Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Final Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 13 December 2024, Week 9

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

This is our final newsletter for 2024!

To our tamariki, this year we have noticed our kete values in action in so many ways in every one of you, and we are so proud of you all as you fill your kete for the journey - Whakarite ngā kete mō te haerenga.

Thank you to all our staff. This year we have navigated a year of transition together - what a team. You bring the kete values to all you do and you hold our tamariki central in all the decisions, solutions, learning and fun! Arohina te tangata me te taiao.


Thank you to our whānau, for the support you have shown the kura this year, for working as part of the important team supporting your child. Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe.


Meet the teacher for 2025

On Tuesday 17th December the tamariki (children) will have some time in their hub for 2025 and meet the teachers who will be in that team. Each child will be given a letter to bring home to you that will have the name of their Home Group teacher for 2025, information on booking a learning conference at the start of the year and stationery information. Please look out for this letter. If you child is away for any reason on this day, the information will be emailed to you.


Year 8 Leavers

On Monday we farewell our Year 8 students. To them we say thank you and goodbye for now. Whether their time with us has been for all their schooling or part of it, they have each brought your own gifts and talents to our Kura as they have filled their Kete for the Journey.


Staffing Update
Congratulations to Jenny Diggle! Jenny has secured a position for 2025 at Te Aratai College working with a Year 9 class.

Jenny started at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto in 2016. During her time here she has worked in both the Junior and Senior school. Jenny has been the leader of Physical Education and has worked tirelessly over the years to support and organise the running of so many sporting events. Thank you Jenny for your empathic, caring approach.  Your incredible expertise in supporting our tamariki in their “whole” learning journey and in the way you are so solutions-focused has been appreciated.  These traits will support your new job at Te Aratai College next year.

Nicky Dunlop will take a Kauri Home Group for Term 1 while we recruit a teacher to start Term 2. 

Showing appreciation at the end of the year
We are aware that gift-giving is one way that some people choose to show appreciation and that this is particularly so at the end of the school year, and for those who celebrate Christmas.

We talk with the children about the importance of showing appreciation in an ongoing way through words and actions, rather than necessarily through the buying of gifts. Our teachers talk with the children about the value of making and writing cards or small gifts when special occasions do occur. In that same spirit, we do appreciate hearing that what we have done has been appreciated, and we do not expect parents or students to buy gifts for staff. 

We are also aware that some groups of children may to organise gift-giving activities between friends at school (i.e. "Secret Santa"). Please let your children know that this is not something we do at school,  and that this needs to be something organised outside of school. Our goal is to ensure that our school activities are inclusive of all children and their whānau beliefs and values. Please ask children to keep activities such as this to friendship groups outside of school, where you know one another’s families.

Below are the dates of the remaining events at kura (school). a reminder that school finishes at 12.30pm on Tuesday 17 December.

We wish you all a safe summer holiday and look forward to seeing you in 2025.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith (Acting Principal / Tumuaki) 

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation 11am
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 & 2025 term dates

School Notices

Congratulations to...

Principal's Cup for Leadership: Madeleine Dougherty

Madeleine, your leadership is characterised by initiative, care, and leading by example. You are a self-starter who sees a need and steps in to fill it, always seeking ways to make things better—whether through your support of the diversity group or your leadership of the creative writing group. You lead through action, setting high standards for yourself that inspire those around you to strive for their best. Your kindness and empathy are evident in your thoughtful approach to leadership, balancing the needs of the group with those of each individual. Congratulations, Madeleine, on this well-deserved recognition for your exceptional leadership!


Christchurch School of Music Band Directors Cup: Ben

Ben, your dedication to band has been outstanding. Through your involvement with both the Beckenham Tutti Band and Con Brio, you have shown exceptional perseverance, resilience, and commitment to your craft. As a mentor, you have guided younger students with kindness and encouragement, fostering a strong sense of teamwork and community. Your contributions have left a lasting impact, and you will be greatly missed as you move on to high school. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Ben!


Norman Kirk Memorial Prize for Citizenship: Ben Cross

Ben, every one of our school values shines through you in your words and actions every day at kura. 

He taonga te ako. Your thirst for learning is undeniable: You can always be found engaged in discussion, asking questions or engrossed in a book. You strive for excellence in all that you do. 

Nau mai te wero. Ben, you positively vibrate with enthusiasm in the face of challenging maths problems, a competitive game of sport, or really just about any opportunity put in front of you. 

Nā mātou he rerekē te ao. You are an outstanding leader and role model; you can always be counted on to act with integrity. 

Mā tatou katoa te waka e hoe. Ben, you shine when working within a team. You are a leader who leads from alongside, bringing others with you to enjoy success together. 

Arohina te tāngata me te taio. Ben, you are inclusive, kind, caring and respectful to everything and everyone every day.  

Ben, thank you for being such an all round awesome human being.


Year 8 Kete awards


We Love Learning -Harshit Rana and Harriet Parawa

Harriet, your genuine enjoyment of learning is evident across the curriculum and extends beyond the classroom. The way you consistently show your love of learning is outstanding. You demonstrate a huge commitment to personal growth but also show a  willingness to support others in achieving their best. Your success in various subjects reflects your proactive engagement with the learning process. Thank you, Harriet, for embodying the spirit of loving learning. 


Harshit, you have proven yourself as an exceptional learner time and time again. You have a genuine motivation to do well at every task laid before you. Harshit, the way that you put yourself outside of your comfort zone in search of personal growth is admirable. You listen attentively, follow instructions and respond to feedback. These characteristics have resulted in progress and achievements across the curriculum: Your intricate calendar art piece, coachability in ultimate frisbee and basketball, and awesome performance in our production are just some examples of this. He taonga te ako.


We Make a Difference-Hayzel Pole

Hayzel, you are positivity personified. When you smile, it is impossible not to smile back - and you smile most of the time. When ideas are being brainstormed, you are quick to acknowledge the contributions of others. During dance, drama or sport, you build others up. As Junior Neighborhood Support Leader, you have been proactive in actioning ideas to benefit our community and you have been a dedicated and bubbly House Captain for Heathcote. This support and encouragement of others makes a huge difference and promotes a culture of belonging within our rōpu. Thank you for the energy and enthusiasm you bring to kura each day, Hayzel!


We Love Challenge-Holly McIntosh

Holly, you embrace challenge in so many different ways. When the learning is challenging, you knuckle down and persevere to break through any barriers. Physical challenges see you in your element, leading the way and supporting others. You also love to perform and willingly volunteer for speaking roles. Holly, you take challenge in your stride, showing resilience when the going gets tough. Nau mai te whero! You rock, Holly.


Together-Isabella Guise

Isabella, you are a fabulous team player. Your level head and personable nature enable you to work effectively within a range of group dynamics. You are an active participant in many extracurricular activities, which include sport, Te Whānau and leadership. In every rōpu, you fully contribute and play your part in making the group a success. Isabella, you act with integrity, role-modeling our school values and contributing positively to our Kauri community. Thank you for the kindness and inclusivity you show to all. Mā tatou te waka e hoe. 

Caring for our kura

Our fantastic kaitiaki - looking after our environment by choosing to collect rubbish during their play breaks! We get there together! 

BOSCO

BOSCO January 2025 Holiday Programme is open for bookings!

To book head to bosco.aimyplus.com

Any information you may need or help with bookings please contact Harriet

office@bosco.org.nz
027 645 6632

Sports News

Sports Uniforms

If you happen to find any Beckenham Te Kura sports tops hiding out at your house, would you help us out by returning them? We can get them washed a ready for next year.

Yr 5 Canterbury Relay Team


On Wednesday the 27th of November, 22 tamariki, (children) from Beckenham Te Kura O Puroto represented our kura and zone at Canterbury Athletics, held at Ngā Puna Wai. This is a record number of students attending Canterbury Athletics for our kura, (school) and is a testament to the tamariki, (children's) hard work and determination. Well done to all who took part and represented our kura so well. 

