Category Archives: Kahikatea

Kahikatea Team 2016-11-15 15:51:00

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15th November 2016

Dear Whanau

Wearable Arts Performance
Thursday 8th December at 5:30p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

The children have all designed a costume they would like to make for this performance and and are in the process of organising their resources. If you would like to assist with this through sending resources from home (in a named plastic bag) for your child’s costume or making it at home and bringing it in, that would be hugely appreciated. We would appreciate it if resources/costumes could start coming in this week.
If you are available to assist with costume making at school this Friday or next, please see your child’s teacher. You will be helping children who have not made their costume at home by:
  • Assembling costumes
  • Painting
  • Sewing (if you have a machine please bring it in)
We aim to have all costumes completed by the end of next week, Friday 25th November. Each learning group is focussing on a different season as their costume motivation and must ensure they are able to dance in their costume.
Hub 1: Spring
Hub 2: Autumn
Hub 3: Summer
Hub 4: Winter

Thank you for your support with this,
Kahikatea Team

Athletics Day

Posted on by
8th November 2016

Dear Whanau

Junior Athletics Day  – 1:45 - 3:00 Wednesday 30th November 2016

This term we have been working on the foundation skills of athletics. We have had weekly lessons focussing on running, jumping and throwing. On Wednesday 30th November 2016 we would like to invite you along to school to watch the Koru, Kahikatea and Kowhai Junior Athletics at 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. We will start outside the hall on the junior side and move out into Beckenham Park. Children are invited to wear their house colours for the day.

If the weather doesn’t allow, we will postpone it until the following week on Wednesday 14th December 2016. This is a timely reminder to please ensure your child has a hat, drink bottle and is wearing shoes that are comfortable for sports every day.

If you have any questions regarding this please see your child’s teacher or Amy Buick.



Kind regards,
Koru Team, Kahikatea Team and Kowhai Team.             

Kahikatea Team Newsletter Term 4 Week 5

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Here are some photos of Hub 2's Art Gallery Trip 

That Tree!!!


Meeting 'Robert'



Even the bus ride was fun!

Art Gallery Trip Writing

The big tree was fun today because we could climb on the branches like a monkey. I had so much fun.       by Ally

I went to the Art Gallery. We made animals with clay and I saw a gnome. It was golden and it was fun. Then we went to the Botanical Gardens and it was fantastic and it was fun too. Then we went on the school bus and then we were at school, but wait! Even my Mum was there and I loved it. Well at the Botanical Gardens we played at the big tree. Well, do you want to know what I made with clay? A Tiger!     by Alexandra

We went to the playground. We had fun. The bus ride was awesome, that was cool. The tree was cool. The clay was awesome. The clay was cool.         by Arthur

The trip was amazing. First we went on the really cool bus trip. I loved it. Then off the bus we walked to the Botanic Gardens. I was interested to see what the new school trip would bring. After, we walked to the playground to have lunch. The playground was awesome, it was much better than the one at school. Then we played in an astounding tree. We could fit the whole class in it. 
Then we crossed quite a few roads to get to the Art Gallery. It was amazing. We saw an enormous gnome and a TV that showed a seal breathing. It gave me a big fright. We also saw a bunny. It was so cute. it was from the movie Bambi. Then it was time to make clay monsters. I made a clay mouse. it was awesome. I loved it but then it was time to go. 
The bus trip back was awesome. I was exhausted. I could have gone to sleep if it wasn't so loud.
      by Bobbi

At the Art Gallery I made a bird and it was awesome! It was made out of clay. I left it at the Art Gallery because it needed to dry. Then Hub 3 will bring it back to me. My Dad came to help with the trip. it was fun but let's go back to me and the playground!            by Cian

The bus rode us to the Art Gallery. It was fun. I liked it. I was sitting next to Ally and I have sat next to Stella. It was fun. At the Art Gallery I made a cat. It was fun. I liked it. Gail is going to bring them back. I can't wait!
          by Petal

We went to the Art Gallery and we made clay animals and I made a Cobra snake! It was the biggest in the class. We looked at a gnome and it was as big as an elephant and it was very shiny. I liked it the best. We saw a seal. Its nose was funny. We went to a big tree and I almost fell on the ground. We went to the playground and it was fun and very cool. I went on the slide.
       by Tahere

We're going on a trip. We went in a cool tree and we climbed and climbed but we didn't climb so high. The tree was shady. We walked all the way to the Art Gallery. We walked to the first room. It had a seal TV in it and a bull in it. Then we went to the next room. It had a shining gnome and a poor dog TV and lots of paintings. The one I liked was the gnome the next and then we went downstairs and we made clay beasts. I made a cat with me and my friends. Claudia made two cats and one smiley face. Stella made a cat and a mouse. It was so fun this week. They are going to come back and then I can take them home. We had lunch there on Friday. It was so much fun. I can't wait until the next school trip. It was hot. Thank you Amber and Dorinda. Thank you.
    by Torun

I made a sea turtle at the Art Gallery with Niko and Arthur helping me.
    by Luigi

I was making a clay beast and you got your own animal and I made a bird. My bird was just a bird. On the bus Tahere and Cian and me were talking. Going back we were talking. We played on the playground the Sonic Dash mixed with Slugterra and Ninjas. On the tree, Tahere and me were playing you have to not touch the ground. We also saw a massive gnome in the Art Gallery, The gnome was made out of metal.
     by Louie

Mandarin Langauge Lessons

Each Friday afternoon students in team Kahikatea have been learning to speak Chinese! We've identified five outstanding students who will receive a certificate at the Week 7 school assembly.
Congratulations to: 
Sophie McDonald, George Smith, Claudia Hood, Taylor Carberry & Cleo Hopkinson. 

