This week, we have had a big focus on 'Pirates', as a result of the interests of a few of the children. The children have been building pirate ships, making hats and treasure maps, and digging for treasure in the sandpit. The play has been collaborative, creative, engaging, full of fun, enticing, and always energetic! Wonderful times 😊





Group teaching and learning:
At the beginning of this week, we began the guided teaching and learning for our writing groups, reading groups and Maths groups.
The children will be bringing their reading folders home each night, and it's most important that folders are returned with the books to school every day. Depending on your child's priority learning needs, you may find a set of sight word cards in the little back pocket of the reading folder. There will be an explanatory letter in with the word cards, outlining some different ideas for you to help your child with learning these sight words to fluency (meaning, no working out required, rather automaticity).
Some children may also need to be supported to practise and learn the letters of the alphabet. If you know that your child has some way to go in this area of learning, now would be a great time to be giving support to your child in helping with this at home.
There is a link on our school website which takes you to a folder full of great resources which you can print off (and laminate if you have access to a laminator) for use at home. Here is the link again, for ease of access.
...and here are a couple of other fun Youtube links which we have been singing along to in class:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ABC
Kiwikids Phonics
Jolly Phonics (unfortunately 'q' is missing, but the children may remember and be able to sing it to you!)

We have put a timetable up on the noticeboard for the parents of children who have started school this year. We would like to catch up with you for 15 minutes just to talk about your child's transition to school and some ways you might be able to help at home with learning goals. Please add your name to a suitable slot on the timetable. Many thanks for doing this, and we look forward to meeting with you. Those children who started school in Term 4 last year, will have already had this meeting with Stacey.

Our children have had two visits to the Life Education caravan, with Harold, Siobhan and Lou. We talked about everyone being unique and special, about being a good friend and about ways we might help to solve friendship issues.












We had our first House Games event last Friday. The children had enormous fun, engaging in the games that their House Captains had organised. We were very impressed with the children's level of independence throughout this activity. All were accompanied happily to the place in the park where their house group had assembled, and all participated fully in the activities. Well done, children! We're proud of you.

Kia ora, whānau,

It's hard to believe that the end of the year is almost upon us, and yet there is still a great deal to be squeezed in over the final week and a half!

A plea:
Please, would you send a strong bag (large enough to hold your children's books and belongings) in to school this week? We will be gathering the children's many workbooks, as well as their works of art and other items, to send home with them in the final week of school.
Also, if any parents have the time (and inclination), we would love some help in learning spaces as we begin the job of sorting, tidying and cleaning. Please see your child's Home Group teacher if you are able to help out at all.

Transitions:
At the start of this week, to support those of our children who are going to be transitioning through to Kahikatea in 2020, we are all going to be making visits over to the Kahikatea team's learning spaces, to become familiar with the settings and areas in which those children will be learning next year. The teachers from Kahikatea have also been over visiting us, in both Pūkaki and Kōmanawa, at various times over the past two weeks. A letter will be sent home with your child, at the end of the school year, to inform you as to which team (Koru or Kahikatea) they will be in, and who their Home Group teacher will be, in 2020.

Next year's New Entrants have also been visiting us in the Koru team during Discovery Times over the past fortnight and will be again on tomorrow (Tuesday), to familiarise themselves with the spaces and their teachers for next year.






Our farm trip:
What fantastic days we all had the week before last, visiting the Frei family farm. Our sincere thanks go out to so many people:

• firstly, to Amanda Frei and Ernst Frei, for being so generous and accommodating in allowing us all to visit, and for ensuring that we all had such a memorable time
• to all of the parents who supported us on the days of our visits - without you, an outing such as this would not be possible, so thank you so much
• to Jo, for doing such a great job of ensuring that our organisation on each day was perfect
• to Nigel, for accompanying the Wednesday group, and for doing such a great job of supervising the flying fox
• and to Paul, 'sausage sizzler' extraordinaire!

 And now... so many photos - so difficult to choose!

































Discovery:













DMIC:
Our Maths problem solving has taken a farm-related theme over the past couple of weeks, and continues to go from strength to strength, as the children work with buddies to solve challenging number problems...




Pebbles:
Our hearts have been touched, and in some cases, melted (!), by visits from little Pebbles, who is looking set, once old enough, to become a new Beckenham te Kura bunny, most likely based in the Kōwhai team from the start of next year. Pebbles was found, aged 4 weeks, in a garden, and despite best efforts, her owner has not been found. She spent a day with us in the Koru team, and very bravely met up with Peter and Ben, both many times her size!





Thank you:
As this is our final blog post for 2019, we would like to convey our sincere thanks to you all for your unstinting support for your children, and us, throughout this year of learning. You have all helped in so many different ways, from small, but nevertheless meaningful comments, through to weekly parent help in the learning spaces, including the commitment shown, by one or two, to putting our team's reading books away for us each week! We truly appreciate you all. We trust we will see you at the coffee and croissants 'breakfast' event for helpers tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8:30 a.m.

