We hope you enjoy looking back over a great year in the life of Bluestone School.

Bluestone Aces make Division 2 Hockey FINAL - Come along and support the team!

Physical Activity Leaders 2nd Leadership Course

Around 90 of our year 5-8 students will compete at C-Bay in our annual swimming sports to be held on Thursday 16th March, 1.00pm - 3.00pm

We congratulate our students who were recognised at our Senior Prize Giving.

A recap of some of our favourite things from this year.

2016…..What a wonderful year, full of new things, hard work, and most importantly fun!!!

What a fantastic year and we have had so much going on particularly with Education Outside the Classroom.  Mr Finn  we would like to acknowledge the hard work you have put into this, for our team and wish you all the best for your travels abroad.

Special thanks to Tracy Rees for the great photos from the Fun Day organised by our Home & School

High Flyers' head to Mt Nimrod for another awesome tramp.

This year 6 classes participated in the competition. Five Year 5 and 6 classes and the bilingual Year 3, 4, and 5 class. Whaea Lee West has been teaching and working with all the classes to get them ready for the competition. Each class sung Papaki Mai, led by their class teacher, and then the waiata-a-ringa Ko Te Whirika and then the Aoraki Haka.  

Savanah and Isobel have written about how Santa is thinking.

What a fabulous year we have had. Each term has been eventful and action packed. When we viewed the yearbook together it brought back memories from the year we had forgotten. 

Students from Bluestone competed against the best athletes from South Canterbury schools. Competition was intense and the wet weather made for testing conditions.

Tracy Rees has provided a great gallery of pictures from the Team Explorer Athletics

What a fantastic year we have had in Room 3. We have a great community of learners and have made so many new friends.

We wrote letters to Santa and posted them in the box outside Room 15.  Read on to see what happened....

We have had fun this year in Room 2.  Read on to find out what we have enjoyed most this year. 

We are REALLY going to MISS YOU!! Thank you for being such a kind, helpful and all round cool teacher and team member. Team Explorer and Bluestone School wish you a safe and happy trip wherever it takes you. 

We wish Miss Jenkins all the best for her next adventure! Thank you for all you have done in Team Explorer and at Bluestone School! You will be missed by all!

Recently the Russian Ballet performed in Timaru. Several of our students who attend local ballet schools were given the exciting opportunity to dance with the International Ballet.

Here are some of our Highlights for the year....

The weather finally allowed our Team Explorer sports to take place.

Look at this crazy bunch of kids!

Room 13 have created colourful truffula trees

Te Tahi enjoyed lots of fun activities for our end of year celebration.

We have added two new murals on the wall nearest the Library entrance.

We have just completed another Reading Together for this year. 

Our Team Explorer Year 3/4 students have had a great season representing Bluestone School this year! 

Third time lucky!

Students from our Creative Creatures Team finally got weather good enough to hold their Athletics.

A big thankyou to students and whanau for showing such great support in helping to raise much needed funds for the Westpac Air Rescue. 

Recently, in Room 14 we launched bottle rockets on the school field. We read an article about how to make and launch them and we decided to have a go ourselves.

OUR TEAM IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A FINE AFTERNOON THIS THURSDAY (24th November) FOR OUR CREATIVE CREATURES ATHLETICS WHICH WILL BEGIN AT 1.30.

Team Explorer have been busy growing plants in Science this term! In Room 11 we have grown many different vegetables and we are feeling pretty proud of the cress we have grown in recycled containers. 

Room 6 students have been making posters about their favourite dinosaurs.  Logan Dunn has gone a step further and with guidance from his family, he has created a fantastic diorama about Triceratops.  Read on to find out what Logan says about creating it....

Team Explorer thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Botantic Gardens on Thursday as part of our Science Unit focusing on plants and survival and sustainability. 

Seven students broke eleven records at our annual Senior Athletics Championships

Top Team Challenge involves a number of team-based activities and challenges modelled on the traditional Top Town competition that first aired on NZ television in 1976.

Sharing information through Posters.

We look forward to our weekly library visits!

Room 8 learnt all about how much sugar is in fizzy drinks and juices.

