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Kōwhai News Week 1 Term 4
Welcome to the final term of the year! We hope you had a great two-week break. This term we have two new students in the Kōwhai Team, Levi Currey and Temaera Ripia. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to their whānau.
This term will be a busy one, so keep an eye out on the newsletters to keep up to date with events.
Firewise
Each year the New Zealand Fire Service attends 5,000 house fires. Around a quarter of the housefires start in the kitchen from unattended cooking. Once a fire has started in a room, people have 3 minutes to get out of the room before they breathe in poisonous smoke and die.
The Great New Zealand Shake Out
Our school has signed up for the Great NZ Shakeout School Challenge. Each person that completes the 8 challenges with their families will be in to get some cool prizes.
Some of the challenges include...
Athletics
Athletics training has started this week and it is very encouraging to see the students improve in many of the athletics disciplines.
This year the Year 4s have been given the opportunity to compete in the Year 4-8 Athletics Day which is in week 3, Thursday 1st November. This is completely optional and we will send out an email to let you know if your child has chosen to participate on this day.
The Year 1-4 Athletics Day will be held on Wednesday 21st November from 11-12.40pm. You are most welcome to come and support your child on this day.
For your diary:
Oct 22: Labour Day (school closed)
Oct 25: Botanic Gardens/Museum Trip
Oct 26: Botanic Gardens/Museum Trip
Nov 1: School Athletic Sports Y4-8
Nov 16: Show Day (School closed)
Nov 26: Staff Only Day
Dec 20: Final day for the year. School closes at 12:30pm.
That's all for now.
From the Kōwhai Team
This term will be a busy one, so keep an eye out on the newsletters to keep up to date with events.
Firewise
Over the next couple of weeks, we are working on a ‘Firewise’ unit as part of our Literacy programme. This unit will help the children to learn facts about how to keep fire safe.
There are three things that you can do to get out quickly and safely if a fire occurs on your home:
- Install working smoke alarms in lounges and family living areas, halls and bedrooms to alert you to the fire. If you are asleep, you can’t smell smoke.
- Have an escape plan so that every family member knows two ways to get out of every room and knows where to go to a safe meeting place.
- Practise getting out of every room FAST when the smoke alarm goes off or if someone shouts FIRE, FIRE, FIRE.
During this unit, your child or children will also bring home a Firewise Booklet. We highly encourage you to read the story in the booklet with your child or children and watch the DVDs using this link. These videos will help you have discussions on how to make your home fire safe. We also encourage you to practise what to do if a fire starts anywhere in your house.
In this unit, there is a lesson about how to keep safe with matches and how matches and lighters are tools NOT toys. The Fire Service recommends that children feel safe with matches so each child will be given the opportunity to light a match under the careful supervision of a teacher. We are in no way promoting children playing with matches.
So far the children are really enjoying learning about fire safety and are making very thoughtful contributions during our sessions.
Gardens Trip Next 25th and 26th October
Next week, on Thursday 25th October (Mike and Paulette and half of Susan's home group) and Friday 26th October (Anna and Rebekah and half of Susan's home group) will be going to the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. On this day, the children will have a session in the Gardens, completing a Park Detective lesson and spending time in the Museum learning about birds and also in the Discovery Centre.
On these days, the buses depart school at 9:05 and will return to school by 3pm. Please make sure your child has a packed lunch and a jacket and drink bottle on this day. Thank you to all the parents who have kindly given their time to support this trip.
The Great New Zealand Shake Out
Our school has signed up for the Great NZ Shakeout School Challenge. Each person that completes the 8 challenges with their families will be in to get some cool prizes.
Some of the challenges include...
- Show someone how to drop cover and hold – inside and outside.
- Check your tsunami zone and plan where to go.
- Store water for three days or more.
- Identify which key household objects need to be secured or made safer through Fix. Fasten. Don’t Forget.
- Find out which natural hazards could affect your family.
- Work out what to pack in a getaway bag for your family.
- Make a plan which includes who will pick up the kids if the adults can’t get to school.
- Make a list of who can help in an emergency
Athletics
Athletics training has started this week and it is very encouraging to see the students improve in many of the athletics disciplines.
