Author Archives: Anna Reid

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 6

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Kia ora e te whānau,

It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 6 of Term 3! Life in the Kōwhai hub continues to be busy, with plenty happening each week. There is never a dull moment, but all of the exciting opportunities are certainly keeping us on our toes!

Life Education

We are excited to welcome Harold and the Life Education bus to Beckenham in Weeks 8 and 9! Each homegroup will have two sessions, with the overall theme focusing on relationships with others.

The first session will explore peer pressure and strategies for managing it, while the second session will focus on understanding and coping with change. We are looking forward to some valuable learning and discussions with Harold!



Kapa Haka Performance


In Week 10, Kōwhai will be performing at assembly and we are currently putting in lots of practise to perfect our songs. If you would like to come and see the children perform, Celebration Assembly will be in the hall at 10am. We look forward to seeing you there to support our tamariki.

Dance

Since the beginning of the term, we have been enjoying weekly dance lessons, with each homegroup learning a different dance to a different song. We are hoping to showcase our dances in Week 10, although we are still finalising exactly what this will look like and when the performance will take place. As soon as we have more details confirmed, we will let you know. The children have been loving their dance sessions and are very excited to show off their moves!

Large Ball Skills


Following on from our focus on small ball skills last term, we have now started developing our large ball skills. The children are working on their passing, catching and dribbling, building their control and confidence with a large ball. They are also learning the basic techniques and rules of invasion games, including how to work as a team, maintain possession and move into space to score. We have had one session so far, and the children are loving it!

Beckenham's Got Talent


It’s that time of year again when we get to brush up on our skills and showcase our talents! The children are currently busy practising their acts in preparation for auditions in Week 8, which will take place during Discovery time. Three acts will then be selected to perform in the finals on the last day of term. We are all very excited to see the wonderful talents our children have to share!

Discovery


Our Discovery Time sessions have continued to be a favourite part of the week, giving the children the opportunity to explore, create, problem-solve and learn through a range of hands-on activities. The children have enjoyed getting stuck into activities such as playdough, chess, pom-pom making, drawing, building and creating. These sessions encourage children to follow their interests, develop their creativity and perseverance, and work collaboratively with others. It has been wonderful to see the children using their imaginations, trying new things and proudly sharing what they have created!











Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team






















Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 9

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Kia ora e te whānau,

We are quickly approaching the end of the term, and it is a very busy time in the hub. Student reports will be available today, and Learning Conferences will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have not yet booked a conference for your child, there is still time to do so. If you need any assistance with booking, please contact your child's homegroup teacher, who will be happy to help.

Welcome, Kathryn!

We are delighted to welcome Kathryn Sutherland to our team. Kathryn joined us this week and has taken over Georgia's homegroup. She has spent the past week getting to know the children in her class, as well as the wider hub. We are thrilled to have her on board and look forward to her contributions to our team.

Descriptive Writing

In writing, we have been focusing on descriptive language, using our senses to describe what we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. We have been learning how to make our writing more engaging by including a range of adjectives and are beginning to explore similes, using them to create vivid images for our readers.


Midwinter Breakfast

Next Wednesday, the PTA will be hosting a Midwinter Breakfast. If you and your children would like to join in, breakfast will be served from 8:00 am. There will be plenty of warm, delicious porridge for everyone to enjoy!


Funky Hair Day

On the last day of term, the Student Council will be holding a Funky Hair Day to raise funds for Starship Hospital. Children are invited to come to school with a fun and creative hairstyle and bring a gold coin donation to support this worthwhile cause. Please note that students are still required to wear their school uniform.


Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year - and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!
It's important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.
Read their scam tips here.


Word Cup Fever

As many of you may already know, the FIFA World Cup kicked off last Friday. The children and teachers in the Kōwhai hub have been enthusiastically following the tournament, tracking match results on our World Cup board and discussing the games together. We have also enjoyed watching some of the matches before school in the mornings. It has been a fantastic way to share in the excitement of this global event and has sparked lots of lively conversations throughout the hub.



Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team


Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 3

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Kia ora e te whānau,


The weather is turning cooler, and the days are becoming shorter. However, there is plenty going on at Beckenham in the Kōwhai team!

Cross Country

Last Friday, May 1st, we held the long-awaited cross-country run. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was out, and the excitement was high!


Our Kōwhai students took on the challenge of a 700 meter course, completing two full laps of Beckenham Park. It was fantastic to watch them compete and their grit and determination were clear to see. Our Beckenham kete values were on full display, with tamariki showing We Love Challenge and We Get There Together. The cheering and sportsmanship from the sidelines was lovely to see too.


A big thank you goes to Kate McGregor and the Sports Team for their organisation behind the scenes, the day ran like clockwork. 


Finally, a huge thank you goes out to all the whānau and caregivers who joined us on the day. Having a cheering squad in the sunshine made all the difference for our tamariki. 













Inquiry Learning: Writing Our Pepeha

This term for our Inquiry learning, we have been focusing on writing our pepeha. A pepeha is a traditional Māori way of introducing yourself. It is used to tell others who you are and where you come from. 


Thank you to all of the parents and caregivers that have worked together with their tamariki to fill in the blank parts of their pepeha form that was sent home. 


At school, we have been working hard to write our pepeha, to understand the different elements, and finally to practice saying it aloud to others. It is wonderful to see the tamariki learning and sharing about themselves.





Eating At School

This is a friendly reminder for all tamariki to remember to have a nutritious breakfast at home each morning. We are noticing an increase in the number of children who are coming to school and are eating from their lunchboxes before school starts. 


Each day, we are actively reminding the children that there are times when we eat at school. We encourage the children to wait until the allocated times to eat, which are morning tea and lunchtime.


Staying Safe Online

The HDCA for Parents and Whānau

The Harmful Digital Communications Act (or HDCA for short) is an act passed by the Government back in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers anything digital like text, emails or social media content.


The most useful thing for parents to understand about the HDCA is the way the 10 communication principles define what is good or bad behaviour online.


If you’re ever concerned about your young person (or you just want to brush up on your knowledge!) visit Netsafe’s Guide to the HDCA. 



Kind regards,


The Kōwhai Team

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto













Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 1

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Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome back to Term 2! 

We have an action-packed term ahead, starting with our whole school Cross Country event next Friday and our annual Readathon fundraiser. The Kōwhai children have settled in really quickly to the new term with our well-established routines, enabling a smooth start.

Cross Country

Next Friday, we will be holding our whole-school cross country event, which students have been preparing for since the end of last term. Please ensure your child comes dressed in suitable clothing and footwear for the day. Thank you!

Schedule:

  • Year 4 Boys – 11:00am
  • Year 4 Girls – 11:07am
  • Ferndale – 11:14am
  • Year 3 Boys – 11:21am
  • Year 3 Girls – 11:28am

We look forward to seeing you there to support and cheer on the children!









Readathon

Next week, our annual Readathon fundraiser begins. Your child/children should have brought home their sponsorship form today. Please take some time to discuss the Readathon with your child/children. You might like to help them set a daily reading goal and encourage them to gather sponsorship from family and friends. Over the following 14 days, you can record their reading progress together.

It’s also been suggested to set aside a regular time at home to 'Stop, Drop and Read' which is a wonderful way to get the whole family involved. Thank you very much for your support!

Nut Free Zone

A reminder to all that our hub is completely nut free. This includes any spreads in sandwiches that contain nut products (nutella, peanut butter), any muesli bars containing nuts, slices or biscuits with nuts in them, and any other products that might make their way into lunch boxes that have traces of nuts within them. If you are unsure, please read the back of packets to double check the ingredients. Thank you for your support with this. 

