Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto School Newsletter, Rāmere, (Friday) 22 July

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

I hope that you have all managed to get some time with whānau for rest and relaxation. The weather has been particularly challenging, and there will be some for who the 'holiday' was anything but. If you can take a couple of minutes to read through the important information below, it will help to ensure that you and your child are well-prepared for school on Monday.


COVID-19 

Please remember to let me or the office know if your child has contracted Covid either during the holidays or going forward into Term 3. We are still advising the Ministry of Education of our case numbers. We continue to see both staff and students testing positive for Covid, and we know that other winter illnesses are still prevalent. Based on information to date, 61% of our staff have had Covid, along with 46% of our students. 

Reminder about our Mask-wearing policy

Public health advice clearly shows that mask-wearing is a strong tool in the defence against the transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne respiratory viruses. Masks are effective at preventing transmission of COVID-19 to a contact or preventing transmission of COVID-19 from a case. Masks work alongside other measures to protect students and staff.




The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education strongly recommend that all schools and kura require mask wearing indoors for students Year 4 and above, where it will not have a significant impact on teaching and learning. For us at Beckenham, this is simply a continuation of the policy that we have had in place all year.
All students from Year 5-8 need to wear masks when inside at school. Younger students are encouraged to wear masks if they are able to.

If your child is going to be absent from school...

As you will have seen from the attendance your child's report, we are required to categorise absences as either Justified or Unjustified. If you don't let us know why your child is absent from school, their attendance is automatically classified as Unjustified. 
Please ALWAYS let us know if your child is going to be absent by emailing, phoning or texting the school cellphone and also letting us know the reason why they are away. With high numbers of absences at the moment with both COVID and winter illness, this also saves Jacky and Reihana a lot of time that is spent having to contact families when children are not at school.
Phone: (03) 337-1404
Text Message: 021 027 94107
Email: office@beckenham.school.nz

Sandwich Road and ongoing Road Works

Unfortunately, SEIPP have still got another day of work to do on Sandwich Road next week, which means that Sandwich Road will be closed at the Norwood intersection on Monday. Please allow extra time, and we strongly urge you not to drive into Sandwich Road unless it is absolutely critical. Large volumes of vehicles trying to turn around will make the street very dangerous for our children. Please park away from Sandwich Road and walk if possible.

Emotional Literacy & Wellbeing 

Our word of the week for Week 1 is upstander. An upstander is a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied. As part of our Health education curriculum, we teach children how to practice being an upstander, showing that they can do something active to counteract negative behaviour or bullying, rather than being a bystander and doing nothing.
We will be exploring an excellent resource this week, particularly with our Year 1-4 students, called "Oat the Goat". This resource is available online for families too and includes good resources for families to use to address bullying in various forms. 



Fencing around the school

When you return to school on Monday you will notice that the last phase of our fencing project has begun and we are close to being 'securely fenced' for our younger and more vulnerable students. We expect that the gates and final panels will be going in over the coming week. Please ALWAYS leave gates shut behind you. If we all practice this ALL THE TIME, we will make sure that we build good habits and ensure that the fences do the job of keeping children safe.

Free Flu Jabs For Kids 

Tamariki are at risk of getting very sick from the flu, and of passing it on to their whānau. All children from 6 months of age can benefit from getting the flu vaccine every year. It is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flu jabs are now free for tamariki (kids) aged 3-12 years, and with winter upon us, it is a good time to book in for your flu vaccination at your local GP, a covid vaccination centre, and some pharmacies.

For more information on influenza vaccinations, see the link below: 


Ngā mihi mahana
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Community Notices

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

South Library Community Feedback Opportunity



If you would like to have your say on the future of the South Library and Service Centre building, you have until this Monday 25 July. 

Your feedback will help shape design, feel, and functionality, as we explore plans for a rebuild.


Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 8 July 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

I write you this final message for the term from home, as I have been in isolation this week due to having caught Covid. Unfortunately, it was from a social situation outside of school where no masks were being worn and those kinds of situations continue to be our biggest challenge in keeping Covid numbers down. I have been fortunate to have had a relatively mild dose, however, anything that keeps you away from work is disruptive to life in general and adds to the workload of colleagues and general pressure in the workplace. With Jacky also having been away for the past two weeks, I would like to particularly thank our two Deputy Principals - Jo and Sue, and our two office staff, Reihana and Rachel, for the extra load they have carried in our absence.

