We hope you are going well with getting your group together for our Bingo Night to raise funds for Wainui Camp. Here is the link for ticket booking.

We are also on the hunt for prizes:

What could be examples of useful donations that we could use for a prizes?
Vouchers for CHCH eateries, shops, services ( like beauty salons, cleaning, gardening, businesses ) & entertainment venues (mini golf, movies, ice skating etc..)
Have you been given a gift of something you already have OR don't think you will use?- NEW toys, books, household items are gratefully accepted
Do you have access to a Holiday Home we could use to auction a weekend away for??
If unsure about whether your donation could be used as a prize- select the option on the form & advise in the "comments" on what you would like to donate & someone from the Bingo Planning Team will be in touch, Thanks

This term is rocketing by. We had a great leadership week last week. Lots of positive feedback has been sent through from the Yr 1- 4 teachers about the superb job that the Year 7s did as leaders in the junior classrooms at the end of last week. The Year 8s really stepped up during their two-day leadership camp. The inclement weather on Friday gave them the opportunity to put proactivity into action while completing team challenges at Spencer Park. After listening to Mark Inglis share his story of being trapped on top of Aoraki for 13 days, a little drizzle was nothing to complain about!

As we settle back into routine this week, the next big adventure on the horizon is Wainui Camp. It is time to fundraise so that we can reduce the cost of camp to all families. Please get in behind our two fundraising projects.

Comedy Bingo Evening 

Get a group of friends together for a great night of entertainment. So far only 4 tickets have been sold and we would like to sell around 120. Please click on this link now and book your tickets.  This fundraiser is solely for our camp, so please give it your support.

Cheese Rolls

Leadership Camp Photos

Sorting the 7 Habits

No high fives, but rather a high 3 and two halves with Mark Inglis. He lost the tips of two fingers from frostbite on Everest. That was after losing both legs below the knees after being stuck on Aoraki, Mt Cook for 13 days.

Group initiative tasks. This one is balancing many people on a concrete block.

Chilling out at Margaret Mahy Playground

Supporting each other during the ropes challenge.

The flying fox team challenge.

Slightly damp, but the BBQ lunch was great.

Our resident bus entertainer.

Week 4 is done and we have five weeks until we are off to Wainui! Next week is our leadership week. Today we shared a slideshow with the children about the week. A few missed out on this, so I have shared it through google classroom for them to check out over the weekend. Please read on for important messages.

The Momo Challenge

Yesterday, you would have received an email from the school regarding online behaviour, particularly around the "Momo Challenge." Please check the latest school newsletter online (or in your email) if you have yet to read Sandy's message.

We've been marking student reflections this afternoon and have noticed the challenge mentioned by a number of students, to a level that we will be discussing the challenge with the hub on Monday.

Please talk with your child about this over the weekend, if you haven't already done so. We would also recommend having them show you their social media accounts, particularly any forms of instant messages. 'The Momo Challenge' has been appearing in videos linked to games, such as Fortnite.

Reminders for leadership week which is starting on Monday:

Year 7: 

Can wear mufti on Monday.

Year 8:

Send in food donations by Wednesday:

• Megan's homegroup (Te Awa) A bag of fresh fruit; apples, oranges, bananas etc.
• Hannah's and Nicky's homegroups (Te Ngahere and Te Maunga) Baking
• Jenny's homegroup (Te Tai): A packet of breakfast cereal

Duathlon is on Tuesday afternoon. 

Writing: 

Can you help with a sewing job?

I am looking for someone who can help with a sewing job that should take about two hours. It would need to be done by next Wednesday.  This is for a leadership week activity. Please email Nicky if you can help out.

School Strike 4 Climate

You may have heard or read about a campaign being run by school pupils around the world: School Strike 4 Climate. This is happening across the country (and around the world) on the 15th March.  School students from hundreds of schools in dozens of cities and towns will go on strike from school over political inaction on climate change. They will be joined by adults who will also walk out for the day in solidarity with the students’ actions. New Zealand is joining this strike to urge politicians to act promptly and to make climate action a priority.

