Year 8 News

Our Year 8 students are well and truly immersed in their Term 4 programme, and it has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm, confidence and maturity they continue to bring to this final chapter of their intermediate journey. The activities and opportunities throughout the term allow students to put into practice the many skills they have developed over the past two years, while further building the independence, resilience and self-management that will help prepare them for the transition to high school.

Teachers have been commenting on the positive atmosphere across the year group. It is particularly pleasing to see students demonstrating kindness, respect and teamwork, and supporting one another as they make the most of their final weeks at Balmacewen.

High School Orientation Morning

A reminder that this Friday, 13th November, most students will be attending their Year 9 Orientation Programme at their respective high schools. High schools have contacted families directly with details about the day's programme, including arrival times, planned activities and what students need to bring or wear. Please refer to the information provided by your child's high school to ensure they are well prepared. For students who have already attended their orientation day, it will be a normal school day at Balmacewen.

Social Dancing

With our Year 8 Social fast approaching, all syndicates will be getting into the swing of things through our social dancing unit during PE lessons. Last Friday, the Year 8 teachers certainly set the tone by introducing the unit with a dance performance at our Year 8 Assembly!

As students learn a range of dances, we will also be reinforcing some important messages about respect, kindness, inclusion and being prepared to give things a go, even when they feel challenging or outside our comfort zone. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable, supported and included. We are also very happy to accommodate cultural and religious practices to ensure all students can participate in a way that is appropriate and comfortable for them.

If you have any questions or concerns about the activity, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

School Elections

Over the next two weeks, our Civics and Citizenship learning will come to life as we hold our very own Balmacewen Intermediate School Elections!

Students will work in groups of five to establish their own political parties. Each party will identify, research and develop policies around three issues that have an impact on our school community. Potential topics include school hours, school uniform, providing lunches, the use of devices and subject choices.

Each party will present its policies through a display, outlining the issues they have selected and explaining the thinking behind their proposals. Once the campaigning is complete, students will have the opportunity to cast their votes and decide which party has presented the strongest policies.

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore how democracy works in practice, while developing their research, critical thinking and persuasive communication skills. Most importantly, it helps students understand the value of having a voice and participating in decisions that affect their community. We are looking forward to seeing the ideas, discussions and creative campaigning that emerge!

Have a great week!

Kā mihi,

Terry Tarapi