Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 11 Aug 2023

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Whilst it was still frosty, it was lovely to see the sun yesterday, to lift the experience of Book Character Day! I know that teams are likely to share photos through their team newsletters... below are three Witches in a Cherry Tree...! it was really great to see so many children and families engaging with the fun of Book Character Day, and I know that the PTA collected in lots of fundraising forms from the Readathon yesterday too. Please keep these coming in over the next two weeks. The PTA will have a prize draw for each year level, at Celebration Assembly in two weeks, so you have until 9am Friday 25th August to get that fundraising back in.

School Closed - Friday 18 August

Remember that SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED this coming Friday, 18th August for a Staff Only Day. Our staff will be undertaking two pieces of Professional Development with support from staff from the Ministry of Education. The first part of the day will be UBRS training - Understanding Behaviour and Responding Safely. The second part of the day will be looking at the new Curriculum Refresh document 'Te Mātaiaho' and unpacking this together. 

Te Mātaiaho | the refreshed NZ curriculum is designed to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and be inclusive, clear, and easy to use.

It has been developed over the last two years in collaboration with the education sector, ākonga and their whānau, communities, and a wide range of interested organisations and communities.

The final draft of Te Mātaiaho is expected to be released in Term 3, 2023, and it will include the three refreshed learning areas which have been released so far: te ao tangata | social sciences, English, and mathematics and statistics.

The other five learning areas are being refreshed, and will be released in 2024 and 2025. Schools and kura have until 2027 to begin using the complete refreshed curriculum.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB: You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Mon 14 - Thu 17 Aug - Cantamath Display viewing in Kōmanawa - from 3-3:30pm
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - Final day for returning Readathon Money
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Mon 28 Aug - Year 7/8 Ski Trip
Fri 8 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - 1:45pm Beckenham's Got Talent!
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Finn Breitmeyer - Year 7

Finn, you exemplify our school values in your daily actions at kura. You bring such enthusiasm towards your learning through inquiring questions, insightful contributions and focused mahi. You are a strong team player on the sports field and a loyal friend to many. You bring reliability to your leadership positions and earn the respect of peers and staff alike. 

School Notices

Student Council Talent Show...

On Friday22nd September, the the last Friday of this term, the Student Council will be hosting "Beckenham's Got Talent!" Leading up to this, each hub will hold a mini-final, where 2 finalists will go through to the school event on the last day of term! Since Kowhai have more children than the other hubs, they will have 3 finalists. Only 5 people per performing group. Please encourage your children to practice an act with their friends. Let the talent begin!!!

A big thank you... 

... to all the whānau who completed our recent science survey. We had an amazing 84 responses! Your thoughts, along with the student surveys, staff surveys, observations of student learning and analysis of teacher planning, will help inform our current review and development of science learning at our school.
Charlotte Verity

School Duathlon

Our school duathlon will be on Wednesday the 23rd of August. It will take place in the afternoon. 

This is an optional event for Year 5 to 8 students. It involves both running and cycling and is considered an endurance event. If your child has an interest in these kinds of events and is looking for a challenge, they can enter the event through a Google form, which will be shared next week. 

The running component is approximately 2 km and the cycling is approximately 1 km. 

Each year we ask for parent help to support us with the running of the event. This usually involves marshalling on the course. There will be a Google form going out via Hero to gather the names of people who can help out. 

Learning across the Teams

DigiFest - engaging with Aotearoa NZ Histories through Technology...

Our Kāhui Āko (local cluster of schools) have put together an opportunity for groups of learners and staff to engage with new parts of our curriculum using technology. This week, groups of Year 5-8 learners went to St Mark's School with teachers and worked with digital technology facilitator, Wilj Dekkers, from ImpactEd.


This coming week, on Tuesday and Wednesday,,. groups of children from Years 1-4 across our Kāhui Āko will be engaging with digital technology at Beckenham in our hall, again supported by Wilj. This is a wonderful opportunity for our teachers to engage in professional learning with other teachers, and to learn alongside our tamariki.

