Quinoa and cricket

Daylight saving has ended and it's great having more light in the mornings, no excuses now for arriving at school with clothes inside-out!

Our cricket teams finished off the summer sports season with some great games at the inter-school tournament. Winter sports have now begun with the school fielding both hockey and mini-ball teams and many students involved with Saturday sports. For a small school we have some very sporty students.

Room 1 students have now harvested and processed their Quinoa plants, from 6 plants we have 2 cups of this highly nutritious grain. We also have left over seed for further plantings. Our next step is to decide on the best recipe to trial.

This weekend is the 'Blueskin on Show' event, the school will be running the cafe and we will need your support to make this a successful fundraiser!

Also this Saturday, educators from around New Zealand are joining marches and rallies because of concerns about the impact the Government’s education policies are having on children and their learning. Whether it's the rushed and flawed implementation of National Standards, the botched implementation of Novopay, the hasty mergers and closures of schools in Christchurch, the imposition of league tables or the introduction of charter schools that don't have to employ qualified teachers. The Government is being asked to stop, look and listen to the voice of educators and school communities.

Educators from around the country want a strong, vibrant, well-resourced public education system that invests in our children. The intention is to stand up for kids and defend our world-beating education system from failed overseas policies based on privatisation, competition and a one-size-fits-all approach to children's learning.

Unfortunately I am unable to join this rally on Saturday as I will be attending the 'Blueskin on Show' event. However this rally has my full support and if you have any comments or would like to discuss any of these topics please come and talk to me at the show.