Kia ora e te whānau,
We can't believe we are nearly halfway through Term 2! There has been lots happening over the last few weeks, and our tamariki have been doing some pretty cool things in the hub. This blog post will cover a few notices, our writing focus, our te ao Māori focus, and what we have been learning about in cyber safety.
Notices
School Closed: Please remember Friday 29th May (Week 6) is a Staff Only Day, and the following Monday 1st June (Week 7) is King's Birthday. School will be closed on these days.
Nut Reminder: A reminder we are a Nut Free Hub. This includes anything containing any sort of nut (e.g. nut muesli bars, nuts in slices, peanut butter, nutella, scroggin mixes etc.) We thank you for your understanding and help with this.
Welcome to Kathryn
As you may be aware, Georgia will be leaving soon to go on maternity leave. Her last day of teaching will be on Friday 12th June (Week 8). We are very excited for this new chapter ahead for Georgia.
We are also excited to share that Kathryn Sutherland will be taking over Georgia's homegroup, and will begin with the class on Monday 15th June. Kathryn is an experienced teacher, having taught both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has recently been working at Oaklands School.
Kathryn will be coming in on Wednesday 27th May (Week 6) to spend the day with Georgia's homegroup as well as with everyone in the hub. We are looking forward to having Kathryn join the Kōwhai team!
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Narrative Writing
This term, we have been working on writing narratives. Our tamariki are developing their skills in planning, organising, and editing their own narratives, while also using descriptive language to make their writing more detailed and engaging for their readers. It has been awesome to see our tamariki showing our school kete values 'We Love Challenge' and 'We Love Learning' in the hard work and effort they have put into their writing.
Te Ao Māori
Recently, we have been focusing on kōwhaiwhai patterns. We have learnt what different patterns there are, the colours of these patterns, where we might find these patterns, and we have also been having a go at drawing the kōwhaiwhai patterns. Below is some information about our kōwhaiwhai patterns:
- Kōwhaiwhai patterns contain Māori history and can be used to tell stories.
- The patterns differ between tribes as they are derived from the environment where the tribe exists.
- The kōwhaiwhai patterns are most often found on the tāhū (ridgepoles) and the heke (rafters), in a wharenui (meeting house).
- The colours used are red, black and white, and each colour has a different mearning. Red represents warmth, blood, and life. Black represents the earth. White represents purity and promise for the future.
- Each symbol within a pattern has a different meaning, and each one is very special to Māori culture.
Cyber Safety
Staying Safe Online: Bullying
One in five young people in New Zealand have been the target of online bullying – it can happen to anyone, and it can be hard for parents and whānau to deal with. Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto takes online bullying seriously and would encourage you to chat to your tamariki’s teacher if you have any concerns about online bullying.
Visit Netsafe’s Online Bullying Advice for Parents to read more.