Hand Washing

As the winter months approach, we are placing a strong emphasis on washing hands after break times and before eating morning tea and lunch. We have been discussing how this helps keep everyone healthy in the weeks ahead. Through this, we are demonstrating that We Get There Together, We Make A Difference, and We Care!

Fleeces

This is just a reminder that as it gets colder, please can you ensure that your child/children are bringing a school uniform fleece to school every day so they can enjoy learning and playing outside in the colder months. Thank you!

Team Hui

Every Friday at the end of the day in the Kōwhai hub, we come together for a celebratory Team Hui. During this time, we recognise our learning and achievements, present certificates, share any important notices, and enjoy singing together. It’s a wonderful way to wrap up the week, and the children have really loved gathering and singing as a group.

Cyber Safety

Random Chat Online

How do random chat websites work? And what are the risks for tamariki using them?
Random chat websites, like Chatroulette, pair users randomly through text or webcam conversations. The appeal is getting
to talk to someone new that the user would never meet. But these websites are designed for adults and often allow nudity
and other inappropriate content from users.
If you’re concerned that your young person might be exposed to these sites or you want to introduce parental controls, you
can find out more on Netsafe’s Random Chat Websites page. 

Have a great ANZAC holiday weekend!

From the Kōwhai team

Kōwhai News Term 1 Week 4

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Kia ora e te whānau,

Here is the latest news from the Kōwhai team!


School Uniform


Thank you for ensuring that your children are wearing the correct school uniform to school each day. Here is the link to the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto uniform guideline. There is an extensive range of reasonably priced second-hand uniform items available through our School PTA Uniform Shop. Please contact the school office for current opening hours.


A reminder that all children are to bring their sunhats to school each day. We really appreciate your support. As you know, staying sun smart is important. Any children who forget their hats will need to remain under the hall verandah during break times, with duty teachers supporting and reminding students as needed.


Kapa Haka Performance

The Kōwhai hub will be performing kapa haka at our celebration assembly on Friday 13th March. If you would like to see your child/children perform, assembly will be in the hall at 10am.


Top Team

What a fantastic afternoon we had! It was wonderful to see so much energy at Top Team. The true highlight was seeing our school kete values in action. Despite a few splashes and some soggy uniforms, our tamariki were amazing, navigating obstacles, displaying teamwork and cheering each other on with kindness.

Events like this simply wouldn't be possible without our community. A huge thank you to our wonderful parent helpers. Your time and energy ensured everything ran smoothly, and we are so grateful for your ongoing support of our tamariki. Nau mai te whero - We Love Challenge! 

Here are some photos from the day.

Maths & Literacy Groups


We are now full steam ahead with learning in the Kòwhai hub! This week we started learning in our new maths groups for the year. Next week, we will be starting our literacy groups. 


Please be aware that only the children working on the structured literacy programme will be bringing a book home from school to read each week. We continue to encourage all children to read at home and to make use of the school and public libraries to find new and interesting books to read.


Scooter Opportunity


As you will remember, on Thursday 19th March, a representative from the Christchurch City Council will be visiting our school to run a Scooter Skills programme throughout the day. Tamariki will participate in 45-minute sessions in groups of 20. As we are required to supply our own scooters, and it would be impractical to have 100 scooters at school on the day.


We are kindly asking if five more families would be willing to lend a scooter for the day. All scooters would be returned at the end of the day. Thank you to the families who have already volunteered their scooters. If you are able to help, please let your child’s homegroup teacher know. All children need to bring a helmet for the scooter skills day.


Staying Safe Online

As our tamariki spend more time online, it’s important parents and whānau help them

stay safe. Now is a great time to talk to them about how we use the internet and digital

technology.


Netsafe has created an Online Safety Parent Toolkit so parents, families and whānau have

all the information they need to talk about online safety.


If you or anyone in your whānau needs support, you can contact Netsafe.

Have a great weekend!


The Kōwhai Team

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto