Author Archives: Sandy Hastings, Principal, Beckenham School

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Monday 24th May

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Staffing update:

We are delighted to announce that Jo Smith has been offered, and has accepted, the permanent position of Deputy Principal. Jo has been acting in this role since the start of the year, and we are all thrilled to have her skills and wisdom in this role going forward.


Effective Inclusion Education Partners...

We have been working with the team at Ferndale School as a host school to their satellite class students for over 30 years. Our model of working together as a staff has been held up as an effective model of good practice, and written up in this article which has just been published:

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Week 4:
Tue 25 May - Zone Cross Country, at Halswell Quarry
Wed 26 May - PTA Meeting 7.30 - 9.30pm
Thu 27 May - Board of Trustees Meeting 5.30 - 7.30pm
Fri 28 May - Celebration Assembly
Sat 29 May - Quiz night fundraiser 7pm (SOLD OUT)

Week 5:
Thu 3rd Jun - South Zone Winter Sport
Fri 4 Jun - Koru Art Gallery Trip

Week 6:
Mon 7 Jun - Queens Birthday (School Closed)
Tue 8 Jun - Staff Only Day (School Closed)
Thu 10 Jun - South Zone Winter Sport
Fri 11 Jun - Celebration Assembly
Fri 11 Jun - PTA Disco

Term Dates

Click here to view 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Nevannah Ashworth - Year 8

Nevannah, you are such a ray of sunshine within our kura. You are always the first to lend a hand to those in need, and your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated by all those around you. The way you embrace learning opportunities is a credit to your determination, and drive to succeed. 

School Notices

Mana Ake “Drop-Ins” are continuing…

A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins” that are available on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30am. These drop-in sessions are here to provide parents with an opportunity to have a private, informal conversation around the well being of their child with one of our Mana Ake workers (kaimahi). If you feel like you would like to attend a drop-in session, please book in a time via the link here: Mana Ake booking.  The code to use is 88t39. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.

ShowQuest 2021 - Year 7 & 8

Last Monday our Year 7 & 8 students performed in ShowQuest. What a fabulous day had by all. A huge thanks to all of the parents who supported during the day, and the teachers who put a lot of time in to each performance over the last few weeks. Our Beckenham supporters in the audience on the night were also complimented on their enthusiasm and shoutouts! It was fabulous to see everyone come together and contribute to put on an amazing show. 




Students participated by performing, doing sound and lighting - and we even had our wonderful Chef Luke whipping up some delicious treats to be shared with all of our incredible performers.

Mana Ake

Staff Profiles

Introducing our Koru Team, who are our first team to introduce themselves using Te Reo Māori. All of us as staff are challenging ourselves to improve on our use of Te Reo Māori - and model the use of this to our students. What great role models they are! Ka pai!

 

Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)






Further update about the Chickenpox vaccination

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A bit more information about the chickenpox vaccine:
Unless you have paid to have your child vaccinated against chickenpox, it appears that the addition of the chickenpox vaccine to the register will not have provided vaccination for all but the very newest of our current school-aged children:


The vaccine for chickenpox was added to the National Immunisation Schedule on 1 July 2017.

Immunisation
One dose of chickenpox vaccine is free for children aged 15 months. It is also free for children turning 11 years of age who have never been infected with or previously immunised against chickenpox.

BirthDate / Eligibility

From 1 April 2016 onwards
All children are eligible for one free dose when they turn 15 months of age.

From 1 July 2006 to 31 March 2016
Those who haven't been infected or previously immunised against chickenpox are eligible for one free dose when they turn 11 years of age.

Those with medical conditions that put them at high risk of chickenpox, such as patients before organ transplant or after chemotherapy, are eligible for two free doses of chickenpox vaccine, regardless of age.

For everyone else, chickenpox immunisation is available in New Zealand at a cost. Talk to your doctor if you’d like the chickenpox vaccination for you or your child.

Health notice – we have a case of chickenpox at school

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One of our students in Kahikatea has been confirmed as having chickenpox.

This email is just to give you a heads up, particularly if your child hasn't been vaccinated for whatever reason, including if they have come to New Zealand after living overseas.

All children in New Zealand can have chickenpox immunisation at 15 months of age. It is part of the National Immunisation Schedule. Most people who have this vaccine will not get chickenpox. If an immunised person does get chickenpox, it is usually mild.

I have taken some key points about chickenpox from the KidsHealth website, and you can read more information here if you need it: KidsHealth: Chickenpox

Key Points to Know about Chickenpox:

  • chickenpox is a common childhood illness caused by a virus
  • it is very easy to catch
  • most cases of chickenpox are mild and children get better completely
  • your child needs to see a doctor if they have a very high fever or are very ill, particularly if they become very drowsy, or are breathing fast or vomiting a lot
  • children with chickenpox need to stay home from school and daycare
  • chickenpox can sometimes cause serious complications

Early symptoms:

Chickenpox can often start with the following symptoms:
  • a fever
  • a headache
  • a runny nose
  • a cough
  • loss of appetite
  • feeling tired


ShowQuest – update on Order and projected finish time…

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I have just heard from Nicky and the order of performance for the evening has just been drawn.