Heartland Ricoh Inter School Cycling Competition - come along and help Bluestone win the trophy.  The more students we have in the races, the more chances we have!!  Grab your bike and come and join the fun.

Bluestone is now running a weather station and you can view our data and see the short term forecast via the internet and a phone app.

Manawanui proved to be popular performers at the recent opening of new rooms at Family Works in North Street.

The result of a local energy saving competition involving TBHS, TGHS, and Bluestone has been declared.

Room 12 are starting a Healthy Kids Challenge and we need your support! Read more to find out how you can help our class.

During Discovery we get to learn and discover new things by problem solving for ourselves. Yesterday the activities we participated in were creating a beanbag game to play and then to teach others and to modify it, if necessary. Other activities included creating a dinosaur from lego with a buddy, painting a symmetrical picture  and using crepe paper to construct spring flowers. 

Buddy time is a favourite time of the week for Room 6

Te Tahi children get Arty!

Room 8 are learning how to grow their own plants. Find out how we planted them. 

Cows, bugs and kids.

Hayden travelled to Australia with the Aoraki Academy Under 11 football team to compete in the Sydney International Cup. Guess who won the tournament?

A fantastic showcase of primary school artwork.

Room 11 had a fantastic day swimming at C-Bay today!

We had lots of visitors to our art exhibition today. Remember our exhibition is open until 4pm on Wednesday and Thursday and until 6pm on Friday.

Today is the beginning of the Art Exhibition at Bluestone and everyone at Bluestone has put in a piece of art to show the public. BUT we also got to dress up as an artist or be a piece of Art work.

At the end of last term each Year 7&8 class produced a musical item. You can view these on our website.

Jaxson competed in the Junior Yunca Tour of Southland, riding 61kms over stages in 3 days.  He won four out of six stages but overall placings were based on time so he managed to hold onto to the leaders yellow jersey for all stages and won overall 1st place.   He also won the green sprint jersey for the tour.  He then went onto ride at the Indoor Veledrome in the under 13”s secondary schools events winning the time trial and placing 2nd in the other 5 events.

Strange things are happening at Bluestone!

Room 14 have been working very hard at developing their idea development in Writing. This article presents a collection of stanza's titled What If  inspired by the book by Regina J. Williams. Enjoy.

Bluestone v Cobham 

Here are some photos of Room 15 reading with their little buddies from Room 2!

Come along and enjoy viewing great student art works.

The students in Room 11 are feeling proud of their efforts this term in creating a clay masterpiece! 

Class participation is what it's all about in Room 11!

We think our Pacifica flowers are bloom'n lovely!

On Thursday...

Having lost the football last year, Bluestone were out to even the score this year!

Bluestone convincingly won both netball games at the recent interschool exchange.

In our recent exchange with Waimataitai Bluestone found the going tough against a more experienced team.

The Bluestone Rugby first XV enjoyed a decisive victory at our recent sport exchange with Waimataitai School.  Coach Brendon Smith has presented a great game report below.

Room 3 created some tapa cloth to celebrate Tongan Language Week.

Room 8 had fun playing a variety of activities with their big buddies.

It's been another successful year with Year 7/8 students mentoring the Year 3/4 students in becoming successful readers.

Up  and coming soccer players.

Look at our great creations!

Our visit to Grantlea Downs.

A group of Year 7&8 students got the opportunity to develop their skills kayaking under the tuition of several Polytech Outdoor Leaders who were being assessed for  their instructors awards.

Recently winter sport has finished for many of the Room 5 children and they have achieved great results in the sport that they have played this year.

Around our rooms you can view the most amazing art work completed by our students. In week 1 of next term we will be holding our Art Exhibition so you can enjoy the artistic talents of our children

What a fantastic day! We had brilliant weather, amazing behaviour and attitude from all students and wonderful parent helpers. We couldn't have asked for better. 

A wonderful days experience with individuals pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones as they stepped backwards down a 12 metre cliff face controlling their own descent while anchored to a tree.

The Local Tongan Society visited Bluestone to share their culture with us. 

