BALFOUR SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS

Friday 11th September 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, It has been another busy week in the classroom, with the children keeping busy as usual and enjoying their learning and activities. We are looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday for our Parent-Teacher Interviews. As a courtesy to other families, please note that each interview is scheduled for 10 minutes. If you feel you require more time to discuss your child’s progress, please arrange an alter

Friday 4th September 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, This week marked the first day of spring, and it certainly feels like a welcome shift. It has been a fantastic week of learning across the school. Our students have been working extremely hard, and their efforts certainly didn’t go unnoticed. A group of principals from South Otago visited as part of a tour through Southland and specifically chose to stop in at Balfour School. They were genuinely impresse

Friday 28th August 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, Tuesday marked our first ever Uruguay Day at Balfour School. Students gathered around the flagpole and listened respectfully to the Uruguayan National Anthem, enjoying the chance to learn about another culture. We are very grateful to Alfonsina’s parents, who kindly came in with traditional Uruguayan food for everyone to try. The barbecued pork and lamb were a hit, and the torta frita with dulce de leche w

Thursday 20th August 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, It has been lovely to see how settled and engaged our Tui students have been this week. The classroom has had a calm, purposeful feel to it, and the children have slipped back into routines with confidence. Mrs Robb hit the ground running on Monday and Tuesday, getting straight into learning programmes and keeping everyone busy and focused. The students responded really well and made great progress. On W

Friday 14th August 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, It has been another full and lively week at Balfour School. This week, we said farewell to Natasha Humphrey and welcomed Jill Robb and Sarah McLean, who will be teaching Tui Class for the remainder of the term. We are very pleased to have them join our team. Korimako students have been presenting their speeches, and we congratulate Pippa, Everly, and Charlotte on being our top speakers. Pippa and Everly w

Friday 7th August 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, It’s been one of those weeks that has absolutely flown by. The very cold starts have certainly kept us on our toes — Thursday morning even delivered frozen pipes, leaving us without water for the first part of the day. Thank you to the staff and students for your patience while we worked through it. In classrooms, students are busy preparing their speeches and supporting one another with practice runs and f

Friday 31st July 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, Students have made the most of this week’s sunshine, enjoying a range of games out on the field in between plenty of focused learning in the classroom. Our knitters have also been hard at work, selling their creations on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a growing list of special orders keeping them busy. A number of other entrepreneurial students have been fundraising for camps by baking and selling their goodie

Friday 24th July 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, Welcome back to Term 3. We hope you all enjoyed a refreshing break with your families. It has been wonderful to see the students return settled, working hard, and making the most of the sunny winter weather. In Week 4, we will be saying goodbye to Natasha Humphrey as she moves on to a new opportunity. We thank her sincerely for her contribution to our school. At the same time, we look forward to welcoming Sa

Friday 19th June 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, What a great way to end the term. The disco was incredibly well attended, and it was lovely to see the children enjoying themselves so much. The dance competitions were a real highlight, especially the limbo, which drew plenty of cheers and laughter. With glow sticks lighting up the room, the whole evening had a bright, lively feel. A big thank‑you to the staff who organised the event and those who stayed to

Friday 19th June 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, It has been another very busy week at school, with just one more to go before the holidays. A big well done to Pīwakawaka Class for their assembly this morning. They showcased their recent learning with a confident and polished performance. This week, the whole school visited the Riversdale Art Exhibition, where the children were able to see their own artwork on display alongside pieces from other schools. T