I believe that we have done the best job we can at school of trying to keep everyone safe from Covid and general illness, and the continued practice of wearing masks and staying away when symptomatic of any illness is keeping our attendance pretty high under the circumstances. We will continue with mask-wearing until further notice, in a continued effort to keep everyone well.

You can see our current Covid numbers in the graph below. We had a spike in Weeks 8 and 9, however, numbers are currently tracking down again. We do hope that you are all able to stay Covid-free during the holidays. If any students do test positive during the holidays, PLEASE continue to let us know, either by texting me on 021 899 429 or by emailing principal@beckenham.school.nz
We are still reporting daily case numbers to the Ministry of Education. At this point in time, 37% of our students have reported having Covid, along with 43% of our staff.


Thank you to everyone who attended learning conferences this week. I know that it was a huge week for our teachers with two very long days on Monday and Wednesday and that they really appreciated the time to meet with you, one on one. I want to thank them all for the professional and tireless way that they undertake these conferences and the commitment that they have put in, this week in particular. For those of you who missed a conference on Wednesday due to the teacher being away, please keep an eye out in your email for a new booking option for early next term.

I wish you all a safe and healthy two weeks of school holidays. I know that our staff are very much looking forward to a break to relax and rest, and I hope that you are able to get some time as a family to do the same.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Friday 8 July - Last day of Term 2
Monday 25 July - First day of Term 3

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Madeleine Dougherty - Year 6

Madeleine, you are such a joy to have in our hub! You are a kind and hardworking student, always ready to help those in need, whether it be with learning or jobs around the hub. Your love of learning shines through daily and you never shy away from a challenge.  Ka rawe, Madeleine.

School Notices

Community Dental Service - July 2022 Holiday Clinics

The Community Dental Service will be providing limited appointments during the school break at;
  • Woolston Community Dental Clinic, 11, Hopkins Street, Christchurch
  • Hornby Community Dental Clinic, 2 Hei Hei Road, Christchurch
You can access these appointments by calling our Contact Centre on 0800 846 983, noting that priority is given to children with immediate dental needs.

For any dental advice please call the Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 or email commdental@cdhb.health.nz

Parent Supervision Roster

We have a wonderful group of parents who support active supervision in the junior playground each day during lunch play. If you are interested in being added to the roster for this, please email katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

Gifted Learners News

Over the next 2 - 3 years we will be working on the next part of our Strategic Plan around our inclusive practices - diverse learners and specifically focussing on our gifted learners.

During terms 1 and 2 of 2022 Senior Leadership has been working alongside the RTLB service and have begun to explore how the NZCGE (New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education) can support us in our review and planning process.  We have been gathering information and reflecting on where we are with our programmes, understandings and knowledge.

In week 4 of term 3, we will share a survey with our school community and add the information gathered to the big picture of gifted education at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.  During terms 3 and 4 we will look at our definition of giftedness and the way we identify our gifted learners. 
We would like to share regular updates in the school newsletters, so stay tuned.


It is widely accepted that gifted education is not just for students who need academic extension in the traditional areas of Reading, Writing and Maths. 

Tracy Riley, a leading scholar in Gifted Education from Massey University and an advocate for gifted learners, and her colleagues identified the following 6 areas of gifted learning:
  • Intellectual / Academic
  • Creativity- problem-solving, innovative thinkers
  • Visual and performing arts
  • Social/ Leadership- inter and intra-personal skills
  • Culture-specific abilities and qualities- traditional arts, pride in cultural heritage, language, and service to culture
  • Physical / Sport
Different cultures have different understandings of what it means to be a gifted learner. Māori believe that there is an inherent expectation that a person’s gifts and talents will be used to benefit others. 

In the next newsletter, we will share an overview of the different characteristics that a gifted learner may present with.

Congratulations to...


"Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch, Speaking 4 the Planet" finalist - Ashlyn Taffs

Don't Just Sit There Help!
By Ashlyn Taffs 2022

The ocean has become a tumbling commotion,
Our land has become a bland brand.
Our planet is shifting into a gadget too fragile to lose.

There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean.
Don’t just sit there, help!

