Category Archives: Kahikatea

Year 1 & 2 Kahikatea Swimming Update

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Kia ora koutou, thanks to you all for helping to make our first 3 days of water safety lessons a success! 

As you can imagine there are a number of logistics involved with planning and implementing this type of activity. 

Consequently we have changed the departure from school times and the pick up time (from Pioneer Pool).

If you are a helper for the Year 1 students: please be at the pool to assist with changing by 12.15. Their bus will collect and return them to school at 1.15pm. 

If you are a helper for the Year 2 students: please be at the pool to assist with changing at 12.45. Their bus will collect and return them to school at 1.45pm

If you are helping with Year 3 students: please be at the pool to assist with changing  at 1.15pm. 


If you have any questions about swimming please email your child's home group teacher. 

Kahikatea Year 1-2 Visit to Rāpaki Marae Wednesday 11th November 2020

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Kia ora whānau,

We are excited to be able to provide our students with a visit to Rāpaki marae in Term 4. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about Te Reo Māori language, customs (tikanga), games (kēmu) and songs (waiata), the history of Rāpaki Marae and the ecology of Horomaka, Banks Peninsula. We will explore both the Marae and the surrounding stone beach, banks and rocky areas.

Key dates:
Wednesday 11/11/20  Year 1 & 2 tamariki, depart 9am, return 3pm
Wednesday 2/12/20 Year 3 tamariki, day trip or overnight stay (noho).

We are currently seeking lots of parent helpers for the Year 1-2 trip on Wednesday 11/11/20. Parent helpers are welcome to join us on the bus. If you are available to assist, please email your home room teacher asap.

Further information about the Year 3 trip will be emailed over the coming weeks. The cost of this trip will be covered by your annual donation.

For the trip, your child will need to wear and/or have:

  • school uniform
  • sturdy, comfortable footwear
  • a windproof jacket which they can carry in their bag
  • healthy, substantial morning tea and lunch
  • named water bottle

Please note there will be no postponement day if the weather is unsuitable. An email message will be sent out at 8am on the day, if the trip is being cancelled.

Many thanks for the help and support.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kahikatea Teachers


Kahikatea Newsletter Term 4, Week 2

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Kia ora e te whānau

We have had another busy week! Read about our highlights and upcoming events below. 

Key Dates 

27-29 Oct & 2-6 Nov : Water Safety Sessions at Pioneer Pool 
30 Oct: Whole School Athletics. 11am-12.15ish & Sprints/Relays 2pm
11 Nov: Trip to Rāpaki Marae - parent helpers will be needed. More information coming about this.

Kete Awards For This Week 
Well done to the children who got "We Love Learning" and "We Get There Together" awards this week.


Head Lice 
...are on the move again. Please check and, if needs be, treat your child's hair. Long hair should be tied up, not just to prevent the spread of Head Lice, but for swimming as well.
Tea Tree Oil can be a good preventative treatment, and for children with long hair, plaits with hairspray can also be a good barrier for transmission!

Swimming - Next Fortnight
We have discussed and role-played what we will need to do for water safety sessions next week, including getting on the bus and changing. Please encourage your child to practise: 
  • Drying themselves
  • Getting undressed and dressed 
  • Putting their clothes in their swimming bag
  • Putting jumpers etc in the right way
As well their togs, towel, goggles and swim cap, children will need a larger lunch and water bottle at school every day next week. Many thanks for your help. If you would like to read our Water Safety Social Story with your child at home, please do so.
Please NAME all of your child's clothes.

Re-visiting Our Treaty 
Over the past fortnight, we have revisited how we show our school values & reconstructed our Team Treaty (see below). This is inline with our school-wide Positive Behaviour For Learning protocol. Do feel free to talk with the children at home about this. 


Kahikatea Treaty
  • We use kind hands and words.
  • We include others.
  • We move safely and carefully.
  • We keep our hands and feet to ourselves.
  • We stay in our personal space bubbles.
  • We try our best and never give up (this shows that we love challenge).
  • We listen to the person talking with our bodies, eyes and ears.
  • We care for the environment and nature. 
  • We look after our materials (pens, paper, devices, books, games, chairs).
  • We ALL help pack up. 
  • We help others and encourage them, too.
  • If there is a problem, we use our words to say, “Stop it please” and we find a teacher if we need more help.
  • We have fun!
Photos of our whole team Treaty and values discussion:


Discovery Photos

Games & Construction

















Dressing Up




Our Little Gardens






Year 1-4 Swim Safety Lessons Weeks 3 & 4

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Kia ora whanau, 

Next Tuesday Year 1-4 start our Swimsafe program at Pioneer pool for the next two weeks. 

Your child will need to bring the following for the Weeks 3 and 4 of this term. 

1) Togs (no bikinis please)

2) Clean dry towel

3) A  named suitably sized swimming bag (this will need to fit their shoes and their uniform in it while they are swimming)

4) Fitted goggles 

Caps are not required but can be worn by preference. We encourage anyone with long hair to please have it tied back. 