A special mention goes to Levi Bunting and Laura Stoney for placing 3rd in their events. A super achievement, well done!

Appropriate Language At School 

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto is a place where we want all of our students and their families to feel safe and happy. It is our values, and the 'culture' of our school (the way we do things) that helps us to create a supportive and mana enhancing learning environment. 

A big part of what makes our school special is how diverse and multicultural our community is. All families prioritise and value different things at home and that makes us unique. 

The language we use at home is very different from family to family. How one family communicates in their home and the language they feel is acceptable, can easily be recognised as taboo or appalling in others. This is why we talk to our students about 'Time and Place'. 

Please support us by reinforcing to your child(ren) that some words that may be acceptable at home are not acceptable at school (or other places). Different places have different rules. 

At Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto, we do not want our tamariki swearing or using anti-social language. Our school needs to be a safe and happy place for all.

The following is a useful article on swearing: Swearing: why do school-age children do it? It can be quite a shock when your child starts to swear. You might be wondering where your child learned that kind of language – and whether they really understands what they're saying. How you react to your school-age child’s swearing now will influence their future swearing behaviour.

Swearing: why do school-age children do it?

When school-age children swear, it’s usually to express negative feelings. It’s often a response to something painful, upsetting or frustrating.

Children might also swear to fit in socially. They might be trying to be part of the group or to stand out by being funny or adding shock value to their talk. Children might also be imitating others when they swear.

Some children swear because it gets a strong reaction from their parents.

What to do about swearing: immediate action

Speak to your child about their choice of words, rather than ignoring the behaviour. Your child might or might not fully understand a swear word’s meaning, however they understand that words can hurt or offend others.

Your reaction will influence whether your child swears again. Stay calm and explain clearly that the word your child used is not OK. You could also explain that the word might hurt other people’s feelings. This will go a long way towards preventing future swearing.

What to do about swearing: longer-term

It’s a good idea for the adults in your home to discuss and agree on acceptable language, and discuss this with your child. For example, in some families, expressions like ‘Oh my god’ are OK, but other words aren’t. In some families, these expressions won't be acceptable.

If your family has rules about swearing, it’ll be easier to point out when your child is using unacceptable language. For example, you might say, ‘Remember, that’s not a word we use in our home’.

Here are more ideas to encourage respectful speaking and reduce swearing:
  • Explain to your child that some words that are acceptable at home might not be acceptable at school (or other places). Different places have different rules.

  • Think of other words to use if you find it hard to stop swearing, and other ways to handle difficult situations. For example, instead of swearing, you could say something like, ‘I feel really frustrated or angry’. This way you’re modelling better ways of expressing feelings. If your child has heard you swearing, it can also help to explain why you were swearing.

  • Praise your child when you notice them dealing more appropriately with anger or frustration. For example, if your child tells you that a playmate was using swear words to tease, praise your child for walking away from the situation and not using those words.

  • Be aware of what your child watches, listens to and plays with. That means supervising and checking the ratings on TV programmes, movies, music and other multimedia. It’s also a good idea to have the TV, computers and other devices in a part of the house where you can easily see them.
Some children will keep pushing swearing boundaries after being told not to. If you find yourself in this situation, you could try the following strategies:
  • Clearly state the rules. For example, you could say, ‘We use respectful language in this family’.

  • Clearly state that you won’t tolerate any abusive behaviour or language that’s directed towards others.

  • Tell your child what the consequences will be if you hear swear words and follow through with that consequence e.g. loss of privileges on devices.

  • Praise your child for not swearing in situations where they normally would. 
Source of article: raisingchildren.net.au

Community Dental Service - Holiday Clinics January 2025

The Community Dental Service will be closed for the upcoming 2024-25 Christmas & New Year period:

     Closed from: Tuesday 24th December 2024
     Reopen:         Monday 6th January 2025

Four of our community dental clinics will be open during the January School Holiday period:

     Burnside    (96a Memorial Avenue)
     Hillmorton (80-82 Sylvan Street)
     Aranui        (240 Breezes Road)
     Timaru       (18 Woollcombe Street)

If your child is experiencing any dental pain/discomfort, you can call us on 0800 846 983 and/or email: commdental@cdhb.health.nz and one of our clinicians will contact you.

Screen time and its impact on school-aged children

This week, we want to highlight an important research article about screen time and its impact on school-aged children. We estimate that over 90% of the 700+ cases referred to the attendance service involve issues related to excessive screen time, which we frequently observe as a major barrier to school attendance, especially when it leads to insufficient sleep. Notably, children who spend more than three hours daily on social media are 27% more likely to miss school.


Here are three key findings from the study that are relevant to school attendance:
  • Evening Screen Use: Adolescents using screens for more than two hours before bed are more likely to experience sleep disturbances, impacting their alertness and focus in school.
  • Delayed Sleep Onset: High levels of screen exposure are linked to delayed bedtimes, resulting in insufficient sleep and daytime fatigue, which can increase school absences.
  • Age Differences: Older students are particularly affected, with disruptions in sleep patterns that lower their energy levels and academic performance.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING

Health alerts and advice from Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora  

Pertussis (whooping cough) awareness and prevention 

A pertussis epidemic was declared across Aotearoa New Zealand on 22 November.   


Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) can be particularly severe, and sometimes fatal, for babies many of whom require hospital care. 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is encouraging those who are pregnant or have regular contact with young babies or preschool children to check they are up to date with pertussis vaccinations. 


Protect against measles 

Measles is a serious and extremely contagious disease that affects adults and children.  

Measles is increasing in countries that Kiwis travel to frequently, including South-East Asia, Europe and the United States.   

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is encouraging vaccination for people who do not have immunity to measles, particularly those who are planning to travel overseas in the school holidays.  



Funded meningococcal vaccines for eligible rangatahi 

Meningococcal disease spreads easily in close living situations and can be fatal within hours. 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is encouraging rangatahi to get a meningococcal vaccine if they are entering their first year of shared accommodation in a boarding school hostel, university halls of residence, military barracks or youth justice facility. 


Support with checking vaccination records 

Advice about vaccines and immunisation records for children aged 16 and under is available from the free vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.  Māori, Pacific and disability support services are available to provide assistance.  

Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)

Art Classes for Children

Is your child passionate about art? Would they like to extend their creativity through learning a range of new art skills and techniques? Maybe Kat's holiday painting workshops or after-school art classes are just what you've been looking for. Kat's Art Studio is located at 171 Waltham Rd. Art tutor Katrina is a professional artist and tutor who has over 10yrs experience teaching children art. For more details, please visit www.katsartstudionz.com

It is with great excitement to share with you our BAPN Junior Badminton Summer Training Camp!

Details of the training camp:

Who:                    Players up to 19 years old
Experience:         All levels welcome (beginner, intermediate, advance)
Where:                 Zhu Badminton Centre, Wigram
Date:                    13 - 24 January 2025
Days:                    Monday - Friday (Total 10 days)
Time:                    9am - 3:30pm each day (6.5 hours per day)
Costs:                   $700 for all 10 days or $80 per day

Please see above posters for more information including schedule & training breakdown.

Please sign up via our enrolment form in the link below:
https://forms.gle/2zfXCnLESeVUyLXN6

Limited spaces available so please sign up quick!

Or feel free to get in touch with any questions by contacting Willie at willie.chen@mybadmintonshop.co.nz or 0210 224 5655

*Application closes Friday 10th January 2025*

Website: https://mybadmintonshop.co.nz/pages/coaching
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BAPNchc

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 29 November 2024, Week 7

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou,

Today we say thank you to all of the people who have volunteered this year: on trips, putting away books, gardening, PTA, Board of Trustees, sport coaches... the list goes on. The help that each of you has provided this year has helped us to provide so many experiences and resources for the tamariki (children).

This time of year always brings a time of busyness. As a kura (school) we begin our end of year celebrations, and at the same time begin the work to prepare for 2025.