WOW costumes

Students have now completed their WOW costume designs and they are beginning to identify the items they will need to help them create their wearable art! 
Your child will tell you about their design and theme (winter, summer, spring or autumn) and each hub teacher will send home a list of possible items your child will need to gather together and bring along to school next week. At school we will have plenty of bits and bobs to help with the making too. Some children will be making masks, hats, capes etc...it's going to be an amazing and colourful performance at the end of the term!


Kahikatea Team Newsletter Term 4 Week 3

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Kia Ora whanau

This term is already zooming by and we can't believe it's the end of the third week already! It is certainly an action packed and exciting term.

Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens 


Hub 1&2 had a fantastic time at the Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens today learning about different types of art and the message they portray. Then we made our own 'Clay Beasts'. We are so proud of the children! They represented Beckenham School brilliantly and we even had some people walking past ask what school we are from as the children are so well behaved. Certainly an excellent example of living our school values.

Here are some snippets of what we did:










"My favourite part in the trip was when we made the clay animals because we got to shape the animals and use tools." Maggie.

"My favourite part was when we got to climb the tree because it was super hard but I managed to do it. I'm showing that 'I love challenge'." Hari.

"When we did the clay beasts we got to learn how to do art and try out new things." Briar.

"When we made the clay beasts we made mistakes and then we could make them into different things." Sophie M.

"My favourite part about the trip was that we got to see all different paintings and we got to answer questions." Cayla.

"I liked every part!" Lola T.

"My favourite bit was when we made the clay beasts because my Mum helped me make a clay turtle and it was really hard. I had to mould it into the right shape." Lauren.

"I liked making the clay beasts because it was fun and it was hard to do." Sophie C.






Demolition Writing

Here are some more pieces of writing from our impressive author's:

School Rebuild

It is big! It is loud! It's a digger... with a claw! That claw is like a tyrannosaurus-rex mouth - teeth! The claw went smash, bash, crash! The boom swung around like a dinosaurs neck!

By Ben Scallan

Demolition

Ahhhhhh! Beckenham School is being demolished by a dinosaur (the digger). He has sharp teeth and ferocious eyes. Thud went the couch into the yellow container. It was soo amazing! I thought it was going to come out but luckily the fence was there to keep us safe. 

By Cayla Digan

Wearable Art


We have launched into our exciting Arts topic this term, focussing around seasons and wearable art. We are starting to learn dances related to the seasons and will be starting to design wearable art costumes to perform to you all in. The team of Kahikatea teachers will be making a visit to Creative Junk to find some costuming items. It would be fantastic if you started talking with your child about what they would like their costume to look like, which season they are focussing on and what they need to consider when designing it to dance in. Please feel free to send costume items from home as well. We will let you know when we will be calling for resources. This is just the planning stage for now. 
We will be having our performance in Week 9 this term - more details to follow. 


Kahikatea Newsletter Term 4 Week 2

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Writing focus

Our writing focus throughout the past week has directly related to the demolition activity which we've been surrounded by recently.

Building Demolition

The builders put dynamite in the building, then ... Wow! It fell down.
Dust everywhere.
by Flynn

Police Station Demolition

The explosion experts are quietening down.
The boy was excited.
The explosions sounded like fireworks.
It slid. It fell.
There was dust everywhere.
The trees survived.
There was some rubble that was white.
Everyone was shouting in joy!
by Ben

Police Station Demolition

The demolition experts have put the TNT into the building, then we heard big explosions.
They blew a hole in the side of the building.
It made the building fall over.
There was a big cloud of dust, then there was a pile of gravel.
There was glass everywhere.
There were pieces all over the place.
by Josh

Breaking Ground 

Some of us made it into school early on Friday morning to be part of the Breaking Ground ceremony. Witnessing the big digger taking the first bite of earth was a very moving experience for us all...

First bite

Discovery Stations 

The children continue to arrive at school with an enthusiastic and energised attitude, eager to get started on the Discovery Station of their choice.
Teachers are asking their students such questions as:
  • Why have you chosen this Discovery Station?
  • What new skills are you learning?
  • Are you completing a challenge before moving on to a new station?
  • How are you showing respect for your own and others' work?
  • Are you being wasteful or caring of resources? How are you showing care?
  • Which of our school values are you displaying at this station?
  • How do you actually know if you are learning?

Word Wheel challenge
Boat building
Will it still float when carrying weight (70 grams)?
Detail of painting
Care and attention at the water colour painting station
Making 3D shapes using plasticine and toothpicks 
Collaborative block modelling
The Eiffel Tower
Working together to create a Duplo marble run


Oh, how we love Discovery Stations!

Art Gallery outings

Hub 1 and 2 children are looking forward to their outings to the Art Gallery and the Botanic Gardens this Friday. 
Hub 4 children will be having their outing on Thursday, November 3rd, and Hub 3 children will be going on their outing on Friday, November 4th.
Many thanks to those parents who have been able to commit to parent helping on this outing. We appreciate your support! 

PTA Tip Top Fundraiser

The PTA are working hard to try and fill all the shifts for the Tip Top Ice Cream sales fundraiser at the A&P Show in November. Please click on this link to find more information and book a slot: Tip Top A&P Show Fundraiser

Hats

Please remember - to keep our children safe during the summer months, we ask that all children wear a brimmed sunhat while outside during learning or play time. This is now compulsory throughout Term 4, and again at the start of each year in Term 1. Children who do not have a sunhat will be asked to play in the shade during break times. Please support your child in remembering to bring their sunhat every day.