There are 7 schools performing and our students are the final performers.

Please go into the Town Hall foyer and up the stairs to the Victoria Room on the top level to collect your child and sign them out with their home group teacher.

The teachers will have them in home groups. We expect the evening to conclude and children to be able to be released between 8:45 and 9pm.

In an emergency, you can contact Nicky Dunlop on 027 622 9403

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 16th April

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

What a busy and long term this has been! Thank you to all of the staff for their huge commitment to our tamariki, and especially to our teacher for the massive week they have put in this week with Learning Conferences going into the evening on both Monday and Wednesday. Thank you too to all of the children and whānau who participated in Learning Conferences. The information sheets that you received at learning conferences are the first report of this year. We are expecting the next report to be through our new digital platform - HERO - during Term 3. 


Great to see continued progress on our new classroom blocks.

School Website - Literacy Learning Page

We have updated our website with a new section on Literacy Learning. We will continue to add resources and information to this page.


New Staff for Term 2

Next term we will be welcoming three new staff to the school. 
Chelsea Carmichael will be joining the Koru (New Entrant) Team where she will start the third home group of new entrants who start next term. Chelsea is a Highlanders fan from Mosgiel and has been teaching in Melbourne for the past 10 years.



We also will be welcoming two new teaching assistants to the school - Sonya Watson and Charmaine Pedersen. (photos to come next term!

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Fri 16 Apr: - Last day of Term 1

School Holidays

Term 2, Week 1:
Fri 7 May - Welcome Assembly 

Week 2: 
Tue 11 May - Whole School Cross Country
Thu 13 May - Cross Country (postponement date)

Week 3:
Mon 17 May - Show Quest Year 7 & 8
Thu 20 May - 12-3pm - South Zone Winter Sport
Fri 21 May - Staff Only Day (School Closed)

Term Dates

Click here to view 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Cassia Turner-Germon - Year 4

Cassia, you are amazing. You have a growth mindset and tackle challenges with a positive attitude! Ka pai! This makes you a role model for others in our kura. You are kind and caring, and always there for others. You show initiative in the way that you volunteer to help out and find different ways of problem solving. We look forward to seeing your lovely smile each day. Keep being your fantastic self. 

School Notices

Are you planning a big clean up during the holidays?

If so, you may have some items you might like to donate to our Koru Team to use in their Learning Through Play. 
We would love…
Old toy cars and vehicles
Sandpit toys including buckets, watering cans, spades, dump trucks, diggers etc.
Old baking equipment you no longer need for our mud kitchen
Bits of downpipe, guttering or other plumbing parts to use in the sandpit
Dolls clothes (to fit 41cm dolls or prem size babies), prams etc.
Pop up tent
Knights and dragons for our castles
Lego or Duplo
Surplus craft supplies
Plastic animals

If there is anything else you come across that you think may be suitable,  please see or email one of the Koru Team.

Showquest

Show Quest rehearsals are in full swing and the children are responding really positively to the challenge. Below is information about purchasing tickets to the show and important costuming information. Our performance date is Monday May 17th. On this day the children will be at the Town Hall from 10am until after their performance in the evening. 

Tickets
Please visit Ticketek to order your tickets. If you can't make the show, there will be a video.

Sports News

Cross Country

Our whole school cross country is coming up at the start of next term. This will be held on Tuesday the 11th of May in the afternoon. 

Seniors will have an earlier lunch and start first. The Junior students will start later in the afternoon. Timings will be confirmed during Week 1 of the term and sent out to you via the school newsletter. 

We encourage all the students to embrace our school value "We Love Challenge" and to try their very best. While for the majority this will be participating as a runner, there will be additional ways to make sure all our tamariki are involved in the event. Teams have started our practises already and will continue during the first week of Term 2. We know that some children will enjoy practising over the holidays. Happy running! 

Congratulations

Congratulations to our own Paul McKinnel who, with his team, won the Canterbury Club Championship, the Watson Shield, last weekend. We wish Paul and his team all the best for the National Club Championships this coming weekend!

Paul (in the blue cap, centre of the photo)

Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)

The Big Little Theatre Company

There are 2 shows in Christchurch, 1 at the Little Andromeda Theatre on the 22nd of April, and 1 at the Isaac Theatre Royal on the 23rd of April.

So what is the show about you ask?  It’s a  comedy of falsehoods, wit and questionable societal norms, Big Little Theatre Company's reimagining of Oscar Wilde's the Importance of Being Earnest will have you laughing out loud and hungry for a muffin.

Jack is in love with Gwendolen. Algernon is in love with Cecily. Cecily is Jack's ward. Gwendolen is Algernon's cousin. Jack told Gwendolen his name was Earnest. Algernon told Cecily his name was Earnest. Neither Jack nor Algernon are actually called Earnest but of course Gwendolen and Cecily both think their love is called  Earnest. Maddie and Morgan can't find Earnest anywhere on Instagram, someone misplaced a baby and Quin is just happy to be here. 

Confused? Good. You’ll just have to come along for a fun filled evening out to make sense of just who Earnest is and why he is so important.