Part of the mahi (work) in preparation for 2025 is the organising of Home Groups. Below is a list of the Home Group Teachers for 2025. We also have a number of teachers filling various roles across the school.

Staffing Update Beginning Term 1 2025

Koru (NE)
Katie McFarlane - Team Leader
Stacey McLachlan & Elizabeth Drummond

Kahikatea (Y1/2)
Sarah Junghenn - Team Leader
Amber Donovan
Talia Garrick

Kōwhai (Y3/4)
Anna Reid - Team Leader
Rowena Barker 
Hazel Ritchie
Georgia McKenna
Anna McNeill

Pōhutukawa (Y5/6)
Chris Gaut - Team Leader
Megan Culver
Rae Marsh
Gayle McNaughton
Nick Bruce

Kauri (Y7/8)
Hugo Weaver - Team Leader
Jenny Diggle
Sarah Angelo
Chloe Wilson

Across School Teaching Support
Nicola Reddecliffe - Literacy support Y0-2 and Classroom and Team Leader release
Lisa Collier - Across School Teacher, release, Literacy Support Y0-2
Megan Harris - Classroom and Team Leader release
Laura Williamson - Classroom and Team Leader release
Georgie Jones - Literacy and Numeracy Support
Nicky Dunlop - Release Teacher 

Congratulations to Quynh Nguyen who has been appointed to a Junior school teaching position on the west side of Christchurch.

Showing appreciation at the end of the year

We are aware that gift-giving is one way that some people choose to show appreciation and that this is particularly so at the end of the school year, and for those who celebrate Christmas.

We talk with the children about the importance of showing appreciation in an ongoing way through words and actions, rather than necessarily through the buying of gifts. Our teachers talk with the children about the value of making and writing cards or small gifts when special occasions do occur. In that same spirit, we do appreciate hearing that what we have done has been appreciated, and we do not expect parents or students to buy gifts for staff. 

We are also aware that some groups of children may to organise gift-giving activities between friends at school (i.e. "Secret Santa"). Please let your children know that this is not something we do at school,  and that this needs to be something organised outside of school. Our goal is to ensure that our school activities are inclusive of all children and their whānau beliefs and values. Please ask children to keep activities such as this to friendship groups outside of school, where you know one another’s families.

Below are the dates of the remaining events at kura (school). a reminder that school finishes at 12.30pm on Tuesday 17 December.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith (Acting Principal / Tumuaki) 

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Tue 03 - Tue 10 Dec - Year 5 and 6 Cycle Safety
Wed 04 Dec - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM
Wed 04 Dec - Kauri production 7pm, gold coin donation towards Kauri fundraising 
Thur 05 Dec - Kauri production 7pm, gold coin donation towards Kauri fundraising 
Thur 05 Dec - House Games (wear your House shirt to school)
Fri 06 Dec - Celebration Assembly 9.45am (NB change of time)
Wed 11 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.05-9.50am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation 11am
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 & 2025 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Maeve Hurford - Year 3

Maeve, you are a kind and caring student who epitomises each of our school values daily. You are a fabulous role model to others and make our school a great place! Ka pai, Maeve!

Isaiah Kwong - Year 8

Isaiah, you are a shining example of kindness and care, always looking out for others and embodying our school values in everything you do. You are a true role model and inspire your peers with your passion, responsibility and dedication to making our kura a better place. Ka pai Isaiah.

PTA News

PTA Monthly Hui (Meeting) 4th December 7.30pm

All welcome to our final hui of 2024! Please note the change of date from the usual 4th Wednesday of the month. We’d love to see some new faces and appreciate some extra voices and hands to help with our fundraising activities in 2025! Don’t hesitate to get in touch via pta@beckenham.school.nz

School Notices

Scooters

Now that the weather is warmer we are seeing more children biking and scootering to school. Lots of the scooters are or look the same. Please make sure the your child's scooter is easy for them to identify in some way (named, sticker), this will help with collection confusion - when someone accidentally takes the wrong scooter home, leaving their one at school. Please also ensure that their helmets are clearly named.

Panforte

Calls for last orders this Sunday 1 December - this panforte is proudly made by a family from school, and 10% of sales goes towards the school.

It's a great gift, packed with fruit and nuts, preserved with north Canterbury honey, we can cater for gluten free, it won’t melt, lasts for ages and is a great option for people who are going camping, tramping and fishing these summer holidays and of course its super delicious!

Rubbish in the Playground

Plogging!
Our wonderful Jacky lead and inspired us on our "Plogging" journey.  We hope you may be able to help us with this.  Plogging refers specifically to the activity of picking up rubbish while jogging / walking.  Its name is a portmanteau of the Swedish term Plocka upp, meaning "to pick up" and the English jogging.  The Office has some large tongs and buckets in the office, if you would like to take your child to do some plogging at drop off or pick up time.  Our school environment, and eventually the world, will thank you for it!

The most common items found were wrappers, drink containers, lids and straws. 
Here is how you can help students continue their efforts at home: 
Notice and make a point of picking up rubbish as you walk past it, if you can (yes - do wash or sanitise hands after) 
Consider bringing litter free lunch items to school, Wrappers can be removed and left in bins at home. Many families already do this as a way to help our environment.
Volunteer at a local clean-up, run by the Council.

The Student Council are also running a competition to design a mural for our red bins. These bins are placed around the school to support the little pieces of rubbish that might be around. We still encourage rubbish free lunchboxes.


BOSCO

Gardening Club Updates!

Lost Property

Please check the library for lost property before the end of the year!

The lost property rack is full of unnamed, multi named or illegible  named school tops and unnamed hats. 

Congratulations to our Year 8 award winners...

Sportsmanship
Annabelle Smith
Annie, you are a fierce competitor. You show dedication, resilience and grit at every sport you turn your hand to. What this award recognises is your outstanding ability to balance your competitiveness with inclusivity, humility and respect. As you strive for excellence on the sports field, you never lose sight of your values. You play with integrity and pride, demonstrating awesome coachability and diligence. Whatever the outcome, you show as much joy for the accomplishments of others as you do for your own. Congratulations, Annie!

Sportsmanship
Austin Reddecliffe
Austin, you are passionate about sport! You are a fabulous role model for our younger tamarki - making such a difference to lunchtime games. Hockey, netball and basketball your jam. Austin, you show fantastic coachability, listening to instruction, carrying out drills as explained and working to implement the techniques covered. Your level head ensures you are an eager and fair referee. You seized the opportunity to fill in for other basketball teams and when on the court you ensured everyone was included in the game and supported to do their best.

Science Cup
Lewis Potter
Lewis, your enthusiasm for all things scientific is obvious for all to see. You thrive on discovering new facts about how things work. You have an impressive general knowledge base and this enriches our class discussion by bringing valuable perspectives to our learning environment. Lewis, your eagerness to share your knowledge with others is fantastic; you are always there to back me up or help me out with an explanation. During our science lessons, your genuine interest and involvement shine through. You consistently demonstrate a deep understanding of concepts and a keen interest in exploring new ideas. Keep nurturing your curiosity and continue sharing your passion with others. Congratulations Lewis!

O'Sullivan Cup for Excellence in Art
Maggie Zhao & Cortana Mee

Cortana, you demonstrate an exceptional talent in art, in particular drawing.  With a pen or pencil in hand, you are in your happy place, ready to bring your ideas to life! Your creativity, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for drawing really set you apart. Cortana you have been involved in many art projects and were an art leader this year. You approach each artistic project with dedication, showing strong potential to grow as an artist.  Keep up the inspiring work, Cortana!

Maggie, your passion for art shines through in everything you do. As an Art Leader this year and last, you have demonstrated both leadership and a strong commitment to the Visual Arts. Your talent as a skilled drawer is evident in your work, with each piece showcasing both precision and creativity. Your involvement in school art projects, such as the Elmer project, reflects your collaborative spirit and dedication to bringing artistic ideas to life. Maggie, you continually inspire others with your creativity and attention to detail. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!

