Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 9 December 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

...and the final school week of the year is upon us!

It was a wonderful celebration of achievements at our Final Celebration Assembly today. Congratulations to all of the tamariki who were presented with certificates and awards. 
Special congratulations to Lola Harris for being awarded the Leadership Award, and to Cleo Hopkinson for the Norman Kirk Memorial Prize for Citizenship.

We also farewelled the staff who are leaving at the end of this year.
Caitlin Worsfold is moving to Ashburton where she has won a position at Ashburton Intermediate.
Emma Hayes-Smith will be taking on further study, and we hope to see her back as a reliever if she has some spare days!
Kal Walker is moving to Australia to be closer to family.
Emma Glass (Ferndale) has won a new position at South New Brighton School
Gail Beedles (Ferndale) is moving to be at the Ferndale Haeata campus
Nicola Reddicliffe, Jan Malcolm and Tracey Maloney have all had fixed-term positions this year and these are about to end. We hope to see them back in 2023 either in a relieving capacity, or in fixed-term positions if they become available.


On Thursday this coming week, all of our students will be told who their teacher will be for 2023. Following that, each new 2023 home group will spend some time, together with their new teacher, getting to know one another. 

We are looking forward to having our two new teachers, Thomas Woodfield and Bridie Arifeh, visit this Monday, to participate in a Year 7/8 planning meeting. We will make sure that they are introduced to the Year 6 and Year 7 students whilst they are here, as they won't be at Beckenham when tamariki meet their teachers on the final day of school.

On Thursday, each child will be given a letter for you that tells you about their home group for 2023, has information on it about booking a learning conference with their 2023 teacher, and will have a stationery list attached.

If your child is not at school on Thursday for any reason, this information will be emailed to you.

Our office will be closed from 1pm on Thursday for the rest of the afternoon. The office will reopen on Friday for the day, before closing at 3pm for the summer break. There will be staff at school from Tuesday 24th January, and the office will re-open properly again on Thursday 26th January.

Learning Conferences will be held on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February, with classes starting on Thursday 2nd February.

Farewell to our Current Board of Trustees Presiding Member - Matthew Macdonald

Matthew Macdonald, who has had a 16 year association with the school, has handed in his resignation as a board member, effective from the eve of the first Board meeting of 2023 as he will no longer have any children at the school. We are extremely grateful for the service that he has given to our board, initially as a trustee, and then as our Presiding Member (Chair).
This leaves a casual vacancy on the Board, which the board have resolved to fill by selection. 
Please see the official notice about this below:

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board 
Casual vacancy for a parent representative

A casual vacancy has occurred on the school board for an elected parent representative.
The board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection.
If 10% or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.
Request for a by-election should be sent to:
Matthew Macdonald email: matthew@corehomes.co.nz
Presiding member (chair) 
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board
by 7 January 2023 


Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki / Principal

Important Dates

Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Isabella Guise - Year 6

Isabella, you are a calm, hardworking, and self-managing learner. You show all our kete values daily and consistently demonstrate a positive attitude in all you do. You willingly help around the hub when you see a need and this is very much appreciated. Ka rawe, Isabella.

School Notices

Free Period Products

The Ministry of Education provides period products free to schools to ensure that tamariki do not miss school as a result of not having these products available. Your child can access these at any time, and is welcome to take a supply home for the holidays. They can come to the office and speak to any of the staff, or you can come in for them. They can also speak to one of the staff in the Year 5/6 or Year 7/8 team. This offer includes both sanitary pads and tampons.

Missing Scooter

This scooter belonging to one of our tamariki went missing from the Sandwich Road bike stand on Thursday the 3rd of November and it hasn't turned up yet - maybe someone took it home by mistake?

We have a whānau keen to see it returned, so if you could please take the time to check your child's scooter and ensure it hasn't been mixed up, it would be much appreciated. If you do find it or have any information please get in touch with the Office.

Library Books and Sport Uniforms

We need your assistance to ensure the return of all sports uniforms and library books before school closes for the year. All sports tops need be returned before Thursday. Each top has a $30 replacement cost. 

Congratulations to...

Keanna Hakeagaiki who has recently come 6th in New Zealand for her weight division in weightlifting. An awesome achievement Keanna! Ka rawe!


Marching award

This past weekend after months of preparation Cammie Inglis and Hayley Rose Ruyters competed in the South Island Marching Championship where their team won First under 12 Technical Team and 3rd under 12 Display Team. These combined totals rewarded the team 1st = Champion Under 12 Marching Team.

Attached is a team photo where there are some more familiar faces with both Jayde and Isabelle Inglis past students in the team too.