Please make sure you name all  your child's belongings clearly. 

Parent Help

Thank you to all those whanau who have volunteered to help support the children at the pool. This will require whanau meeting us at the pool because the buses are very full already. Buses will depart school at 

Year 1/2: 11:45

Year 3/4: 12:45

Please meet us at the pool at the following times:

Year 1/2: 12:00

Year 3/4: 1pm 

You role is to assist students as they are changing into and out of their togs. This is a supervising role. We are encouraging children to be independent as they change. The routine for changing is everything comes out of their bag, shoes go into the empty bag, then each piece must go into the bag as they take it off, so that the children come out of the changing room with a bag full of their own clothes, and in their hands they have their towels and googles. 

Here are the following parents who volunteered to help and the days that they can help on. 

Year 1/2 parent helpers: 

Tues27thToni Ryan, Emily Simpson, Lucia Nuttall, Natalie Doering, Yanshan Wu, Qian Ye, Lou van Tongeren, Helen Johsnon, Charlite Bachelor9 parents
Wed 28thEmily Simpson, Yanshan Wu, Charlie Bachelor3 parents
Thursday 29thCarla Laaman, Katherine Christenson, Natasha Mazlan, Yanshan Wu, Joanne Hurford, Charlie Bachelor6 parents
Monday 2ndRachel Elliot, Kate Stallworthy, Toni Ryan, Emily Simpson, Caroline McKean, Pru Campbell, Rebeckah Hanmer, Natasha Mazlan, Lucia Nuttall, Natalie Doering, Yanshan Wu11 parents
Tues 3rdToni Ryan, Emily Simpson,Lucia Nuttall, Natalie Doering, Yanshan Wu, Qian Ye,Lou van Tongeren, Helen Johnson, Charlie Bachelor9 parents
Wed 4thCharlie Batchelor, Yanshan Wu, Katherine Christensen, Emily Simpson,4 parents
Thurs 5thCarla Laaman, Katherine Christensen,Natashia Mazlan, Yanshan Wu, Joanne Hurford, Charlie Batchelor7 parents
Fri 6thRachel R, Carla Laaman, Ruth Blane, Cristal devereux, Caroline McKean, Charlie Batchelor5 parents


Year 3/4 parent helpers: 

Tues27thCarolyn Aitken, Sally Wood, Kelly Turner-Gower, Toni Ryan, Kerryn Allan, Natasha Woods, Sarah Henderson, Richard Scott, Helen Johnston, Kate Rutherford, Raynor Kauta
Wed 28thNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Richard Scott, Katey Gibling, Mary Winchester, Kelly Turner-Green, Raynor Kauta
Thursday 29thNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Kate Stallworthy, Martin Barr, Raynor Kauta
Monday 2ndNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Sally Wood, Carolyn Aitken, Raynor Kauta , Kate Stallworthy, Kelly Turner- Green,
Tues 3rdCarolyn Aitken, Sally Wood, Kelly Turner-Gower, Toni Ryan, Kerryn Allan, Natasha Woods, Sarah Henderson, Richard Scott, Helen Johnston, Kate Rutherford, Raynor Kauta
Wed 4thNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Kelly Turner-Green, Richard Scott, Katey Gibling, Mary Winchester, Raynor Kauta
Thurs 5thNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Kate Stallworthy, Martin Barr, Raynor Kauta
Fri 6thNatasha Wood, Kerryn Allan, Sarah Henderson, Kate Rutherford, Raynor Kauta


Please let Laura (Year 3/4) or Amber (Year1/2) know urgently if you are unable to help on one of these days. We would like a minimum of 4 parent helpers per session. As you can see some days there are many more helpers which is great, and on some days we only have 4 so we need to know that you will available to help. 

amber.donovan@beckenham.school.nz 

laura.williamson@beckenham.school.nz 

Team Kahikatea

Athletics NEXT Friday 30th October

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Kia ora whanau, 

Whole Kura Athletics Day - Friday 30th October

Postponement Date: Tuesday 3rd November

Our whole kura athletics day provides an opportunity for our tamariki to participate in an athletics event. Our PE focus in the lessons leading up to this event is on the movement skills required to participate safely and to the best of our ability. The focus of the event is on fun and inclusion. Years 0 to 4 will be participating in a range of games that develop the fundamental movement skills of run, jump and throw. 

WHEN?

Kahikatea &  Kowhai students athletics rotation will run from 11.00am to 12.15pm (approximate finish time). 

WHERE? 

Beckenham Park (near the junior playground) 

Children may wear their house top or their red polo.

Children should also wear shoes and clothes that will be suitable for running and jumping, (running shoes and shorts/leggings are ideal). 

Please ensure that your child has their sun hat and water bottle at school. 

NOTE: please leave your dog/puppy at home if you are planning to come and see your child/children during this time. 

We look forward to seeing lots of you there! 

Teams Kowhai & Kahikatea