Special Contribution to Music
Freyja Schøler
Freyja, thank you for your contribution to music as part of the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto community. Your participation in the Music Festival Special Choirs (Year 5-8, earning your 4-year medal this year), School Choir (Year 5-8), Kauri Production as a vocal soloist in 2023, and Kauri Choir has consistently shown self-confidence, a commitment to excellence, and a genuine love for music. Thank you for the positive impact you've made through your musical pursuits.

Literacy Cup
Elsie O'Beirne
Elsie, your writing across the curriculum demonstrates skill, confidence, and a wicked sense of humour that truly brings your work to life. You approach each task with a distinctive voice and creativity, whether shaping stories or exploring ideas in other genres. Your ability to connect with your audience through humour and thought-provoking content sets you apart as a gifted writer. Furthermore, you’ve shared your talents as an outstanding co-leader of the writing group this year, showcasing both your leadership skills and your enthusiasm for the written word. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Elsie!

Mathematics Cup
Bobby Macdonald
Bobby, you are a passionate mathematician who gets absorbed by complex problems. You thrive on challenge and sweep others along with your enthusiasm. For two years in a row, you have qualified for the final challenge in Otago Problem Solving, represented our kura in the Cantamath Problem Solving Competition and achieved Excellence awards in the Cantamath Project Competition. Bobby, the strategies you share for solving complex problems are at a sophisticated level and leave many of us scratching our heads. Thank you for supporting others with their learning. Congratulations Bobby!

Social Science Cup
Alex Mussell
Social studies is the study of people—individually, in communities, and as societies—examining their behaviours and interactions with one another, as well as with the technological and natural environments around them. It’s often the focus of Inquiry-based learning.

Alex, you bring a wealth of prior knowledge to our social studies lessons. Your insight into how individuals and groups operate is impressive, and you have a strong understanding of significant historical events. You connect this prior knowledge to new concepts with ease.

You are naturally inquisitive, always motivated to understand the world around you. Your ability to synthesize information with creative thinking leads to interesting and thoughtful ideas about how we can make the world a better place. The world needs curious, deep-thinking, solution-focused people like you! Congratulations, Alex!

Janne Rowson ICT Award
Mitch Welch
Mitch, you are in your element when you are given responsibility. One of the ways that you have shown leadership at kura this year is through your role as ICT Leader. You have performed this role exceptionally well, demonstrating responsibility, initiative and problem-solving. You can follow protocols when things are running smoothly and you have the technological knowledge to get things back on track when things aren’t working how they should. In addition to running ICT for assemblies, Sandy’s Farewell and other special events at kura, you ran the tech desk for our ShowQuest Performance at the Town Hall. Mitch, this award recognises your passion, knowledge and leadership in ICT and thanks you for your contributions to our Kura. Congratulations, Mitch. 

Special Contribution to Māori Culture (tama)
Bobby Macdonald
Bobby you have been so valuable in our group this year and you absolutely deserve recognition. Our group was small but you would shine in a group ten times the size. You embrace challenges that might terrify others.  Your 100% commitment to additional responsibilities add so much to our performances. Thank you for being such a humble, dedicated, positive, smart and thoroughly likeable member of Te Whānau this year. We will all miss you heaps!

Special Contribution to Māori Culture (kōtiro)
Madeleine Dougherty
Maddie, this year it's been such a pleasure for everyone to work with you. You are the first to go the extra mile to support our group kaupapa in any way you can. It's clear how much you value learning and being part of a team, as well as a leader and role model. On stage you have presence and sparkle that are a delight to see, and off stage your kindness and inclusivity as a leader has been just amazing. What a star you are Maddie. Ngā mihi nunui.

BOT Update

Policy Review

Visit the 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, 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.)

You're invite to our next clean-up in Ōtautahi!

It's been a while but we are finally back with another public clean-up in Ōtautahi, this time around New Brighton Beach and the estuary on the 30th of November.

Thanks to our awesome partner Trumpet (Tiptop Ice Cream); ice creams, giant games, clean-up equipment and good vibes all come free with the day!

Sign up at this link and feel free to share it round!

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

Going overseas this summer? Everyone travelling into, or returning to, New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. 

The New Zealand Traveller Declaration collects travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity information and aims to improve the safety and security of New Zealand. It replaces the paper card you used to fill out on the plane.   

To make your arrival easier, do your digital declaration before your flight to New Zealand. It’s free to complete.

If you’re travelling as a family or group and completing multiple declarations, the NZTD app allows you to copy your travel details into another declaration, making it easier to complete multiple declarations for the same journey. The submitted declarations are then all easy to see within the app.

Head to travellerdeclaration.govt.nz today!

Many thanks for your support.  

New Zealand Traveller Declaration team 
New Zealand Customs Service 

Calling all fathers! University of Canterbury Survey

Take our survey on what it’s like to parent in the 21st century. Every completed survey goes into the draw to win a $100 gift card. Ethics approval obtained by the University of Canterbury Human Ethics.

Follow the link below for more information or to complete the survey:
https://uclpsychology.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vVMTMPpWBy1Dds

Sasha Johnstone (she/her)
Research Assistant
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Summer Writing School for Teens 2025

We are delighted to be offering our 9th Summer Writing School for teens and once again we have some stellar tutors ready to inspire, guide and mentor young writers. 

Please share this opportunity with your keen young writers.

January 13-17 2025 Ara City Campus, Ōtautahi Christchurch

DETAILS AND BOOKING HERE

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāpare (Thursday) 14 November 2024, Week 5

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Reminder that Friday is a Public Holiday and school will be closed. 
Monday is a Curriculum Day (Staff Only Day) and school will also be closed for all tamariki. 
BOSCO will be open on Monday to support - if you wish to sign your tamariki up for BOSCO on this date, please head to bosco.aimyplus.com to make a booking.

The end of year summary reports are now available through the Hero Portal.  The end of year report reflects aspects of your child's learning for the second part of the year.  Please take the time to sit with your child and share their report with them celebrating their learning.

To find your child's report open Hero, click on their name and then click "2024 report".
Please see the Hero post from Katie for more details.

It has been an incredible last couple of weeks with all sorts of happenings around kura.  Enjoy the long weekend and we look forward to seeing tamariki back on Tuesday.


Ngā mihi nui
Sue Leadbetter and Katie McFarlane 

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Fri 15 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day (kura/school closed)
Mon 18 Nov - Curriculum Day (staff only - kura/school closed)
Wed 27 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 11 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.45-10.30am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Isabella Frei - Year 7

Isabella, it is fabulous to see your confidence blossoming. You are such a switched on learner who has great ideas to share. You are a fine role model showing all of our school values and it has been so great to see you stepping out of your comfort zone and try new challenges. Keep shining, Isabella!

Ashreya Naidoo - Year 6 

Ashreya, your delightful sense of humour makes you fun to be around! Your enthusiasm and committment to being the best you can be, in everything you do, is truly inspiring. You are a wonderful example of a student who uses all our school values daily. Ka rawe, excellent!

School Notices

Recycling Station

Kia Ora,

 I am Hanna and I’m in year 7.

A few weeks ago my family and I went for a walk in the Red Zone. In the Red Zone, there is a fantastic recycling station. I would like to help them collect as much recycling as possible. There is going to be a box for plastic lids (any colour lids with a 2 or 5 on) or aluminium lids and caps that will be put in the reception for students, teachers, and parents to drop their recycling into. 
At the end of the month, I will take it home, sort it, and drop it into the recycling station at the Red Zone. The people at the Red Zone will then melt down the plastic and turn it into jewelry. The jewelry will then be sold and the money will go to buying new plants in the Red Zone.

Ngā mihi nui,
Hanna

Pilgrims Panforte

Sports News

Athletics

On Thursday the 26th of October we enjoyed our whole school Athletics Day out on Beckenham Park. The park was a hive of activity all day, starting at 7:45 am when a crew of dedicated senior students arrived to help set up. A huge thank you to this amazing group of tamariki, (children).