Last year, it was reported that 60 percent of Aotearoa New Zealand's rivers carry pollution above acceptable levels.
Don’t just sit there, help!

Don’t just sit there watching the news believing things are getting better.
Because they’re not. But they can.

In 2020, volunteers removed more than 2381 tonnes of plastic from beaches around the world in a single day.
Don't just sit there, help!

If all 8 billion of us picked up at least 10 pieces of rubbish a day
Then 80 billion pieces of rubbish would be gone just like that.
Is 10 pieces of rubbish really that hard to pick up?
Don't just sit there help.

Last week, when I walked my dog
I picked up a whole bag of rubbish in 25 minutes.
Don't Just sit there, help!

Don't just say I’ll start tomorrow.
Don’t just sit there watching that wrapper float away.
Don't just walk past that used face mask.
Don't just think ‘Someone else will deal with it.’
Don’t just sit there, help!

Do start today.
Do pick up that piece of rubbish.
Do pick up that used face mask.
Do be that person to deal with it.

Please. Don't just sit there, help!

Sports News

Zone Swimming

Last Monday, tamariki from our kura represented us at the South Zone Swimming Sports. Our zone is known for being a competitive one, especially when it comes to swimming. Our tamariki absolutely held their own in the water against the strong competition. For many, this is a testament to the mahi put in outside of school at swimming schools and clubs. 

The award that I personally hold most dear, is the unofficial one of Most Enthusiastic Supporters! I'm always impressed at how loudly and enthusiastically our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto tamariki cheer on their fellow competitors, and this year was no exception. There may have been a few lost voices that afternoon as a result!  

A huge congratulations to everyone who participated. 
Jenny Diggle

Canterbury Cross Country

Last Wednesday, a group of runners represented our kura at Canterbury Cross Country, held at Ngā Puna Wai. 

Congratulations to all our runners who qualified for this event. 

Lily Millar placed 10th in Year 5 Girls
Jack Sayer placed 3rd in Year 6 Boys

Cross Country Challenge Y0/4

On Tuesday the tamariki who placed within the top 6 of our school cross country event had the opportunity to participate in the cross country challenge at Hillview, involving many other neighboring kura. The children all put every effort into doing their best and were a credit to the school for their efforts and good sportsmanship.

Top 5 results:

Year 0/1 Boys
5th place - Hunter Olykan 

Year 0/1 Girls
3rd place - Freya Green 
4th place - Maeve Hurford

Team Award went to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Y0/1 Girls 

Year 2 Boys
2nd place - Alex Pauley 

Year 2 Girls
5th place - Chloe Sayer

Year 3 Boys 
1st place - Max Olykan 
5th place - Haydn O'Connor

Team Award went to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Y3 Boys

Year 4 Girls
1st place - Laura Stoney



PTA News

Keep in touch with the PTA

To stay up to date with the PTA, please check out our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA Facebook page, linked here. Or come along to one of our meetings - all welcome.
 
Meeting dates can be found in the weekly school Newsletter, or on the school calendar - linked here.
When they are on, these meetings are usually held on a Wednesday night 7.30-9.30pm in the Green Room at kura.

BOT Update

School Board of Trustee Elections 2022

Nomination round

Our kura will be undertaking a parent election for 3 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022. 

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. 

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon.
Election day is Wednesday 7th September.

We look forward to your participation in this process. If you are considering applying yourself, and have any questions or wonderings, please feel free to email our Board Secretary, Reihana, at pa@beckenham.school.nz with any queries you may have!

Community Notices

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

Studio One Performing Arts, your local dance school, is currently giving Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Acro lessons in your area. The school’s director is teacher, choreographer & ex-ballet dancer Patricia Paul A.R.A.D. (London). Ballet lessons from 3 years through to Advanced, and all levels in Jazz and Contemporary starting from age 7. For all enquiries please phone 372-9191 or email info@studioone.co.nz

From Bellies, Babies to Tweens market is for families to buy and sell pre-loved maternity, baby, kids & tweens (up to 13yrs) items all in one place. Families coming to buy can score huge savings on items needed for growing babies and kids, while families selling can earn a bit of extra cash. Families buying or selling are also doing their bit for the environment by recycling these items rather than letting them go to landfill.