We have all had a wonderful, wonderful year of teaching and learning, and teachers will miss the wee ones and their families over the long summer break. We look forward to seeing your children growing and developing throughout their years at Beckenham te Kura.

All best to you all for a very happy, relaxing and safe summer holiday.
Jo, Elizabeth, Kristika and Stacey

Kia ora ki ngā whānau,

What a glorious few weeks we have enjoyed recently! The children have been very actively engaged in their learning and are determined to make a difference in all aspects of their school life, including their social, emotional, physical and academic growth.

The Pūkaki Play Space:
We are delighting in the new Pūkaki Play Space, and loving the exciting opportunities it provides us. We've been involved in lots of planting (hanging baskets, sunflower seeds, succulents and beans, peas and sweet pea seeds), not only in order to 'decorate' the area, but also because the children had requested, at the end of Term 2, that they have the chance to learn more about, and be involved in, gardening and nature in general. The children love their Play-based Learning activities in this new space, some of the favourite activities being potion-making, building and exploring in the sandpit, building models on the platforms...

Working with our Ferndale friends and Friday's preschool visitors from Pebbles

Potion-making: chocolate or strawberry cake today?

Strawberry cake, it is!

More essential ingredients being added into the mix

Reaching and balancing

Beautifying the space

And who is this flexible wee one?

Will our boats float?

Talent Quest:
A reminder that in the Koru team we shall be holding the 'heats' for the Talent Quest on Friday, September 13th, and that one or two acts will be selected to perform in the Talent Quest itself, which is going to be held on the final Friday of term, September 27th, 1:40 - 2:45 p.m.
We shall be in touch with the families of those children who will be going on to perform on that final Friday.
There is mounting excitement and a lot of practice taking place!

Jump!

Wow - great skills

Keep practising - you can do it!

...and fantastic skills here too!

Book Character Day:
Book Character Day was absolutely fabulous and we all had enormous fun. Check out the school Facebook page for a selection of photos, and below, you will find even more, depicting our wee ones (and one or two older ones) 'dressed up to the nines'!

Guess who!

That mischievous cat!

Recognise this book character?

One very cute scarecrow

Thing 1 (or was it 2 or even 3?) came to visit us

And who might this be?!

Te reo Māori:
The children continue to work hard on their mihi practice, and many are now able to fluently introduce not only themselves, but also their parents, and are building up to including their family name (surname) as well.
The children are also confidently singing waiata and, a week ago, even led the whole school in the singing of Kia Ora Ra!
We're also looking forward to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which begins on September 9th and runs through to September 15th. Christchurch City Library has many amazing resources to support this special week in our calendar. Teachers will be supplementing what we already have with the resources on offer through the library website.

Eco and Waste Warriors:
We all participated enthusiastically in the Clean Cubby Competition which has been running over the past fortnight. In the Koru team, children put their hands up for the job of Cubby Monitor and made regular checks throughout the day, ensuring that - yes - bags were zipped up, folders tidily tucked within and no clothing was left to fall out on to the ground or veranda. All children have been devoted to the notions of cleanliness and tidiness, and have vowed to continue to maintain their high standards. The Koru team won the cubby competition twice over the fortnight and was mentioned as an example, to some of the older students!
Many members of the Koru team also like to ensure that not only are their learning spaces clean and tidy, but also the wider outdoor spaces are litter-free. Thank you to our 5- and 6-year-olds for displaying the school values of 'We Care' and 'We Make a Difference'.

Keeping the veranda in pristine condition

...and the floor indoors as well

A vacuum cleaner at work!

Tidying the book shelves

Stacking chairs

...and cleaning the children's 'teaching station'

And last (photo), but not the least, as you will see...

Little (Peter) meets Large (Benjamin) - Netherland Dwarf and Flemish Giant

Kia ora, whānau,
It's hard to believe, but yes - it's the final week of term! The children are thoroughly enjoying the last few days before their break, and are over the moon to be able to play and explore on the new playground area beside Pūkaki. It's absolutely beautiful and very inviting for the wee ones.





Joining Our Friends From the Ferndale Hub for Play-based Learning:
From time to time, the tamariki from the Ferndale Hub join us for Play-based Learning. This week we were invited into their learning spaces to explore and play. We had so much fun and can't wait to go back!





Reminders:
Tomorrow we're going to be baking Matariki star biscuits. A big thank you to the parents who have offered to help us - we really appreciate you!

...and on Friday, we're going to be making popcorn. If you are able to lend us your popcorn maker, we'd be very grateful. Please see your child's Home Group teacher.

A reminder that there was a notice in our school newsletter on June 14th, about plans for Term 3:
Elizabeth will be returning to full-time teaching in Term 3. Elizabeth will continue to teach her home group in Term 3, and Stacey will work three days a week across the team.

Your children's home group spaces will remain the same in Term 3, and Stacey will begin and end each day in Kōmanawa.

We hope you all have wonderful holidays, wherever you may be. Keep safe and warm!
Ngā mihi mahana,
Jo, Elizabeth, Stacey and Kristika