Cantamaths - Year 7&8

This term, as part of their Mathematics learning, our Year 7&8 students have been engaging with Cantamath individual challenges. These were all completed this week, and have been set up in Kōmanawa for viewing next week. There are some AMAZING investigations, games, mathematical artworks and explanations of complex mathematical thinking that have been produced. 

All whānau are welcome to visit Kōmanawa, with their children, to enjoy the display over the coming week, after school each day from Monday to Thursday. If you have children in Year 5 & 6 this year, we particularly encourage you to visit with them as they will be participating in this programme next year.

PTA News

Congratulations on all the great reading that’s been going on over the past two weeks.  Come and choose a bookmark to reward your hard work! The PTA will be at school on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings before the bell to collect sponsorship money and give out bookmarks. You can also pay sponsorship money directly into the PTA account.    

Helplines: 

1737 - free text and phone counselling 24/7 
Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800 269 4389
What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18 year olds).
thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

Community Notices

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

Chinese Art competition 2023

This art competition is a joint venture by the Christchurch branch of the NZ China Friendship Society and Harcourts Gold Spitfire. It follows on from the highly successful initial competition last year. The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Happy Chinese New Year’. We are running the same competition this year but with more sections and more prizes (see the poster above). 

AKOTECH CodeCamps October School Holidays - FREE PRIZE & EARLY DISCOUNTS

Our holiday camp allows children from the ages of 7-12 to develop 21st century skills in a fun and action packed environment. Create and train your own AI Avatars, make games, code drones & go to work for a simulated Tech Gaming Studio to build games for a big client.  

Develop confidence & initiative through design, creativity, solving problems, presenting & collaboration. Create your own games, worlds and apps to make our world a better place.
We also have Literati Lab just for girls, which includes AI Art & Animation. 
Enter our competition to win a FREE 4 day pass to one of our CodeCamps

St Margarets College: 25th - 28th September & 5th - 8th October
Book Now at www.akotech.nz
Competition: www.codecamp.co.nz/competition
EarlyBird Save Up to 21% Until 25th Aug
Siblings Save 6%


Seeking orchestra musicians - Luminaires Charitable Trust

We are on the search for great volunteer musicians to play in our orchestra.
Luminaires Charitable Trust is a fairly new entity in which we focus on supporting young people in the performing arts. Our shows to date have been Spamalot Young@Part (July 2022) and Heathers the Musical, Teen Edition (April 2023). We are currently in rehearsal for an original children’s show, Beauty Within the Beast, which plays October 5-8th at the McCombs Performing Arts Centre at
Cashmere High School.
The story tells of a battle between the fairies of winter and spring, in which a young non-binary princess gets caught up in their war and is transformed into a beast. And so the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast is told with many twists along the way.
The score is an original score written 25 years ago for a predominantly youth orchestra. Therefore we are open to a mix of young players as well as adult musicians.

The orchestra is comprised of Flutes I&II, Oboe, Clarinets B flat I&II, Bassoon, Trumpets B flat I&II, Trombone, Tuba, Percussion (chimes, triangle, tambourine, cymbal, woodblock, maracas), drum kit, tuned percussion (xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, chime bars), piano and strings.

We would sincerely appreciate you passing this onto anyone you think may be interested.
We ask that interested musicians please email luminairescharitabletrust@gmail.com outlining your preferred instruments and a brief outline of your experience by Sunday 20th August.

Nga mihi nui,
Franc Bol (Producer / Director)
021666921


The General Election is on 14 October 2023. To vote, you need to be enrolled and your details need to be up to date.

It's easy to enrol, check or update your details online: vote.nz/enrol

More information and additional resources are available on the Electoral Commission's website here: https://vote.nz/2023-general-election/resources/resources-to-share-with-your-community

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 4 Aug 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

A huge 'Thank you' to the PTA and whānau who gave their time to make the four discos happen! Running four, back-to-back discos is no mean feat and takes a considerable amount of organisation and support. The events were clearly successful, and enjoyed and appreciated very much by our children.

