Balfour School Community Newsletter
- Jun 11
- 6 min read
June 2026
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Kia Ora everyone,
It’s been a busy and exciting start to the year here at Balfour School, and it’s wonderful to see our school thriving.
One of the biggest changes this year has been the introduction of our new school uniform at the beginning of Term 1. The children look fantastic in their hoodies and polo tops, and the feedback from both students and parents has been really positive. The uniform has brought a lovely sense of pride and togetherness to our school. The children did enjoy a brief break from it on Camo Day, which marked the start of duck‑shooting season — always a fun and uniquely Balfour moment.
We’re also pleased to share that our newly revamped school website is now live. It’s fresh, easy to navigate, and a great place to keep up with what’s happening around the school. We encourage you to take a look. https://www.balfour.school.nz/
Our roll continues to grow, with 66 students currently enrolled and more joining soon, taking us to around 70. It’s wonderful to welcome so many new families into our community.
Our building and grounds are looking fantastic. The recent building work has now been completed, and the school feels refreshed and ready for learning. While we do have another project planned for the end of the year to upgrade our stormwater drains, for now we’re enjoying the calm and appreciating our improved spaces.
Already this year, our students have taken part in Waimea Athletics, which we were proud to host at the rugby grounds. Our Balfour students performed incredibly well, with a high number qualifying for the Northern and Southland finals — a real credit to their hard work and determination.
The students also took part in the Waimea and Northern cross country events with one of our students, Charlotte going through to Southland cross country later this week.
We’ve also had visits from Life Education and Harold the Giraffe, as well as John Parsons, who delivered important sessions on internet safety. These experiences add so much to our students’ learning and help them navigate the world with confidence.
Looking ahead, we’re excited for a couple of Matariki events, with more details to come soon.
Thank you for your ongoing support in making Balfour School such a wonderful place for our children to learn and grow. I look forward to sharing more updates with you soon.
Mihi mihi
Andrea Holt
Principal
CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS - TERM 2
Thursday June 25th - Visit to Riversdale Arts Exhibition
Wednesday 1st July - Matarkik disco
Friday 3rd July - End of term 2
TERM DATES 2026
Friday 3rd July - last day term 2
Monday 20th July. - first day term 3
Friday 25th September. - last day term 3
Monday 12th October - first day term 4
To be confirmed - last day term 4
BOARD VACANCIES
Towards the end of the year, we will have a vacancy on the Board. If you are interested in learning more about what the position involves, or would like to discuss it further, please get in touch with us. We’re happy to answer any questions.
SMART ASSESSMENT TOOL – TRIALLING THIS YEAR
From this term, our teachers will be using the Smart Assessment Tool, a digital platform that gives us clearer, real‑time information about each child’s progress in reading, writing, and maths. It helps teachers identify strengths, track growth over time, and plan next learning steps with greater accuracy. This tool will sit alongside our usual classroom assessments and support us to make well‑informed decisions about teaching and learning.
We are trialling this tool throughout 2026 and we will keep you updated as the year goes on about how it is supporting teaching and learning across the school.
SWIMMING POOL - KEYS RETURNED TO THE OFFICE PLEASE
The swimming pool is now closed for the season and we would appreciate it if all keys could be returned to the school office.
YEAR 6 GRIP LEADERSHIP COURSE
In March our year 6 students attended a Leadership Course in Gore. They spent the day learning practical leadership skills, building confidence, and exploring what it means to be a positive leader back at
school.
SPORTS SOUTHLAND COACH VISIT
Earlier this year we had Sports Southland Coach Stu Brown visit the school for Athletics training. He also returned this term to do some fun sports activities.
EASTER EGG DECORATING COMPETITION
Back in April we held an aster Egg Decorating Competition. Winners from each classroom were Everly Dillon, Grayson Black and Arthur Moir. Here are some very cool Decorated Eggs
KORIMAKO Term 2 has been a busy and exciting time for Korimako Class, filled with learning opportunities, sporting events, creative activities, and memorable experiences. Students have shown fantastic enthusiasm, teamwork, and positive attitudes throughout the term.
