Category Archives: Kauri

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 5

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 In this post:

  • Coming up
  • Relationships and Sexuality
  • Top Team
  • Congratulations

Coming up:

We are down to the last three and a bit weeks of 2021 at school and it feels like the time is racing by! Here is a rundown on what lies ahead in the next few weeks.
Week 6:
  • Tuesday, Nov 23 and Thursday, Nov 25: Learning conferences. School will finish at 2pm on these days. See the school newsletter for details on booking a conference and after-school care.
Week 8:
  • Tuesday, Dec 7: the last technology session.
  • Thursday, Dec 9th: Corsair Bay trip. Many thanks to the parents who have signed up to help with this. If you would like to join us and have yet to fill in the form, click here.
Week 9:
  • Monday, December 13th: Year 8 pool and pizza party. Liz May has kindly offered us the use of their pool; we will send address details out the week before. This event runs from 4pm until 6pm.
  • Tuesday, Dec 14th: Year 8 Graduation. This year we will be live-streaming graduation as, due to Level 2 restrictions, parents sadly are unable to attend. Year 8s will finish school after lunch that will follow graduation.
  • Wednesday, December 15th will be the last morning for Year 1-7.
  • We are also organising two high school transition events for our Year 8s. Firstly, a 'high school hacks' session, with a group of Year 9s returning to share their advice. Near the end of the term, the 24/7 youth workers and a couple of ex-Beckenham seniors from Cashmere High will be hosting an afternoon of information and fun. 

Relationships and Sexuality:

Over the past two weeks we have been exploring relationships. Next week we finish this topic off and move on to 'growing and changing'. This topic includes discussing changes at puberty, the reproductive system and conception.

Top Team:

With so much canceled recently, due to Covid, it was exciting to be able to gather on the field to enjoy the fun and team spirit of Top Team. Many thanks to the parents and teens who helped with the running of this event. Check out the end of this post for photos and a movie.

Congratulations:

Well done to our zone athletics team who competed last Monday at Hansen Park. See the newsletter for details about results and the exciting Year 7 relay race.

Over the past two Fridays, we have presented the literacy and drama Year 8 awards at our celebration assemblies. Below are the citations.

The Literacy Cup was jointly awarded to Fergus McMillian and Grace Howard. 

Fergus, any teacher who has ever taught you will know that wherever you are, there will undoubtedly be a book close at hand. There is being an avid reader and then there is being an avid reader to the Fergus Mcmillan degree. As a result, you have a deep understanding of what the reader needs and what makes writing effective. As a writer, you use your extensive vocabulary and creative mind to craft texts with the reader in mind. Your writing is deliberate, controlled and complex. I’m going to miss reading your stories next year. 

Grace, through your love of literature, you have acquired an extensive understanding of what it means to captivate an audience and what makes a truly successful writer. You have the ability to transport your reader to new worlds with your bank of rich vocabulary and your precise use of language features within your crafted texts. With these talents, you have been rewarded with incredible results, most notably through your participation in ‘The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition’ where you have been awarded with both silver and gold merits. Grace, you have a wonderfully sophisticated mind and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. 

The  Radcliffe Award for Special Contribution to Drama was jointly awarded to Syesha Mee and Jalori Mathias.

JJ, I have been so impressed with your leadership and maturity in helping lead your Theatre Sports team this year. You are so calm, cool and collected and have the patience of a saint. You have embraced your love for drama and music with your whole heart. You have sought opportunities outside of school to help you gain more skills with something you obviously love doing. You have the confidence and the drive to do great things JJ, so keep nurturing your ‘theatre wings’ and fly!

Syesha, you have been a committed member of Theatre Sports for two years. As a Year 7, you watched, learned all you could and developed your drama skills. As a Year 8, you helped lead a team, stayed 100% committed to our team and made all of us laugh with your offbeat characters. You always stepped up, Syesha, and because of that you will be an important part of any drama/theatre group that you are a part of in the future.  I will miss your leadership skills next year. Congratulations Syesha!


















































Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 4

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 In this post:

  • This coming week in relationships and sexuality classes
  • Sunhats
  • Top Team next Tuesday
  • Celebrations

Relationships and sexuality sessions this coming week:

We have completed the 'Who am I?' section on the programme, which looked at identity and stereotypes and continue to be impressed with how the children are contributing and responding in discussions. Over the coming week, we will be focusing on relationships. This includes looking at different types of relationships and the qualities we value in these relationships, intimacy, sexual attraction, consent, sexual orientation and diversity. 