Sandwich Road Water Leak



As those of you who use the front entrance to the school will be aware, we have had major, ongoing issues with a water leak at the crossing point for over 18 months. The issue appeared to have been repaired during the May holidays, then returned again during the July break. Over the past three weeks, Richard Scott and I have been in almost daily contact with the council as the leak has become worse and worse. Below is a message from Tim Drennan regarding this leak and the plan for repairing it:

Firstly, thank you to the school community and residents for their patience with ongoing water leaks in the area. There have been several leaks that have caused disruption, both on the road and within the school grounds.  

We have repaired a number of leaks in this area over the past few months. However, we are aware the current leak has got worse over the last few days.  We had undertaken a temporary repair on this leak in the past and had hoped that it would last until we were able to do a full replacement of the water pipe. The replacement is scheduled to happen in October this year.  

The current leak is on one of the major mains that supplies water to the reservoirs on the Port Hills and surrounding area.  The water supply for the school does not come off this main.

From 8pm, Friday 4 August, one-way traffic management will be in place on Sandwich Road so we can begin the repair. Spare parts are not available locally and need to be sourced from Auckland given the age of the pipe. The repair will be completed on Tuesday 8 August and traffic management will remain in place until then.

This is a temporary repair, and we are hopeful that this will be enough to get us through until the replacement is in place.  

We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days and weeks.

Again, thank you for your patience.

Ngā mihi
Tim Drennan
Manager Service Excellence 
Three Waters



As you can see from the photo above taken on Friday evening, the repair has started to happen. Please be aware that Sandwich Road will have traffic management in place on Monday and Tuesday, so consider walking, biking or parking away from Sandwich Road if you can on those days.

Sickness and keeping sick children at home

Already this term we have seen a series of colds, flu, tummy bugs and a small amount of Covid at school. We can see that these bugs do spread through a home group or a team very quickly so please keep children at home if they are unwell, and make sure that phone or email the office to let us know why they will be away. Thank you!

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Fri 11 Aug  - Book Character Day - final day of Readathon
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - Final day for returning Readathon Money
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Fri 8 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Lukas O'Connor - Year 6

Lukas, you brighten up the hub with your vibrant smile. You are a helpful student who demonstrates our school values of 'We Care' and 'We Love Learning' on a daily basis. Your kind and caring nature is enjoyed by many. We appreciate you everyday! Ka rawe, Lukas! 

School Notices

Readathon and Book Character Day

Remember to get those reading minutes in each day & added to your tamariki Readathon forms!

 A reminder that the last day of the Readathon is this coming Friday the 11th of August, which is also Book Character Day! We look forward to seeing everyone coming to school dressed as their favourite book character. 
All Readathon money needs to be in by 9am on Friday 25th August, and the PTA will announce spot prize winners in assembly on that day (rather than Friday 11th as stated on the reqadathon card).

Cross Country Challenge

At the end of last term, the top-placed students in our Year 0-4 cross country event had the opportunity to take part in the Cross Country Challenge which is held at Hillview Christian School every year. There were many other schools participating which added to the excitement of the whole occasion. Luckily, the rain held off and the children successfully took part in their cross-country races, putting every effort into doing their best. It was fantastic to see the determination on everyone’s faces as they strove to get to the finish line. Well done to you all!

Following the races, the children then attended an award ceremony followed by a delicious afternoon tea. It really was a fantastic experience for our tamariki.

Free Broadband - Supporting Students To Learn

The Ciena Jump for Students Fund can now be accessed through selected local libraries. 

To be eligible, there needs to be cell tower capacity (mobile coverage) at the home address. If the home address is available, your details will be sent to the Christchurch City Libraries by GCSN, and a librarian will contact you when a modem is available to collect. A GCSN co-ordinator is available to support whānau through the process if needed.

The Ciena Jump for Students Fund offers a free modem and 210GB monthly data until the end of this school year.  For more information on the Ciena Jump For Students Fund, please visit https://www.skinny.co.nz/jump/ciena/

Helplines 

1737 - free text and phone counselling 24/7 
Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800 269 4389
What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18 year olds)
thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

Community Notices

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

“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever.”
― A.A. Milne
Tickets can be purchased via Ticketek: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=POOHBEAR23


The Mainland Pouākai want you to be a part of the action this year as they take the floor in what will be an exciting season. For the games listed below, we are offering your school an exclusive 10% discount on tickets which will be a great night out for the whole family!  Get yours your tickets today!