PTA News

Community Notices

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

A list of helpful go-to places and websites to support tamariki and whānau in getting the right support:

Community Helplines

1737 - free text and phone counseling 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
 
Emotional Regulation:
Feel Brave: Feel brave creates content (books and videos) that helps children manage tough
emotions and reach their creative potential. It was founded by Avril McDonald who is the
author of the award-winning, best-selling Feel Brave series of books which have been translated
into seven different languages and are used and loved all over the world.

Enabling Youth: works with at risk Youth/Rangatahi and young people between 11 and 30 years
of age (Christchurch and North Canterbury) and 12 - 18 (South Canterbury). The "Getting it
Together", programme involves 10 - 15 sessions. The individualised programme operates each
week, with face-to-face sessions and supported learning, while young people are engaged in the
programme. Participants are supported or expected to practice their learning throughout the
week and review their progress with their tutor/clinician at the next session. Tutors/clinicians
are available throughout the week to assist the young people and their whanāu. Some key
challenges Enabling Youth target self-esteem, regulating emotions and behaviours, relationship
management, coping with grief and loss, problem solving and life skills. https://www.enablingyouth.co.nz/

Christchurch Methodist Mission: Work with Adults, Parents, Whānau (mmsi.org.nz)

Kidz need Dadz: Separation or Oranga Tamariki issues, e.g. access to their children. Fatherhood
courses. Anger management courses. Whānau dispute resolution mediation. Emotional and
practical support: for at-home, teen, expectant, and solo dads; with depression, grief, loss,
separation anxiety; for fathers of special needs children. Website: https://www.kidzneeddadz.org.nz/

Pillars: Support for children of prisoners https://www.pillars.org.nz/

\
Grandparents Raising Grandkids: https://www.grg.org.nz/

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 2 December 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

These past two weeks have been a real celebration of our tamariki and their talents.

We were privileged to enjoy two fantastic concerts last week, and they showcased some of our amazing, talented students. Thank you to the String instrument students and Ensemble, and also Ferndale Kapa Haka. You were both outstanding! 

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Whānau Rōpū Hui & Kapa Haka performance on Wednesday. Whakawhanaungatanga (the process of establishing relationships & relating to each other) is an important part of having a strong school community, and culture. It was really good to have so many whānau here to share kai and support our tamariki performing.




Our tamariki were treated to a wonderful final dress rehearsal of the Year 7/8 production yesterday afternoon. Completely written and choreographed by the students int he Year 7/8 team, this production will be extremely popular with whānau as it takes you on ' A Walk Through The 80s'! There will be two performances next week - on Monday and Tuesday evening, starting at 7pm. Entry by gold coin donation.

It's hard to believe that we are in December already, and that we have just one and a half weeks of school remaining. Please remember that school finishes at 12:30pm on Thursday 15th December.

As many families begin to prepare for the Christmas season, those who would like to add a small bit of Christmas bling to their uniform next week are welcome to do that!


Supporting transitions for all our tamariki

Children who will be moving into new teams for next year are currently in the process of having transition visits to their new buildings, and are meeting the teachers who are in each team at the moment. On the final morning of the year, all of the children will find out who their home group teacher is for the following year, and then each group will go together and spend time with their new teacher/team. Children will bring home a letter on that day, that will have information for you about their new team, their teacher, and about how to book a Learning Conference for the start of 2023. 

School starts next year with two days of Learning Conferences on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February, then classes begin on Thursday 2nd February.

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Mon 5 Dec -  Year 7 & 8 Production (7.00 - 8.00pm in the Hall)
Tue 6 Dec -  Year 7 & 8 Production (7.00 - 8.00pm in the Hall)
Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45-10.30am)
Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Luigi Vallero Reid - Year 8

Luigi, you are such a personable and friendly character. You make a difference by enriching discussions with your deep thinking and broad knowledge. Luigi, you shine as an advocate for diversity. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and encouraging inclusion in others. Our kura is a better place for having you in it. 

School Notices

A Walk Through the 80s!

Next Monday and Tuesday, Year 7 & 8 take to the stage to share their many and varied talents as they present: 'A Walk Through the 80s'. We would love you to join us for what promises to be an entertaining evening. Gold coin donation at the door. 

Community Dental Service - December/January Holiday Clinics

Congratulations to our Y8 Award Winners...

Mathematics Cup: Fergus Macdonald

Fergus your passion for all things maths is quite contagious. You love nothing better than a rich problem to immerse yourself in and you are always keen to share your solutions. You have created two amazing Cantamath projects and earned an excellence award this year with your dynamic wave model. You were part of the team that won the local Cantamath competition in Year 6 and also achieved an impressive result this year. You have qualified for the Final Challenge in Otago Problem Solving in Year 7 and again in Year 8. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and supporting others with their learning too. Tu meke, Fergus!  