The event kicked off with the mid-distance run, an optional event for children in Years 5 to 8 who were keen to take on the challenge of a longer distance run. This year saw a record number of our tamariki, (children), take on this challenge! 
The seniors spent the rest of the day rotating through discus, shot put, sprint heats and high jump. The junior tamariki came out at various times in the day to participate in their rotations of run, jump and throw events. Our youngest tamariki from Koru were supported by some buddies from the Kauri Hub. 

Throughout the day, cheers could be heard drifting across the park as the children celebrated each other's achievements. We were so impressed by the childrens' skill, effort and encouragement of each other. 

At the end of the day, the whole school came together to watch children give it their all on the track for the sprint finals and house relay. There were some incredibly determined faces and some very close races.  

Thank you to all the staff for their mahi in this event and to the parent helpers who gave up their time to make the event possible. 

On Monday 83 tamariki from Pōhutukawa head to South Zone Athletics at Hansen's Park. We wish them all the best. 

"Humble in victory, Gracious in defeat"

PTA News

Bingo Night

What an awesome night! Hope everyone had as much fun as we did!!

Thank you to everyone who came along to Bingo Night or bought raffle tickets, "Jack and Kitty" for entertaining us and all the parents who supplied supper plates and helped on the night. 

We raised $7,229.84 towards Kapa Haka uniforms.

Congratulations to our lucky raffle winners:

Foodie Hamper - Andrea Norton

Family Fun - Christelle Burger

Tekapo Getaway - Caitlin Munro

Calendar Art

Art work has arrived for orders received in October, your child should have bought home this week.

If you missed the cut off and still want to order some art work we have a final ordering day.

Orders close MONDAY 18th of November at 9.00am.

Use your childs unique ordering number and you will be able to access your child’s art work (on www.kidsartworks.com).

Weetbix Tryathlon

Entries are open for the Weetbix Tryathlon on 23rd February 2025 at Jellie Park. Early bird entries get a discount so sign up today.
The TRYathlon is all about giving it a TRY and is a rewarding and fun day out for you and your child. Every child gets a t-shirt and medal. We have the school gazebo set up where children and parents can meet and each year the PTA usually have an offering for the children.
Children 6 years old on event day can complete in the Splash & Dash
Children aged 7-15 years old on event day, can complete the TRYathlon as an individual or in a team of two.
Our school has created a School Group which you can join when you enter from home. Search for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto when prompted. By linking to our school group it will give us the chance to win some great prizes.


Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)

The Extravaganza Fair

24 Youth Summer orienteering camp for school Years 5-8


What? A parent-led 4 day residential orienteering training camp
Who? All keen young orienteers, of any level / experience, up to and including Yr 8
When? Thursday 19th - Sunday 22nd Dec
Where? Teapot Valley Camp, near Wakefield, 25 min South of Nelson
Cost? $225 per person including all accommodation, food, coaching and maps.
What do I do now? Fill in the registration forms here:
Parents/helpers: https://forms.gle/iTof9AvrouqmMW3T7
Child form (fill in one for each child please): https://forms.gle/cfU3CkTeavBQAsSC7
Email nzyouthocamp@gmail.com to receive further info.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 1 November 2024, Week 3

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou,

What a busy couple of weeks here at kura (school)! Whole school athletics, Kōwhai and Kahikatea have been at swimming lessons, the seniors finished off athletics with long jump, a Kauri Home Group went to Quake city, Kauri sausage sizzle fundraiser and the Choir sang at the Christchurch Music Festival. You may also have noticed the Life Education classroom on site, they will be here for the next two weeks.

Staffing update

Each year as we begin the planning phase for the following year as a kura change is something that  becomes apparent and we know is certainty in life. As we move to the end of the school year we concentrate on keeping routines and expectations as consistent as possible. Near the end of the term we work  closely with the tamariki around embracing change. If they are moving to a new team for example we support them to become familiar with the new hub, staff and routines.

Some staffing changes for 2025 were shared in the last newsletter and we have some more updates.

Congratulations to Thomas Woodfield. Thomas has been appointed to a permanent teaching position at St Andrew's College teaching music and social studies in the secondary school. Thomas's skill in music has shone through during his time here with choir and leading whole school waiata. Thank you Thomas.

Congratulations to Krystal Hunt. Krystal has been appointed to permanent a teaching position at Selwyn House School. Along with teaching a Home Group Krystal has been the Maths Curriculum leader for the past 2 years, thank you for your dedication and mahi (work) in this area Krystal.

Congratulations to Steve Cooke. Steve has been appointed to permanent teaching position at a school in Christchurch. Steve has been the Year 5 and 6 Team Leader and supported kura in the area Te Ao Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand Histories. Thank you for sharing your skills and passion for all on the Te Reo Māori journey.

Congratulations to Ella Rainbow who has been appointed to a permanent position at Te Kura o Huriawa Thorrington. Thank you Ella for all your aroha (love) and mahi (work) during you time at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

2025 Enrolments - do you have a 4 year old or know someone near by who does!

We welcome enrolment forms for any New Entrant students who may start with us in 2025. It is never too early to pre-enrol your child, and having this data early will help us in the coming months when we begin to organise teaching staff for the following year.
If you know of any in our area, please encourage them to enrol.
Enrolment forms can be collected from the Office or can be found online here.

Considerations for home-group placement for 2025

As we start to put together home groups for 2025, we know that you may hold particular information or insight that you want to share that will support the placement of your child for next year.
While our teachers hold a lot of knowledge and understanding around the needs of our children, we are keen to also know if there is anything particular you think we should be aware of as we make these decisions.

As you will appreciate, putting home groups together is a hugely complex puzzle where the needs of all children need to be carefully considered. This means that we are not asking for 'requests' for teachers or for friendship groups as we would never be able to meet all of those. What we are seeking, is to be made aware of anything important you think we need to consider that we might not be aware of. We will add your thoughts to ours, and do the best we can to make sure that everyone's needs have been considered in our process.

If you have anything you want us to know, please email me (not the teachers) so that I have all the information in one place. I will need this information by the end of Week 5  - Friday 8th November.
email: principal@beckenham.school.nz

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

PTA News

BINGO NIGHT Saturday 9th November - 1 week away!

Grab your tickets for the fabulous funny Bingo Night fundraiser!  MC extraordinaire Jarred Skelton, of Court Jesters and Kauri Quiz fame, will be hosting this night to remember:
  • Tickets $16, includes one bingo card (extras available), no need to make a team
  • Delicious supper provided
  • Bar
  • Spot prizes
  • Silent Auction
Call your friends, aunties, uncles, neighbours, grannies and grandads and book your tickets here.  We're looking forward to seeing you there, and thank you for helping to buy new Kapa Haka uniforms for our tamariki.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Thu 7 Nov - Strings Concert, 11:00am in the Hall
Sat 9 Nov - PTA Bingo Night, in the Hall
Fri 15 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day (kura/school closed)
Mon 18 Nov - Curriculum Day (staff only - kura/school closed)
Wed 27 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 11 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.45-10.30am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates 

Citizen of the Week

Neasa Adams - Year 4

Neasa, you are a role model learner in the Kōwhai hub. You take pride in your work and you show great persistence too. You are a caring friend and we love your sense of fun. You are the first to offer to help out whenever anything needs doing and in this way you really make a difference. Ka pai, Neasa!

Citizen of the Week

John Macdonald - Year 6

John, your love for learning shines through everyday! You are an active listener who participates in group discussions with enthusiasm. You add fun and humour to the learning environment which is enjoyed by many. You are creative and imaginative and you showcase this in many different ways. Ka pai, John!

School Notices

Strings concert 7th November at 11:00 in the hall. Whānau welcome.

