
I am longer than a whiteboard
But busier than a bee
I’m heavier than a pen
And heavier than my brother
But lighter than a quad bike
And lighter than my mother
I’m faster than my father
And faster than a chook
But I’m slower than the cheetah
That I read about in my book
By Ben Roy
Quiz Night Fundraiser
Friday 2nd September, 7.30pm,
Balfour Tavern
$30 per team of 4
Fundraiser for Emma Merchant and Megan Lowe
To travel to Hamilton for Collier Hockey Tournament