Radcliffe Award for Special Contribution to Drama: Katya Atlas 

Katya, your love of everything theatrical is commendable. You earned the respect of your team members and became a role model in Theatre Sports. You were creative, witty and effortlessly ‘improv’d’ your way to an incredibly competitive second place. When you perform, your talent, energy and smile light up the room. Your connection to drama outside of school keeps you busy and always performing. You come by your talent honestly and I imagine we will see your name up in lights one day! As William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage.” Well, Katya, the world is yours!  

Special Contribution to Music: George Smith and Tahere Taylor 

George, you are a wonderfully talented bass and guitar player, who shows dedication to refining your skills and a real enthusiasm for performing. Watching you jam along, having the time of your life, and being totally immersed in the music brings so much joy. Isn’t that what music is all about? Your development has gone from strength to strength this year and you embrace opportunities to perform and share your music with others. This has included performances with The School’s Music Festival, accompanying guitar with Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, and our Kauri production. Thank you for sharing your music with us. 

Tahere, we love listening to you play guitar and sing our hub. Your voice is a real show-stopper and your technical ability on the guitar is enviable. Tahere, you approach music learning with gusto and focus. Your ability on the guitar has progressed in leaps and bounds this year and is a testament to the time you dedicate to practicing at home. Your music contributions have included performances outside of kura, accompanying guitar with Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, and our Kauri production. Thank you for sharing your music with us.   

Social Sciences Cup: Quinn Clarke  

Quinn, throughout your primary school years, you have shown great enthusiasm for learning about our world and the people and cultures within it. As a junior, you would take great pride in being able to identify the flag that was flying each day. Fast forward to your senior years and you continue to demonstrate impressive knowledge and insight in the subject of social sciences. You bring a blend of curiosity, understanding and deep thinking, which enables you to drive a rich discussion on a range of topics including electric cars, world leaders and a range of real-life and hypothetical social issues. You have maintained your enthusiasm and dedication to Kapa Haka into your senior years, demonstrating a commitment to learning about te ao Māori.   

Taylor Cup for Sportsmanship: Lola Harris

Lola, your dedication and mahi on the sports field has been rewarded with impressive results over the years. While there is no denying your ability as a sports person, it is not what you’ve achieved but how you’ve achieved it that we are recognising today. Lola, you play sport with the utmost integrity and humility. When it comes to proving your capabilities on the sports field, you let your playing do the talking. Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka. The kūmara doesn't speak of its own sweetness. It just is. Instead, you use your voice to build others up. You are bursting with compliments to your team and recognition for your opponents. Lola, you lead by example. Your actions set the tone within a team for others to rise to. Lola, you have proved over the years that when it comes to good sportsmanship, you know no other way to be than exceptional. It has been a privilege to share your sporting experiences with you. 

Taylor Cup for Sportsmanship: Quinn Clarke 

Quinn, you have demonstrated an insatiable enthusiasm for sport throughout your primary school years. You are a talented and versatile sports person. At every event and every game, you play to win, striving to give your best and do your bit as part of a team. This tenacity shows respect to your teammates and to your opposition, while your honesty and level head shows respect to the rules of the game. When things don't go your way, you keep your head high, embrace the challenge in front of you and continue to support those around you. A favourite quote of mine says that the sign of a good sportsperson is when ‘they walk off the court and you really can’t tell if they won or lost (because) they carry themselves with pride either way.’ This describes you perfectly. It has been a privilege to share your sporting experiences with you.  

Contribution to Māori culture: Niamh Wolt

'Me he korokoro tūī' – Like the sweet throated tui bird.  
‘Te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere. Te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao.’  
- The forest belongs to the bird who feasts on the miro berry, the world belongs to the bird who feasts on learning' 
 
Niamh, these two whakataukī about manu exemplify your mahi this year as a performer and one of our kapa haka leaders.  There is no doubt you are a performer, whose voice, presence and gracefulness have made you an amazing role model for others, and a delight for others to watch and listen to. You express and honour the kaupapa of our various waiata and haka with a voice that is strong, clear and beautiful.  When sweetness is needed, you are a sweetie! When a challenging presence is required you are fierce.  You don’t miss a beat, fully engaged, listening, watching, thinking, learning and absorbing as we practise, and totally “in the zone” when we perform. Not only have you brought these amazing things to Te Whānau as a performer, you have been dedicated, positive, organised, dependable and humble in your leadership role. 
Ngā mihi, wahine toa!  

Contribution to Māori culture: Tahere Taylor

“Ko Mauao te maunga, ko Tauranga te moana”  
Your maunga wears the reflected light of the dawn, but you, Tahere, shine with a light that comes from within.  Everyone can see it – the kaiako, the tamariki and the wider whānau here at Beckenham.  
 
