We very much enjoyed meeting with so many of you at learning conferences last week. There was lots of information to take in, so here are some reminders.

We are a peanut free hub: 

In order to ensure that safety of all children in our hub, we are a peanut free zone. This includes your child not eating peanuts for breakfast, Monday to Friday. If your child does slip up and finds a peanut product in their lunchbox, they will not be 'in trouble', but need to let a teacher know as soon as they realise this.

Tuesday is an early start:

Roll call on Tuesday is at 8:30am. This is so that children can get to technology at Christchurch South Intermediate on time. There is a school canteen at South, so money can be brought for small purchases.

Forms:

If you did not sign and hand in cyber-safety or bus agreement forms at learning conferences, please get these back ASAP. We have spare copies in the hub. We also need BYOD forms back.

Parents to read:

Please click on the Kete Awards Scheme tab above this message and have a read of what is involved in this new scheme. We will be introducing it to the children this week. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.
Hannah: hannah.elliott@beckenham.school.nz
Jenny: jenny.diggle@beckenham.school.nz
Nicky: nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz

Cooked lunches:

Children are welcome to use the jug, sandwich press or microwave to prepare a hot lunch. It is preferable that this happens just once a week.

Dunedin Camp:

Dates: April 9 - 13. We have enough parent helpers. Children will arrive back at around 6pm on Friday the 13th, which is the last day of school. Cost is still to be confirmed; we hope to get it down to around $250 per child. Contact Vicki in the office if you would like to start weekly payments, or require financial support.

Leadership Camp for Year 8:

March 8-9. This involves a sleepover at school on Thursday the 8th. We will be back at school by 3pm on the 9th.

Devices:

We strongly encourage BYOD. All children using BYOD need to have BYOD forms back to school, signed, before using their device at school. Cell phones are only to come to school if they are needed for parent communication before / after school. They must be switched off and either in bags or handed into the 'Think Tank' (Kauri teacher office).

First day:

We are looking forward to getting underway with the fun and learning in our hub tomorrow. Please make sure that your child has their sunhat, that it is named, and their jacket is also named. Stationery also needs to be named. We have some free exercise books to give the children this week and will let them know what subject to put on each book.


Please don't hesitate to contact us this year if you have any questions of concerns. A happy child can learn. An unhappy child has difficulty learning. The sooner we know about any issue, the better. Though a positive partnership, parent(s) and teacher(s), we want to make this an awesome year for your child.

Waltham Pool tomorrow, Wednesday:

We have checked the raindrop graph on MetService often today. It looks like the rain, if it comes, will settle in around midday. Our plan is to be at Waltham by 11am, for a 45 - 60 minute swim, before walking back to school for the afternoon. Can you please make sure your child has the following packed for tomorrow:

• A raincoat
• Togs and towel in a plastic bag
• Sunscreen
• Sunhat
• Lunch and water bottle. No lunch orders please, just in case the forecast changes and we stay for longer.
• Medication if needed, e.g. asthma and hay fever

Year 8:

We had a lovely time with the Year 8s on Monday evening at the pool and pizza party. Excitement is building rapidly as they approach their final day on Monday. Many thanks for replying to the graduation assembly invitation. The hall will be open soon after 10:30am on Monday, ready for an 11:00am start.

The message below was in the daily notices today. Please encourage / support your child to sort out their google drive.

If you are leaving Beckenham School at the end of the year and want to keep any of your school Drive files or emails, please go to the website below before the end of the term. This website will ensure that all files are properly copied to your personal account. If you are under 13, ask your parents to create an account for you using Google Family Link.

https://takeout.google.com/transfer

Your Beckenham accounts will be permanently deactivated over the holidays so if you don't use the transfer tool, your files will be lost forever.

Walk up to Victoria Park on Thursday:

• Day pack
• Hearty lunch
• Large bottle filled with water
• Sunhat
• Sunscreen
• Rain coat
• Mufti suitable for walking, including sturdy shoes
• Medication if needed, e.g. asthma and hay fever

We very much hope you enjoyed seeing the 'Trials of Alice in Wonderland' this week. We know the children have loved sharing the show with you. We are trying to secure one more audience for next week.  See the end of this post for photos.

Year 8 Pool and Pizza Party

All Year 8s are invited to Jarred's place, 244 Opawa Rd, on Monday afternoon (December 11th). The party will get underway at 4pm. Please arrange to collect your child by 6pm. They are welcome to bring their togs for a swim if they would like to.

Waltham Pool Trip

We have our fingers crossed that the current weather forecast for Wednesday, December 12th, will shift and that we will get a fine day to enjoy at the pool. We will be walking down at Waltham Pool late morning and returning by 3pm. Please make sure your child has a packed lunch and bottle of water. They will also need sunscreen, togs and towel and sunhat. If the rain does come, we will look at some alternative school based fun.

Victoria Park Walk

Rain is also forecast for Thursday December 13th, so more finger and toe crossing! We will be heading off on our tramp up to Victoria Park at 10:30. That day children will need the following:

• day pack
• hearty lunch
• large bottle filled with water
• sunhat
• sunscreen
• rain coat
• mufti suitable for walking, including sturdy shoes

Helpers' Morning Tea and Final School Assembly

Graduation Assembly

Another busy week in the Intermediate Hub is drawing to an end. 