Market Day: Sunday 24th July, 9am-12noon at Pioneer Stadium.
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram or email fbbtmarket@gmail.com


Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 1 July 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

One more week of school to go before the July holidays. Next week is a big week with school finishing at the early time of 2pm on Monday 4th and Wednesday 6th July, for Learning Conferences.

Please would EVERY family fill out this form before Monday, to let us know what the plans for your children are at 2pm on Monday and Wednesday. If you need your child to be supervised at school between 2 and 3pm, we need to know.

If you haven't yet booked a Learning Conference, you can still do that by clicking here. (Year 7/8 whānau - please allow half an hour for your learning conference.) This will be an opportunity for you to meet with your child's home group teacher and discuss their progress and next steps.

Reports went live this afternoon on HERO. To view your child report, log into HERO on your smartphone, computer or tablet, and click on the 2022 report option. You will also see a summary of their attendance for 2022.

ShowQuest Success!

In Term 1, a group of tamariki from the Kauri team started work conceptualising and choreographing our ShowQuest performance. The group wanted to explore how gender stereotypes and societal expectations can impact our well-being. After many creative ideas were proposed and discussed, the group settled on telling the story of a young boy who opens the wrong present on Christmas morning. The present, that was meant for his sister, is a doll. It's the gift he's always wanted, but society tells us that boys play with trucks and super heros, not dolls. The boy hides the doll in his toy box and goes to sleep. Once he is fast asleep, the toys come to life...

The group have worked incredibly hard creating this performance and they have done everything from choreographing, designing costumes, creating the backdrop, editing the music and video wall, and making props. Two weeks ago, their hard work came to fruition as they performed their dance at the Town Hall. Two students received training so that they could work in the lighting booth. The dance was professionally filmed and a digital showing went live on 27th of June. 

They put on an outstanding performance that was full of energy and expression. We are very proud of them all. 

A huge thank you to Jenny Diggle for supporting our rangitahi with this performance and to the caregivers who provided transport, did hair and make up and supervised the children the day they went to perform.  




Hopefully, you will be able to watch our school's performance through this link (their segment starts at 1:11:40 into the two-and-a-half-hour show.) or through this link (just the Beckenham segment)

As you can see below - the results that they achieved were outstanding! Our huge congratulations go out to them all.



Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Monday 4 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Wednesday 6 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Friday 8 July - Last day of Term 2
Monday 25 July - First day of Term 3

Citizen of the Week

Bryn Smithson  - Year 4

Bryn, you are a superstar in our team. You persistently demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic attitude in all areas of learning and you are a fantastic role model to other students. You are a self-motivated learner and constantly strive to improve yourself. You are very thoughtful, friendly and polite. Well done for always putting 100% into your learning. Keep up the outstanding work, Bryn!

School Notices

Road Works UPDATE -  starting on Monday 4th July

From SIEPP:
We have some upcoming changes to the areas where we are doing road works, which will have an impact on the school and community traffic. Currently, we have two work fronts in the area – one on Eastern Tce at the Fisher Ave intersection, and one on Norwood Street between Fisher Ave and Tennyson St. The next stage of these works require closures that will result in some longer detour routes for people travelling to and from the school form Tennyson Street direction. I have attached a copy of our start works notice that has been delivered to affected residents in the area. To summarise what is happening: 

  • Norwood St/Fisher Ave intersection will be closed from 04/07/22 for aprox. 2 weeks
  • Eastern Terrace will be closed between Fisher Ave and Tennyson St from 04/07/22 for aprox. 4 weeks.
  • While both of these areas are closed traffic that would usually travel down Norwood Street or Eastern Terrace will need to follow the detour route down Colombo Street
  • Once the Norwood St/Fisher Ave intersection is re-opened, traffic will be able to detour down Norwood Street

Please allow plenty of time for drop-off and pick up, and extra time to get to learning conferences. If it is at all possible, please walk or cycle with children.

Tuning Into Kids - Parenting programme

Mana Ake are offering a 6 session parenting programme during Term 3 called "Tuning into Kids - Emotionally Intelligent Parenting"
Details are shown below. To register, email the facilitator of the course that you wish to attend.
If you are interested in attending a "Tuning in to Kids" course, but these dates or locations don't suit please email: manaakefeedback@cdhb.health.nz. You will be emailed with the details of new courses as they are released. 

Congratulations to...

"Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch, Speakng 4 the Planet" finalist - Ashlyn Taffs 


Speaking 4 the Planet (S4P) is a public speaking, spoken word and visual arts competition. It provides opportunities for students to express their ideas for a better world. Today our very own Ashlyn Taffs took part as a finalist in Speaking 4 The Planet 2022.

PB4L - Word of the Week

This term, as part of our PB4L School-Wide programme, we have introduced 'Word of the Week'. The word of the week is shared in the daily notices across all teams and explored in home groups. Our word of the week this week has been COOPERATION. 

In Kahikatea, we spent our Friday morning home group time discussing what cooperation looks like, sounds like, and feels like. We did a spider web activity, in which each person had a chance to speak, and then pass the yarn to someone else. We saw how when we worked together, we created a strong web. This showed us that cooperation makes us stronger, and helps us to achieve a common goal.

Community Dental Service - July 2022 Holiday Clinics

The Community Dental Service will be providing limited appointments during the school break at;
  • Woolston Community Dental Clinic, 11, Hopkins Street, Christchurch
  • Hornby Community Dental Clinic, 2 Hei Hei Road, Christchurch
You can access these appointments by calling our Contact Centre on 0800 846 983, noting that priority is given to children with immediate dental needs.

For any dental advice please call the Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 or email commdental@cdhb.health.nz

BOT Update

School Board of Trustee Elections 2022

Nomination round

Our kura will be undertaking a parent election for 3 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022.

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. 

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon.
Election day is Wednesday 7th September.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

Community Notices

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

St Peters School - part-time cleaner needed



2 hours per day, Mon-Fri after 3pm (start time negotiable) during school term time
1 week each school holiday.
Call Denise at Total Property Sevices on 228 99033 or 027 455 3218
Immediate start - full training given.

Hagley Year 9 Enrolments for 2023 Closing Soon

Enrolment applications for Hagley College Year 9 2023 close next week (Friday 8th July - the last day of Term 2).

Our close-off date is firm and we will not be able to receive any new applications after this date. We are aware that our closing date is a little earlier than for some of the other high schools, so I am just hoping to avoid anyone missing out.

If any of you are keen but haven't put an application in yet, you need to go to https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ and click the button to start a new enrolment application as soon as possible.

Paper copies of the enrolment form are here for families who are unable to apply online.


Huntsbury Community Preschool has an enviable natural outdoor play area and is currently offering FREE FEES for two-year-olds. Conditions apply, phone 03 332 6001 or email: info@huntsbury-preschool.org.nz for more details if you'd like to secure a place in this limited-availability promotion!

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāpare (Thursday) 23 June 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Mānawatia a Matariki!

What a very special time we had at school last night for our Matariki Whānau Hui! Thank you to everyone who came along to join in the celebration. It really was very special to have you all back in the hubs and in the hall, sharing together in learning about and celebrating Matariki.


A huge thank you to our amazing PTA for taking on the challenge of preparing the hāngi on site for the first time. Whilst there were some challenges with the cooking, we appreciate so much the huge effort that went into this, and we look forward to future hāngi having learned a lot from this one.
Thanks also to Steve Cooke who co-ordinated last night's event, and to all of our staff and senior students who stayed and supported the activities to make this such a great community night.

To hear the beautiful song by Six60 called "Pepeha" that the children sang last night, that we tried to join in with, click here.


To continue learning about Matariki, and the meanings behind each of the stars, click here.

And to hear a Ngai Tahu perspective on Matariki from Ngai Tahu Astornomer, Victoria Campbell, click here. 

Wishing you all a very safe Matariki long weekend!

Ngā mahana nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Friday 24 June - Matariki - School closed
Wednesday 29 June - BOT Meeting (5.30PM - 7.30PM in te Rūma Kaimahi)
Wednesday 29 June - PTA Meeting (7.30-8.30PM in the Green Room)
Monday 4 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Wednesday 6 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Friday 8 July - Last day of Term 2

Citizen of the Week

Charlotte Ryder - Year 8

Charlotte, your integrity, focus and diligence as a learner makes you an absolute joy to have in Kauri hub. This year, it has been wonderful to watch you develop into an inspiring leader, one who is both inclusive and welcoming to all. In addition to this, you embody sportsmanship through your respectful interactions, coachability and your drive to be the best you can be. Thank you for all that you do for our kura. 

