BALFOUR SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS

Friday 23rd October 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, This week, the students have really got into the swing of things with our school production. A big thank you to the parents who have offered to help with props. Your support is greatly appreciated. Swimming has also got off to a fantastic start with our new swimming instructor, Brittney. Please remember that students need to bring their togs every Wednesday for lessons with Brittney, as well as for any ad

Friday 16th October 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, Welcome back to Term 4. We hope you all had a relaxing holiday break and were able to enjoy the lovely spring weather. It has been wonderful to see our students back at school, settled into their learning and working hard. There is plenty to look forward to this term, with our school production, camps, swimming programme, and lots of exciting learning opportunities ahead. The teaching staff enjoyed a day

Friday 25th September 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, Wow, what a busy term it’s been! There has been lots of learning happening across the school, along with plenty of other exciting activities and events. The week didn't quite get off to the best start when we had a fire evacuation caused by contractors beginning work on the stormwater drainage project around the school. Thankfully, it was a false alarm and everyone was safe. The students didn't seem to

Friday 18th September 2026 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia Ora Parents & Whānau, What a week it has been at Balfour School! With Māori Language Week underway, the classrooms have been full of activity. The students really enjoyed working with Nate Wairau, who brought great energy and some very cool word games to his sessions. We had hoped to run two afternoons with him, but the sudden early pick‑up due to snow meant we could only complete one. These things happen, and we appreciate

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