This morning we played three very close games against Carisbrook School. As the team from Carisbook arrived, there was some sharp intaking of breath, when we saw the size and athleticism of a number of their players. The basketball was neck and neck until they drew away from us in the closing minutes of the game. We were comfortably winning the football, until Carisbook came back with two quick goals near the end. Not enough though, and we won that game. The touch was another close game. We were up against a team who play in a weekly Dunedin competition. Our team really stepped up and gave their best effort, however were narrowly defeated. So the trophy makes its way down to Dunedin this year, but we'll be out to win it back at the end of the first term next year. A huge thank you to the PTA who put on a delicious lunch for our visitors. Also a big thank you to Aaron for refereeing the touch and our Cashmere High referees for football and basketball. 

Week 9 Outings

Last week I asked for helpers for two outings on December 13th and 14th. So far one parent has signed up for each trip. As a result we have rethought these trips and altered our plan. Instead of going to Corsair Bay, we will walk down to Waltham pool for lunch and pool time on Wednesday December 13th. With lifeguards at the pool, we will not require parent support for this trip. We have moved the Victoria Park walk to Thursday, December 14th. We will head off at 10:30am and will be back at school by 3pm. Now, this trip we cannot do without your help, so please fill in this form if you can join us. For many of you, this could be the last opportunity to help out on a school trip.  We really don't want to have to cancel this trip.

The Trials of Alice in Wonderland

Today we performed in front of an audience for the first time, in costume with most of the props. The show is coming together well and we are excited to be sharing it with you next week. All children need to be at school by 6:45pm on Monday evening, for a 7pm start. Some will need to be here earlier for makeup. We will let those children know tomorrow. Bring your family and friends and a gold coin, for an entertaining evening. We will be performing again on Thursday evening.

Canterbury Triathlon

Theatre Sports Finals:

• St Thomas of Canterbury
• St Andrew’s College
• Beckenham School
• Christchurch South (A)
• Burnside High School (A)
• Motueka High School (Nelson Winners)

We have had a twintastic day at school today! Thanks to the parents who supported their children to get their matching outfits together. Check out the photos at the end of this blog.

Between now and the end of term there is lots happening for our students. The events are listed below, along with details and requests for parent help. Please click each link to record if you can help.

Thursday November 30: Carisbrook School sports exchange (morning)

20 children and a crew of parents / teachers will be arriving from Carisbrook School in Dunedin, at 9am, for a morning of sport. The children will play basketball, football and touch. At the end of the morning we will provide them with lunch, before they make their way back to Dunedin. If you are able to help with lunch preparation, please click on this link.

Monday December 4: The Trials of Alice in Wonderland (7pm start for everyone)

Our show is getting to the exciting stage now, with wonderful singing and a hive of creative activity in our hub this afternoon. Opening night is just over a week away! All children are required at both shows. Bring your whānau along for a highly entertaining evening, all for the cost of a mere gold coin. Come along and enjoy the opening night.

Wednesday December 6: Canterbury Athletics

We have a team of eight from Year 7 & 8 travelling to Ashburton for this event. Jenny will be contacting you directly with details.

Thursday December 7: The Trials of Alice in Wonderland (7pm start for everyone)

Our final show will be preceded by a whole school picnic. Families are invited to come to the picnic and carry on to the show afterwards. We could end up with a bumper audience for our final show.

Year 8 Pool and Pizza Party

This is a special afternoon for the Year 8s to have fun together. Jarred will be hosting this party at his place. Start time is 4pm and collection time is 6pm. Children are welcome to bring their togs if they would like to swim.

Wednesday December 13: Walk to Victoria Park

We will be leaving school at 10:15am to walk up the hill to Victoria Park. Once there we will have lunch and play, before heading back down. We will be back at school by 3pm. Children wear mufti on this day. We need a small team of parent helpers to accompany us. Please click on this link if you can help.

Thursday December 14: Trip to Corsair Bay

We have our fingers and toes crossed for a warm and sunny day on the 14th for our trip to Corsair Bay.  Children again come in mufti and bring their togs and towel. We will have supervised swimming in the bay, games on the beach, a walk around to Cass Bay and chilling with friends. We are looking for parent helpers, both for on the beach and in the water. Please indicate on the form how you would prefer to help. We will be departing from school at 10:30 and will be back by 3pm.

Monday December 18: Leavers' Graduation Assembly

There will be an invitation sent out to Year 8 families next week for this event. Children come to school at the usual time, dressed in their best clothes. The assembly starts at 11am and generally runs for around 80 - 90 minutes. After the assembly there will be a luncheon provided by the PTA for Year 8 children and their parents. After the lunch, primary/intermediate school is all done and dusted for the Year 8s. Year 7 continue until 12:30 on the following day.

Home Learning

A reminder that home learning this week is finishing off information reports and presenting these. All instructions are on google classroom. Children are welcome to come to school early, or stay after school if they need access to the internet. Work is due to be completed by Friday.

Fun at our multiples day...