Your feet, like a maunga, are grounded firmly within te ao Māori. Throughout your time at Beckenham you have been able to share the mātauranga that comes from this, in the classroom, the sports field, and on stage. This is where we have seen you shine. Your contributions have been numerous. Your commitment. Your leadership by example. Your hearty voice, your ferocious haka, your pukumahi. Te ihi me te wehi. Playing the guitar to manaaki our rōpū. Your humbleness. Listening, responding and looking for ways to enhance the mana of others. Your presence had such a valuable impact on the mauri of individuals, and the group as a whole. 
The mana and esteem in which you are held by both adults and children is indisputable. Keep shining. Haere tonu e hoa. 
 
Ko ngā pae tawhiti whaia kia tata. Ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.  
The potential for tomorrow is determined by what we do today.

Sports News

Canterbury Athletics 

A huge congratulations to the tamariki who represented our kura and zone at Canterbury Athletics on Wednesday. We had an impressive 21 athletes qualify for this event across a range of disciplines. The children lived out our school values as they competed against very strong competition. A huge congratulations to everyone on an awesome achievement. 




Mountainbike Passions Rōpū

PTA News

Community Notices

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

Community Helpline

1737 - free text and phone counseling 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


Brain Play teaches online after-school science & technology classes to Kiwi kids aged 5 - 13, from right across the country! Online topics this term include 3D printing, coding, animation, STEM experiments, LEGO & more. Free trials available for new students. Check out our timetable on our website and use the form to get in touch - https://www.brainplay.co.nz/

Have a Go Session!

On Sunday 11th of December we would like to hold a ‘Have a Go’ session. If you know anyone who might be interested in giving surf a go please invite them down to our normal session from 9.30-11am. I have also included a flyer if you know of any schools, community groups or facebook pages that might be interested in sharing the event.

Kelly Sports Summer Holiday Programmes

Bookings for our upcoming Kelly Sports Summer Holiday Programmes at Hillview Christian School are now available online. 

The focus of our Programmes is to ensure kids are active throughout, with a great mixture of games and activities to suit everyone. WINZ Subsidies are available for families that qualify and we have options of Half Day sessions, School Day sessions and Full Day sessions available.

To register and for more information please visit www.kellysports.co.nz/christchurch-east or contact Adelma on chch@kellysports.co.nz for more information.


Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 25 November 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

With only two and a half weeks of the school year to go, there is still a lot of learning and celebration to get through!
It was a momentous day on Monday to finally be able to open our new Junior Playground. We are grateful to the Ministry of Education for the funding that made it possible, to Richard Scott from our Board, and Richard Garner (Logic Group - project manager) who over-saw the project, and to PLAYCO for making it all happen!
We were grateful for sunny weather for the opening, after a very wet spell over the weekend, and our newest 5-year-old, who had only started school on the 1st of November, had the honour of cutting the ribbon and declaring - 'This playground is now OPEN"


All of the children have been getting plenty of opportunities for exploring the playground and are practicing skills of turn-taking, patience, and of supporting and encouraging one another as they use the different pieces of equipment.

Whānau Picnic and Kapa Haka Concerts - this Wed 30 Nov

The student council are holding an event on the 30th of November, the Whānau Rōpū Picnic
event from 5:00 - 7:00.We will have mini-games and prizes up for grabs. You can bring your own picnic. Our Kowhai, Pohutukawa and Kauri Kapa Haka groups will be performing at the following times:
Year 3-4 - 5:30
Year 5-6 - 6:00
Te Whānau Mahi Tahi -  6:30
We will also play music and hope students can bring families to the community event. 
- From the Student Council

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Wed 30 Nov - Whānau Rōpū Picnic and Kapa Haka performances (see below for more info)
Fri 2 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45-10.30am)
Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Clarel Caen - Year 4

Clarel, you are a hardworking and motivated learner and always try to do your best. You consistently demonstrate a positive attitude and are a great friend to others. You have wonderful self-management skills and are an excellent role model. You are extremely reliable and make a positive difference in our hub. Well done, Clarel!

School Notices

Whānau Survey - please contribute your perspective... 

Over the next 2 to 3 years we will be further developing our understanding of gifted learners and how we meet their needs at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. This survey is part of the initial process and helps us with our planning and direction. We encourage all whānau to complete this survey which will be open until Monday 28th November.

Christchurch School of Music

Your child can learn to play a string instrument at school with the CSM Outreach Strings Programme. Children who learn music build confidence, increase their learning abilities, sharpen organisational skills and gain valuable social, physical and academic skills. Most importantly learning an instrument in the Outreach Strings Programme is fun. In the strings programme we teach violin, viola and cello.

