Kahikatea Team 2016-11-15 15:51:00

15th November 2016

Dear Whanau

Wearable Arts Performance
Thursday 8th December at 5:30p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

The children have all designed a costume they would like to make for this performance and and are in the process of organising their resources. If you would like to assist with this through sending resources from home (in a named plastic bag) for your child’s costume or making it at home and bringing it in, that would be hugely appreciated. We would appreciate it if resources/costumes could start coming in this week.
If you are available to assist with costume making at school this Friday or next, please see your child’s teacher. You will be helping children who have not made their costume at home by:
  • Assembling costumes
  • Painting
  • Sewing (if you have a machine please bring it in)
We aim to have all costumes completed by the end of next week, Friday 25th November. Each learning group is focussing on a different season as their costume motivation and must ensure they are able to dance in their costume.
Hub 1: Spring
Hub 2: Autumn
Hub 3: Summer
Hub 4: Winter

Thank you for your support with this,
Kahikatea Team

Athletics Day

8th November 2016

Dear Whanau

Junior Athletics Day  – 1:45 - 3:00 Wednesday 30th November 2016

This term we have been working on the foundation skills of athletics. We have had weekly lessons focussing on running, jumping and throwing. On Wednesday 30th November 2016 we would like to invite you along to school to watch the Koru, Kahikatea and Kowhai Junior Athletics at 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. We will start outside the hall on the junior side and move out into Beckenham Park. Children are invited to wear their house colours for the day.

If the weather doesn’t allow, we will postpone it until the following week on Wednesday 14th December 2016. This is a timely reminder to please ensure your child has a hat, drink bottle and is wearing shoes that are comfortable for sports every day.

If you have any questions regarding this please see your child’s teacher or Amy Buick.



Kind regards,
Koru Team, Kahikatea Team and Kowhai Team.             

Kahikatea Team Newsletter Term 4 Week 3

Kia Ora whanau

This term is already zooming by and we can't believe it's the end of the third week already! It is certainly an action packed and exciting term.

Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens 


Hub 1&2 had a fantastic time at the Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens today learning about different types of art and the message they portray. Then we made our own 'Clay Beasts'. We are so proud of the children! They represented Beckenham School brilliantly and we even had some people walking past ask what school we are from as the children are so well behaved. Certainly an excellent example of living our school values.

Here are some snippets of what we did:










"My favourite part in the trip was when we made the clay animals because we got to shape the animals and use tools." Maggie.

"My favourite part was when we got to climb the tree because it was super hard but I managed to do it. I'm showing that 'I love challenge'." Hari.

"When we did the clay beasts we got to learn how to do art and try out new things." Briar.

"When we made the clay beasts we made mistakes and then we could make them into different things." Sophie M.

"My favourite part about the trip was that we got to see all different paintings and we got to answer questions." Cayla.

"I liked every part!" Lola T.

"My favourite bit was when we made the clay beasts because my Mum helped me make a clay turtle and it was really hard. I had to mould it into the right shape." Lauren.

"I liked making the clay beasts because it was fun and it was hard to do." Sophie C.






Demolition Writing

Here are some more pieces of writing from our impressive author's:

School Rebuild

It is big! It is loud! It's a digger... with a claw! That claw is like a tyrannosaurus-rex mouth - teeth! The claw went smash, bash, crash! The boom swung around like a dinosaurs neck!

By Ben Scallan

Demolition

Ahhhhhh! Beckenham School is being demolished by a dinosaur (the digger). He has sharp teeth and ferocious eyes. Thud went the couch into the yellow container. It was soo amazing! I thought it was going to come out but luckily the fence was there to keep us safe. 

