Balclutha Primary School - T1 Wk 3
Newsletter 18 February 2022
Principal's Report
Changes to the Board
This week we held our first Board of Trustees meeting for the year via Zoom. Due to work commitments our Board chair, Jolene Ollerenshaw, has stepped down from the Board. Rachael Watt has stepped into this role. She will be supported by the rest of our board members: Stacey Labes, Karla McPhee, Kim Strawbridge and Heather Willocks. I would like to thank Jolene for her many contributions to the board and Balclutha Primary School over the past few years, and wish her the very best as she helps our community navigate the looming COVID wave. We are fortunate to have such a capable and dedicated team governing our school, who are so committed to ensuring all our students have the best possible outcomes.
Our sporting focus for 2022
At our board meeting, our schools annual plan for 2022 was approved. A copy of this is attached. One of our focus areas this year is to really grow the PE and sports participation of our students.
We currently have 3 work streams underway to help strengthen our PE and sports programmes.
BPS sports co-ordinator- Tania Arthur has taken on this role in 2022. As well as co-ordinating our sports teams she will be taking groups of students out for additional sports sessions, and giving sports teams a little additional coaching prior to any sports tournaments.
South Otago sports activator- this year BPS has joined the sports activator cluster. Our sports activator will be Paul Skipper and he will be taking sessions with each of the classes 3 times a term. It is very exciting to be part of this wonderful initiative.
Healthy Active Learning Project- this year BPS joins 5 other South Otago Schools in the Healthy Active Learning Project. This is teacher based and involves the ongoing development of our curriculum delivery plan for PE. This is a 3 year programme and is a good opportunity for us delve deeper into how we teach PE and to ensure we are fully meeting the needs of all our children. Kaitlyn Roughan will be our lead teacher for this and will work along side our external facilitator.
We are excited about these new initiatives and the positive impact they will have on our students and their learning.
School based counsellor
We are very excited to welcome Susan Evans to BPS every Thursday, starting next week. She will be running the 'Hearing You' programme and will be available for 1:1 sessions with our students.
Below is a consent form for parents to fill out if they would like their child to have a session with Susan. There is also a link below for parents to make a referral directly.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEAh8GqjbV12hiwxcmQJ650evqfxHh-izsQmMKOHmx31HDwQ/viewform
Preparing for a COVID case in our school
With the cases of COVID creeping closer and closer, our BOT and staff have put a number of procedures in place to ensure we manage a case.
If we are notified of a case in our school we will contact parents via SeeSaw and the class app. Please make sure we have your up to date contact details and you have connected to the school app and your child's class SeeSaw page.
Staff have prepared home learning material that we will provide if your child needs to isolate.
Our primary focus at the moment is still to minimise the likelihood of COVID spreading across the school if it does appear in our community.
To do this we are continuing with:
- strong hygiene practices and additional cleaning
- mask wearing with staff and students Year 4 and up
-keeping class groups seperate
- staggering break times to minimise the number of students in the playground at any time
-limiting contact with people outside of our school community
Parents can continue to help by:
- keeping your children home if they are unwell and contacting health professionals if they have cold or flu systems
-wearing a mask if you do come on site
- maintaining social distancing during drop off and pick ups
I have been so impressed with our school community and how everyone has been working together to ensure we minimise risk for everyone. Thank you!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Neave
Board of Trustees Update
Kia Ora all,
The BOT held our first meeting via zoom earlier this week. Jolene Ollerenshaw has stepped down as Presiding Member (Chair) and I will hold the position until elections in September. All other portfolios remain the same.
These portfolios are:
Curriculum – Heather Willocks
Self-review – Stacey Labes
Health and Safety – Kim Strawbridge
Property – Karla McPhee
Finance – Rachael Watt
On behalf of the school community I would like to thank Jolene for her outstanding and diligent contribution as Chair. Jolene has been very involved over the last couple of years with recruitment of Vicki as our school Principal and Covid-19 response as well as ongoing Board duties.
I would also like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Board to thank our school community for such a fantastic start to the year in difficult circumstances. The resilience and adaptability has been very impressive. It is also great to see innovative solutions such as parent teacher interviews via zoom and ‘outdoor classrooms’.
Rachael Watt
Presiding Member (Board Chair)
THANK YOU!
Whānau and School Update
Just a reminder that we are selling Foodwrap and Kitchen Consumables, great products and something everyone always needs. Please have all orders back to school by Monday 28th February. Please note: it would be great if all orders just come in one payment via our Whānau and School bank account and under your name as on the order form. Any questions please just let me know via email balcluthapta@gmail.com or Sara on 02102372282. (Order form is available by selecting the link below.)
Keep safe :-)
Sara Sutherland and Carleigh Frisby
Whanau and School Co-Presidents
2022 Sport News
Teams have been announced at school, emails will be going out to coaches and parents next week with more information. Touch starts on Thursday 24th February.
- All spectators must have a vaccine passport.
Cricket
Teams have been announced and emails sent to parents, cricket starts on Tuesday 22nd February.
Hockey
Teams will be announced on Monday and parents of players will be emailed the draw and any relevant information.
Thank you to those that have offered to coach and referee teams.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Maddi Win, (pictured) for making the Te Waipounamu Māori netball team. Good luck with your games Maddi!
Tania Arthur
Balclutha Primary School
Sports Co-ordinator
Room 1 has made amazing alligators! We stuck cut up pieces of paper on a capital letter A and drew on teeth.
Room 2
Room 3
Room 5
Room 6
Room 12
Room 11
skills.
Congratulations to our Value Award winners last week -
Kade Faddes - for settling into school extremely well. You are off to a great start!
Room 2
Nathanael Andrew - for settling into routines and taking responsibility for his lunch box and reading folder each morning.
Brooklyn Radford - for being a great role model at mat time and for showing the class how to practise vowel sounds.
Room 3
Emily Sutherland - for trying her best, using good manners and being helpful.
Lucas Hill - for showing good manners and for being helpful and working hard.
Room 5
Corey Newport - for being considerate of others and showing leadership.
Haylin Storer - for being thoughtful of others and showing responsibility.
Room 6
Georgie Cleverley - for being kind, respectful and friendly to our new students in Room 6.
Chloe Bloxham - for being kind, caring and friendly to all students in Room 6 especially students new to BPS.
Room 12
Isabella Cooper-Blackie - for her positive bubbly attitude she brings to class and settling well into Room 12.
Jeffrey Sonio - for always offering to help others and having a positive attitude to his learning.
Room 11
Mabel Ferguson - for her positive, hard-working start to her final year at Primary School. Amazing!
Maddox Young - for beginning his final year at BPS with drive and determination. You are a star!
Free PowerNet-sponsored St John First Aid Training Course
Bank Accounts
- School Saveloys, sport fees and all camp fundraising and donations - 02 0900 0000 452 00
- Whānau and School, 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/