Students receive a lesson each week (either individual or in a group of two) and will also have time in a small ensemble. Lessons and the ensemble happen during school time.

Your child will play in concerts at their school and in concerts organised by the Christchurch School of Music with other orchestras, ensembles and groups. The Outreach programme works closely with the CSM Junior Symphony Orchestra (JSO) and all Outreach strings participants are invited to attend the JSO camp each year.
What will it cost?
We teach in your child’s school for 32 sessions throughout the year. Each term can have a different number of lessons depending on the other activities happening at the school and children’s timetables. The cost for the Outreach Strings Programme is $572.00 per year. This is invoiced by term ($143.00). We can also arrange a weekly payment plan if that suits better. If you have a community services card you may be eligible for a 50% discount on the base fee. This is dependent on the availability of grant monies.

Hiring an Instrument
You can hire an instrument from CSM. The cost for a violin is $140 per year ($35.00 per term) and a cello is $240 per year ($60 per term). You can also hire instruments from Sedley Wells and KBB Music. Your school may also have instruments available.

Enrolling
Go to www.csm.org.nz/enrol and choose the Outreach Strings Programme.

Christchurch School of Music
60 Ferry Road
T: (03) 3661 711
E: office@csm.org.nz
or the Outreach Strings Coordinator Anne Robinson at annejohnrobinson@gmail.com

Issue 8 of Book Club is here!


This exciting Issue of Book Club has all the best books to get festive for the holidays and to be ready for summer holiday reading!

It's the last issue for the year, so make sure you place your orders on time to ensure you have books for Christmas gifting and school holiday reading.

Issue 8
Opens - Monday 14 Nov
Closes - Monday 12 Dec

Lost Property

All items in the Lost Property need to be claimed before the end of term. This also a reminder to name all items coming to school with your tamariki. Any items clearly named (first and last) are returned to the child's teacher directly. 

Congratulations to...

Congratulations to our two Theatre Sports teams for their competitions on Saturday 5th November at Rangi Ruru Girls High School. Zoe Winsor, Ashlyn Taffs, Cleo Hopkinson, Oliver Mclachlan and Lachy Mcleod were amazing with their wit and working together to create great improv. Emma Reedy, Stella English, Haile Harmer-Campbell, Reagan Maule, and Katya Atlas were humorous and provided great entertainment while on stage. They were runner-ups in their heat. Both teams worked from the beginning of Term 2 to perfect their skills. Well done to you all!


PTA Update

Help needed please!

Our Uniform room is open this year on Mondays and Fridays after school for 20 minutes or so.
We are in danger of having to close it as our wonderful Jaana who has volunteered for many years is off on a new adventure! 

We are looking for a kind person to take on a shift once a week. It does not have to be a certain day and could even be in the morning before school. It's very easy and a great way to get to know lots of people in the school community. 

It's a great service for the school, so please do email us at pta@beckenham.school.nz or message us on Facebook. 

Ngā mihi 
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Community Notices

Community Helpline

1737 - free text and phone counseling 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

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 18 November 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

New Playground Opening - this Monday, 21 November, 9:10am

Nau mai, haere mai! 
After much excitement from our tamariki, who have been keenly watching the removal and rebuild happening in our Junior Playground area - with many pātai (questions), the new playground will be ready to be officially opened this Monday morning at 9:10am. We invite all whānau to join us for the opening. The playground will be opened with a Karakia, and a ribbon cutting and Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, our senior kapa haka group, will perform. If you are able to join us, please feel very welcome to do that.

Please note, all children need to be at school before the bell at 8:55am so that they can be in their hub when the roll is taken. Teachers will bring children over to the playground at 9:05am, ready for the opening at 9:10am. We will aim to be done by 9:30am. 

A big thank you to PLAYCO and our Property Team, especially Richard Scott from the Board of Trustees, for all the work that has gone into the planning and the build. 



Whānau Survey - please contribute your perspective...

Over the next 2 to 3 years we will be further developing our understanding of gifted learners and how we meet their needs at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. This survey is part of the initial process and helps us with our planning and direction. We encourage all whānau to complete this survey which will be open until Monday 28th November.

Thank you... 

...to all of you for your support and understanding in picking up children at 1pm yesterday so that our teachers could attend their union meeting. It was very much appreciated by us all.