Mainland Pouākai vs Northern Kahu Home Game - Sunday 20th August, 3:00pm at Cowles Stadium


Mainland Pouākai vs Whai Home Game - Sunday 27th August, 3:00pm at Cowles Stadium


If you are interested in purchasing tickets to other home games, please click the link:


School Newsletter, Friday 28 July, 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

With Week 2 now finished, Term 3 is well underway! 

Thank you all for your patience with the muddy and wet state of our front entrance area on Sandwich Road. We have been in urgent communication with the council about the leak that has sprung up once again next to the crossing, and I see that yesterday the area was fenced off, so hopefully they have managed to sort that issue.

Richard Scott (Board of Trustees) and I recently met with representatives from the City Council to discuss options at our front entrance to extend the bike storage area and to make improvements to the 'grass' that is currently 'mud' at the main entrance. These conversations have proved to be very positive so far, so we are hoping to be able to get permission to make some positive changes here in the very near future.

Readathon

Hopefully everyone is well underway with their reading and their collecting of sponsorship. There are two more weeks of the Readathon, culminating in Book Character Day on Friday 11th August where children (and adults) can come to school dressed as their favourite book character. The PTA and the school appreciate your support of this fundraiser as it is a major part of the PTA's annual fundraising, and all PTA funds are used to support the school in a range of different ways.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can choose to embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Tue 1 Aug - 7:00 - 8:00pm - Year 7/8 Open Evening
Wed 2 Aug - Keeping Ourselves Safe - Parent information session 2-3pm Staffroom
Fri 4 Aug- PTA Discos - see below for details
Fri 11 Aug  - Book Character Day - final day of Readathon
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - Final day for returning Readathon Money
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Fri 8 Sep - 10 am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Maya Pauley - Year 7

Maya, you are such a bouncy and enthusiastic ray of sunshine in the Kauri Hub. You love to embrace challenge and ask questions to ensure your success across the curriculum. Thank you for being such a kind and caring individual who looks out for others and makes a difference. Tino pai Maya!

School Notices

Keeping Ourselves Safe programme and Parent Information Session

From 7th August the New Entrant to Year 6 teams will be teaching the personal safety programme by New Zealand Police - Keeping Ourselves Safe. Years 7/8 will be doing a combination of the 'Keeping Ourselves Safe' and Choices' programmes. We cover this programme every two years as part of our Health curriculum. 
Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe.
You can:
  • attend a meeting at school to find out more about Keeping Ourselves Safe on Wednesday 2 August at 2.15 pm in the staffroom
  • find out about abuse and what to do if you think a child you know is being abused
  • talk to your child about what they have learnt in Keeping Ourselves Safe.
  • set safety guidelines with your family
  • help young children with the Keeping Ourselves Safe activities they bring home
  • give the same safety messages as the school is giving
  • look at the whānau section of NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe for more information and frequently asked questions
More information about the programme can be found on our school website

Help Needed

Are You a Welder?

We have a basketball hoop outside Koru that needs to be modified so our students can use it.
If you have welding skills that you are able to offer us we would love to hear from you.  A small piece of metal will be required to make the modification - we are happy to pay for this.
Please contact Tony Lee, our caretaker, or Jacky in the office.

Flag Fixer - sewer needed

As you will be aware we fly a flag every school day as part of our acknowledgement of the different nationalities and cultures represented within our school.
Some of these flags (14 in total) are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, specifically around the holes where the flagpole string goes.
We are looking for someone who is able and keen to sew a small patch over the holes that no longer have an eylet / metal ring on them.  This will enable another sewer, who has already volunteered, to put a buttonhole in this area and thus extend the life of the flag.
Please contact the office if you are able to offer your help with this flag fix-up! office@beckenham.school.nz, or 3371404.

Staff Profiles

At the end of Term 2, we welcomed Denise Colville to our staff, working as a Teaching Assistant in the Koru, New Entrant Team. Denise is a trained teacher from Germany and we are delighted to have her skills in our team, as she waits for her New Zealand teacher registration to be confirmed.