If you would like your child to learn the violin, viola, cello please come along and listen - there will be details of enrolments for 2025 at the concert.
Anne Robinson is our itinerant strings teacher and Head of Strings for Christchurch School of Music.
Please contact Anne if you wish to find out any further details.
annejohnrobinson@gmail.com.
(021)1322604

Upcoming Curriculum Day

The Ministry of Education has allocated a curriculum day for all schools to work on the English and Mathematics curriculums in preparation for implementation in 2025. A reminder that our Curriculum Day is on Monday, November 18th. The school will be closed for students on this day. 
We are fortunate to have BOSCO open and available to book on this day. If you wish to sign your tamariki up for BOSCO on this date, please either head to bosco.aimyplus.com to make a booking, or, contact Harriet on 027 645 6632 or via email at office@bosco.org.nz

Kiss and Go Parking

A huge thank you to all those who have supported the 'Kiss & Go' zone. This area is for whānau to pull in and drop off or pick up their children kerb side and then leave. 

The area works best when it is just the children getting in or out of the car (on the kerb side).  If whānau need to come into the school please park elsewhere on Sandwich Road or the surrounding streets.

Garden Spaces

We would like to extend a big thank you to members of our school community, and beyond, for your help with developing some garden areas around the back of Tahaki and in front of the hall.
The gardens are growing under the watchful eyes of Lucy, Maria, some of our ESOL students, the gardening club and children involved with our afternoon Learning Through Play sessions.
Our next step is to level the lawn behind Tahaki. 

Does any have a Rotary hoe or know of anyone we may be able to borrow one from so we can hoe the very uneven grass area and flatten it for next steps.

Text Line Absences

Please contact the school office if your child will be absent from school. When contacting us please remember to include; your name, your child’s name, the reason for their absence and how long you expect your child will be away from school.

If you do not provide a reason for your child’s absence, we are required to mark this as an unjustified absence on their attendance report.

Phone: (03) 337-1404
(Press 1 to leave an absence message)
Text Message: 021 027 94107
Email: office@beckenham.school.nz

Please note our text message option is for text only, and is not set up to be routinely answered or to leave a voice message on. While we will answer where possible, please consider saving this under a different contact in your phone so we don't miss your call! If your absence calls are being missed, please check which number you are phoning. Thank you!

Choir Shines at Christchurch Schools' Music Festival

On Friday night, our Year 5-8 choir performed beautifully at the Christchurch Schools' Music Festival. After an excellent dress rehearsal in the morning, the students carried their hard work and energy through to the evening, delivering stunning performances. A huge thank you to all the parents who came along to support the choir, and a special thank you to Megan C (from the Pōhutukawa Team), who has been an integral support for Thomas and the choir this year and last. We also extend our thanks to Margot H, who has been a great help on piano during our rehearsals at school.

I would encourage all Year 5-7 students who enjoyed being in the choir, alongside any enthusiastic singers in Year 4, to consider auditioning for the Junior or Senior Special Choir next year!

Ngā mihi,
Thomas

Sports News

Huxster Mountain Bike Relay

On Wednesday 25 tamariki (children) from Pōhutukawa and Kauri participated in the Huxster Mountain Bike Relay at McLean's Island. The challenge is to complete as many laps of the course as you can within the given time. Thank you to all the whānau who supported the tamariki at this event and to Grant Guise for volunteering to marshal. 

Ben Stoney and Zach Guise finished 1st in the Year 5/6 boys' team category
Laura Stoney and Izzy Clarke finished 2nd in the Year 5/6 girls' team category
Isabella Guise and Annie Smith finished 1st in the Year 7/8 girls' team category - and were the fastest team overall in the Year 7/8 category. 
Abigale Blencowe finished 5th in the Year 7/8 individual category

A huge congratulations to all who took part. 

The event was also the debut putting for our awesome new gazebo. The gazebo provided a fantastic base area for our competitors on what turned out to be one of our warmest days yet. A massive thank you to the PTA for their mahi (work) in fundraising and purchasing this gazebo for us. We are very grateful. 

Athletics

On Thursday the 26th of October we enjoyed our whole school Athletics Day out on Beckenham Park. The park was a hive of activity all day, starting at 7:45 am when a crew of dedicated senior students arrived to help set up. A huge thank you to this amazing group of tamariki, (children).

The event kicked off with the mid-distance run, an optional event for children in Years 5 to 8 who were keen to take on the challenge of a longer distance run. This year saw a record number of our tamariki, (children), take on this challenge! The seniors spent the rest of the day rotating through discus, shot put, sprint heats and high jump. The Junior tamariki came out at various times in the day to participate in their rotations of run, jump and throw events. Our youngest tamariki from Koru were supported by some buddies from the Kauri Hub. 

Throughout the day, cheers could be heard drifting across the park as the children celebrated each other's achievements. We were so impressed by the children's skill, effort and encouragement of each other. 

At the end of the day, the whole school came together to watch children give it their all on the track for the sprint finals and house relay. There were some incredibly determined faces and some very close races.  

Thank you to all the staff for their mahi in this event and to the parent helpers who gave up their time to make the event possible. 

On Monday 83 tamariki from Pōhutukawa head to South Zone Athletics at Hansen's Park. We wish them all the best.  

Jenny Diggle, Sports Co-ordinator & Kaiako



Mobile Dental Van Visit


Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)

KEEN SINGERS WANTED

Luminaires is excited to announce a family concert and arts market on 8th December and we are seeking enthusiastic singers to join our mass ensemble!
If you are aged 7-25, love to sing and enjoy working with a team of like-minded peers then we'd love for you to join us.
Click on the link below to find out more and to register your interest!
Email: luminairescharitabletrust@gmail.com

Market

The 'From Bellies, Babies to Tweens' market is on SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER from 9am-12noon at the Halswell RLFC, Halswell Rd.
This is a buy/sell new & pre-loved market to help families in the community find maternity, baby, kids & tweens items all in one place at affordable prices.
If you're interested in coming along or would like to be a stallholder, follow on Facebook & Instagram or send an email to fbbtmarket@gmail.com 

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rātapu (Sunday) 20 October 2024, Week 1

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

First week of Term 4 and we enjoyed seeing everyone back after the break and hearing stories of travel, 'staycations' and relaxation! 
On Friday we welcomed our new whānau and their tamariki to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. Welcome to our kura and we look forward to our time with your whānau.
This week we also have school athletics. Please see the notices below for more information.
Also, read the PTA notices, they have been very busy! We appreciate the work they do in support of the tamariki and our kura. 
As we begin our final term for the year a reminder, please feel free to contact your child's Home Group Teacher at any stage. They are more than happy to hear from you to celebrate successes and about any questions or wondering you or your child may have.

Staffing update

In 2025 we will welcome Hugo Weaver to our staff. Hugo will be the Kauri (Year 7 and 8) Team Leader. Hugo is excited to be joining us and working with the Kauri team.

Congratulations to Sarah Angelo. Sarah has been appointed to a permanent teaching position here at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. Sarah is currently working in the Kahikatea team. 

Our Team Leader Structure for 2025:
Koru - Katie McFarlane
Kahikatea - Sarah Junghenn
Kōwhai - Anna Reid
Pōhutukawa - Steve Cooke
Kauri - Hugo Weaver

Our thanks to Amber Donovan and Stacey McLachlan for so capably filling the roles of Acting Team Leaders. Thank you for stepping up and supporting the school in this way for 2024.

2025 Enrolments - do you have a 4 year old!

We welcome enrolment forms for any New Entrant students who may start with us in 2025. It is never too early to pre-enrol your child, and having this data early will help us in the coming months when we begin to organise teaching staff for the following year.

If you know of any in our area, please encourage them to enrol.

Enrolment forms can be collected from the Office or can be found online here.

Upcoming Curriculum Day

The Ministry of Education has allocated a curriculum day for all schools to work on the English and Mathematics curriculums in preparation for implementation in 2025. A reminder that our Curriculum Day is on Monday, November 18th. The school will be closed for students on this day. 

