Author Archives: Nicky Dunlop

Kauri Update: Week 11, Term 1

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 In this post:

  • Staffing change in Kauri
  • Inquiry presentations
  • Maths club change of day
  • Looking ahead to term 2
  • Uniform reminder
  • Technology fun

Welcome to Kate McGregor!

We are looking forward to Kate starting with us next term. Kate will take over from Nicky who will slip into her release teacher role. Kate has considerable experience teaching in Year 7 & 8 and is returning to teaching after a short stint of maternity leave.



Inquiry presentations

This week we have been most impressed by the learning our tamariki have shared as part of their term 1 inquiry. Each child selected a leader, researched and reflected on how that leader displays some of the 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'. They also reflected on the lessons they can apply to their own life based on their research findings. You may like to ask your child to show you their presentation. 

Maths Club

It has been great to see so many children at maths club this term. The focus of this group is on extension and problem solving in maths. From next term we will meet on a Friday morning at 8:20am.

Looking ahead to term 2 in Kauri

Every term in Year 7 & 8 is a busy one and term 2 is no exception!
  • Our inquiry, that is based on change this year, will have a visual art and science focus
  • We will start cross country training in week 1, with the school cross country happening on Friday May 23rd, starting at 10:45.
  • Winter sport teams will be sorted in the first few weeks, with winter sport starting in week 4 on Thursday afternoons. If you can help with coaching, please fill in this form.
  • In week 2 we will be welcoming presenters from Blake VR to leader about 'Threats to our Moana'.
  • Our Passions Programme on Fridays continues, with options this term including: rugby league, ukulele for beginners, felt making, board games, buddies and rippa rugby

Uniform Reminder

Sun-hats can now be stored away for the winter. Please make sure your child has a warm school jacket: either the red polar fleece or our black senior jacket, ready for the start of term. A few non-uniform hoodies have been making their way to school. Please remind your child to come in the correct uniform.  Our second hand uniform shop is temporarily in the Green Room, to the right of the hall entrance and is open during term time from 2:45 - 3:15pm on Mondays and 8:45 - 9:15am on Fridays.

Technology

This week the children moved to the second (of five) rotation for technology. There was much fun in the food tech room as cupcakes were baked and iced.





We'd like to wish you a safe and happy two weeks with your children at home or away on holiday and look forward to seeing them back at school on Monday April 28th.

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2 Week 8

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 In this post:

  • Best of luck for ShowQuest!
  • Cyber-safey
  • Opera
  • Young Writers
  • Hagley College Year 9 enrolment

ShowQuest:

Jenny and our ShowQuest team have put in countless hours to prepare for tonight's performance. Their 8-minute dance delves into our obsession with phones and cleverly communicates some thought-provoking messages. We wish them all the best!

Cyber-Safety: Awareness of Online Harm:

Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.

Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.

To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link.  

Opera:

Our tamariki responded enthusiastically to the NZ Opera in Schools performance of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love last Thursday. It was a great introduction to opera: not too long, cheeky appealing characters and a story that was easy to follow. Their parting advice for anyone interested in singing performance was to join a choir.



Young Writers:

 See below for great opportunities from the School of Young Writers for the upcoming holidays and term 3.

We have a fabulous lineup of masterclasses for your Year 7 - 13 young writers in the July school holidays and  on Fridays in Term 3
 
Don't delay in signing up as places are strictly limited. 
Due to popular demand, we have increased initial school bookings to allow up to 6 students per school. Please note that the podcasting classes are for a group of 4-6 students. 

A Message from Hagley College:

Enrolment applications for Hagley College Year 9 2025 are closing soon, on Thursday 27 June at midday – ahead of the long Matariki weekend.

Our close-off date is firm and we will not be able to receive any new applications after this date. We are aware that our closing date is a little earlier than for many of the other high schools, so I am just hoping to avoid anyone missing out.

 
If any of your students and their whānau are keen but haven't put an application in yet, they need to go to https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ and click the button to start a new application as soon as possible.


Any questions can be directed to me any time at the below number or email address. I do also have paper copies of the enrolment form here for families who are unable to apply online (though we may be cutting it a little fine to rely on physical post at this point).

