Category Archives: Koru

Week 10 in Koru Team

Posted on by

Koru Team Blog - Week 10

A great big thank you!
Thank you to all the wonderful parents who have helped us this term in so many ways.
We appreciate all your contributions including helping on trips, sorting and putting books away, laminating, culling resources and helping us with our shifting.  

Week 1 Term 3 - Into our new Learning Spaces
During the holidays Hubs 10 and 11 are moving over to Hub 8 and 9.  Thank you to all the parents who have offered to help Elizabeth, Rowe and Gail dismantle and pack their learning space.  The morning routines for Hubs 10 and 11 will be the same.


During the last two weeks of school Hubs 1 - 4 have been visiting and spending time in their new learning spaces.  We are all very excited and really looking forward to next term.







On the first day of next term when the children arrive at school, they will come straight over to the new hub.  The entry and exit doors are at the front of the building.  
The children will 
  • take their bags to the front double doors of the new building and put their bag on the ground where their hub number is. We will eventually be getting cubby holes for the bags in the near future.
  • go to the double doors and enter, taking off their shoes and putting them on the shoe racks provided - these will also be numbered.  
  • put their reading folder on the floor in their home space and pop their lunch boxes in the numbered bins in the kitchen area. 
After doing their jobs the children will be able to go back outside to play (via the front door) or engage in our fabulous Discovery / Play-based Learning activities, just as they have been so far this year.

Shoelaces: please practise doing up laces over the holidays, as children will need to take shoes off and put back on several times a day in the new hub. 

Litter Free Lunches
We are re-establishing our litter free lunch policy, to reduce our school waste. We encourage families to consider using containers or removing wrappers from lunch items. Children will be asked to take any wrappers home in their lunch boxes to dispose of. Many thanks for your support for our eco-friendly school.


Our Chair Friends

It all started from Blake's simple idea then 'went viral'! 
Weeks 9 and 10 saw us creating 'chair friends'. We made them, played with them, sat with them, read to them, looked after them and even gave them a nice place to sleep and a healthy breakfast the next day!
Enjoy the pictures - what fun. You may find this becoming an activity the children take up doing at home! 










Successful learning - What do our brains need?

The Science behind our brains and how they work is fascinating for children.  As they learn about their brain and how they can optimise learning, our children are able to make choices about their environment and what they put into their bodies.  This clip explains how our brain works and the impact we can all have on our learning.

 

Photo Gallery from the Cross Country
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


















Photo Gallery from the Zones Cross Country

KORU (Hubs 1,2,3,4 and 10,11) HIGHLIGHTS Weeks 7-8

Posted on by

 Upcoming Events - Help Needed Please  

Week 9 Friday the 30th of June

 We are going to relocate our Junior readers to the new building on Friday the 30th of June. If you are able to help us by carrying boxes of books from the upstairs resource room to the new block from  9:00 that morning please email Amber.
amber.donovan@beckenham.school.nz

Week 10 Friday the 7th of July

On the last day of term we will be shifting Hubs 1 to 4 into our new learning spaces. We would really appreciate parents, grandparents and friends of the school coming along to help move our classroom tables, chairs and resources to the new space. If you like sorting we could also use some help combining and sorting some resources. We will begin shifting from 9:00am.
If you are able to help please contact Sue.
sue.leadbetter@beckenham.school.nz



Our Fabulous New Space

  • Thank you to all the parents and extended family who have visited our new building this week.  The learning spaces were officially opened on Wednesday and it has been lovely to see everyone exploring and admiring them.
  • We will be trialing a "shoes off" policy in the new buildings.  Please can you check your child can put on and off their shoes, tie their laces or fasten velcro independently.  Many thanks.
  • Litter-Free Lunches - we are encouraging our children to reduce the amount of rubbish in our environment so the children will bring their lunch waste / and packets home from term 3 on.
  • We will continue to compost any organic material. This is part if a school-wide approach to reduce waste.
We LOVED going into our new learning space this week and are excited about what comes next. 
Hubs 1,2,3 and 4 all fit so nicely in the 'amphitheater'.  As a school we will be naming the special learning spaces all ready for next term.






Growth Mindset

This term we have been talking about developing a growth mindset.  We can say things to ourselves to help us focus on our learning and encourage ourselves to keep going.
I can do it.
I will keep trying.
I learn from my mistakes.
I believe in myself.
Learning can be hard and I can push through the struggle.
I love learning.
I will try my best.
Bring on the  challenges!

Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems. In this talk below, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet?

https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

Thank you for all your help and support.Kindest regards

Koru Team.
Elizabeth, Rowe and Gail - Hub 10 and 11
Charlotte, Dorinda and Amber - Hub 1 and 2
Sue and Caitlyn - Hub 3 and 4.

 

KORU HIGHLIGHTS Term 2 Week 6-7

Posted on by
Kia ora!
What an action packed fortnight we have had! Enjoy reading about the highlights below:

Reminders/Notices
* If your child needs more stationery, we will send a note home regarding what and how to purchase this.
* Please check jerseys to make sure your child is bringing home their jersey. Several jerseys have been lost recently. Thanks also for sending your child to school in uniform black shoes.
* A big thank you for waiting until 8:30 to enter classrooms.
* Junior School Cross Country is on Thursday 22 June from 1.30pm. The postponement date for this event is Thursday, June 29th. If you would like to help, please email Caitlyn. If your child has spare trainers, please pop these in their bags over the next fortnight as we will be running practises, and the route can be muddy at times.

Gallery & Botanic Gardens
We enjoyed a trip to the gallery and botanic gardens, many thanks to Elizabeth (Gail) and fabulous parent helpers...many thanks to each of you.

At the gallery, we had a personal tour in small groups, and looked closely at some of the art on display. An animal themed exhibition was a hit with the children, particularly one stuffed sloth! The children each thought about what is important to them and completed our own Waka drawing.


  










      


   

Maths
We have been learning about measurement over the last weeks, as well as computation and practising number knowledge. The children have loved the hands-on nature of measuring things...and each other! 
Key concepts covered: 
* Length, height, width, capacity, volume
* Using informal measurements e.g. blocks or popsicle sticks to measure length
* Start and end point
* Placing our measurement tool (e.g. blocks) end to end. 
Why not try measuring books, a self, a person or something else at home? 


  


    

Circle Time
Each Hub continues to have a weekly Circle Time. Students are encouraged to share 'what's on top' for them, and to celebrate successes or resolve challenges collaboratively, with teacher support. Circle Time relies on honesty and acceptance - each person's view is valued. Each Hub has also been exploring different aspects of social-emotional learning, such as change, conflict resolution, mind-set and how it can impact learning (learn more here - Carol Dwek's research), respect and giving/receiving compliments.


 Arts Programme
The teachers have created a collaborative movement/sound arts programme for Monday afternoons. Children get to enjoy a different activity each week, from Zumba with Caitlyn, to percussion with Charlotte and mindful movement with Amber. Choir with Dorinda is also on offer for our eager singers - the children are learning vocal exercises and an entertaining selection of songs.

Kapa haka:
Our children spend time with our kaiako Maori, Sherrilee, each week, and participate in these lessons with impressive energy and enthusiasm! These photos tell the story beautifully, and include children who have had only very little time at school yet, as well as one who is yet to start, but was visiting school last Thursday. Thank you, Sherrilee, for all you give to the youngest of our Beckenham School students.
Working with poi ...


Just visiting, but so beautifully confident! 


Adding actions to the waiata


Sherrilee loved these kapa haka moves


Love this poi work


Day 3 at school at look at this confidence!


Beautiful!


Also beautiful!


...and again ... beautiful!

Discovery Stations:
Discovery Station continue to be a highly motivating time of each day. The children practise their Key Competency skills: Thinking; Relating to Others; Understanding Language, Symbols and Texts; Managing Self; and Participating and Contributing. They also show amazing skill at being able to intertwine their learning in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy, as the following photos demonstrate.
Forwards and backwards counting: 1 - 20


A dinosaur expert draws and labels ...


Another dinosaur drawing


Two older children work with a 'newbie' on skip counting to 100 in 2s!


Playing the Apple Tree game


Playing the Feed the Elephants game


Cuddling Peter Rabbit


At the writing table


Working with the hundreds board


Playing 'schools' with one of the big books


Learning about dinosaurs


'In the time of the dinosaurs...'

KORU HIGHLIGHTS: Term 2 Week 3

Posted on by
Kia ora whanau,

What a busy start we have had to Term 2!

Learning Conferences
Heartfelt thanks to those of you who were able to participate in Learning Conferences last week. This is a very special time for children as they share their learning with their families. Your feedback written on the Celebration Stars is very much appreciated, and will mean a great deal to the children.
Talking about my Maths learning in Hub 3

Sharing my learning with Dad!