Christchurch students are standing in solidarity with students across the country to take a stand against Climate Change.  Students are invited to rally to Cathedral Square for 1pm, to meet and join their voices. There is more information on this facebook page.

On Tuesday, Lucy Gray - one of our Year 8 students who, is leading the organising committee for this campaign in Christchurch, will talk with our Year 7 & 8 team. If your child is keen to be part of this 'strike', we would like you to do the following:

• Notify us at school that they will be taking part.
• Arrange transport and adult supervision for your child at the rally.
• Collect your child from school at 12 noon on Friday and ensure that they sign out. 

The term is charging along and before we know it leadership week will be upon us. This Wednesday we welcome Attitude.inc to school for a presentation with the children, to kick off our leadership week activities. In this blogpost there is important information about leadership week, Maths Whizz, our fundraising Bingo Evening and the school duathlon.

Leadership Week, March 4-8

What you need to know:

Year 7s:

Wear mufti to school for their leadership day on Monday March 4th.

Year 8s:

Thursday 7th - Friday 8th or March, two day leadership camp, with a sleep over at school on Thursday night.
We would like families of Year 8 children to send along food donations, on Wednesday March 6th, as follows:

• Megan's homegroup (Te Awa) A bag of fresh fruit; apples, oranges, bananas etc.
• Hannah's and Nicky's homegroups (Te Ngahere and Te Maunga) Baking
• Jenny's homegroup (Te Tai): A packet of breakfast cereal

Gear list: Your child needs to come to school on Thursday dressed in clothes suitable for physical activity, i.e. track pants or shorts, t-shirt, polypro if cold, a warm top and sports shoes, suitable for running. The following needs to be packed in an overnight bag:

• Sleeping bag, pillow and something to sleep on, e.g. sleeping mat, stretcher or lilo
• PJs
• Toilet gear
• A change of clothes for the next day, again suitable for physical activity

These things should be packed in a day pack:

• Packed lunch and refillable drink bottle
• Sunhat
• Waterproof jacket
• Optional: camera, cell phone (these will be collected in) 

Please make sure asthmatic children have inhalers with them and that medication is in a labeled bag. This needs to be handed to the home-group teacher as soon as your child arrives at school.

Comedy Bingo Evening

Get your tickets for our Comedy Bingo Evening on Saturday March 23rd. Contact your friends and get a group together for a great night out, and at the same time help reduce the cost of camp for all of our whānau. Click here to book your tickets.

Duathlon

Our school duathon is coming up on the afternoon of Tuesday the 5th of March. This is an optional event and an awesome opportunity for the children to show our school kete value ‘We love challenge’.  House points are awarded to all competitors in recognition of their participation.

Over the past week, the children have been given the opportunity to enter the duathlon via a Google form on Google Classroom. Some children might need a bit of encouragement so please have a conversation about this opportunity with your child at home. The last day for entries is this Wednesday. If your child has had difficulty with the form, an email to me would be fine.

The course will be the same as in previous years. The children run a lap of the park, followed by a lap of the block, (Eastern Terrace, Fisher Avenue, Norwood Street). They then collect their bike from the Norwood Street side of the park and follow a serpentine course in Beckenham Park. Year 5 and 6s do one lap of the bike course, while Year 7 and 8s do two laps. After completing the bike course, the children leave their bike at the Norwood park entrance and run the block in the opposite direction, finishing back in the park. At no point do the children need to cross a road.

Before the race, we do a course walk with all competitors and we have lots of marshals on course to support the children in knowing where to go. If you are able to support us by being a marshal on the day, please email me at jenny.diggle@beckenham.school.nz.

Swimming sports

A report on the swimming sports will be included in the school newsletter. Here are some photos from last Thursday afternoon.