Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Weeks 5 & 6

In this post:

  • Cashmere High Open Afternoon
  • Winter Sports
  • Learning Conferences
  • Te Whanau Mahitahi performance
  • Technology

Cashmere High School Open Afternoon

Usually Cashmere High hold their Open time after school hours, in the evening. Due to the threat of industrial action this year, they have made the call to hold their Open Day during the school afternoon on Thursday June 8th.

We understand that many of our Year 7/8 students will want to attend this, and therefore, we have requested a 'bye' in the Winter Sport round for that afternoon.

If you want to take your child to the Open afternoon, please make sure that you come into school and sign them out. If they are attending with someone else's parent, please let the office know in advance. We will NOT be allowing children to leave school unless their primary caregiver is signing them out, or we have been advised who is taking them and they are here to sign them out. Thanks for your support!


Winter Sports

Winter sports has been going for two weeks now, and all teams have been outstanding in demonstrating our school values and getting a few wins along the way too! Please remember that there is no Winter Sport next week due to Cashmere High Open Afternoon, and in Week 8 because of Learning Conferences.


Learning Conferences 14 & 15 June

These are coming up in Week 8 of the term, on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th June. 

Reports are live on Hero, and these conferences will be an important opportunity to learn more about your child's learning progress and achievement.

The school will close at the earlier time of 2pm on both days. Children who are usually booked into BOSCO on those days will be able to attend from 2pm. We will provide supervision for children between 2-3pm IF NEEDED... 

Each family needs to fill out BOTH forms below, please:
First, please book a Learning Conference for each of your children by clicking on this link.
Then, please fill out this form, to let us know what you want to happen for your child at 2pm. We need this form filled out by EVERY family, please.

Missing Senior Jacket

A brand new senior jacket (size large) has gone missing.  Please check if you child is bringing the correct jacket home. This was recently purchased and has no badges or leadership awards on it. If found could you please return to the school office.


Te Whānau Mahitahi Performance

Our Year 7 & 8 Kapa Haka group, Te Whānau Mahitahi, performed on Sunday afternoon as part of a performance by the Garden City Orchestra. By all accounts, the children were outstanding at representing themselves and our school. Kia ora Whaea Cath for all you to to make this group so outstanding, and thanks as well to all the parents for their support leading up to and on the day.



Technology photos

Some photos from our Year 7 group learning about Fabrics Technology at Christchurch South.










Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Weeks 4

 In this post:

  • Winter sports reminder
  • Ski Trip reminder
  • Cheese rolls
  • Writing competition
  • Cashmere High Open Day

Winter Sports

Sports starts this coming Thursday. Please make sure that students have all the gear they need, and a full lunch box and water bottle on that day. Check the Hero notices for information specifically around specific sports if your child is in a competitive team.

Ski Trip

Thank you to those who have already signed up to volunteer for our ski day in Term 3. We have booked our ski day at Mt Hutt for Monday, August 28. This day has a very early start, meeting at school at 5:45am! We return by 6pm. At this stage we are looking for more parents/caregivers to help on this trip. We are after both experienced skiers, who can help on the snow, and people on foot to support around the base area. Please fill in this form if you are keen to join us.

https://forms.gle/nEdrGA6xtijwLNKXA

Cheese roll fundraiser, parent help needed.

Alongside the ski trip is the need to fundraise! Over the past few years we have made and sold cheese rolls. This system works well (with the children as the main workforce) and we have made lots of money in the past. Wednesday, June 7th will be our production day. Please read this form to see if you can help and fill it out if you can contribute in some way. Thanks team - 'We get there together!' 

https://forms.gle/3TXuict9rvtubsku5

Of course we can only make cheese rolls if they have been ordered - it's great to see that nine families have ordered via the google form so far. This can only mean that we are soon to be inundated with paper forms filled with orders! Speak to your tamariki about the prize in play for those that sell the most! Orders close on Monday May 29th, so get selling!