Student Council News

This term the Student Council are running "Kete Value Fridays". Each Friday there will be activities for the students to take part in. 



  • Last week we made Thank You cards and bird feeders to show We Care
  • This Friday the activity that we are running is an obstacle course on the left side of the hall presuming the weather is suitable. This will represent We Love Challenge. 
  • Next week (Week 3) is going to be We Love Learning, and we will teach origami. 
  • We won't run an activity in Week 4 because of Book Character Day. 
  • Week 5 will be We Make a Difference, the activity we will run is a school rubbish raid. 
  • In Week 6, for We Get There Together, we will run a doodle wall. 
Please encourage your child to participate - We Get There Together!

PTA News

It's Disco Time!

Get your dancing shoes on, as the PTA Disco will be happening next Friday, 4th August.
Entry by Gold coin donation.
NE/Y1/2 children will each be given a scoop of popcorn and there will be no other snack sales available.
Y3-8 Discos will have the option of purchasing popcorn or chips, priced between 50c and $2



Community Notices

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

Information regarding new Metro bus fares.

On 1 July the fares on Greater Christchurch public transport, buses and ferry, changed. The 50% fare discount funded by the government has now ceased. Environment Canterbury have now implemented a new fare structure with some exciting changes.

Single zone – all metro buses are a single zone. The same fare is now charged wherever you board or disembark in Greater Christchurch.
Cash fares are $4/adult and $2/child (under 19)
Metrocard bus concessions are $1. These apply for people under 25yrs as well as people with a Community Services card, a Total Mobility card or who attended a partnering Tertiary provider. For more information see - https://www.metroinfo.co.nz/travel-and-fares-info/new-fares-from-1-july-2023/
 
What do your students need to know?

Your date of birth on your Metrocard activates the ‘Under 25’ concession. If a student paid child fares on their Metrocard pre-July , they will receive this  concession automatically.
All other Metrocard benefits such as free transfers and capping remain
 
What about free fares for under 13 yrs that the Government announced?
Canterbury has not yet implemented free fares for under 13yrs. We will be providing an update of the timing of this when details are confirmed.











Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto School Newsletter, Friday 21 July 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou



Another big 'Thank-you' to our PTA for the Mid-Winter Breakfast and to the Student Council for the City Mission Food Bank Can-collection this week. It was wonderful to see so many happy faces enjoying the porridge in the hall on Wednesday, and the huge collection of nearly 500 cans of food that was able to be delivered to the City Mission to supplement its Foodbank. As our roll hit 500 children this week, that is nearly one can per student! Thank you everyone who contributed to 'Make a Difference' for others in our community!

Readathon begins on Monday...


On Monday, another important PTA Fundraising activity begins - the annual 'Readathon'. Your child will bring home a Readathon card, which will invite you to help them to get sponsorship for engaging with Reading every day over the next three weeks. The aim of this is to both raise funds for the PTA to use to support the school with trips and equipment, AND, to encourage a daily reading habit for all of our children.
The final day of the readathon will be Friday 11th August, when there will be a 'Book Character Day' and everyone is invited to come to school dressed as their favourite character from a book. 
During the following two weeks, until Friday 25th August, the PTA will be collecting in the Readathon cards and money. This is one of the biggest fundraisers that our PTA does each year, and your support of it is very much appreciated.

Year 7/8 Open Evening - Tuesday 1 Aug, 7 - 8pm



Our Year 7/8 Team will be hosting an Open Evening on Tuesday 1st August, from 7:00 - 8:00pm. Whilst this is particularly targeted at the whānau of our current Year 6 students, all are welcome to come along and find out more about learning opportunities in our Year 7/8 Team.