...to all of the children who participated in our fun PJ or 'Dress Like a Teacher' day today and to the whānau who supported them! Contrary to what I put in the newsletter last week, the gold coin donation was not for charity this time, but to fund the Student Council Art Project that the Year 8 students are creating to gift back to the school. The student council will let you know next week how much was collected.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Mon 21 Nov - Junior Playground Opening Ceremony (9.05am - all welcome)
Wed 23 Nov - PTA Meeting (7.30 - 9.30pm - Green Room)
Fri 25 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Wed 30 Nov - Whole School Picnic and Kapa Haka performances (see info below)
Fri 2 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45-10.30am)
Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Izzy Clarke - Year 4

Izzy, you shine in everything you do. You are always willing to help and take on challenges with a smile. Your passion for dancing has made you such an eager and enthusiastic student. In Kōwhai, you have been an amazing role model everyday since day one, and that effort has never gone unnoticed. We appreciate your positivity and passion for learning at school. Tu meke, Izzy!

School Notices

End of Year Reports

Today, 2022 End of Year Progress and Achievement reports are available to whānau through Hero. 

There will be no timetabled end of year Learning Conference. If you would like to discuss any elements of the end of year report, please contact your child’s Homegroup teacher.

Please note: 
  • any children who started at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto in Term 4 2022 will not be receiving a written report. Please contact your child’s Homegroup teacher if you would like to talk about how they have settled into Beckenham

  • the Homegroup teachers of Koru children who started at the very end of Term 3 or during Term 4, will be or have been, in contact with whānau about booking a transition to school meeting, in place of a report
Please take the time to sit with your child and read their report together, celebrating their successes and their accomplishments this year, in all areas of school life.

If you have any further questions, please contact your child’s Homegroup teacher.

Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori

The Ministry of Education fund a Te Reo Māori language development programme called 'Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori'. This programme is designed to support school and Early Childhood staff, and whānau (with priority for whānau Māori), with their personal te reo Māori journey, so that all of our tamariki benefit from improved use and teaching of te reo Māori across our kura.

Whānau are welcome to register, if you would like to grow your knowledge and use of te reo Māori, and if you are able to then give back to our kura in some way and support and encourage staff and tamariki. (Please note that this course is for adults only, not tamariki).

Registrations for this programme for 2023 are now open, and places are filling up fast!

Programme and time committment required.
The current programme is delivered in the following way for 2023: 14 weeks of face-to-face classes or online (if you choose this option). 
Classes are held after school/Ece hours:
(there is a later online option for participants who cannot attend until after 5.30pm).

2023 classes will start in week 2 February 13th and run for 8 weeks in term 1 and 6 weeks in term 2.

Two 1 day wānaka (9-5pm) will be held as well one on a Saturday and one on the last Friday in the April School holidays for level 1 for example, other levels will differ.

Once you have pre-registered , Te Ahu will send out the wānaka dates for each level.
Next year they are offering face to face classes for Taumata Levels 1-5 in the first half of the year and online levels 1-4.
For enquiries about our programme please email: Teahu@whitiora.org.nz

To pre-register, click on this link.  Once you have done that, please let Sandy know (principal@beckenham.school.nz), as she will then need to set you up with a Ministry of Education login, so that your registration can be processed.

This year, we have had nine of our staff, including our Senior Leadership Team, teachers, admin and long-term relievers, participate in this course and we have all learned so much. Many will be continuing next year. 

If you are unsure or have questions, do come and talk with someone at school about it! "Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe" We Get There Together!

Whole School Picnic and Kapa Haka Performances Wed 30th Nov

On Wednesday 30th Nov, from 5pm, we invite you all to attend a school picnic which will then be followed by three kapa haka performances. (NB if the weather is wet, the picnic will be cancelled but the kapa haka performances will continue as outlined below)

Everyone is welcome to attend all of the kapa haka performances and, we have scheduled each group in its own time slot so that families can just attend the one that their child is in if that works better for them. We also know that our hall can't accommodate everyone if we run a single concert with all of the groups performing! Each group's performance will run for approximately 20 mins

The timetable for the evening will be:

5pm onwards - Whānau Picnic in front of the Admin area and beside the hall. The Student Council will be running some activities for children, using games that the PTA had made for the school fair 2 years ago!

6pm - Year 3/4 Kapa Haka group performance

6:30pm - Year Y5/6 Kapa Haka group performance

7:00pm - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi kapa haka performance

"Wheel and Walk" to school prize draw

The staff at SEIPP Construction, who have been doing all of the water mains replacement work on our local Beckenham streets, have been working with us to encourage students to 'Wheel and Walk' for the remainder of the term. They had four major prizes this week, and will be donating spot prizes to give to students over the comng weeks who get to school by bike, scooter, walking or any other form of transport that isn't a car! This includes students that are dropped off at any of the surrounding streets to avoid congestion on Eastern Terrace. 