Sunhats:

In term 4 sunhats are required during break times and whenever we are outside for learning. While many of the children are organised with these, a small number are not. Please ask your child about their sunhat situation. If they don't have a school hat with a brim, any brimmed hat will do.

Top Team:

We are looking forward to our annual Top Team competition next Tuesday afternoon, Nov 16th. Many thanks to Brett, Richard, Nicola, Amanda and Jules who will be helping by running stations. This event includes water activities, so children need to bring a change of clothes. Quick-dry or thermal tops, as well as shorts, are recommended. Sunhats are essential. Bring on the fun!

Celebrations:

A huge well done to Megan and the two theatre sports teams who competed at the Court Theatre last weekend: Syesha, JJ, Connor C, Oliver, Zoe W, Emma R, Fergus Mac, Rory, Katya, Lachy and Luisa.  They have spent hours learning and perfecting their craft and can be proud of their performances.  It was exciting to see past students involved in some of the teams we were competing against. We hope our Year 8s continue this passion for theatre sports as they move on they high school.




Last Friday we presented our sportsmanship, social studies, science and mathematics cups at assembly. As parents could not be present for the presentation of cups, we have included the citations below.

Sportsmanship

When selecting recipients for the sportsmanship awards, we consult with a range of people who have worked with our Year 8s in a sporting context. 

Our first recipient of the Sportsmanship Award is Cooper Reddecliffe. Cooper, your coaches praised you for your ability to unite your team. Through positive talk, you raised the spirits of your team and focused them on the mahi that needed to be done on the court. Whatever the result, you stay positive and determined. 

Our second recipient of the Sportsmanship Award is Zoe Clarke. Zoe, your coaches talked about your resilience and about the way you let your playing do the talking. You are humble in victory and gracious in defeat every single lesson, every single practice, every single competition. Zoe, you give so much encouragement to those around you making a competitive environment an inclusive environment too. 

Thank you, both for all the times that you have helped with the organisation and running of an event at our kura. Cooper and Zoe, no one can deny your huge passion for sport. It is awesome to see you paying it forward by coaching younger tamariki at our kura. You are both fantastic role models to them. I am speaking on behalf of all your sports coaches when I say that at every event, we are so proud to stand beside you because of the values you show while representing our kura.

Social Studies

Social Studies covers a wide range of topics including geography, history and politics. Our recipient of the Social Studies Cup for 2021 is Otis Yeomen. Otis, your knowledge of social studies makes you a fascinating person to talk to. Not only can you recall a seriously impressive array of facts that span the scope of social studies, but you are also a deep and critical thinker, who makes connections and asks probing questions. You have an insatiable thirst to learn about our world and how society works. Otis, you articulate sophisticated concepts with clarity and you enjoy a well-reasoned debate. What an amazing mind you have. 

Science

Our recipient of the Science Cup for 2021 is Marcellus Scott. Marcellus, your ability to question things is expected, accepted and amazing. This quality has helped you to look at science with your eyes wide open. Your interest in how things work from a scientific perspective kept us as teachers on our toes. It is minds like yours that will help prove theories in the future. We will miss your debates, your inquisitive nature, but most of all your science mind. 

Mathematics

This year the mathematics cup is jointly awarded to Zoë Clarke and Zoe-Arianna Clarke.

We have a group of passionate mathematicians in Year 8. Students who relish opportunities to challenge themselves and learn new and tricky concepts. Zoë, you are one of these passionate mathematicians. You go above and beyond to challenge yourself in maths. Your Cantamath project on Pythagoras, which was actually several projects wrapped into one, was an example of the very high standards you set yourself. You were the first to finish all of Maths Whizz, enthusiastically tackle very challenging problems and qualified for The Final Challenge in Otago Problem Solving.

