Category Archives: Kauri

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 1 Week 9

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In the post

  • If away
  • Kauri Learning
  • Supporting your child's maths learning
  • Basketball
  • Outdoor education
  • Technology photos

If away

Many thanks to those families who are letting the school know when you are isolating. We would also like to know if a child tests positive. Can you please keep us up to date with your situation by emailing or calling Jacky or Reihana in the office? 


Kauri Learning

Learning in the Kauri hub is ticking along nicely, despite substantial numbers of children being away. A reminder that if your child is at home unwell, or isolating then learning can be accessed via Google Classroom (literacy and Kauri classrooms), Maths-Whizz and activities outlined on our learning at home page. It has been great to see children and parents emailing home-group or maths teachers when they have questions. It is also good to see children using their at-home learning time as an opportunity to get some blogging done for their kete badges.


Supporting your child's maths learning

  • We operate a basic facts programme at school which sees the children learning about and practising sets of basic facts each week. This looks different for each child, based on where they are at. In the early stages are addition and subtraction facts, through to multiplication and division facts, and on to finding factors of a number, converting between fractions, decimals and percentages and many other facts in between. We teach understanding of these facts in class and make connections between the facts and key maths concepts. For example, knowing the lowest common multiple is needed to add fractions with different demoninators. 

    The children have a basic facts tracker that indicates what they have achieved and four areas that they are working on. In the next week we will photocopy each child's tracker and send this home, so that you can see what they are working on. Practising these facts at home each week will greatly help their progress with acquiring mastery of basic facts. Below is a video of a strategy that is a great quick daily practice for learning times tables. A few children are using this at home each day and they are making great progress. 

  • Children should also be spending 30 minutes at home working on Maths Whizz each week.


Basketball

In the anticipation of the basketball competition at Pioneer going ahead next term, we need to start putting teams together. If your child is interested in playing basketball, they need to fill in the form on Kauri Google Classroom.  The competition runs after school on a Monday or Friday afternoon with 30 min games falling between 3:30 and 6pm. 


Outdoor Education

With camp not happening this year, we are looking at having outdoor education opportunities each term. We are starting to look at options for a term 2 experience and will provide more details once we have something booked. 

Looking ahead to term 3, we have booked in our ski day at Mt Hutt on Thursday September 1st. Now we just need to keep fingers and toes crossed that the Covid situation settles down enough so that the trip can go ahead. Early next term we will put out a form asking for parent help with this trip.


Technology Photos















Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 6

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 In this post:

  • Tuesday mornings
  • Learning at home
  • Guest speakers

Tuesday Mornings

We are now into a new rhythm on Tuesday mornings, while technology at South is on hold. We received great feedback from the children last week after their first Beckenham science and technology sessions. In science, the children are learning about body systems with links to first aid. In technology, the Year 8s are exploring electronics and robotics. It is great to have Kate join our teaching team for these sessions. The Year 7s are learning about wet felting. 


Year 8s created a foot-operated controller.


Learning at Home

With the current Covid-19 outbreak, attendance numbers at school are down, as was excepted. Our 'learning at home' site is up and running and the children know how to access this via google classroom. 
  • Their literacy work is accessed through their literacy google classroom. 
  • Maths is via MathsWhizz. 
  • There is also a selection of sustainability activities on the learning at home website. 
  • On Kauri google classroom they will find the weekly quiz and a science activity, called 'organ systems'.
If your child has any questions about their learning from home, please get in touch with their home-group teacher. 

Guest Speakers

This week the children will be listening to two highly motivating guest speakers. On Monday and Tuesday we have Attitude.inc coming in to deliver their 'Who am I?' presentation. On Thursday a speaker from 'I Am Hope' will talk with our team. Their presentation has the aim of normalising mental health, encouraging young people to reach out for help, and gives examples of tools to keep themselves well. 

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 5

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 In this post:

  • Technology on hold
  • A great week of challenge and leadership development

Technology at Christchurch South Intermediate

Due to the current impact of Covid, technology classes at Christchurch South Intermediate are currently not happening for both South and Beckenham students. We will be filling this space on our timetable with science and technology learning. Technology will resume at South once the impact of the pandemic on schools has reduced. 

Leadership Week

We have had a great few days developing our understanding of the '7 habits of highly effective people' and how these impact us as leaders, both of ourselves and others. Many thanks to all of the parents who have helped out, either on our walk or supporting with activities on the Year 8 leadership day. Without your help, such opportunities cannot happen. Below are a few photos from the last few days.

Builders and architects - Seek first to understand and then be understood.



Inspiring activist, Lucy Gray, got our Year 8s thinking about how they could make a difference.




Ending our Year 8 day with pizza and ice-cream.

Think win win - building elevated rafts to rescue apples from a sinking ship!





Group Initiative Challenges






Time to 'sharpen the saw'!






It was a challenging climb for many and we enjoyed chilling out at Vic Park.







Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 1 Week 4

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 In this post

  • Leadership week happenings this week
  • Great start at technology
  • Mark Inglis talk
  • Great initiative to make a difference

Leadership Week is this week

In last week's post, I explained our plans for leadership week this week.  Below are key reminders.

On Wednesday, Feb 23, we have our Year 7 leadership day. The Year 7s can wear activewear (instead of uniform) that day and will be involved in practical activities that put the '7 habits of highly effective people' into action.

On Thursday, Feb 24, we have our Year 8 leadership day. Again, the Year 8s can wear activewear (instead of uniform) that day and will be putting the 7 habits into action in a practical way. Usually, this day stretches to an overnight stay. Instead this year, we would like the children to stay on at school until 7pm. We have some fun activities planned for after 3pm and will finish the day with a pizza dinner. The fun activities include water, so togs, rash tops (or a change of clothes) and a towel will be needed. We also encourage the children to bring a water-propelling device. This could be a water bottle. 

On Friday, Feb 25, the whole hub will head for the hills. We will be walking up Bowenvale track to Victoria Park. We have had four parents offer to join us and would love a few more. If you are available between 10 and 3 on Friday and are up for a walk in the hills, please fill in this form.  All parent helpers will need to have vaccination passes. Activewear can also be worn instead of uniform on Friday.

Sunhats are a must for each of these days (and every school day), as we will be spending a lot of time outside. 

Technology

The children had a great start at technology last Tuesday. Remember to set those alarms for an early start so that all children are at Beckenham by 8:30 on Tuesdays. Tamariki who are doing food tech and hard materials need to have long hair tied up.






















Mark Inglis

Hopefully, your child came home on Thursday afternoon with lots to share after listening to a presentation by Mark Inglis. The children looked to be enthralled by his story and there were many takeaways to apply to our own lives.
Below are some of his key messages:
  • It’s all about how I react to what happens.
  • I think of new ways of doing things when people say I can’t.
  • It’s really important that I take care of myself.
  • Sometimes in life, you just have to get on with it.
  • It’s how we look at things. ‘The death zone’  should be renamed ‘the must do zone’
  • If you're bored - then you're not thinking hard enough.
  • Disability does not define my life.
  • Fear is about knowledge; knowledge eliminates fear.
  • It’s about how we look at things. (I will never get frostbite in my feet again. A broken leg is no big deal)
  • When stuck, don’t feel sorry for yourself - work out what you can do?
  • Give all people the opportunity to be their best.



We make a difference

Concerned about the possibility of damage to phones with our current phone collection system, two Year 8s researched and created (in record time) a system to make our phone storage safer. We love seeing such initiative and innovation!