Winner of the individual art prize at Flava Festival

It was a day of triumph and victory for all involved! 

Room 2 have been solving Maths problems together.

Infinity Tiles is a puzzle game that shows how simple geometry can be used to make never ending patterns.  

Our Creative Creatures are using the Get Firewise programme produced by the New Zealand Fire Service to learn key fire safety messages and behaviours.

Congratulations to the girls, after a great season, success!

I don't know what dream you have in your mind, but all you have to know is that it's possible!  (Parker McLachlan, 2016)                                          

The plant detectives are on the job.

Congratulations to Parker McLachlan who will be representing Bluestone School on Thursday night in the annual Lion's Timaru District Schools Year 5/6 2016 Speech Competition.

A huge congratulations to Mea Prue, Jayda Prue, Molly Webb and Kyiah Pinnell who were part of the Timaru Tap and Jazz Dance Festival Competition this weekend, that saw competitors from throughout the South Island with over 140 dancers in action compete towards victory in their grades and categories. 

Reading Together for Year 1 students.   Research tells us that one of the things that really helps children to become good readers is support from home. The Reading Together workshops will show how we can best do this together.

Room Ten is creating some amazing Tapa designs in preparation for printmaking. 

Bluestone Girls Cricket Team compete in NZ Post Cricket Canterbury Regional Final for 2016

After a great day of enjoyable and challenging experiences our Year 7&8 students and staff should sleep very well!

Fantastic results for the gymnastics team.

At the annual Flava Festival, Bluestone met with success in Kapahaka , Performing Arts, and Visual Arts

Dakota was awarded with a medal for his efforts in St John

If you visit the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Wai iti Road you will be able to view the wonderful art work on display from local schools.

Each year we are proud to recognise the sporting success of our students

Students in Te Tahi were involved in all sorts of interesting maths activities during Maths Week.

Our focus this term is gymnastics.

There was lots of discussion this week in Room 5 when we whisked egg whites. As we proceeded these were some of the comparisons  that the children made about the egg whites.

There is a real challenge in working 3-Dimensionally with clay slabs combining the practical aspect of working with clay without dampening the artistic ideas.

We wrapped up Maths Week in Room 11 by sharing our learning with some of our family members this morning. Our focus was geometry and we enjoyed making snowflakes with 2D shapes in them! 

Buddy classes share lots of special moments and great learning.

Do you know the Fibonacci sequence?  Have you ever created a picture of yourself where you look stuck inside a box? 

Students have been making some great clay creations working under the guidance of Siobhan Wilsher.

Team Explorer welcomes parents/whānau to come and share in your child/rens learning this Friday 9 - 10am 

Creativity and enthusiasm made for an amazing invention convention in our team!

This term we have been busy learning about sculpture by creating clay works with Mrs Wilsher. We also created a painting inspired by the snow on Friday with Miss Jenkins. 

A "Magical Ocean Wonderland"was the theme for our disco on the last Thursday afternoon of Term 2.

Room 21 made rēwena last term. Here is a recipe so you can try it yourself.

Room 2 visit the elderly residents to share some Music.

Cruz is now a South Island Champion Wrestler!

The final disco photo album from Kelly Wylie-Thin & Jessica Hurst

We hope you can find your child's photo taken by Kelly Wylie-Thin or Jessica Hurst

On the night of the disco children could have their photo taken by Kelly and Jessica. We hope you can find your child's photo.

Students from Room 13 and Room 1 look forward to Fridays when both classes get together for our buddy time each week. 

Our Home & School organised 3 wonderful discos. OJ played great music and organised terrific games for our students to enjoy.

Jaxson Whyte's determination and hard work has paid off with his recent success at the South Canterbury and South Island Secondary Schools Cycling Championships.

Orienteering, tramping, sketching, and tent pitching were all skills further developed by students from our High Flyer team when they spent the day at the Scenic Reserve.

Our year 7&8 students welcomed the opportunity to push themselves outside their comfort zone as they experienced new challenges and heaps of fun related to safety in and around water in the safe confines of C-Bay.