Highlights of the Term
Cross Country Students have been training hard for Cross Country and showing excellent perseverance and determination during our daily fitness sessions and event. To make training fun and engaging, students participated in running games, obstacle challenges, and lap activities that helped build endurance and teamwork. It has been wonderful to see students encouraging one another and giving their best effort.
Busking Competition Many students proudly represented our class during the Busking Competition in Gore. Their confidence, creativity, and courage to perform in front of others were outstanding. We are very proud of all students who participated and showcased their talents.
Mathematics Learning In Mathematics, students have been exploring a variety of topics including: ● Fractions – tenths and hundredths ● Transformations – reflection, rotation, and translation ● Problem-solving strategies and estimation ● Basic facts and PRIME Mathematics activities
Students have also been using Scholastic Learning programmes online, including PR1ME Mathematics and Mathletics, to strengthen their understanding and practise skills independently. Writing and Reading This term, students have focused on developing their persuasive and narrative writing skills. They have been learning how to: ● Use strong arguments and linking words ● Write interesting story introductions ● Develop characters and settings ● Edit and improve their writing
Students have also continued participating in reading rotations, Reading Eggspress activities, and grammar tasks to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary skills.
Life Education and Healthy LivingStudents enjoyed participating in Life Education sessions, where they learned about positive relationships, making good choices, and healthy lifestyles. These sessions encouraged students to reflect on our school values and how we can support one another positively.
Looking Ahead We are looking forward to:
● Upcoming educational trips and EOTC activities
● More narrative and persuasive writing
● Continued preparation for school performances and events
● Further Mathematics challenges and online learning opportunities
Thank you to all whānau for your ongoing support with homework, reading, and encouraging positive learning habits at home. Your support makes a huge difference to student success.
Ngā mihi,
Anish Krishna Korimako Class Teacher
PIWAKAWAKA Piwakawaka have had a busy term learning all sorts of academia and education outside the classroom. Besides the 3 R's, (reading, writing, 'rithmetic), highlights have been training for and competing in Cross Country running, and for some students, busking at the Tussock Country Music Festival. At the busking, everyone looked fantastic with their Western gear and school hoodies, and sung very well. We were singing a range of older songs such as Drunken Sailor, The Quarter Masters Store, Blue Smoke, Rock Around the Clock andYou Are My Sunshine. A shout out to Ella, Lydia and Ana for their lovely solos in Waltzing Matilda, and our percussionists, Gav, Ayaansh, Waelyn and Jordie who provided good accompaniment throughout. The harmonies in We Shall Not Be Moved sounded great. We were thrilled to receive a special mention from the judges for our original song about living in Balfour, Northern Southland.
Nga mihi
Judy Finlayson. Piwakawaka Class Teacher
TUI Kia ora whānau,
This term Tui has been exploring living organisms and how things grow. This process was started by looking at younger pictures of the class and using things like hair colour to figure out who they thought it might be and make connections to how we have grown. We have also explored this further by planting our own flowers, exploring the life cycles of butterflies, frogs, and plants, and what living things need to survive and grow. We are looking forward to the upcoming Riversdale Art Exhibition and have some exciting art pieces we are working on.
Ngā mihi, Natasha Humphrey Room Tui Kaiako
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Special thanks to Jason Duff of Glendhu Dairies for kindly sponsoring this community newsletter.
BALFOUR LIONS CLUB
This month our Lions club is proud to congratulate the following students who have received money from the Balfour Lions Club Scholarship.
Jack Merchant $1000
Gemma Rae $1000
Charlotte Roy $ 500
Ben Slattery $. 500
Jade Gullick $. 500
We wish all the recipients a great year.
Bill & Betha Concrete (our statues on Kruger Street) were dressed up for St Patrick's day.
Balfour Lions Club Potatoes
We have started digging our potatoes which are now for sale
Potato Name: Van Rosa, 20kg bag $25.00 cash/ bank deposit
Purchase @ Andrews Transport or McGregor Motors.
Lions are everyday people united by a passion to help others….
Our Lion’s Club is looking for new members, if you would like to know more about us contact Elaine Eaton – 0274916522.
We would also like to thank the following businesses for their support of this newsletter.