This year the Year 4s have been given the opportunity to compete in the Year 4-8 Athletics Day which is in week 3, Thursday 1st November. This is completely optional and we will send out an email to let you know if your child has chosen to participate on this day.
The Year 1-4 Athletics Day will be held on Wednesday 21st November from 11-12.40pm. You are most welcome to come and support your child on this day.
For your diary:
Oct 22: Labour Day (school closed)
Oct 25: Botanic Gardens/Museum Trip
Oct 26: Botanic Gardens/Museum Trip
Nov 1: School Athletic Sports Y4-8
Nov 16: Show Day (School closed)
Nov 26: Staff Only Day
Dec 20: Final day for the year. School closes at 12:30pm.
That's all for now.
From the Kōwhai Team
Parent Help Needed For Gardens and Museum Visit
Dear parents and caregivers,
We are in desperate need for more parents to attend on our Botanic Gardens and Museum day visit. This will be a fantastic trip, we need more help for Thursday 25th and Friday 26th October.
Please email Rebekah rebekah.stoop@beckenham.school.nz as soon as possible if you are able to help for the day.
Thank you for your support.
We are in desperate need for more parents to attend on our Botanic Gardens and Museum day visit. This will be a fantastic trip, we need more help for Thursday 25th and Friday 26th October.
Please email Rebekah rebekah.stoop@beckenham.school.nz as soon as possible if you are able to help for the day.
Thank you for your support.
Kōwhai News Week 9 Term 4
Hi everyone,
Well, it's hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of the term with only one week to go! Here is the important info for the week ahead.
School of Gymnastics
He will let you know what group your child is in and what time you will be needed. Each group session will be 2hrs in duration.
Talent Quest
We are having the school talent quest finals on Friday from 1.30pm-3pm. If your child is in the final, you are most welcome to attend.
Discovery Items Wanted
We are wanting some donations to support our Discovery learning in the morning.
We would LOVE any donations of:
* WOODWORK TOOLS- small hammers, nails, screwdrivers, wood etc.
* CROCKERY- cups, saucers, plates, cutlery etc.
* PEGS- crocodile style
* TOYS- any old or broken toys that the children can dismantle and make into new toys
* PIPES- any pipes, spouting etc.
Stationery
Many children need to replenish some of their stationery items. Please ask your child if they need to replenish any items, especially pens/pencils, whiteboard markers or glue sticks.
That's about all for now.
Have a wonderful weekend ahead.
Kōwhai News Wk7 T3
Hi everyone,
We have had a busy couple of weeks with some fantastic learning happening across the hub.
Yesterday saw us having the auditions for the school talent quest which is being held in the last week of the term. We were so impressed with how many children expressed an interest in participating in this event.
The finalists have now been chosen for the school talent quest and they are:
Congratulations to all those who took part, displaying our school values, 'We love challenge', 'We make a difference' and 'We get there together'.
Discovery
Each morning we begin with our Discovery programme. This time provides the children with the opportunity to explore wonderings and curiosities. This week, there have been many children challenging themselves with new learning, from learning how to braid, creating 3D shapes with cardboard, drawing, building intricate models with Lego and even completing engineering challenges.
This time allows the children to problem solve, work alongside each other and to acquire new skills in the process. Here are some of the children in action:
Gymnastics
This week we have begun our gymnastics unit. Each Monday afternoon, the children participate in a variety of gymnastics activities. We are wanting the children to develop their balance, coordination, rotation and the ability to perform a sequence of movements with control.
Literacy / Inquiry
As part of our Inquiry learning into sustainability, the children in Paulette and Anna's literacy group are going to be creating tracking tunnels as a way of identifying some of the animals that are inhabiting our school grounds. We would love to have any plastic bottles (milk/soft drink), plastic card, heavy cardboard, plastic sheeting (plastic drop cloths, PVC sheets), sponges, peanut butter, wood, cardboard boxes that could be used to construct a tracking tunnel.
The children will analyse the data they collect and use this to make any changes to ensure our school environment is sustainable for all wildlife.