Students have been involved in producing great ink prints utilising polystyrene as the print block

Helpful tips for ways we can help our New Entrant and Year 1 children learn at home.

Whaea Lee is helping us to learn Te Reo

Fun, Fun, Fun

We are getting closer to our day away ice skating at Lake Tekapo and would like to update and remind you of relevant information.

A huge Congratulations to the Year 7 Bluestone Bobbettes who WON their division of the Annual South Canterbury Jump Jam Extravaganza for 2016!!!

Students and staff at Bluestone held a mufti day to raise funds for the Child Cancer Foundation. Wacky hair and wigs were the order of the day.

Mufti and Wacky Hair Wednesday to support the Child Cancer Foundation.

With the support and guidance of our wonderful art teacher, Siobhan Wilsher, students have had the confidence and skills to create wonderful clay sculptures of endangered species.

Room 20 have been putting their cooking skills to the test in order to deliver a delicious and balanced meal to enter in the Maggi POP-UP Kitchen Showdown.

Students at Bluestone have lots of opportunities to learn musical instruments, and the chance to perform to a variety of audiences.

Ben won the South Canterbury JAB Fair Play Cup. Ben was also awarded medals to recognise him being a South Canterbury representative tennis player in both 2015 & 2016.

Cruz might be only 6 but over the weekend he won the Under 10 Otago Wrestling Championship!

Bluestone students recorded some outstanding results at the SC Primary Cross Country held at Otaio.

Our Power Rangers aren't Mighty Morphin and they don't have superhero powers but they are important to the energy savings at Bluestone!

Room 4 is amazing at learning their alphabet names and sounds! 

On an icy cold day after visiting the Steampunk Headquarters in Oamaru Room 17 arrived at the Otago Museum in Dunedin. We stepped through the doors ready for an adventure into the unknown.

Steampunk is a science fiction genre that features steam powered technology.  It grew from the Victorian perspective of the future added with a bit of punk fun.  Its up to you to judge for yourself.

Bluestone was well represented at the South Canterbury Yr 7 and 8 basketball competition with the Breakers, Babes and Bolters.

Team Explorer are swimming this week and next. (Weeks 5 & 6) Please make sure your child/ren has their togs, towel and swimming caps at school daily. Goggles are optional. 

On Monday, straight after lunch Room 15 of the High Flyers team went across to collect their little buddies from Room 2 to help out with skipping.

We have been lucky enough to visit the Life Education van during weeks 3 and 4 of this term. The students from the Creative Creatures  were filled with anticipation to visit Harold the giraffe and friends to learn about Food and Needs.

Room 12 were very excited to receive postcards from our buddy class in Mangere, Auckland.

Year 5-6 Tramp at Mount Nimrod on Friday.

Room 2 and Room 4 have really enjoyed their first week of swimming lessons at C Bay Pool.  They are becoming more confident  in the water each day and are having lots of fun as well

Throughout the winter terms, in the comfort of the library, our TBHS/Bluestone reading mentoring program takes place.

The Bluestone year 5 & 6 Rippa Rugby team take part in their South Canterbury Zone Day.

The Think Tank and Team Explorer Buddy Reading programme is up and running. 

On Monday the New Zealand Playhouse performed their 2016 production of "The Fairest of Them All" to our Bluestone students.

This article informs you of what Room 21 is up to.

Shakespeare: As You Write It 2016

We always feel very proud when our students achieve success. Over the weekend 4 of our students were in the team that went through unbeaten in a sevens tournament.

Te Tahi and Creative Creatures held their annual Cross Country this afternoon.

High Flyers' mountain bikers show of their skills during their lunchtime rides.

The Life Education van is visiting Bluestone School and relaying all sorts of important messages to our students. In Te Tahi we are learning all about, What makes me a good friend?

The long anticipated Cross Country race through part of the Scenic Reserve took place on the 10 May at 9:30am. Following the heavy rain of the previous day, it was overcast and the tracks muddy. This was all part of the fun.  The top ten girls and top ten boys are pictured above. Below are some descriptive paragraphs describing the experience from the participants point of view. 