https://forms.gle/ybLFKpvZiy43rBx78

Writing Competition




Cashmere High School Open Day




Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Weeks 2 – 3

We've had a couple of full weeks to fill you all in on. In this post:

  • Cross Country
  • Life Changer
  • Ski Day
  • Cheese Roll Fundraiser
  • Code Club visit Tūranga
  • Math Clubs

Cross Country

The heavens opens and poured down on us, just as we gathered for the start of the 2023 cross-country. With the decision made to go ahead, we were impressed with the grit and determination shown by the vast majority of the team.  Everyone had different measures of success. We were so impressed by those who managed to run the full course without stopping and those who maintained a regular run - walk - run pace. A special congratulations to the top 3 finishers in each section:

  • Year 8 Girls: Ella C, Zoe (tied for first), Charlie
  • Year 8 Boys: Cahlen, Dan, James
  • Year 7 Girls: Harriet, Isabella and Bonnie
  • Year 7 Boys: Jack, Finn, Rowan

A huge thanks to parents who came along to help with the running of the event.

LifeChanger

Starting in Week 2, we have been taking part in LifeChanger sessions with visiting facilitators from Auckland. LifeChanger empowers young people to live thriving, resilient lives by developing their social, emotional and resilience skills. The children have been engaging really well with the learning, and we have two more to wrap things up in Week 4.




Ski Day

We have booked our ski day at Mt Hutt for Monday, August 28. This day has a very early start, meeting at school at 5:45am! We return by 6pm. At this stage we are looking for parents/caregivers to help on this trip. We are after both experienced skiers, who can help on the snow, and people on foot to support around the base area. Please fill in this form if you are keen to join us.

https://forms.gle/nEdrGA6xtijwLNKXA

Cheese roll fundraiser, parent help needed.

With our ski trip coming up next term, we need to raise some funds. Over the past few years we have made and sold cheese rolls. The system works well (with the children as the main workforce) and we have made lots of money in the past. Wednesday, June 7th will be our production day. Please read this form to see if you can help and fill it out if you can contribute in some way. Thanks team - 'We get there together!' 

https://forms.gle/3TXuict9rvtubsku5

Also important is that you can order cheese rolls via the form below:

https://forms.gle/ybLFKpvZiy43rBx78

World Vision Junior Youth Conference

Grace, Stella, Scarlett and Alyssa attended the World Vision Junior Youth Conference on Thursday of Week 2. The girls had a great day learning about the amazing work that World Vision does and came back feeling very inspired. The 40 Hour Challenge is coming up so stay tuned to hear from our leaders in the coming weeks about this great cause. 

A huge thank you to Katie for taking the girls to the conference!


Code Club visit Turanga

On Wednesday, a number of students from the Friday Code Club passions group had the opportunity to head into Turanga. Find out all about what they got up to via the link below to the video they created.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ACM_5NRukVM5AcoPmFR_qHr0L8ZavE47/view?usp=sharing

Maths Clubs

Maths Clubs are proving to be popular on a Thursday morning. A reminder that we have two Maths Clubs this term, both taking place on Thursdays from 8.20 to 8.50am. Nicky will be running an extension club in the Breakout Space, and Bridie will be running a Times Tables club in Kōmanawa for those who want to improve their multiplication facts knowledge. All students are welcome.


Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 1

Welcome back to Term 2! While we had a shortened first week, it was great to get back into the swing of things after the break.

In this post:

  • Maths Clubs
  • Writing extension opportunities
  • Sports news
  • High School info

Maths Clubs

There will be two Maths Clubs this term, (an increase of 100% from Term 1!) both taking place on Thursdays from 8.20 to 8.50am. Nicky will be running an extension club in the Breakout Space, and Bridie will be running a Times Tables club in Kōmanawa for those who want to improve their multiplication facts knowledge. All students are welcome.

Writing Extension opportunities

Write On School for Young Writers

The Write On 2023 Masterclass Series for Year 7-13 is offering the following for young writers in Term 2:

  • World Building with Karen Healey, 
  • Stranger Things with Desna Wallace, 
  • Kickstart Your Fantasy Novel with Heather McQuillan 
  • Speaking 4 The Planet speechwriting with Karen Healey
  • Speaking 4 The Planet spoken word poetry with Ray Shipley. 

