What a Brilliant Term 2! 

We've had an absolute blast this term! Our Koru Hub has been filled with laughter, deep learning, and wonderful moments of collaboration. It's been incredible watching our tamariki strengthen their friendships and work so beautifully together. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to welcome our third home group to the Koru team next term. Thank you for a fantastic term!

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us in the Hall last Wednesday for our PTA Midwinter Breakfast! It was wonderful to see so many cosy pyjamas and smiling faces sharing a morning meal together.

We want to extend a special shout-out to:

• Our Generous Community: Thank you to everyone who brought along a canned food donation to support those in need.
• The Incredible PTA and Volunteers: An extra-large thank you to the amazing team who arrived in the dar, early hours to set up the hall and whip up bowls of delicious warming porridge!

Digitech

On Thursday, we were incredibly fortunate to be able to welcome Kate Sutherland from Digital Future Aotearoa to spend the morning with us.

As part of our Matariki learning, we explored our kura from a different perspective and reflected on the places that are special to us. We began by wondering what our school might look like from above, like a bird in flight, before comparing our ideas with a real aerial view through a drone flight over the kura and park.

Tamariki noticed familiar places in a whole new way and shared their ideas about where we learn, play, and care for our environment. Back inside, they added their own reflections to aerial images of our kura, as well as creating their own bird's eye view drawings, celebrating Tūrangawaewae, our place of belonging.

We also explored digital citizenship and the responsibility that comes with being a safe and ethical drone pilot. We learned to look out for manu (birds), kurī (dogs), and people in the park, while Kate shared some of the Civil Aviation rules that help keep everyone safe.

It was a wonderful morning of noticing, wondering, reflecting, and connecting with our kura through a different lens.

Term 3 information:

Matariki - Wednesday 22 July

Matariki is the start of the Māori New Year and a time of reflection, connection and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto, with you and your whānau on Wednesday, the 22nd of July, 5:30 - 7:00 pm. There will be a welcome and performance in Māpuna, the Hall by Te Whānau Mahi Tahi. Then Matariki workshops and activities in the Hubs for whānau to make, play and experience together. Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai Kapa Haka will perform in Māpuna, the Hall, to finish the evening. 

Scooter-athlon - Friday 7 August

Next term, our Koru Team will take part in an exciting Scooter-athlon on Friday, 7th August, from 1:30 - 3:00 pm. This is the first time this event will take place at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto! Whānau are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki. The Scooter-athlon will follow a run - scooter - run format. Students are encouraged to wear their House T-Shirts, bring their own scooter and helmet, wear closed-toe shoes, and follow safety rules. The Year 7/8 students will act as marshals to help run the event safely. Please note: if it is raining, the Scooter-athlon will be postponed. Any changes will be shared via Hero. Please let your homegroup teacher know if your child does not have a scooter, or if you have a spare one you are happy to lend. We can't wait to see the tamariki scoot, run, and have fun - nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge!

We look forward to seeing you all next term,

Kendall, Nicola, Elizabeth and Stacey

Koru Team News - Term 2, Week 1 

Maths in Term 2

This term, our Y0-2 ākonga (learners) are using Numicon equipment to support their maths learning. Numicon uses equipment which helps make numbers visible (see) and tactile (touch/use), allowing learners to see how numbers are composed (made up of), how they fit together and how they relate to each other.

The ākonga (learners) have been wonderfully engaged in these Numicon sessions. They have been highly motivated to complete the daily activities, explain their thinking mathematically and use their maths vocabulary.

Below are photos of our learners:

 Kia ora e te whānau,

Wow! We have reached the end of Term 3! What an awesome term it has been! We have celebrated Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). The tamariki have been looking at new kupu (words) and kīwaha (phrases). These have been pasted below, have a go at trying these out at home over the holidays! 

Our Beckenham Values:

• He taonga te ako - We love learning!
• Nau mai te wero - We love challenge!
• Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoa - We get there together!
• Nā mātou he rerekē te ao - We make a difference!
• Arohaina te tāngata me te taiao - We care!

Kīwaha (phrases): 

• Marama keke - a piece of cake, easy as!
• Kei runga noa atu koe! - you're awesome!

Kupu (words): 

• Kōanga - Spring
• Mīharo - wonderful!

Reminders for Term 4:

• Please ensure your child is only bringing water to school (no juice or other drinks). 
• Do not pack lollies, candy or chocolate in lunch boxes.
• It is important to help teach your child how to open and close their lunch boxes, so they can do this independently at the start and end of eating times.
• Thanks for remembering a spoon for yoghurt, as we do not have spare spoons to offer at eating time.
• Please pre-cut, pre-open or teach your child how to open packets and yoghurt in their lunch boxes (for example, chip packets, twisty yoghurt pouches, museli bars, etc.)

Literacy folders

Please bring literacy folders back every day. New books usually go home on Thursdays for a week.

 Kia ora e te Whānau,

Welcome to Term 3! We have loved hearing about everyone's break over the holidays, and it has been wonderful to welcome some new children to our Koru team.

Kōmanawa

Kōmanawa is the building that has been renovated and our Koru team will be using, along with Hangere, for the rest of the year. It has been an exciting time for the children to explore and learn in this wonderful space. At this stage, Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group will have their morning mat time and finish the day in Kōmanawa. It will be used by Katie for her Literacy Groups and as a space for Maths lessons for Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group. 

Elizabeth and Stacey's Home Group will continue to put their bags in the blue cubbies and literacy folders in the usual spot inside Hangere, however, they will now put their lunch boxes and drink bottles in Kōmanawa before school. We thank you for your support with new routines as our team grows!

Term 3 

We are beginning the term with learning about Science and the changes we notice in our weather. There have been wonderful discussions about the different clothes we wear, how our shadows moves, what the trees look like, what we see and feel on frosty mornings during winter. 

We will be getting creative through Visual Art when we create some masterpieces for our Calendar Art PTA fundraising (more information will come around the fundraising and how you can support our school). Later in the term, we get to use our Beebots in Technology to create maps and programmes to get them to change directions and go where we want them to go.

Reminders:

• Literacy folders need to come back to school every day! If a child does not have their folder at school, they are unable to take a book home. 

• Library books are returned, and new books can be issued every Friday at school.

• Kiss and Drop: As the number of children in our Koru Team grows, our hub can feel a little overwhelming for some tamariki in the morning. Pleas aim to "kiss and drop" your child off at the door, rather than entering the hub with them. This will help set your children up for a calm, quiet, and successful transition in the morning. Thank you so much for your support with this!

• School car park: please use the gates on Eastern Tce and Sandwich Road to enter the school. We should not have any adults or children walking through the Staff/Ferndale car park as it can be busy before and after school.

• Lunch boxes: please ensure your child is only bringing water to school in their drink bottle (no juice or other drinks). It is important to help teach your child how to open and close their lunch boxes, so they can do this independently at the start and end of eating times. It would also be amazing if you could either pre-cut or teach your child how to open packets in their lunchboxes (for exampe: twisty yogurt pouches, potato sticks, chip bags, muselie bars etc.) Thank you for your help in this.

• Boxes: please save any boxes from cereals or museli bars etc, you might normally put out in your recylcing bin and send them into school instead - the children are loving creating and decoratin in the Maker Space in Hangere. We'd alos love any little bits and bobs such as ribbon, lace, buttons, feathers etc. for decorative purposes. Many thanks if you're able to help out with any of these items.

 Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome to this week's Koru Blog!

'side'

'outside'

We are learning to segment words. The teacher says the compound word and place both hands together with palms up. Students repeat the word and then segment into two words, by separating their hands. eg. raincoat, rain - coat.