Rhythm Interactive experience
Last week our children were treated to an outing to the local Methodist church hall, where John and Lucy (Rhythm Interactive) taught everyone how to drum, keeping time as one!
In 2002, Rhythm Interactive was born in a garage in Queenstown. The interactive drum shows are such that each student is given an African-styled hand drum to play along during the show. Rhythm Interactive shares its unique teaching methods, such as "If you can say it, you can play it" to demonstrate how children can learn rhythm, music, singing and dance in a fun way.






Small Stix
On Tuesdays over the next few weeks, the children will all be involved in junior hockey lessons, which are led by specialist hockey teachers. Please ensure that your child is wearing sensible shoes and warm clothes, as these lessons will be outside (weather permitting).

Self Portraits
Some of the children have been working on making their own self portraits, and have modelled their work on Picasso. We're sure you'll agree they're fantastic!



Book Review
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers


This gorgeous story, about a Belfast boy who eats books to absorb some smarts, is so charming that it makes you want to join Henry on his culinary literary journey. Henry loves eating all sorts of books – story books, dictionaries, atlases, joke books, books of facts and even maths books.


Amazingly, as Henry gobbles, his knowledge bank increases and increases until he starts to feel a little ill. Is it all the paper and cardboard stuffing his belly? It seems so. Poor Henry is subsequently reduced to learning from books the old fashioned way – by reading.

Numeracy Links:


Reminders:

  • Please ensure that children arrive at school any time from 8:30 a.m. onwards, as prior to this time, teachers may be involved in meetings and/or will be setting up Discovery Stations for the morning. BOSCO is open from 7:30 a.m. for families who need to have children at school before 8:30 a.m.
  • It is very important that children bring their reading folders back to school every morning. Reading folders are a crucial part of hub reading routines.
  • As the weather cools, please ensure that your child has a school polar fleece (named!) each day.

Toy Donations:
Many thanks to those of you who have been able to donate toys and games to Te Whanau Koru. We appreciate your generosity enormously! If, by chance, any of you have any of the following items, they would also be gratefully received:

  • jigsaw puzzles
  • matchbox toys
  • sandpit vehicles (diggers, tractors, cranes, fire engines, trucks, concrete mixers!!)
  • lengths of plastic piping (left over from plumbing jobs)
As always, we appreciate your help and support very, very much!


KORU HIGHLIGHTS: Term 1 Week 10

Posted on by
Learning Is A Magical Experience
In hub 3&4 we had our very own Harry Potter visiting to show us his wide-range of magical skills including pulling a bunny rabbit out of a hat. The audience was captivated by this sophisticated techniques and even supported by saying the words abracadabra.




WANTED: Used Toys Still In Good Condition
We have received some quality, used toys over the past couple of weeks. A huge thank you to everyone who has brought them in. We are still on the hunt for more, so please keep us in mind if you are inspired to have a clean out over the holidays. Check out the pictures below of the children focused on their discovery.























Circle Time

Circle Time is one of the many things we do to promote well being amongst the students at Beckenham School. This practice involves the children and teacher sitting in a circle, creating a safe zone for children to share and problem solve together. Some of the topics we have already explored in our hubs are; self-regulation and breathing, compliment giving and kindness, self-management and sharing what's on top.


Koru Celebration Assembly
This week Koru is leading and performing in assembly. We will all be singing Moana's 'How Far I'll Go'. We will also be celebrating Karda and Annabelle who have earned themselves Citizen of the Week. A huge congratulations to Karda and Annabelle! We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 6th April at 2:15pm.

Karda you are a superstar learner and classmate. You demonstrate your 'I love challenge' attitude by trying new things with increasing confidence and resilience. Your growing self motivation and positive 'I can' attitude is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for being a role model for us at learning times when you focus and try your very best. Tino pai Karda.

Annie, you are a fantastic learner and friend in Hub 10/11. You have the most beautiful smile, and always look on the bright side of life! You are kind, generous, helpful and always respectful to classmates and adults alike. You put 100% effort into producing top quality work and you are always keen to step up for a challenge. Your attitude is a wonderful example for us all! Thank you for providing sparkle and smiles each and every day for us, Annie. You're a gem!



Any allergies to cats? 
Next week, Charlotte would like to bring her kitten in to share with the children. If this causes any problems (e.g. allergies), please email charlotte.verity@beckenham.school.nz.