We are fortunate to have BOSCO open and available to book on this day. If you wish to sign your tamariki up for BOSCO on this date, please either head to

bosco.aimyplus.com to make a booking, or, contact Harriet on 027 645 6632 or via email at office@bosco.org.nz

Considerations for home-group placement for 2025

As we start to put together home groups for 2025, we know that you may hold particular information or insight that you want to share that will support the placement of your child for next year.
While our teachers hold a lot of knowledge and understanding around the needs of our children, we are keen to also know if there is anything particular you think we should be aware of as we make these decisions.

As you will appreciate, putting home groups together is a hugely complex puzzle where the needs of all children need to be carefully considered. This means that we are not asking for 'requests' for teachers or for friendship groups as we would never be able to meet all of those. What we are seeking, is to be made aware of anything important you think we need to consider that we might not be aware of. We will add your thoughts to ours, and do the best we can to make sure that everyone's needs have been considered in our process.

If you have anything you want us to know, please email me (not the teachers) so that I have all the information in one place. I will need this information by the end of Week 5  - Friday 8th November.
email: principal@beckenham.school.nz

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 21 Oct - Fri 25 Oct - Walk or Wheel to School Week
Wed 23 Oct - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 23 Oct - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Thu 24 Oct - School Athletics 
Mon 28 Oct - Labour Day (kura/school closed)
Fri 1 Nov - Kauri Sausage Sizzle
Thu 7 Nov - Strings Concert, 11:00am in the Hall
Sat 9 Nov - PTA Bingo Night, in the Hall
Fri 15 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day (kura/school closed)
Mon 18 Nov - Curriculum Day (staff only - kura/school closed)
Wed 27 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 11 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.45-10.30am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates 

Citizen of the Week

Molly McGuigan - Year 4

Molly, you are a great example of  someone who demonstrates all our school values. Molly, you have a beautiful, kind and caring nature. You are loyal, empathetic and considerate. Thank you for the positive impact you have on those around you. Tino pai, Molly!

Maadev Samaratunge - Year 4

Maadev, you are a very kind, caring and positive member of the hub. You consistently demonstrate our school values on a daily basis and you are an outstanding role model to others. Well done, Maadev!

BOT Update

Principal Appointment

The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Cade Englefield as our new Principal. With nearly 30 years of experience in education in both New Zealand and the UK across all primary school year levels, Cade will be joining us from his current role as Associate Principal at Christchurch South Karamata Intermediate School. He will officially start with us on Monday, 27 January 2025. We are confident that Cade’s experience and leadership will be a great fit with the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto culture and values.

We would also like to sincerely thank Deputy Principal Jo Smith, who has done an outstanding job as Acting Principal since January. Whilst Jo opted not to apply for the permanent position, her leadership, along with support from the wider team, has provided valuable continuity and speaks to the depth of experience and commitment across our kura leadership team.

We look forward to welcoming Cade as he joins us in continuing the great work at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

School Notices

2025 School Term Dates 

Staff Only Days
Monday 27, Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 January

Term 1
Friday 31 January to Friday 11 April

NB: Learning Conferences all day Friday 31 January and Monday 3 February. Supervision will be provided for families who have requested it. Classes start Tuesday 4 February. 

Waitangi Day Tuesday 6 February - School Closed

Term 2
Monday 28 April to Friday 27 July

Term 3
Monday 14 July to Friday 19 September

Term 4
Monday 6 October to Tuesday 16 December

These dates will be added to the website in further detail next week.

Food Allergy Guidelines

Across our school, we have a number of children with different food allergies.

To support the wellbeing of these students we have the following guidelines in place which we ask you to follow
  • All students should only eat lunches and snacks that have been provided by their caregivers.  
  • Bottles, other drinks, and lunch boxes provided by caregivers should be clearly labelled with the name of their child.  Home group teachers and caregivers will decide where the children’s bottles and lunch boxes will be kept during the day to ensure no cross contamination occurs.
  • Parents are asked not to bring food into school to be shared with other children.  Whilst we understand that there are times you want to celebrate special events for your children with their friends at school, e.g. birthdays or being awarded prizes, by bringing food and treats for them to share, we have a policy of children only eating the food that their whānau have prepared and sent with them.  We have a number of students with food allergies and also need to respect the wishes of some families who want to monitor what their children are eating and prefer their children just to eat food they have prepared. From time to time, there may be an event that teachers have organised that will involve food (cultural or learning activities) and they will have advised families in advance that this will be happening.  
  • At the beginning of each year caregivers will need to check the expiry dates on any medication to be held at school.  
  • On the first day of school, caregivers will need to bring their child’s medication to the school office.  Caregivers will need to sign a medicine authority form (School Docs).  The responsibility of monitoring the expiry dates of medications rests with the parent.
  • Caregivers may be asked to come and talk to staff about their child’s specific health needs and ways we can support them at school.
We will inform you during the year if specific guidelines for your child’s hub change. 

Our full allergy policy and guidelines are available on the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto website under Information - Policies - SchoolDocs, then search ‘allergy’.

If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss them in the first instance with your child’s home group teacher.

Walk or Wheel to School Week (starts Monday)

In Week 2, from Monday 21st October to Friday 25th October 2024, our school is participating in Walk or Wheel to School Week, brought to you by the Christchurch City Council. This fun and action-packed week is to promote walking and wheeling to school. There are daily themes and prizes up for grabs for students who participate. For more information head over to the Christchurch City Council webpage. We can’t wait to get started next week!

If students walk or wheel to school 3 mornings or more during the week they will go in the draw to win spot prizes.  Cards that students need to fill out if they are participating will be sent home (pictured below). Tamariki (children) need to write both their name and hub on this card. 



Healthy Lunches

Good nutrition is essential for fueling the body and brain for optimal learning and wellbeing. It is so great to see so many healthy, balanced school lunches coming to school. 

We have noticed a number of children are growing and needing extra protein and carbohydrates. An easy way to provide this is the addition of a cheese sandwich or similar.

Please also ensure that your child has a full bottle of water each day.  

Below are some reminders and hopefully some inspiration from NZ Nutrition Foundation to support you with your children's lunches.

Lunchbox Ideas

Lunchboxes can be a real challenge – you want to make sure your children eat a variety of healthy foods, but you also need to know the lunch will be eaten! By including foods from each of the four food groups you will help ensure they get all the necessary nutrients. Asking your children what they would like, or involving them in preparing their own lunchboxes, will reduce the likelihood of the food being thrown away or coming home uneaten.

The Healthy Lunchbox

Let’s think about filling our lunchbox in terms of the four food groups:

Vegetables and Fruits
  • Vegetable sticks – carrot, cucumber, and celery with an optional dip such as cottage cheese, hummus, pesto, Greek yoghurt, tzatziki
  • Small (cherry) or chopped tomatoes
  • Fresh fruit – chopping bigger fruit  beforehand will make it easier to eat – a variety throughout the week maintains interest and ensures a variety of nutrients
  • Fruit pottles
  • Mini salads – coleslaw or a lettuce salad with tomato, grated carrot, and cucumber
  • Small packet or handful of raisins or dried fruit
Grain foods (bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals)
  • Sandwiches
  • Cereal bars
  • Plain biscuits
  • Plain popcorn
  • Rice crackers
  • Potato or pasta salad
  • Potato cakes
  • Leftover pasta and rice dishes
Milk and milk products (milk, cheese, yoghurt)
  • Pottle of yoghurt or yoghurt squeezable
  • Plain or flavoured milk
  • Cubes or slices of cheese
  • Cottage cheese – add to sandwiches or use as a dip for vegetable sticks
Legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and other seafood, eggs, poultry, and/or red meat with the fat removed
  • Meat or chicken sandwiches
  • Egg or tuna sandwiches
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Hummus – Add some to sandwiches or put a couple of tablespoons in a container to go alongside vegetable sticks
  • A small handful of nuts and seeds (unless your child's hub is nut-free)

Kauri Sausage Sizzle fundraiser

The senior students are running a sausage sizzle on Friday 1st of November.
Sausages will be delivered to classrooms. Sausages are $2 each, and all proceeds are going towards the Year 7 and 8 school end-of-year trip to Cass Bay.
There will be a group of senior students collecting orders and money outside of the hall next week on Thursday and Friday before school. Limit 2 sausages per person. The sausages are Hellers brand. There are a small number of halal and vegetarian sausages available. Please make sure to order these specifically if required.