Keeping Ourselves Safe programme and Parent Information Session

From 7th August the New Entrant to Year 6 teams will be teaching the personal safety programme by New Zealand Police - Keeping Ourselves Safe. Years 7/8 will be doing a combination of the 'Keeping Ourselves Safe' and Choices' programmes. We cover this programme every two years as part of our Health curriculum. 
Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe.
You can:
  • attend a meeting at school to find out more about Keeping Ourselves Safe on Wednesday 2 August at 2.15 pm in the staffroom
  • find out about abuse and what to do if you think a child you know is being abused
  • talk to your child about what they have learnt in Keeping Ourselves Safe.
  • set safety guidelines with your family
  • help young children with the Keeping Ourselves Safe activities they bring home
  • give the same safety messages as the school is giving
  • look at the whānau section of NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe for more information and frequently asked questions

Finally...

I will be away from Friday 28th July - Thu 3 August, attending the Australian Primary Principals' Conference, in my capacity as president of the Canterbury Primary Principals Association. Jo Smith and Sue Leadbetter will be sharing the leadership of the school in my absence.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings 
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 24 Jul - Readathon begins - cards come home
Fri 28 Jul - 10am Celebration Assembly
Tue 1 Aug - 7:00 - 8:00pm - Year 7/8 Open Evening
Wed 2 Aug - Keeping Ourselves Safe - Parent information session 2-3pm Staffroom
Fri 4 Aug- PTA Discos - see below for details
Fri 11 Aug  - Book Character Day - final day of Readathon
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - Final day for returning Readathon Money
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Fri 8 Sep - 10 am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 testing at Cashmere High
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Vienna Aldridge - Year 4

Vienna, you bring such positivity and exuberance to all you do. Your energetic nature and your ability to help others both in and out of the hub is striking, and you always ensure you finish what you begin. You maintain motivation in all areas of learning, and take pride in all you do. Self-confident, able and kind...thank you for the energy you bring to our school, Vienna!

School Notices

Lucky Book club Issue 5


This lucky book club issue is out now.  Click on the link to see what is available.

Staffing Update

It was lovely to welcome Jenny Diggle back this week from her Refreshment leave during Terms 1 & 2. Jenny returns to the Year 7/8 kauri Team and Sarah Junghen will be starting in the Koru Team with our third New Entrant class later this term.

Jenny Diggle - Kauri Team - Year 7/8

The Board of Trustees have reluctantly accepted the resignation of Elizabeth Drummond in her permanent position as a full-time teacher at Beckenham, effective at the end of this year. Elizabeth has been on our staff since Term 1 1996 and there may even be one or two parents now at Beckenham who were students in her class when they started school! However, we are delighted to be able to confirm that Elizabeth has agreed to return in a fixed-term capacity during 2024 when we are ready to start our third New Entrant class, so we are not losing her skills and smile for good!

Elizabeth Drummond - New Entrant Koru Team

Sports News

Cyclocross


Two of our students competed in a Cyclocross event held recently. Isabella placed 5th in the U13 girls South Island Schools champs and Zac placed 3rd in a club race.
Get in touch with jenny.diggle@beckenham.school.nz if you would like more details about this sport which takes place outside of school hours.

PTA News

Midwinter Breakfast

Another successful Midwinter Breakfast is done and dusted. Looking forward to seeing everyone again next year and thank you to our extra helpers! 

PTA Meeting

We have our Monthly Hui next Wednesday 26th July, at 7.30pm in the staff room. All welcome! 

Readathon: July 25th - August 11th

Look out for Readathon cards that should come home on Monday 24th July. Please support your child to get sponsorship for reading each day during the Readathon. The Readathon finishes with Book Character Day on Friday 11th August. Cards and sponsorship money should be returned in the two weeks after that. 

Book Character Day - Friday 11 August

August 11th - dress up as your favourite book character to celebrate the last day of the Readathon

PTA Disco - August 4th

New Entrants and Year 1/2 2 - 2:45pm
Year 3/4 4 - 4:45pm
Year 5/6 5:10 - 6:10pm
Year 7/8 6:30 - 7:30pm

PTA Second-hand Uniform Shop

A reminder that the second-hand uniform shop is open each Tuesday from 2:45-3:15pm and Fridays from 8:45-9:15am.



As well as uniform items, we also have a large selection of gumboots which are absolutely needed in this very wet weather we are having!

Community Notices

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




Mainland Pouākai/Basketball




The Mainland Pouākai want you to be a part of the action this year as they take the floor in what will be an exciting season. For the games listed below, we are offering your school an exclusive 10% discount on tickets which will be a great night out for the whole family!  Get yours your tickets today! 

Mainland Pouākai vs Northern Kahu Home Game - Sunday 20th August, 3:00pm at Cowles Stadium


Mainland Pouākai vs Whai Home Game - Sunday 27th August, 3:00pm at Cowles Stadium


If you are interested in purchasing tickets to other home games, please click the link:


T2W10 Final newsletter of Term 2

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Sun and soup - a wonderful way to end the term today! We were grateful to Rebecca from the PTA for coming in today and heating up the frozen soup that was leftover from the Matariki Hui last week. We had 18 litres of soup left, and it was all very keenly consumed at lunchtime today. We were very impressed at how many children love vegetable soup!

Cybersafety - especially over the holidays

We encourage families to monitor children's social media activity closely, especially over the holiday period. We know that device time can be a real obsession for some of our children and we also know that many children are not yet able to navigate the wide range of social media platforms that they may have access to. 
Please be especially vigilant of SnapChat. This is a popular platform among many of our children. The recommended age for SnapChat is 13, and one of the very real challenges of this platform is that ANYONE, whether known to your child or not, can make contact through SnapChat and can invite a user to interact with them. This feature alone makes SnapChat a highly unsafe environment for children to be in without very close supervision. Children can also invite their friends into groups, and groups that start as friendly places for communication, can easily and often become toxic if not carefully managed and monitored.

Wheelchair Rugby - Students vs Staff

As part of our schoolwide learning theme of "Innovation", your Year 7 & 8 team have been looking at innovation in the design of sports equipment for people with disabilities. We were fortunate to be able to access the wheelchair rugby chairs, courtesy of Parafed. As well as spending time looking at the design, and trying out the incredibly maneuverable wheelchairs, the students challenged the staff to a 'no holds barred' game of wheelchair rugby in the hall yesterday! Probably due to the fact that there was no running involved, the students' fitness advantage disappeared and the staff were the winners on the day!


From all of our staff, have a safe and restful holiday. We look forward to seeing you all at school again on Monday 17 July.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 17 Jul - Term 3 starts
Wed 19 Jul - PTA/Student Council Mid-winter breakfast 8:00 - 8:45am - all welcome (see blurb below)
Fri 21 Jul - 9:15am - Welcome Assembly
Fri 28 Jul - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 4 Aug- PTA Discos - see below for details
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Fri 8 Sep - 10 am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 testing at Cashmere High
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - final day of Term 3

Term Dates for next year

At our Board Meeting this week, our Board confirmed the Term Dates for 2024. If you click on the link below, you will be able to view them, and you can also download a printable copy if you want one for the fridge!

Citizen of the Week

Ruvi Lawrence - Year 5

Ruvi, you are motivated, energetic, outgoing and fun! We are lucky to have you as a positive role model in our hub. You have an inquisitive mind and are highly engaged, embracing any challenge with enthusiasm. You have the self-confidence and persistence to make anything possible and regularly make interesting connections in your learning. Ka pai tō mahi, Ruvi.

School Notices

Picking up students from school

From time to time we get advised that a person, other than a listed contact for a student, will be picking them up from school. In these instances, we would really appreciate having the contact details for this person to ensure that we are able to contact them if there is any confusion around pick-up time/place for a student.
In these instances please phone the office on 03 3371404 or email office@beckenham.school.nz

Amber's home group - rescheduled Learning Conferences

We are very pleased to have Amber back at school again, and have rescheduled her home group Learning Conferences for Thursday 20th July, Week 1 of next term.  To book, please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and put in the code: wca24

School Donations and Tax rebates 

Claiming back 33% of your School Donations and Contributions from the IRD
A reminder that via the IRD you may be eligible to claim back 33.33 cents for every dollar you donate to the school. This includes both school donations and contributions towards camps.

On the main IRD website https://www.ird.govt.nz/ you can search ‘submit a donation receipt’ to find out more.