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3 Week 7

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 In this post:

  • Ski trip
  • Choice 
  • Playground
  • Save the Date Year 8
  • Passions

Ski Trip

A huge thanks to our fabulous parent crew who supported all of our tamariki to have a fabulous day on the snow. Despite the soggy start at school, we were greeted by calm blue skies when we arrived. The children were fabulous. They followed all of the instructions that were drilled into them before we left, enabling the day to flow smoothly. So many children made so much progress; we were super proud of their achievements and attitude. We have a huge collection of photos which the children can access from home to show you. The media team are also working on a video which we will share soon. 



Choice

This week each homeroom had two sessions with Constable Meg as part of our teaching and learning around making positive choices around drug use. The children have been learning about the different levels of harm that can be caused by drug abuse and the laws and regulations that exist in our country. The children approached this learning with maturity and posed lots of questions for Constable Meg to answer. Constable Meg encouraged the children to talk openly about what they had been learning with whānau.

Another key message from Constable Meg was about how to react if friends were doing something that they felt was unsafe or could become unsafe: get yourself away from the situation. We know that as children enter their preeteen and teenage years, the perception of what your peers think of you has a huge impact on behaviour and that walking away from your friends takes a lot of courage. We thought we would share a useful strategy with you that you can set up with your child to help them make positive choices when with their friends. How it works is that you agree upon a code word between you and your child. This could be anything from 'bananas' to just an 'x'. If your child is ever in a situation where they feel uncomfortable, they text you the code word. On receiving this text, the parent calls their child and says that they need to pick them up and bring them home. The child can outwardly express their disappointment or frustration about this and save face in front of their friends. We thought that this was a strategy that might come in handy at some point during your child's journey into adulthood. 

Playground

Happy first day of Spring! We have been loving this wonderful weather this week and want to make a special mention of all the great lunchtime activities that have been happening. Many students have been playing football with the younger kids and lots of Koru games practises have been happening. We'd love to see this enthusiasm for active play continue. 







Save the Date Year 8

If your child is off to Cashmere High next year, you will want to mark the evening of Wednesday, September 13th from 6pm in your diary. That is the evening that Beckenham Whānau are invited to Cahsmere High to meet with the principal and have your questions answered. More details will be coming to you directly from Cashmere.


Passions

We are fully into the swing of our Friday afternoon passions for Term 3. It has been wonderful having Kate Allan come in to take a coding passion. Here are some photos from our 'paper mache clocks' and 'clay' passions. Lots of wonderful learning and fun being had! 









Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 9

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 In this post:

  • No technology
  • Sport term 2
  • Animal dress-up day pics
  • Passions pics

Technology

There will be no technology this coming Tuesday, as they will be setting up new spaces at Christchurch South Intermediate that day. Children are to arrive at school at the usual time, ready to start learning at 8:55.

Sport in Term 2

Thank you to parents who have offered to help with a winter sports team. Winter sports begins next term on the 25th May and runs for the last 5 weeks of Term 2 and then the first 5 weeks of Term 3. We have had a lot of interest in football and netball, but still need parents to help with a team. If you are able to assist please email sarah.junghenn@beckenham.school.nz.

SPCA Fundraiser

A bit well done to the student council for organising a fabulous Animal Dress-up Day today. $600 was raised, and we also have a huge pile of donations.











Passions


Today we came to the end of our term 1 passion sessions. The children have developed skills and a passion for American football, working with our younger tamariki, coding, photography, science and quilling. Next week, we will outline the passions for term 2.











In our photography passion we have been learning about different shots and angles such as close up and low angle. The students have been enjoying exploring and trying new things. Today we learnt about trick photography, it was highly amusing!









Kauri Whānau Final 2022 Post

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 Well, that's it, we are all done and dusted. We wish you all a safe and super happy holiday. We have loved doing school life with your children this year and wish the 64 wonderful Year 8s all the best, as well as our two departing Year 7s. 

There are a number of Year 8 pencil cases still in the hub. We will be back on site in late January if your child would like to pop in and collect theirs. 

Below are some pics from the Year 8 pool party and today's slip'n'slide.