Do you have a young writer who would love to spend two hours every Saturday exercising their imagination and honing their craft? Write On have spaces still available. Find out more here.

Speaking for the Planet

The partnership of Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch and The New Zealand Association for Environmental Education is bringing the 2023 S4P competition to the schools and students of Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand. This competition is for school students from Years 7-13 and young people up to the age of 24.

There are five competition categories:

  1. Prepared Speech – prepared speech, solo entries only.
  2. Spoken Word – prepared poem, solo or duo entries.
  3. Visual Art – prepared artwork, solo entries.
  4. Impromptu Drama – 1 hour to prepare, maximum number of ten students per team.
  5. Short Video – prepared video, no team number limit.

Speaking 4 the Planet is an opportunity for students to express their ideas for a better world. Participants are invited to prepare and deliver punchy, quirky, creative, and pointed submissions. Each competition category is divided into three age categories: Years 7-8, Years 9-11, and Open (Year 12 - Age 24). Registration is a requirement. There will be an environmental theme that all competitors must incorporate in their entries. Schools or individual senior students (Years 12+) will need to register by Friday 2 June by contacting Jocelyn Papprill at chchnzaee@gmail.com. Participation in the competition is free.

The Prepared Speech and Spoken Word heats will take place by video submission. Entries will be submitted by Monday 17 July, 5pm. The six finalists from each age division will be asked to perform on Finals Day. Visual Art entries must be submitted by Friday 30 June. Entries for Impromptu Drama close on Wednesday 26 July. Short Video entries must be submitted by Wednesday 19 July. The finals day will be held on Friday 11 August from 9am-5pm at Tūranga, 60 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City.

Participants are to produce or present items that are original. They are also invited to make their work quirky. There are great prizes sponsored by sustainable businesses up for grabs!


Sports News

Winter Sports trials have taken place for competitive sports, and the teams have been chosen. Games will start in Week 5, but practices will start on Monday of Week 3 (if they haven't already). If your child isn't sure whether they're in a team or not, get them to check with one of the Kauri teachers. Non-competitive sports groups will be announced in the coming weeks.

Cross Country will be taking place in Week 3, on Tuesday. Pleas make sure students have suitable footwear on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week for our Cross Country training sessions.

High School info

At this time of the year, High School applications can start kicking into gear for Year 8s. If you need a report for you child, please get in touch with their homeroom teacher:

  • Thomas: thomas.woodfield@beckenham.school.nz
  • Nicky: nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz
  • Sarah: sarah.junghenn@beckenham.school.nz
  • Bridie: bridie.zarifeh@beckenham.school.nz

Each year in Term 2, high schools share information for us to pass on to you. Now is a good time to look on the website of the schools you are interested in for your Year 8 child next year. Check out if they have an Open Day / Evening, check the enrollment procedures and you may like to check out scholarship information. We have received the following from Hagley College:

Thinking about Hagley for Year 9 2024? 10 key points about us:

  • We're a Designated Character School. To join us, you must agree to engage with our culture and our values of Whakamarumaru (Responsibility), Mana (Respect), Whakawhirinaki (Trust) and Tika (Integrity). We also need to be confident that Hagley has the resources to support you in your learning, that there is a programme that will meet your needs, and that there is a place for you in that programme.
  • We are a restorative school.
  • We have an inclusive and diverse learning environment.
  • We offer a connected curriculum.
  • All Year 9 students have two hours of Te Reo Māori, two hours of Health and three hours of PE each week. They also all take English, Maths, Social Sciences and Science. Students also choose from a wide range of Kete Wana courses to complete their programmes.
  • Social action and student leadership are actively promoted and celebrated.
  • Our Targeted Learning class is very small. Only 2-3 places will be available for new students in 2024 due to returning students.
  • GATE students are able to excel in their specialty fields.
  • Enrolment for Year 9 2024 opens on 15 May 2023 and closes on 23 June 2023 at midday. It is essential to apply during this time.
  • A ballot is usually required and will occur in early August 2023. Criteria for priority enrolment for those with family/whānau links to Hagley is on our website www.hagley.school.nz.