The Buddy reading programme has started again this year and already there is huge excitement around reading.

This article contains a comprehensive record through photos taken during the Year 5 & 6 Cross Country

Tracy Rees has taken a number of photos at the cross country event held in the Scenic today.

Room 20 and Room 8 played games with their new buddies.

As part of our "Change Over Time" topic Rooms 1, 2, 5 and 6 all visited the Museum on Tuesday 3rd May. 

Luckily they were of the creative kind rather than real ones!

Team Explorer have been learning a variety of small ball skills through many different games. 

Students in Room 10 spent time with Siobhan Wilsher exploring the qualities of clay. They created spacecraft and learned how to add features for effect.

Jo Hedges is working with an enthusiastic group of Year 3 & 4 students teaching them how to get great sounds from their ukuleles.

On the 3rd of May Judi Billcliff  came to Bluestone School.

Room 11 started off the term with a closer look at the new solar panels which had been installed over the holidays. We were very impressed! 

Students at Bluestone will be able to view the school's energy usage online so they they can understand the times when we use most of our power and can see when we need to make more effort to save wastage 

Over the holiday period Bluestone School is changing all lighting to LED. Substantial solar panelling is being installed so that Bluestone will generate a significant amount of the energy we use.

Crest Clean clean our rooms at Bluestone and over the past term held a competition to recognise the rooms that were left the tidiest at 3pm. Winning rooms were shouted pizza by Crest Clean.

To end the term tamariki and their whanau came together to celebrate the first term of R21 learning through a bilingual approach.

In Room 11 we have been learning about why we wear poppies on ANZAC day and why we have dawn parades. We painted poppies this week as a way to show our respect because ANZAC day is in our school holidays this year. 

Reading Together is a research-based workshop programme for parents, children, teachers and librarians. It helps parents to support their children's reading at home.

What's happening in Te Tahi.

Arwen and Hayden showed that effort and perseverance can gain wonderful results. Both students train for long periods of time, three days a week and this commitment allowed them to gain top placings.

Over the past week Ian Poulter (Principal), Vicki Zonnevylle (Associate Principal), and Iain Bamber (Board Chair) have had the wonderful opportunity to hear some of the leading authorities in the world address issues and discuss innovations around developing strong Educational Leadership.

What a perfect day to spend on the water in Caroline Bay learning the skills of kayaking and yachting. The sun was shining, the water gently rippling against the rocks and the wind light enough to fill a sail for a short thrill, yet not strong enough to scare the inexperienced.

The students from Team Explorer ran at Westend Park in their annual Cross Country.

In Room 17 no bread makers or electric mixers.  We made hot cross buns the old way.

Room 12 visited the museum to learn about how technology has changed over time.

From storytelling to writing - what an exciting and action packed week we have had.

We had a great time meeting up with our big buddies.

This week we have experienced many different writing techniques in Room 11. Dip pens were our favourite! We enjoyed making our dip pens and using indian ink to try them out. 

Book Week and Writer's Week was an opportunity for children and families to share their enthusiasm for reading and writing.

As part of Writers Week we have had a lot of exciting visitors and items from the past and present at school. Today despite the rain students were able to see up close 3 amazing cars.

 Banqer is an online class banking site where you can earn money, get fines, be taxed and you can get a weekly income. The students in Room 20 have used this site so we can become  more prepared for future banking.                                       The students in Room 20 receive a weekly income of $50 by doing their class job.  In return we pay Miss Ryan $20 a week for our rent to keep our desks, if you want to sit with your friends that is an extra $10 a week.                       You have two accounts, a savings account and an expenses account. If you have a lot of money in your expenses account you get taxed on it and if you have money in your saving account you gain interest on that money. Room 20 is learning about savings and interest and tax.                        We are really enjoying Banqer because it gives the feeling of real banking in a classroom situation. Banqer has encouraged us to be wise with our money and not get fined for breaking the rules like calling out or not doing our classroom jobs.                                                                     By Toby Clemett and Zac McLenann.

Room 8 found out just how hard it was to write in the olden days. Find out how. 