Conservation Week
Next week is Keep NZ beautiful week. As a school, we are having a focus on the school surroundings and have been given an area to keep clean for the week. In our team, we are also going to be looking at our waste production and our goal is to reduce the amount of waste that we create each week. We are going to see if having smaller rubbish bins will help us to make less waste. You might like to take this time to see if there are any small changes that you might be able to make as a family. It has been great to see so many children using the wax wraps that are being sold by the PTA.
Pioneer Miniball
At this stage, we will only be able to enter in 2 teams to the Pioneer Miniball competition which is held after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you are keen/able to coach, please let Paulette know ASAP so we know the number of teams that we can enter. Later this coming week, an email will be sent out with all the information about how to enter your child.
Parent Help - Reading
We would still love the help of another 2 parents to listen to children read each week. If you are able to help out, then we would LOVE to hear from you. This only needs to be for 1/2 an hour and it can be at any time of the day! Please email or see your home group teacher if you can help out.
Well, that's all for this week.
Kowhai Teaching Team
We have had a busy couple of weeks with some fantastic learning happening across the hub.
Yesterday saw us having the auditions for the school talent quest which is being held in the last week of the term. We were so impressed with how many children expressed an interest in participating in this event.
The finalists have now been chosen for the school talent quest and they are:
- George, Will, Harvey, Quinn, Fergus and Tahere performing the Duck Song
- Emma Vaile, Lilian and Alyssa performing a gymnastics routine
- Xanthe, Ella Thomas, Keira Ryder, Isla Chapman, Layla McCallum, Bailee Green and Briar performing "Hall of Fame" through dance and singing
Congratulations to all those who took part, displaying our school values, 'We love challenge', 'We make a difference' and 'We get there together'.
Discovery
Each morning we begin with our Discovery programme. This time provides the children with the opportunity to explore wonderings and curiosities. This week, there have been many children challenging themselves with new learning, from learning how to braid, creating 3D shapes with cardboard, drawing, building intricate models with Lego and even completing engineering challenges.
This time allows the children to problem solve, work alongside each other and to acquire new skills in the process. Here are some of the children in action:
Gymnastics
This week we have begun our gymnastics unit. Each Monday afternoon, the children participate in a variety of gymnastics activities. We are wanting the children to develop their balance, coordination, rotation and the ability to perform a sequence of movements with control.
Literacy / Inquiry
As part of our Inquiry learning into sustainability, the children in Paulette and Anna's literacy group are going to be creating tracking tunnels as a way of identifying some of the animals that are inhabiting our school grounds. We would love to have any plastic bottles (milk/soft drink), plastic card, heavy cardboard, plastic sheeting (plastic drop cloths, PVC sheets), sponges, peanut butter, wood, cardboard boxes that could be used to construct a tracking tunnel.
The children will analyse the data they collect and use this to make any changes to ensure our school environment is sustainable for all wildlife.
Conservation Week
Next week is Keep NZ beautiful week. As a school, we are having a focus on the school surroundings and have been given an area to keep clean for the week. In our team, we are also going to be looking at our waste production and our goal is to reduce the amount of waste that we create each week. We are going to see if having smaller rubbish bins will help us to make less waste. You might like to take this time to see if there are any small changes that you might be able to make as a family. It has been great to see so many children using the wax wraps that are being sold by the PTA.
Pioneer Miniball
At this stage, we will only be able to enter in 2 teams to the Pioneer Miniball competition which is held after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you are keen/able to coach, please let Paulette know ASAP so we know the number of teams that we can enter. Later this coming week, an email will be sent out with all the information about how to enter your child.
Parent Help - Reading
We would still love the help of another 2 parents to listen to children read each week. If you are able to help out, then we would LOVE to hear from you. This only needs to be for 1/2 an hour and it can be at any time of the day! Please email or see your home group teacher if you can help out.
Donations
We would love to have some donations of cups, saucers, plates, blankets, sheets, pegs or old toys ( they can be broken) for use at discovery time.
We will have a box in the hub and one in the office for you to put them in. The children will love using these for their learning.
We will have a box in the hub and one in the office for you to put them in. The children will love using these for their learning.
Well, that's all for this week.
Kowhai Teaching Team