Today at our Celebration Assembly these prizes were drawn out of the box and awarded to the following students (with thanks to their whānau for supporting this):

The Birdwood:
Violet Chatterton

Hetties:
Harper Freeman
Blake Grayburn
Leo Davies

Again thank you all for your patience while the infrastructure is upgraded, and a reminder to all whānau doing the school drop off and pick up, that Sandwich Road is closed to everyone except for residents, school staff, and those with accessibility needs. This will likely be the case until the end of term. 

Year 8 2023 School-Based Vaccination Programme

School Phone - Important Information

We are having some ongoing issues with our landline phone which is causing problems for people trying to dial into the school.  If you are unable to reach us on the landline please use the school mobile phone, 021 0279 4107.  

We are in the process of upgrading the phone system and this will alleviate the issues we are having. Many apologies for this inconvenience - we are working hard to get it resolved.

Please note, next Thursday the 24th of November we will be undergoing a network upgrade which may affect our phones and internet. Please send any absence messages to the school mobile phone where possible, and use the school mobile to call if the main number is not working. 

Community 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

Congratulations to...

Christopher McCracken-Shannon for a huge 6.9 km of challenging trail (likened to a 10km flat) at the TrailBlazers krayzie kapers event at Orton Bradley park. Supported by mentor Conor, one jelly snake, a bit of badly sung bon jovi by Conor and an ice block at the finish line. An epic effort.


All of our Kahikatea and Kōwhai tamariki who have just completed two weeks of water safety sessions. For many of our tamariki, just getting into the water was a pretty big deal, with a range of worries and anxieties some of them had about this challenge. Clearly, once in the water, pure joy was found, as the photo below demonstrates! A huge thank you to the staff and whānau helpers who worked hard over the two weeks to make sure these sessions were such a success!

Sports News

Last weekend, Haile Harmer-Campbell, Keanna Hakeagaiki and Elijah Hakeagaiki competed in the Pacific rugby league Series for Te toka tū o Waitaha,  Māori rugby league. Keanna and Haile played in the 15s girls' grade and Elijah in the 10s grade. 
They all played some awesome games over 2 days against some great competition all while representing their proud Māori heritage with mana, haka, waiata, and manaakitanga.

Both of their teams came 3rd in their grades.


PTA News

Community Notices

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

Basketball fans 

The Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers are coming back to Christchurch to play games on Thursday 1 December vs South East Melbourne Phoenix and Thursday 12 January vs Melbourne United. The Breakers have made a strong start to the NBL season sitting at the top of the ladder and don't look to be slowing down anytime soon! Both games will be played at Christchurch Arena and will be a great atmosphere for all. Tickets are on sale now and are as low as $15! Buy yours now from the Ticketek website or from this link: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=BREAKERS23

St Martins Scout Outdoor Gear Sale: Saturday 26 November 9-12noon

 Singing Competition on Newstalk ZB

The Star of Christmas: WIN TRANSPORT, ACCOMMODATION & STUDIO TIME WITH NATHAN KING 

This Christmas morning on Newstalk ZB – it’s The Star of Christmas singing competition… on The Crazy Kiwi Christmas Kids Show! The grand prize? The opportunity to professionally record any Christmas song with Nathan King, lead singer of Zed. You’ll be treated like a star – with return flights for two to Auckland (if you’re out of Auckland), hotel accommodation, and a music studio tour. If you can sing, and are under 13, email your audition singing a Christmas song to christmas@newstalkzb.co.nz or call 0800 843 864 before 12th December. Then tune into Newstalk ZB on Christmas morning from 6am to see if you’ve won! 

More information on the Newstalk ZB website HERE. 

3 Day School Holiday Programme - SINGING & RECORDING


CCC seeking Feedback from the community

Christchurch City Council would like to hear what you think about Cashmere Rd, Colombo St, Centaurus Rd, and Dyers Pass Rd intersection improvements.

The intersection of Cashmere Rd, Colombo St, Centaurus Rd and Dyers Pass Rd is heavily used by people catching the bus, cycling, driving and walking.  This includes school aged children from nearby Thorrington Primary and Cashmere High School.

A number of buses pass through this intersection, including the popular Orbiter bus route. However, bus stops are located some distance away which makes transferring between bus routes difficult.

There have been a number of injury crashes here involving people travelling by bicycle and motorcycle so we’re proposing changes to make it way safer for everyone.

You can find out more about this project and tell us what you think online, until Wednesday 14 December 2022.


More information/purchase of tickets can be found on Eventfinda NZ or by following the links below:

 https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2022/change-your-brain-change-your-life/christchurch/tickets

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter, Rāpare (Thursday) 10 November 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

I hope that you are all enjoying the long weekend. 

Attendance Matters

You will probably have heard a discussion on the news this past week about the declining school attendance rates of NZ students, both in the primary and secondary sectors. This conversation was prompted by the release of a report by the Education Review Office this week, and you can read the summary or the full report here.
Regular attendance (90% or more) at school is something that we want to see for all of our tamariki.

