Balclutha Primary School - T4 Wk 6
Newsletter 25 November 2022
Principal's Report
This week we celebrated three of our wonderful teachers who gained their full registration.
Congratulations to Mrs Morrison, Mrs Swallow and Miss Faulkner-Barclay. They have now successfully completed two years of teaching, and been part of an advice and guidance programme that all new graduates complete. We are excited about the wonderful array of skills and experience they bring to our school everyday, and are proud to have them as part of our team.
They all have stunning teaching careers ahead of them, and I am excited to see them undertake the new challenges that 2023 will bring.
A reminder that we have a Teacher Only Day on Monday. I hope you all enjoy the long weekend,
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki.
Covid at BPS
We are experiencing growing numbers of COVID cases in our school community. Thank you for keeping children who are unwell at home. Advice indicates that one of the current COVID strands can be hard to detect, with many people having several days of symptoms prior to testing positive. With only 2 1/2 weeks of school left, we would really like to keep all our staff healthy and COVID free to avoid any disruption to learning, so we will be sending home children who are unwell or symptomatic. Thank you for your understanding and help with this.
Staffing and Class Organisation - 2023
Staffing appointments for 2023 have now been made and confirmed.
Several of our staff will be moving on to new career opportunities in 2023.
- Katie Moodie, our DP, will be taking on a new position with Sport Otago.
-Kaitlyn Roughan will be moving on to Roxburgh Area School.
-Sarah Anderson will be going on maternity leave early in term 1. She will be covering some CRT release in the meantime.
The panel has decided not to appoint a new Deputy Principal at this stage. While we had a number of strong applicants, we were unable to find an applicant that had the specific experience that we were looking for. We will re-assess and look to re-advertise next year.
Our class organisation for 2023 will be:
Year 7-8 Heather Willocks (acting Deputy Principal)
Year 7-8 Linda Swallow
Year 4-6 Sarah Faulkner-Barclay
Year 4-6 Georgia Duff
Year 2-3 Jenny Harris
Year 2-3 Breidy Johnston
Year 0-1 Billie McHardy
Year 0-1 Cathy Haar
SENCO/ release- Karen Robins
Release- Renee Judson
We are very excited about the teaching team for 2023. Our wonderful team of teacher aides will all be returning in 2023.
Staff have started working on class lists and hope to have them finalised in the next week. As a staff we are working to ensure:
the parallel classes are balanced
every student has a friend with them and someone who can challenge and support their learning.
Students who work better apart are in separate classes.
we leave space in classes for any additional students who might arrive later in the year.
Student classes for 2023 will go home in the end of year reports on Friday 9 December.
Room 1
Whānau and School Update
A huge thank you also to all our families who helped with fundraising this year, by making or selling cheese rolls, donating christmas or easter raffle items, selling raffles, planting spuds for next year, or just by coming a long to a meeting as a show of support.
With everyone's combined efforts, Balclutha School Whānau and School have provided Balclutha School kids with;
- many, many, new library books for the school library
- structured literacy resources for use in the junior school
- fantastic swimming instructors for senior and junior classes during 4 weeks of swimming this year
- contributed towards the overall cost of the playground re-surface, for pupils to use during fitness and break times.
A huge effort with fundraising, but what fantastic advantages your support has given all our children.
We look forward to your continued support with our current Christmas Raffle. If you have already returned your raffle card, THANK YOU! If you are not able to sell your raffle card (partially or fully), please return to the school office asap. We have a list of families waiting for extra cards if possible.
We need all cards, sold or unsold, returned by Friday 9th December (or sooner if possible).
Sara Sutherland and Carleigh Frisby
Whānau and School Co-Presidents.
Room 4
2023 Spud Dig
Room 2
Room 3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week to...
Mckyah Faddes
Zayde Ruffell
Sophie Cook
Beth Dalley
Room 5’s dot art
Room 6
Room 12
Sports
PALs have organised our BPS colour run on Thursday 1st December. All students who want to participate are to come to school in old mufti clothes that day, (students in uniform will not be able to participate). See the poster with this newsletter.
Touch
Semi finals will be held next week. The draw will be sent out via email and will also be posted on our school facebook page.
Quadrathon
I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all our helpers on Tuesday. Without you we would not have been able to take so many students to the Quadrathon.
Well done to everyone for doing the best they could. The team support was fantastic to see.
Congratulations to our placegetters;
BPS Green 3rd 29:26 (Charlotte, Spencer, Aydan and Dannielle)
BPS Sus Pogers 3rd 28:52 (Blake and Alfie)
BPS Pros 3rd 29:13 (Paige, Georgie and Tristan)
Zoe Ludemann 2nd 28:53
Eva Smith 3rd 29:46
Tania Arthur
Sports Coordinator.
Room 11
Term 4 dates coming up...
Teacher Only Day on Monday 28 November 2022.
Colour Run - 1 December 2022 - 2pm
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/