Zoe, you have been on the most incredible journey with your maths learning. Maths can be a subject that challenges the best of us. When maths got tricky, you did not step down and admit defeat. You embraced the challenge with impressive grit. You asked questions, spent time doing additional maths learning and you kept rowing. Your confidence and your ability have grown in leaps and bounds. Zoe, what a fantastic math-magician you have become! 

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 3

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In this post:

  • Relationships and sexuality education 
  • Athletics
  • Good luck to theatre sports team

Relationships and Sexuality Education 

It was great to have such a good turn-out at our parent evening for the relationships and sexuality programme. As part of our discussion at the end of the evening, we said we would let you know what was coming up in the next week's lessons. We have had two classes so far which have been about establishing our expectations, setting up ground rules with the children and discussing prior learning.  

We have two more sessions this week. These will delve into the sub-topic: 'Who am I?" In these sessions we will talk about:

  • rights and responsibilities and how these change as we get older
  • what the difference is between your sex and your gender
  • what is sexual identity / sexual orientation
  • stereotypes, the impact of these and how we can challenge them
These topics will take us into next week as well.

Athletics

We had a great day for athletic sports last week. At the end of this post are some photos of the day. Zone athletics will look a little different this year and Jenny will be in touch with details for those who have children involved in this next stage of the competition. 

Theatre Sports

Last week the theatre sports teams had a great afternoon of competition at Medbury School. We wish our teams all the best for Christchurch Theatre Sports Competition which is going ahead this weekend.
























Kauri Whānau: Celebration Assembly

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 Kia ora everyone,

As it was wet today, we held our celebration assembly inside with just our Year 7 & 8 team.  We acknowledged our bronze, silver and gold leadership recipients and presented sports cups. Below are photos taken from the presentations.

Bronze Leadership Recipients


Silver Leadership Recipients



Gold Leadership Recipients














Swimming Cups


Athletics Cups


Cross Country Cups

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 1

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 In this post:

  • Relationships and Sexuality Education
  • Parent help
  • Cantamath canceled
  • Sunhats and masks
  • Year 8 photos

    • Relationships and Sexuality Education

    Many thanks to everyone who has indicated they will be coming to the Relationships and Sexuality Education parent meeting this this evening (Thursday) in our hub. If you intend to attend and have not let us know yet, please fill in this form. Lessons will start next Wednesday.

    Parent Help

    Many thanks to the parents who will be helping with our passions programme this term. I am also keen to have a helper or two to join our 'Sustainable Gifts' passion. This will involve supervising a small group in a making activity each Friday afternoon. Even if you could just make some Fridays, that would make a difference.  Please fill in this form if you can help.

    During this term we have two events planned where we will require parent help, Top Team on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 16th, and a trip to Corsair Bay on Thursday, December 9th. If you can help with either of these events, please complete this form.

    Over the past six or so years we have had a Year 8 pool and pizza party in the last week of term, from 4 - 6pm. In the past, this has been hosted by a teacher or a parent at their homes. We would love this tradition to continue. We organise the pizza and provide supervision, however, none of us live at a property suitable for hosting such a gathering this year. If you think you could host such an event or if you have a good idea for an alternative, please email Nicky.

    Cantamath

    We received an email from the Cantamath organisers yesterday to say that despite exploring many possible options they are unable to go ahead this term. There were a large number of outstanding projects that we were going to send through to Cantamath. These are in Pukaki and will need to go home, some via car - looking at their size. 

    Sunhats and masks

    It was fabulous to see a huge number of our team prepared with masks for the tech bus on Tuesday. Please keep checking that these are packed for all Year 7 & 8s on Tuesday mornings.
    We have a small number of children who are yet to bring a sunhat to school. This makes things really tricky for breaktimes and PE. We realise that Year 8s may not want to purchase a red hat if theirs is missing. Any fully brimmed sunhat will suffice.

    Year 8 Photos

    Many thanks to those who have already sent me a photo of your Year 8 as a 5 year old. If you have yet to do this,  can you please email me (nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz) a photo of your child when they started school. This can either be an 'at / going to school' photo or any photo of them as a 5-year-old. If you cannot email a photo, please send in the hard copy next week and I will scan and return it the same day. I'd love these pics ASAP.