By Cayla Digan

Wearable Art


We have launched into our exciting Arts topic this term, focussing around seasons and wearable art. We are starting to learn dances related to the seasons and will be starting to design wearable art costumes to perform to you all in. The team of Kahikatea teachers will be making a visit to Creative Junk to find some costuming items. It would be fantastic if you started talking with your child about what they would like their costume to look like, which season they are focussing on and what they need to consider when designing it to dance in. Please feel free to send costume items from home as well. We will let you know when we will be calling for resources. This is just the planning stage for now. 
We will be having our performance in Week 9 this term - more details to follow. 


Kahikatea Newsletter Term 4 Week 1

PTA Tip Top Fundraiser


The PTA are working hard to try and fill all the shifts for the Tip Top Ice Cream sales fundraiser at the A&P Show in November. Please click on this link to find more information and book a slot: Tip Top A&P Show Fundraiser

Hats


To keep our children safe during the summer months we ask that all children wear a bully brimmed sunhat while outside during learning or play time. This will become compulsory from Week 2 of this term. Children who do not have a sunhat, will be asked to play in the shade during break times. Please support your child in remembering to bring their sunhat.



Art Gallery Visits

Thank you to all the parents and caregivers who have offered to help for this exciting trip. If you can help please hand in the parent help slip to your child's point of contact teacher as soon as possible.


Scooters and bikes

Please continue to remind your children about walking their scooters and bikes in and out of our school grounds. As we have limited space now, it is highly important that we keep each other safe. 



Topic Focus


We are experiencing a lot of change currently at Beckenham School, which has led us to explore the concept of adaptability. The children will gain understandings of how things can adapt in response to change. This week we have adapted to our new environment at school. Some children have adapted to an older brother or sister learning at a different site by being more independent. We have adapted too, by following new rules about where we can and can't play and by taking extra care of each other on the playground. 

We will be looking at adaptations in different contexts too. We will be exploring how we adapt to the different seasons and our new understandings will be presented in a wearable arts performance. To be successful at this we will work with materials, adapting them to suit a new purpose while following the technology process from design to completion. 

Character Poems

Last term we created poems using language features such as metaphors and similes to help us describe a person we know. 

Gail

Gail is like a panda. Cuddly and quiet.
She is blue. She calms everyone down.
Gail is like a silky dress. She is so pretty.
She is a soft blanket. Warm and comfy.
Gail is like an artist. She does awesome paintings.
She is sweet like chocolate cake. 

By a collaborative group of Hub 3 and 4 writers  

Jenny

My teacher Jenny is like a butterfly. Sweet and beautiful.
She is bright yellow like the sun.
Jenny is like a computer. She knows everything.
Jenny is fast on her bike so she is a professional biker.
She is sweet like honey.

By Oliver

Michelle

Michelle is like a wild wolf. She goes around the school to help.
She is white and silver. She's beautiful.
Michelle is like a fairy. She is smart.
Michelle is like candy floss. She's sweet.
I love her!

By Saxon


Kahikatea Newsletter Week 3



Cricket in Week 5

Christchurch Junior Cricket Association will be here to run mini cricket lesson with all the students in Kahikatea. Please send your child/children to school in appropriate footwear and a warm top on Wednesday 24th August:
Session 1 @ 12:00 - 12:30 - R1
Session 2 @ 1:30 - 2:00 - R2
Session 3 @ 2:00 - 2:30 - R3
Session 4 @2:30 - 3:00 - R4


Term 3 Topic Focus: Amazing Asia

We have started our integrated unit topic: Amazing Asia and our students have begun by identifying the countries of Asia using maps and globes to help us develop a sense of place and location!
We have a number families here at Beckenham School who identify as Asian and we'd love to hear from you. Even if you know a little bit (or a lot!) about:


  • The history of your country
  • Information about the climate and the types of food and plants which grow there
  • The unique languages that are spoken or perhaps something related to arts or crafts (e.g. origami), clothing, special celebrations or events...

We would love to hear from you, so do let your hub teachers know. 

Mandarin Language Lessons

Our Mandarin Learning Assistant, Felicia, will be starting sessions next Wednesday morning (17th August). She will do a half hour session with each hub.