You are now able to produce your own Tax Donation Receipt from your Hero Login, for the tax year ending 31st March 2023.
Note you will need to do this by signing in through your browser, not in the app.

Please follow this link for instructions. Your receipt will be downloaded to your device for you to print or attach to your online IRD donation claim.

Rachel, our account officer, will be sending out statements through HERO early next week. Thank you to everyone who has made contributions to the school donation already. We rely on your donations to be able to provide the many different supports to the curriculum that we do.

If you have any other queries please contact accounts@beckenham.school.nz or phone the office on 337 1404.

PTA News

Midwinter Breakfast - Wednesday 19th July

Get your PJs on for the return of our annual midwinter breakfast!
Come to school in your pyjamas (or uniform) from 8am on Wednesday 19th July for warm porridge or weetbix. Don't forget to bring a bowl and a spoon! Whānau welcome. Please bring a can of food to donate to the City Mission.


PTA DISCOS



Friday 4th August is the new date for the PTA Discos
Bring a gold coin and come along and boogie the afternoon/evening away.
Whānau welcome
New Entrants and Year 1-2, will have their disco from 2.00-2.45.  
Year 3/4 -  4.00-4.45 
 Years 5/6 - 5.10-6.10 
 Years 7/8 -  6.30-7.30

BOT Update



Our Board are working on developing a new Strategic Plan that will take us into the next two years. To support the thinking that is happening on this, we invite you to contribute your feedback, if you haven't already. Some of you have completed paper forms, and the feedback can also be submitted through this online form.

Community Notices

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






Exciting Opportunity for Aspiring Junior Chefs!

Introducing the Junior Chef Course, designed to unleash your child’s culinary potential!

Course Details:
Duration: 5 days
Start Date: 3 – 7 July 2023
Time: 9am – 12pm (8 – 12 year old)
         1pm - 5pm (13 - 17 year old)
Location: International Culinary Studio Training Kitchen, 1/57 Warrington St, Christchurch.

Give your child the gift of being self-sufficient in the kitchen! They’ll learn essential culinary skills, techniques, and gain hands-on experience under the guidance of experienced chefs.

Bring your own electronic device, such as a laptop or tablet, to fully engage with digital resources and take our learning to the next level.

Total Cost: $300 per student

Lecturers: Cheryl and Chef Andy will be teaching the kids a great set of skills. Below are some details of what they will be teaching the kids during the 5 day programme.

Day 1: Create the Perfect Pizza with Toppings.
Learn different Icing Techniques for Icing a Cupcake.
Day 2: Learn to make Shaped Bread Rolls
Make a Country Vegetable Soup.
Day 3: Learn to make Fresh Pasta and a Tasty Beef Sauce.
Day 4: Stuff, Roll, Crumb and Roast a Chicken Thigh
Serve with a Vegetable Skewer.
Day 5: Create Home-made Cookie Dough to make five different flavoured Cookies.
Learn to make a range of Handcrafted Filled and Shaped Chocolates.

Empower your child with culinary expertise that will last a lifetime.
Whether they aspire to be the next MasterChef or simply want to enhance their
cooking skills, this course is a stepping stone to their culinary dreams. This course will also help them with their mathematics, reading and social skills.
To reserve your child’s spot, sign them up here: https://www.internationalculinarystudio.com/events.
Limited spots available, so don’t miss out!
Join us at the Junior Chef Course and watch your child blossom into a talented chef.
Enroll today and ignite their passion for the Culinary Arts!

We will only run the course if more than 10 people register.
T & C’s Apply






Play Baseball in Christchurch

Christchurch Astros
The Christchurch Astros are looking for neighbourhood teams to play in the upcoming 2023/24 season
Start your own neighbourhood team (including coach) and we will help you coordinate competitive games against teams from around Christchurch.
If you cannot find enough players for a team, the Astros can help with the combination of programmes near to you.

- Starting school term 4
- Age groups ranging from 5 - U16
- No prior experience needed
- Limited coaching sessions available to help get started
- Equipment available for competitive games
- Practices to be held locally but games occur bi-weekly at Avonhead Park

Please register your interest by emailing: christchurchastrosbaseball@gmail.com