Balclutha Primary School - T2, Wk 1
Newsletter 6 May 2022
Principal's Report
It has been wonderful to see our students back at school this week after the holidays.
Unfortunately COVID is still making its presence felt and is having an impact on both the staff and students at our school. This term I will have a COVID update once a week in our school newsletter.
This week's data is:
Positive cases in our school community : 7
Families isolating because of COVID: 13
A huge thank you to the students, staff and parents who have continued to be so diligent with mask wearing and hygiene protocols at school. We are all looking forward to when we can relax our guidelines a little and stop wearing masks inside, but both the South Otago and school data indicates that it is still very important that we maintain the strict protocols that have worked so well for us. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the situation.
“When you leave your home, wearing a well-fitting mask when indoors is still one of the very best ways to protect yourself, your whānau, and those around you from Covid-19. The Southern DHB region currently has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 in New Zealand, higher than all of the North Island DHBs and the larger South Island DHBs, so please still keep up your mask wearing.”
Dr Michael Butchard, Medical Officer of Health
Today we held our school ANZAC Service at the Balclutha cenotaph. The Service was taken by our school prefects. This was an opportunity for our school to acknowledge the significance of ANZAC Day and provide an experience for the students who were unable to attend a service on the actual day.
Thank you to all the parents who took their children to the dawn parade on ANZAC Day. It was lovely to see such a strong representation from our school.
Have a wonderful week.
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Neave
Our Balclutha School leaders preparing to march to the Cenotapah on ANZAC morning.
Key Competency - Relating to Others
As well as the traditional curriculum areas, our school curriculum also includes 5 key competencies. These are life skills that our learners need to develop to be effective members of our society.
The 5 key competency areas in the New Zealand Curriculum are:
- relating to others
- managing self
- participating and contributing
- thinking
- using language, symbols and texts
While all 5 key competencies are interwoven into all our learning, every term we put the spotlight on one to explicitly teach across the school. Teachers then collect a snapshot of our students ability to demonstrate this key competency, and this data is then presented to the Board of Trustees.
In term 1 our focus area was Relating to Others
The data collected by the teachers showed that 70% of all BPS students were working within expectations for Relating to Others.
The skills that we were focusing on included:
- the ability to greet other people effectively and use appropriate language
- working cooperatively with others
- showing respect to peers and accepting the viewpoints of others
We will continue to reinforce these strategies throughout the year
Our term 2 key competency focus is Managing Self
During the term, staff will be reinforcing the skills our learners need to:
- look after their belongings
- be on time and ready to learn
- make the appropriate choice in a range of social situations
Towards the end of the term teachers will assess the learners ability to demonstrate these skills. This will be reported to parents in the mid year report, and overall statistics will be reported to the Board of Trustees.
Parent / Teacher Interviews
Parent interviews will be held at school on Wednesday 25 May (1pm to 7pm) and Thursday 26 May, 2022 (3.10pm to 5pm).
Please note - interviews on Wednesday will start at 1pm therefore, on Wednesday, all pupils will need to be collected from school at 12.30pm.
When coming to your meeting, please wear a mask. You do not need to show a vaccine pass to meet with the class teacher.
To book an interview - click the link below (if you need to enter an event code it is maw7w) or go to http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/maw7w
If you have any questions or would like help to make a booking, please contact the school office (03) 4190103.
Whānau and School Update
CHEESE ROLLS - Thank you for all the cheese rolls orders, if there are anymore forms or money please hand them into the school office asap.
SAVE THE DATE!!!
BPS House and Garden Tour - Sunday 6th November 2022
If you would like to be help please let me know.
Email balcluthapta@gmail.com or Sara on 02102372282.
Keep safe and let's be kind to each other :-)
Sara Sutherland and Carleigh Frisby
Whanau and School Co-Presidents
Welcome to new pupils...
2022 Sport News
We are really excited for what this term brings. It's great that so many sports can go ahead.
Basketball
Basketball is set to start on Monday 16th May for children year 5-8. Notices have gone out and are due back, no later than 9am Tuesday 10 May.
Year 1-4 basketball will be held in Term 3.
Rippa Rugby Tournament
BPS will be attending the Rippa Rugby Tournament on Tuesday 24 May. We are really getting behind this event and are encouraging as many students as we can to give it a go.
All students year 3-8 have been given a notice and these are due back no later than 9am Friday 13 May. Notices have also been sent out to the sport database, please reply to the email to give permission if you are unable to return the form. We will need coaches and managers for teams.
Tania will be holding some fun training sessions leading up to this event so students who have entered will have some knowledge of the game. This is an awesome opportunity for any student who may be a little unsure but want to give it a try.
Netball
Draw as follows
Balclutha A vs Clutha Valley Navy 1:00 court 3
Balclutha B vs Rosebank B 12:00 court 2
Balclutha Blue vs Catlins Blue 12:00 court 1
Balclutha White vs Catlins Yellow 10:00 court 1
Balclutha Green vs Catlins White 11:00 court 5
Tania Arthur
Balclutha Primary School
Sports Co-ordinator
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 5
Room 6
Room 12
Room 11
HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week to...
Florrie Winslade
Jacob Hore
Keely Shanks
Gabby Warden
Riley Hill
Beauden Bisset
Workshop / Course Available
Poipoia te Pitomata – Harnessing the potential in our rangatahi to lead themselves with confidence through Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing strategies.
With the added opportunity to gain a First Aid Certificate, by completing the level First Aid course.
Key competencies delivered in the programme will help rangatahi identify their strengths in rangatiratanga (leadership) and mahi tahi (Teamwork),
Preparing and enable confidence to recognise life threatening situations and how to respond and assist before more experienced help arrives.
Hurry register now for the 4 day “free” programme starting Tuesday May 24th at the St John Balclutha Station 7 High Street.
Bank Accounts
- School Saveloys, sport fees and all camp fundraising and donations - 02 0900 0000 452 00
- Whānau and School, all fundraising (except camp fundraising), school uniforms (2nd hand and new) -
- 03 1734 0006449 00
Contact Us
Email: admin@balclutha.school.nz
Website: http://www.balclutha.school.nz
Location: Lanark St, Balclutha 9230, New Zealand
Phone: 03 419 0103
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Balclutha-Primary-School-193822224020032/