Tena Koutou Parents, Caregivers and Whanau.
Hello everyone,
Kia ora e hoa mä.
Senior Speeches
The senior speeches went really well this morning. It is evident in the senior school of how much doing these each year develops the children’s skills. Thank you to those parents who came along. Children will be notified tomorrow if they qualify for the next round. Two children from Years 5 and 6 and two children from Years 7 and 8 go through to Waimea Speeches at Balfour on Monday 19 August.
Snow Day
Please check School Stream and listen to Hokonui Gold Radio Station if uncertain about whether the school is closed on snowy days. Occasionally buses may run an hour later, and this will also be notified on School Stream and Hokonui Gold.
First Aid Kits Fundraising
Please return all first aid kit forms to school tomorrow. The Home and School will organize the order and notify you when these have arrived.
Coming Up This Term….
Thursday 8 July School Speeches for Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 children.
Thursday 15 August Sports Activator working with all children.
Monday 19 August Waimea Speech Competition hosted at Balfour.
Board of Trustees meeting 7.30pm at school.
Thursday 22 August Community Assembly 1.30pm in the school hall.
Wednesday 28 August Polyfest for our Kapa Haka children in Invercargill.
Friday 13 September School Disco.
Principal’s Contract Negotiations
You may not be aware that, although teachers settled their contracts, Principals did not. This was
because the offer for Principals was not changed, unlike the teachers one, which was amended slightly. Due to teachers settling, in three years time, an Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal with a 4 year degree and units, will be paid more than the Principal in a school this size. This is not going to attract teachers into Principal positions – why would they, when the Principal has to manage all payroll, property, financial, health and safety, student achievement, and occasionally plumbing, school pools, broken doors or toilet seats, cisterns, leaking pipes.... the list goes on. No one is going to want all of that responsibility for less money. Unless the Principals contract is settled there will be a crisis in staffing small schools with Principals in New Zealand. On Friday 9th August the NZEI (education union) has advised a day of support for Principals....
We’re standing up for our principal! Today, all over Aotearoa, communities are standing up
for their primary and intermediate school principals.
Why? After a long campaign, our teachers recently received an offer from the Government that recognised their skills and qualifications, and gave them pay parity with their secondary school colleagues. The Government refused to do the same for about 2000 Principals in primary and intermediate schools.
Principals do an amazing job for their schools and communities, and they deserve a collective agreement offer that reflects their considerable skills and responsibilities. We need to value and support the role so teachers actually want to become principals – especially in our small and rural schools and kura.
If pay parity is fair for teachers, as the Government has acknowledged, then surely it is fair for principals too.
What can we do? School communities are urging the Government to move quickly to propose
a settlement that will address the issues that principals face and ensure we can attract and keep excellent leaders in these vital roles.
Northern Southland Riding for the Disabled
The Northern Southland Riding for the Disabled is looking for both volunteers and funding support.
We are a Group of Volunteers that meets weekly in Balfour to support twelve children from local schools including Riversdale, Lumsden, Northern Southland College, Dipton and Waikaia. Each child has their own individual programme and outcomes are measured regularly.
Through participation in many and varied riding activities our aim is to increase each child’s abilities.
If you have a couple of hours to spare on a Wednesday from 11am – 1pm and would like to volunteer, please contact Pam Snell on 021 997 222 or Shona Macgregor on 027 445 7864. We offer training to everyone that would like to volunteer.
We are always looking for funding to support our operational requirements. These include such things as new, and the maintenance of equipment, transport of ponies to the arena, helmets and animal health costs.
If you would like your RDA contribution to stay local, please contact Ruby Baird our Treasurer on
027 368 8108.
