Friday 21 August 2020

Tena koutou, Malo e lelei, Kia Orana, Fakalofa lahi atu, Bula vinaka, Ciao, Namaste, Al Salaam a’alaykum, Ni hao, Merhaba, Konnichiwa, Hola, Annyong hasayo, Greetings

Balmoral School Newsletter Te Kura o te Roto a Rangi

To value diversity and to develop curious, confident and connected learners.

Primary PTA Movie Night New Date to be advised

Arts Festival Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 September Out of Zone Year 7 Applications Due Wednesday 2 September 1pm Out of Zone Year 7 Ballot Wednesday 9 September 1pm Nathan Wallis Wednesday 2 Sept 7.30pm -9.00pm Out of Zone Year 2 Applications Due Wednesday 14 October 1pm PTA Nosy Neighbours Saturday 17 October Out of Zone Year 2 Ballot Wednesday 21 October 1pm Intermediate Disco New date to be advised Balmoral Comedy Club Friday November 6th

Please check the calendar on our school website (www.balmoral.school.nz ) for current events and times.

Koru https://koruspace.blogspot.com/

Mahira https://mahirasyndicate.blogspot.com/

Whetu https://whanauwhetu2020.blogspot.com/

Hiringa https://hiringabalmoral.blogspot.com/

Turanga http://whanauturanga.blogspot.com/

Aparani https://aparangibalmoral.blogspot.com/

Dates to diary

Whānau Blogs

Canteen Days - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ONLY

21st August 2020

Tena koutou e te whānau, he mihi nui kia koutou katoa

I hope that this newsletter finds you all safe and well and coping with this lockdown.

Monday two weeks ago, I did not imagine that we would be facing this situation of delivering learning remotely for our pupils again. Over the last eight school days, our teaching staff have been working to ensure that we are providing your children with engaging learning tasks. Our support staff have been completing a variety of tasks such as ordering furniture, tidying the grounds, processing enrolments, recovering library books, refurbishing the computers and cleaning the school. We have also been participating once again in several Zoom meetings.

Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, we have had to reluctantly cancel or postpone several events such as the

Pinnacles Tramp, sporting events, the Comedy Festival and the parent evening with Welby Ing. Interschool Sports Tournaments will only resume once we return to Alert Level 1. This is in line with MoE and MoH guidelines related to gatherings and social distancing. We are hoping that we can still organise and hold other events later in the year as these things do make our school a vibrant place for all. Thankfully the PTA have managed to reschedule the Comedy Festival. Most importantly, we are looking forward to our Art Festival, but we may have to review the timing of this.

We are ready and hopeful that we can return to Level 2 and have the pupils back in person very soon.

Kia pai to mutunga wiki (Have a good weekend)  Naku noa  Malcolm Milner  Principal (Te Tumuaki) 

Free N4L Safety Filter for all Students Parents can set up the filter on their child's learning devices from home. Clear instructions on how to do this can be found at switchonsafety.co.nz.

The free N4L safety filter (by global cyber-security leader, Akamai) blocks websites containing known cyber threats like phishing scams, malicious content and viruses, while also protecting children from

content inappropriate for young eyes (like adult sites).

Please remember that technology is not a silver bullet, and the filter is best used in combination with Netsafe's online parent safety toolkit.

Property While the school has been closed, the builders have managed to demolish some walkways and complete further earthworks around the pool.

Unfortunately, we have been informed that some of the concreting have not met

the standards of quality that is required. This does mean that we may not have the pool available for the community use this summer as remedial works will be needed. We are still working with the contractors to get access to the pool later this year for our pupils.

Enrolments for Intermediate and Secondary Schools The Ministry has confirmed that the Out of Zone Enrolment Ballot will still need to be held on Wednesday 9 September 2020.

This means that all Out of Zone Enrolments applications for intermediate and Secondary Schools will need to be at schools by Wednesday 2 September 2020.

Could I encourage all parents with children who are both in-zone and out of the zone to have their enrolments to their respective schools by 2 September.

This enables all schools to employ staff to ensure that classes are not too large.

News from Our Library

Knowing we were hoping to get more paper cranes made for display in the Reading Lounge, some of the children in Room 29 made dozens of cranes. Ably led by Ruby, they also held sessions at lunchtimes teaching other children. This was self-initiated, and we're so proud of the children for being so kind. About 350 cranes were hanging in my sitting room, waiting to return to school.

The surprise announcement of this "stay at home learning" showed me and my household the importance of being a little bit prepared. Luckily, there are always piles of books to be read, and we hope you have found enough too.

There is some useful information in this link from the National Library on the importance of reading with your children. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/reading-engagement/family-whanau-and-community-connections/reading-at-home

Once school returns to learning on-site, there is one of us here until 3.30 Monday to Thursday. Feel feel to come in with your children then, or to email us.

Liz, Nicola and Steph

National Poetry Day It's National poetry day so that these links may have been useful. Some good ideas from National Library and activities you can do at home

https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/poetry-for-wellbeing-national-poetry-day

More Amazing Writing Congratulations to Hugo, Jamie, Jake, Loni, Marc, Phoebe, and Olive from Year 8, 2DA, who were shortlisted in this year's Red Room Poetry Competition from over 2,200 entries. The task was to write poems that would evoke wonder for precious objects, memories and traces of unique people and places. Olive did incredibly well, and her poem was one of three highly commended entries in the secondary division. Here it is for everyone to enjoy:

The Kraken

By Olive

Far below the waves,

Swaying to the current of the ocean,

Dragging men to watery graves

Without the slightest of emotion.

The tentacles would rise up high,

To ensnare a small boat,

For the men are doomed to die,

And not a sound escapes their throats.

Past flashing fish in shoals,

Coral latched onto stones,

The kraken hauls down the lost souls,

Down, down, down to Davy Jones.

Until it withers and shrinks from age,

And washes upon the sand,

It gets trapped inside a cage,

Of my warm, soft hand.

News from our wider whānau Sophie in Year 3, Shire 4, has been creating a vision board – I wonder what would be on yours?

Zac, from Yr4 Shire 6, has been busy working on the lego challenge! Ka Pai Zac!

Remy from room 25 made changes to his catapult to make the ball go further. He discovered that if you add more pencils, then the angle changes and your ball will travel better. Well done Remy. He has also set up a writing spot in the bathroom, complete with a foot spa. What a great idea!

Ariana in Year 8 has been working hard on some research about weta. She has found some fascinating facts about the tree weta.

News from the PTA

Community Notices

• After school tuition for Maths and English • In the centre or online classes • New Zealand Curriculum • Qualified teachers

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