We have an Open Evening coming up on Wednesday 24 May with rolling starts at either 4.30 pm or 5.30 pm. Please see the attached flyer below.

Applications for Year 9 2024 will open online from 15 May, and close at midday on 23 June. Important information for students and whānau is available on our website here.

Our 2024 Junior College Lookbook is also available to download here.

For any other queries, or for those unable to complete an application online, parents/caregivers should contact Lisa Amer on lisa.amer@staff.hagley.school.nz or (03) 364 5134.



Kauri Whānau Update: Weeks 6 & 7

 In this post:

  • Wainui Camp (and lost property remnants)
  • ASB GetWise
  • Non-uniform day on Friday
  • Christchurch Schools Music Festival
  • YouthTown
  • Winter Sports and Cross Country

Wainui Camp

Teachers, parents, and students all had a wonderful time at Wainui Camp in week 6. The weather was mostly fantastic, the students all found ways to challenge and extend themselves while continually supporting and encouraging one another. It was great to see friendships develop and grow over the course of the week, and to see our learners flourish outside of the usual classroom confines.




Lost Property

We still have a small collection of lost property from our time away. Please encourage students to check carefully to make sure that nothing from our collection of assorted odds and ends belongs to them.

ASB GetWise

On Friday this week, we had Jeff from ASB GetWise come to discuss financial literacy with each homegroup. We will have a second session of this on Friday of Week 8.




Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival

Our Year 5 - 8 school choir is excited to be part of the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival this year.  The Festival is still looking for more applications to audition for one of the Representative groups.  They are looking for the best singers for the Junior Choir (Yr 5 & 6) and Senior Choir (Yr 7 & 8), and for talented musicians (Grade 3 equivalent and above) to audition for the Orchestra and Concert Band. 

The Representative groups are on stage in the Christchurch Town Hall for every performance of the Festival (4 nights).  With more than a thousand people in the audience and children in the choir stalls watching every night, it is an amazing experience they will never forget.

To find out more information or to register your child click here: https://musicfestival.school.nz/representative-group-information/joining-a-representative-group/

Be quick, registrations close Thu 06 April.

Youthtown

Youthtown is a non-profit organization that offers sports and recreation programs for youth in Christchurch.

Every Wednesday (from 3.30pm to 6pm) they run a program called YouthHub. It is a free after school program designed for youth between 12 and 18 years old.

In April 2023 Youthtown offers a memorable holiday programme in a safe space for young people to make friends and enjoy themselves during the school holidays. Please see the April holidays program flyer via this link (in this breakaway program some days might not be free).

Non-Uniform Day

The student council have planned an animal dress up day on Friday, to raise donations for the SPCA. Donations towards the SPCA could include items such as wet pet food (cans or sachets), old blankets towels or sheets, dishwashing detergent, washing powder, pet toys in good condition, or a gold coin. More information is available to students via the daily notices.

Winter Sports and Cross Country 

Our two main sporting events which require parent help in Term 2 are Cross Country and Winter Sport.

Parent help is a key part to us being able to offer sporting events at kura. If you are able to support us in some way in Term 2, please let us know by filling in this form.

Year 5 - 8 Cross Country - Tuesday 9th of May (Beckenham Park)

We need adults to take on the position of course marshals to ensure there is adequate supervision of the children on the course and to help children know which way to go.

Year 5 - 8 Weekly Winter Sports (starts on Thursday 25th May and runs for 10 weeks at local parks and schools).

We need adults that are comfortable taking a team and managing them during their games. Ideally that adult would also be OK refereeing a game. The number of adult helpers we have directly impacts the number of children we can send to winter sport. It is also beneficial to have additional adults to help supervise children during their game.

Thank you in advance for your support.


Ngā mihi
Thomas