Orders will be taken outside the hall on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th of October 8:30-8:55am.
Thanks for your ongoing support of the Kauri team!

Parking Around Schools & Infringement Fee Increase

Please see the below infographics from the Christchurch City Council, which covers the most common reasons parking fines are given around schools.

These infringement fines are increasing as of 1 October 2024 because the amounts set by central government are being changed for parking fees across the country.

Please take note and ensure that you are parking correctly, to keep everyone safe, and avoid fines.


Strings concert 7th November at 11:00 in the hall. Caregivers welcome.

If you would like your child to learn the violin, viola, cello please come along and listen - there will be details of enrolments for 2025 at the concert.
Anne Robinson is our itinerant strings teacher and Head of Strings for Christchurch School of Music.
Please contact Anne if you wish to find out any further details.
annejohnrobinson@gmail.com.
(021)1322604

CSM

The Christchurch School of Music is a busy and great place to learn and play music.

Enrolments for 2025 are open.  Please complete this google form if you are planning on re-enrolling for 2025 lessons https://forms.gle/AxPyLK1d8MuWr1VE8

Sports News

Koru Games Recognition

We were incredibly humbled to receive the below email:

"As the dust settles on the 2024 Koru Games, we just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for the part you played in making the Games such a success! We hope Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto enjoyed their time at the Games. 

The Selwyn Sports Trust was very impressed with the way the students from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto conducted themselves during the Koru Games and played within the spirit of the Games. To acknowledge your positive contributions to the Games, you have won a $1,000 Dynasty Sport teamwear voucher. 

We look forward to hosting Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto at the Koru Games in 2025!"

This is such awesome recognition of our tamariki and all the coaches who fostered amazing team spirit within their teams.  

Athletics

Our whole school athletics is on Thursday the 24th of October.

The day celebrates the teaching and learning of athletics and Run, Jump, Throw that has been happening across the school. 

Timings 
Koru - 9:15 to 10:00
Kahikatea - 1:30 to 2:20
Kōwhai - 10:50 to 12:40
Pōhutukawa and Kauri - all day

You are welcome to come and encourage our tamariki (children). Please leave dogs at home as some of our children can be afraid of dogs and this can impact their participation - thank you. 

Helpers

We are looking for five adults or senior students to support us with the running of the Year 5 to 8 events. No prior experience is needed.  You will work alongside one of our Kaiako (teachers) and they will explain how the event runs. If you do have prior experience or expertise, that would be a bonus!

The roles we need filling are:
1 x to support with sprint heats
2 x to support with shot put
2 x to support with discus
 
If you can help out, please fill out this form. 

What to wear
Children can wear their house top or red polo with black shorts, track pants, leggings, or similar. For footwear, trainers or shoes that are comfortable to run in are ideal. Shoes must be worn for shot put and discus.  

Please make sure that your child has their sun hat and water bottle with them on this day. 

What to do if your child is injured
If your child is injured or can not participate for any reason and will still be at school on Thursday, please let your child's homeroom teacher know. 

Children who are unable to participate may be able to take on a role where they help on an athletics rotation, take photos or support in another way. This way they still participate and contribute in the event. 

House Relay
If you would like to participate in the house relay in the teacher's and whānau team, please fill in this form.

The House Relay is the final event and the whole school comes out to cheer the runners on. The tamariki, (children) adore seeing their kaiako, (teachers) and whānau, (family) take part. Don't worry if you don't consider yourself a fast runner; the children would love for you to participate and they'd love it even more if they beat you!

PTA News

Calendar Art

All the students have been working hard to produce amazing art work.
Every child has received an ordering sheet with their unique ordering number. With that code, you will be able to access your child’s art work (on www.kidsartworks.com) and order some high-quality, personalised, christmas presents!

Orders close MONDAY 21st of October at 11.30pm.

Bingo Night 9th November 2024

Get ready for Bingo Night!!!!! 

On 9 November, the PTA is hosting a Bingo Night in the hall to fundraise for Kapa Haka uniforms for our Tamariki. This event promises to be a fun-filled evening for our community. 

Tickets are $16. This includes 1 Bingo card, but extra cards can be purchased on the night. Supper and snacks will be provided. We have had some generous donations come through and we are so excited about some of these prizes! 

Leading up to the big event we will be selling raffle tickets for an epic raffle package! Make sure you’re following our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA Facebook Page for the big raffle package reveal over the weekend!

Gazebo

A massive thank you to everyone who bought CookieTime cookies to help fundraise for our new school gazebo.  We also thank the family who made a generous donation towards this as well. The gazebo has just arrived and is looking awesome, we can't wait to use it next week for athletics.

Weetbix Tryathlon

  • Entries are open for the Weetbix Tryathlon on 23rd February 2025 at Jellie Park. Early bird entries get a discount so sign up today.
  • The TRYathlon is all about giving it a TRY and is a rewarding and fun day out for you and your child. Every child gets a t-shirt and medal. We have the school gazebo set up where children and parents can meet and each year the PTA usually have an offering for the children.
  • Children 6 years old on event day can complete in the Splash & Dash
  • Children aged 7-15 years old on event day, can complete the TRYathlon as an individual or in a team of two.
Our school has created a School Group which you can join when you enter from home. Search for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto when prompted. By linking to our school group it will give us the chance to win some great prizes.
The direct link to register into our school group is https://raceroster.com/registration/09e74114-05e0-4912-a758-1d8430d4edc3/entry?team=697038

Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)

Luminaires Singing and Acting Workshops - Term 4

Our workshop participants will work towards performances at a special Christmas event!
In the workshops we focus on helping each individual to improve their skills and technique in a fun and supportive environment.

Thursdays at Phillipstown Community Hub
Singing 4-5pm
Acting 5.15-6.30pm

You can sign up for one or for both
Prices are $150 per term ($120 Community Services)
15% discount if you sign up for both
SCHOLARSHIPS available!

Follow the link to sign up and find out more (late enrolments are fine)

Free Envirokids Sessions For Kids

Envirokids is a free program for kids aged between 5-13 years old that runs every Saturday from 10am-1pm in the kiosk at the Botanic Gardens. The activities run incorporate a mix of interactive fun and environmental education.

Southern Districts & South East Ōtautahi Cricket - only a few gaps across grades!

Harcourts & NZ China Friendship Society Art Competition 2024

A copy of this poster about our upcoming Art Competition is below and also a document with all the details about the competition or for these details,  click here or scan the QR code in the poster with your phone. 

Te Radar's CookBookery - A CHS Spanish Class Fundraiser

A fundraising event for the Cashmere High School Spanish class trip to South America in 2025. All profit will go towards the trip. The show starts at 7:00pm with food, beverages and other fundraising events starting from 6:00pm. Buy tickets here.

The Show - A comedic celebration of food from the beloved and bizarre cookbooks of our past. Te Radar has sampled a century and a half of New Zealand cookbooks to find the tastiest morsels, with a side of sumptuous vintage food photography.




Bike lessons will be starting tomorrow /Wednesdays ,16 October 5-7pm , at Addington School. Please tell your friends and help us spread the word!

New students are welcome! You can start as a beginner at any class - we have lots of help available, and will support you whatever your skill level. 

We are also keen to keep supporting our current students. We will help you build your skills and confidence, to help you achieve your bike riding goals, whether this is riding on the road, or just for fun! 

Can't wait to see you tomorrow