Please do look carefully at your child's attendance when you get their report next week. 'Regular attendance' is classed as being 90% or more. We know that there can be specific reasons why a child's attendance may drop from time to time including illness and, this year, Covid being very likely reasons. However, when average, yearly attendance drops below 90% year after year, this has a significant impact on your child's ability to access the education they deserve and are entitled to get.
  • If a student has an average of 90% attendance, over ten years they will miss a year of school.
  • If a student has an average of 80% attendance, over five years they will miss a year of school.
  • If a student has an average of 75% attendance, they are missing a term of school each year.
  • Being at school every day matters because of the sequential nature of learning, especially in literacy and numeracy.
  • By law, students must attend school.
  • One of the highest predictors of education success is attendance levels at school.
We know that every family wants their children to be successful in learning and in life. As whānau, you play a huge role in ensuring your child attends school regularly.  If you have concerns about your child's attendance, or would like to discuss ways that we can support you to improve your child's attendance, please make contact with your child's teacher and we will be happy to meet with you.

Upcoming Roadworks - closure of Sandwich Road...

From Tuesday 15 November the intersection of Sandwich Road and Norwood Street will be closed for roadworks. This is likely for the remainder of this term.

Vehicle entry into Sandwich Road, from Eastern Tce, will be for residents, school staff, and those with accessibility needs.

To help keep the traffic flowing as easily as possible at school drop-off and pick-up times, there will be two drop-and-go zones on Eastern Terrace, on either side of Sandwich Road. The map below also highlights other areas near the school that would make good drop-off places if you usually drive children to school where you could park and walk or, for older children, drop them off.

Pedestrian access will still be available from both ends of Sandwich Road.

We encourage whānau over the coming weeks to walk or bike to school as much as possible. Alternatively, park on Fisher or Martin Ave and walk to school.

Seipp Construction Ltd is aware of the changes this will have to morning and afternoon routines. To thank the school community for their patience and understanding they are providing a prize draw next week. Everyone who walks some or all of the way to school will receive a token to go into the draw for a prize. 

The following week Seipp Construction Ltd will be providing spot prizes to be given out at the school entrances to people who are walking, scootering or biking. 

Please see the map below and the attached information from Seipp Construction Ltd.


End-of-Year Reports

These are being proof-read at the moment and we expect to publish these through HERO this coming Friday, 18 November. 

Reminder - school closes at 1pm this Thursday 17 November

Our teachers are expected to attend a paid union meeting this coming week, along with all of the other teachers in Christchurch. Due to us having almost 100% union membership, finishing at 1m on Thursday 17th will allow them all to attend at the same time; the most workable option with releivers also attending the meetings. 

Year 7/8 students are on a trip that day - they will continue with that and return to school for the usual 3pm finish. The Y7/8 teachers have the option of attending another meeting. 

If you have a student in NE-Year 6 who:
  • needs to stay at school after 1pm on Thursday, OR 
  • is being collected by someone else, OR 
  • is going to BOSCO, OR
  • you give permission to travel home independently...
...please fill in this survey so that we know which children are not being collected by you. We will provide supervision for those who are staying at school until the usual pick-up time of 3pm. 

Whole School Picnic and Kapa Haka Performances Wed 30 Nov

On Wednesday 30 Nov, from 5pm, we invite you all to attend a school picnic which will then be followed by three kapa haka performances. (NB if the weather is wet, the picnic will be cancelled but the kapa haka performances will continue as outlined below)

Everyone is welcome to attend all of the kapa haka performances and, we have scheduled each group in it's own time slot, so that families can just attend the one that their child is in if that works better for them. We also know that our hall can't accommodate everyone if we run a single concert with all of the groups performing! Each groups' performance will run for approximately 20 mins

The timetable for evenng will be:

5pm onwards - Whānau Picnic in front of the Admin area and beside the hall. The Student Council will be runing some activities for children, using games that the PTA had made for the school fair 2 years ago!

 6pm - Year 3/4 Kapa Haka group performance

 6:30pm Year Y5/6 Kapa Haka group performance

7:00pm Te Whānau Mahi Tahi kapa haka performance

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Thu 17 Nov - School finishing early at 1pm (Union meetings)
Thu 17 Nov - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.30pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 18 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Fri 18 Nov - Student Council Dress Up Day (PJs or as a teacher)
Wed 23 Nov - PTA Meeting (7.30 - 9.30pm - Green Room)
Fri 25 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Wed 30 Nov - Whole School Picnic and Kapa Haka performances (see info above)
Fri 2 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)
Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45 - 10.30am)
Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am-12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates