Principal's Update
Kia ora koutou
It is hard to believe we are already halfway through Term 3. The first half of the term has been exceptionally busy. Last Friday, we welcomed the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, who visited to view our newly retrofitted classroom spaces featuring flexible walls and glass doors. Yesterday, I received a follow-up message from Erica acknowledging the warm welcome and positive learning environment she observed during her visit.
Drop Off and Pick Ups
As noted earlier this year, we continue to see unsafe driving around drop-off and pick-up times. Unsafe practices include parking on yellow lines, blocking line-of-sight for our Road Patrollers, and making U-turns amidst heavy vehicle and bike traffic. Please review the city council parking guidelines included further down in this newsletter.
Term dates 2027
Our term dates for 2027 have been set and can be viewed below.
2027 Term Dates (Approved by the Board 19 August 2026)
Staff Only Days - Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 January
Learning Conferences - Thursday 28 January and Friday 29 January
Term 1
Mon 1 February to Fri 9 April 92 half days; 10 weeks
Waitangi Day Holiday Mon 8 Feb - School Closed
Good Friday Holiday Fri 26 Mar - School Closed
Easter Holidays Mon 29 and Tue 30 March - School Closed
Term 2
Tue 27 April to Fri 2 July 92 half days; 10 weeks
ANZAC Day Holiday Mon 26 April - School Closed
Curriculum Staff Only Day Fri 4 June - School Closed
King’s Birthday Holiday Mon 7 June - School Closed
Matariki Holiday Fri 25 June - School Closed
Term 3
Mon 19 Jul to Friday 24 September 98 half days; 10 weeks
Curriculum Staff Only Day Fri 10 September - School Closed
Term 4
Mon 11 Oct to Thur 16 Dec 94 half days; 10 weeks
Labour Day Holiday Mon 25 Oct - School Closed
Canterbury Anniversary Holiday Fri 12 Nov - School Closed
Total half days: 376 (as required by the Ministry of Education)
Health Curriculum
Following a recent update to the Education and Training Act 2020 on 6 July, school boards are no longer legally mandated to conduct formal community consultations regarding the Health Curriculum; instead, schools are required to keep their communities informed about its delivery.
However, our school remains fully committed to consulting with whānau about our health programme. We intend to launch this consultation process once the refreshed Health and Physical Education Curriculum is released later this year. In the meantime, we will continue following our current Health Curriculum, outlined below.
We hope you all have a great weekend.
Ngā mihi
Cade
Principal / TumuakiBeckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Important Dates
2026 Term Dates - Linked Here
Citizen of the Week
Tom - Year 8
Tom, it is with great pride that we recognise you for Citizen of the Week. You consistently strive for excellence and opportunities to challenge yourself. Your curiosity and love of learning push you to think deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and explore ideas beyond expectations. Tom, you demonstrate what it means to be a student of distinction. This award is a fitting recognition of the outstanding rangatahi you are.
Eva - Year 3
Eva, you are a thoughtful, positive and helpful member of our homegroup and Kōwhai hub. You always try your best and are making excellent progress in all of your learning. You consistently show a positive attitude and motivation towards all elements of school life! Thank you and well done Eva!
Laura - Year 8
Laura, you are an outstanding role model who consistently demonstrates the qualities of an exceptional citizen. You are always willing to help others, volunteer for any task, and make a positive contribution to our school community. Alongside being a hardworking and dedicated student, you are also a talented athlete who approaches every challenge with determination and humility. Your diligence, leadership, and willingness to go above and beyond make you a star at our kura. Ka pai tō mahi, Laura!
Sam - Year 6
Sam, you are a knowledgeable, curious, and capable learner who always gives your best. You are generous with your ideas and are always willing to help others, making you someone your classmates can count on. Your resourcefulness, positive attitude, and love of learning make you a fantastic role model. Keep up the awesome work!
School Notices
Road Patrol
Our newest Road Patrollers had their training recently with Constable Meg. They are excited to get started with their new roles.
A reminder to please cross the school crossing with your child before and after school. This models safe crossing and ensures everyone stays safe on the road.
3 Minute Parking Zone Reminder
A reminder please, that the drop off and pick up area on Sandwich Road (by the bike stands) is a 3 minute drop-off zone from 8:30-9:30am and 2:30-3:30pm on school days. This means drivers are not able to sit in their cars from 2:30pm waiting for children, or to park cars in this area and go into school. If you arrive early and wait for children, or if you need to get out of your car and come into school, please find an alternative place to park on the street nearby. Having this area just for drop-offs means that the traffic on Sandwich Road moves smoothly before and after school, and this is much safer for our children.
Furthermore, please do not park in or block the staff carpark entrance or exit - this is for staff and service vehicles only.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
Public Health Nurse
My name is Holly, and I am the Public Health Nurse for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. The Public Health Nursing Service (PHNS) work with tamariki and their whānau where health and wellbeing concerns impact on their home and school lives.
Please contact me if you have any health concerns for your tamariki.
waea pūkoro: 03 383 6877 ext: 99628, 0272843397
īmēra: holly.cummings@tewhatuora.govt.nz
Winter Wellness & Absences
If your child/children are unwell, please keep them home to help them recover. This way, we can all work together to minimise the spread as much as possible.
Please call 03 337 1404, text 021 0279 4107, or email office@beckenham.school.nz as soon as possible in the morning or the day before to let us know.
Staff will continue to promote regular handwashing, especially before eating, and to ventilate the hubs.
Thank you for your assistance with this.
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Student Council Announcement - Beckenham's Got Talent!
The student council is excited to announce that our annual talent show is happening this term!
We welcome all talents, individuals, pairs and small groups. If your child is interested in entering, their teacher will have access to the entry spreadsheet from week 5. Children can let their teacher know they want to enter, or you could email their teacher. We would like to please get entries in ASAP. Teams will hold auditions in week 8 or early week 9.
The school show will happen on the last day of Term 3, Friday the 25th of September.
Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata - Period Products in Schools
The Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata initiative aims to relieve financial pressures for whānau.
The initiative supports ākonga in having ready access to products to take home during the school term and school holidays to cover their full menstrual cycle should they need them.
We can provide these through the school office.
Product will also be available in the Kauri - Hangere and Pōhutukawa - Parenga hub toilet spaces, where students can discreetly access products without having to ask.
Please come by the office if you would like to collect products, or talk with someone (ask for either Jo or Chloe); or feel free to email: pa@beckenham.school.nz
Ezlunch - Kindo
A lunch option you might not know about!
Did you know you can get lunch delivered to your child right here at school?
Ordering lunch with Kindo is perfect for planners, treat days, or when you just need to beat the morning scramble. Order on the go through your Kindo account, and lunch is delivered straight to your child at school.
To get started: Head to shop.kindo.co.nz or download the Kindo app.
Order & win this August! Kindo has 5 x $10 Kindo credits to give away to our school families. Just place an order in August to be in the draw (one entry per child you order for). Good luck!
Kupu Māori o te Wiki
Welcome to our Students - Laney & Eleisha!
Kia ora everyone, my name is Laney, and I am one of the fourth-year speech and language therapy students currently doing placement at your school through to early November. A little bit about me, I was born and raised in Christchurch and am the oldest of three girls. Outside of my studies, I am a keen rugby league fan, enjoy going to the gym, catching up with friends and family, and reading a good book. Thank you all for welcoming me into your school, and I look forward to seeing you around.
Kia ora! My name is Eleisha and I am a fourth-year speech language therapy student from the University of Canterbury. I am lucky to be completing my final placement at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto and will be here until mid-November. I have lived in Christchurch for most of my life and consider it my home. When I am not studying, I enjoy baking, crocheting, swimming, and spending time with friends and family. I also spend my weekends working part-time as a swim instructor at Taiora QE2 where I teach preschool and caregiver/child classes.
Chicken Chat
Chickenstock 2026 Article
Check out this special feature; follow the link to the article here from Chickenstock 2026! You can spot some of our Beckenham chicken team and support crew in the second photo featured.
News from the Coop
The chickens have been enjoying warm porridge for breakfast during these cold winter mornings! Here is Ryland - Year 3, serving the chickens breakfast one morning.
Here is Yuxi - Year 1, making delicious snacks for the chickens!
The Sports Corner
Kia ora koutou,
This section of our newsletter will be dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges our students are experiencing in sports outside of school. We love seeing our ākonga (students) showing our school values, especially We Love Challenge Nau Mau Te Wero in the community. If your child has had a sporting success that you’d like to share with our community, please email me with a short blurb and photo to: kate.mcgregor@beckenham.school.nz - We’d love to feature it in our next newsletter!
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate McGregor
Sports Coordinator
Primary Sports Canterbury - Year ⅞ Volleyball Tournament
Congratulations to our amazing girls who represented our school at the Primary Sports Canterbury Tournament on Wednesday, Week 3! They displayed fantastic teamwork, determination, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the day, making us incredibly proud both on and off the field. Thank you for representing our school with such enthusiasm and positivity—well done, girls! A special thank you to Stacey for accompanying the team and creating a great day!
Primary Sports Canterbury - Year ⅚ Volleyball Tournament
What a fantastic day of volleyball for our Year 5/6 students at the Primary Sports Canterbury Volleyball Tournament! Beckenham entered five teams, with an incredible 40 students representing our school. It was a particularly special tournament as our Red and Gold teams battled it out in an all-Beckenham final! After a fantastic match, our Red Team took a narrow win to come out as the first place getters! Thank you to Chris, Gayle, Rachel and Jo who accompanied the teams and made this all possible.
Cricket Fun!
Over the past three weeks, our Year 0–6 students have been enjoying cricket sessions with Dan from Canterbury Cricket! The students have learnt lots of new skills, built their confidence and, most importantly, had a fantastic time getting active and giving cricket a go. There have been plenty of smiles, laughs and great learning along the way. A huge thank you to Dan from Canterbury Cricket for making the sessions so engaging and fun!
Pōhutukawa & Kauri Weekly Winter Sport: Finals & Players of The Day
Week 5 saw the second to last week of weekly winter sport for our Year 5-8 tamariki! And what an incredible display of talent and sportsmanship Beckenham Te Kura has put on for our community. Next week, we head into the final match ups of the season - which are sure to bring some excitement as six of our teams head in to play off for 1st and 2nd!
A special shout out to these teams who are finalists for 2026:
- Year ⅚ Netball, B Grade - Section 2: Beckenham Stars
- Year ⅚ Hockey, A Grade: Beckenham Cats
- Year ⅚ Rippa Rugby: Beckenham Roosters
- Year ⅞ Netball, B Grade: Beckenham Magic
- Year ⅞ Football, A Grade: Beckenham City
- Year ⅞ Football, B Grade: Beckenham Olympic
Players of The Day: Week 4 and 5
- Year ⅚ Netball
- Week 4: Evelyn, Ophelia & Phoebe
- Week 5: Eden, Florence, Alexa & Indie
Year ⅚ Hockey
- Week 4: Laurence, Beckett, James, Rosi & Ellie
- Week 5: Maeve H, Archie, Leonor, Molly & Mia-Grace
Year ⅚ Football
- Week 4: Hunter, Rene & James N
- Week 5: Louis de V, Avjot, Oliver, Kenneth & Leo
Year ⅚ Rippa Rugby:
- Week 4: Ivy, Moosa & Lucy
- Week 5: Ruby & Henry
Year ⅞ Netball
- Week 4: Grace, Charlie, Paige, Mietta & Minah
- Week 5: Sarah, Ruvi, Sebastian, Vedhika & Beatrix
Year ⅞ Hockey
- Week 4: Woody, Ben, Sedas, Savannah & Daniel
- Week 5: Mason, Kyle & Samson
Year ⅞ Football
- Week 4: Zach G & Max P
- Week 5: Haydn & Henry
Year ⅞ Rippa Rugby
- Week 5: Nick
PTA News
It's a very busy term for the PTA!
Thank you - Bingo Night!
Thank you to all those who supported the Bingo; a great night was had by all!
Disco
A huge thanks to all those who have volunteered to help - we can’t manage without you!
Uniform room
Our PTA uniform room is a great place to stock up on secondhand uniforms. It’s currently open 2:45pm to 3:15pm on Mondays and 8:45am to 9:15am on Fridays. If you could offer half an hour on any morning or afternoon to open the shop, we would love to hear from you pta@beckenham.school.nz
Vintage Movie posters
We have been offered some vintage movie posters, but we do not have a contact for the donor - please email us at pta@beckenham.school.nz if it’s you!
Smeg Stickers
We are still collecting New World Smeg stickers at the office too - we need a restock in the hall kitchen!
Book & Clothing Sale
We are lookinh forward to our huge book and clothing sale on 12th & 13th of September! Donations can still be dropped off at the office. More information to follow!
Weetbix Tryathlon - 14th February 2027
The Weetbix Tryathlon entries have opened and you can sign up to join the school group here, there is currently $15 off the usual entry price so get in quick!
Entertainment
BOT Update
Term 3 Policy Review Now Open - SchoolDocs
- Visit the SchoolDocs website: https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
- Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
- Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
- Read the policy.
- Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Select the reviewer type.
- Enter your name (optional).
- Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
- Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, our school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Beckenham Neighbourhood Association - Hunter Terrace Cycle track
The informal dirt cycle track on Hunter Terrace near the Ōmokihi South Library has been used by local kids since at least 1982. Previous surveys and indications to the Beckenham Neighbourhood Association (BNA) have shown general community support for improvements.
Before spending more on investigations and site works, the BNA would like to hear from the community about what they would see as the optimum use of the site.
Complete the BNA survey here or come along to the BNA AGM to hear more - the AGM is open to all, Weds 26th August at BTKoP school hall, 7pm.
QR code attached for survey:
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Bring Your Team to the Mainland Pouākai Season
Be in to win 20x season memberships with the Mainland Pouākai professional women's basketball team! We're looking to adopt a team to our whānau for the 2026 season and want to fill the stands with you and your teammates for every single home game!
Whether you’re part of a school team, club team or social team, this is your chance to experience Pouākai basketball together. Entries are limited to one per person, so make sure your teammates, friends and whānau enter too. The more entries your team gets, the higher your chances!
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