In Room 7 we have been learning about the traditional Kai Tahu legend of Aoraki .

Revisiting the past is providing lots of discussion and ideas for writers at Bluestone

The first group of Stepping to Success kindy buddies is in full swing at Westend and Kowhai kindergartens.

Even though Noah is only 9 he has won the Under 17 B Grade Club Champs!

Bluestone's Manawanui performed with real distinction to the appreciation of Librarians gathered in Timaru for their national conference.

Team Explorer students ran their cross country course at West End Park in preparation for their big day on Thursday 31 March.

The Variety Bash rolled through Timaru raising money to be spent on the youth of New Zealand. Bluestone students benefitted.

Our sport teams will be proudly showing their new look this season.

The sandpit is a great place to be!

Team Explorers' Cross Country will be held at                  West End Park on Thursday 31st March at 10:50am.          Postponement day Friday 1st April.

We cooked over 300 sausages to raise valuable funds to support our local Cancer Society.

Our wonderful art work and poems.

Cayden, Ella and Connor Devery competed in Christchurch, swimming cycling and running against several hundred competitors.

Each year at Bluestone we have focus weeks to motivate learning. Coming up, Writers' and Book week will include some great activities and igniters.

Our first game sense session for the year.

Izaiah enjoying a magical music session with ribbons.

Two young students presented great examples of writing.We hope you enjoy their words

Introducing the wonderful, talented and hardworking Team Explorer School Councillors for Term 1, 2016. 

Bluestone make finals once again!

Last Friday a number of Bluestone Students took part in the triathlon at St Andrews School.

Our new Year 6 Peer Mediators are trained and ready to go!

Romero Britto is Romero a Brazilian artist, painter, serigrapher and sculptor. He combines elements of cubism, pop art and graffiti painting in his work, using vibrant colours and bold patterns as a visual expression of hope and happiness.

During Term 1 the students have been developing their Tennis skills.  Being a well resourced school enables every student to have their own racket and to make the most out of their skill lessons.

Room 21's Year 5 students join room 14 every week for curriculum sharing, singing and assemblies. Most recently they have visited to share old Artefacts brought in by students in Room 14.

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning all five classes in our pod get together and sing. 

Our Creative Creatures Room 1 and Room 6 students enjoy the opportunities to develop their creative thinking and co-operative skills through Discovery Time Learning every Thursday afternoon.

EOTC is alive and well in the High Flyers' pod after the second successful overnight camping experience.

Come and see our wonderful art work!

The introduction to our term one unit topic 'The Changing Face of South Canterbury' was our field trip focus.

Our cricket teams enjoyed watching the skills and abilities of International Test players in Christchurch.

Students had a sizzling time on Friday 19th taking part in the interclass Stir Fry Challenge. The competition was to develop and cook a fantastic stir fry recipe from scratch using the vegetables grown in the school garden. All working towards building sustainable thinking and being creative, students had their thinking caps on during the past week researching what makes a great stir fry. Two teams were selected from each class to cook off in the challenge.

Riding to Twizel and back in 3 days sounds like hard work doesn't it? Add battling into a strong head wind and you know what commitment is.

Mr Finlayson has organised several sleepovers for Year 5-6 children. The Home & School have kindly purchased camping equipment. 

The programme encourages children to recognise emergencies, seek help and provide valuable first aid while reducing the fear and anxiety for children when faced with an emergency.

Year 5-8 students were treated to a performance by the Timaru Youth Band.

Room 5 has a visitor that is eating all day!

With an overwhelming response to this experience and only ten spaces available for students to participate, Mr Fin has decided to run two separate nights this term. The first night being Thursday 18th of February and the second being Thursday 25th of February.

We are very fortunate to be a very well resourced school and in High Flyers we have 15 chrome books available for each class to use at all times. Students are also encouraged to bring along their own devices, if they have them.

A huge thank you for your support for our mufti day. The gold coin donation raised an amazing $692 to be given to local charities via the Charity Bike Ride.

At the start of every year Bluestone families bring their tea to school. Children show their parents their classroom and introduce their teacher.

Help us keep your children safe!