School Notices

Winter Conditions

The past two days we have experienced heavy frosts. Please be aware that this makes the footpaths around the school and road crossing very slippery. Please talk with your child about walking with care on frosty mornings when coming to school. Thank you.

Learning Conferences

Learning Conferences will be happening during the last week of Term 2, on Monday 4th and Wednesday 6th July, from 2:15pm - 6:30pm. To book your conference, go to http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/abad8 

Reports will be available the week prior to Learning Conferences. This will be an opportunity for you to meet with your child's home group teacher and discuss their progress and next steps.

BOT Update

School Board of Trustee Elections 2022

Nomination round

Our kura will be undertaking a parent election for 3 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022.

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. 

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon.
Election day is Wednesday 7th September.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

Community Notices

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

Elements Nature Based Play 

Have your children active & imaginative amongst nature. Think huts, trees, tools, arts n crafts, plenty of time and space. Elements has a great mix of planned experiences and play throughout our programmes. For July School holidays Elements are offering themes such as ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Wild Adventures’, ‘Magic &; Spells’ & ‘Farm n Fire’, at Riccarton, Redcliffs and a Westmorland farm. Ages 5-13yrs or ‘stay n play Kidsfest’ for 2-7yrs.

See our website https://www.elementsnature.co.nz/  or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/elementsprogrammes/ to see what we get up to. Bookings are through https://elements.aimyplus.com 
For more info email elementsprogrammes@gmail.com

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 17 June 2022

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora e te whānau

We are well into the cold, winter weather now and noticing that a number of our tamariki are coming to school without a sweatshirt or polar fleece. The PTA has a good supply of second-hand uniform items at very affordable prices. The second-hand clothing shop is open every Monday and Friday from 2:50 - 3:15pm, in the old dental clinic building on the corner of Sandwich Road and Eastern Tce

Learning Conferences

Learning Conferences will be happening during the last week of Term 2, on Monday 4th and Wednesday 6th July, from 2:15pm - 6:30pm. To book your conference, go to http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/abad8 

Reports will be available the week prior to Learning Conferences. This will be an opportunity for you to meet with your child's home group teacher and discuss their progress and next steps.

Matariki Whānau Rōpū Hui

We are very excited about the upcoming Matariki themed whānau hui this coming Wednesday, 22nd June, from 5-6:30pm. Te Whānau Mahi Tahi and the Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai kapa haka groups  are looking forward to performing for you all for the first time this year!
The PTA Hāngi will follow immediately after the hui, for those who have ordered kai.

COVID Update

Only two new cases of COVID have been reported in our student/staff population this week which is really great news. You can see from the graph below that our 7-day rolling average is less than 1 and tracking down. 


Attendance is still sitting between 76-84%. We know that every day at school is important for our children's progress so please ONLY keep your child at home if they are sick, symptomatic or isolating. Otherwise - send them to school!

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Wednesday 22 June - Whānau Hui & Hāngī
Friday 24 June - Matariki - School closed
Wednesday 29 June - PTA Meeting (7.30-8.30PM in the Green Room)
Monday 4 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Wednesday 6 July - school closes at 2pm for Learning Conferences
Friday 8 July - Last day of Term 2

Citizen of the Week

Olivia Yeates - Year 6

Olivia, your love of learning is reflected in the way you grasp all learning opportunities on offer at school. Your focus and diligence, along with the high self-expectations that you set yourself, mean that not only is your work completed in a timely manner, it is also completed to an excellent standard. You are a role model in our hub and are a driver of your own education. Tino pai, Olivia.

School Notices

Matariki Evening (Whānau Hui) and Kapa Haka Performance


We would like to invite you to our first Whānau Rōpū hui of 2022. Matariki is the start of the Māori New Year and a time of reflection, connection, and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate with you and your whānau on the 22nd of June from 5pm.

5:00 pm - Welcome & Performance - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi

5:20 pm Move to hubs - Matariki activities

6:20 pm Return to hall - performance by Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai joint kapa haka rōpū

6:45 pm Hāngi (for those who have pre-ordered hāngi)

Nau mai, haere mai.

Absences

Please let us know if your child is going to be away BEFORE 8.55am on the day of their absence.
When you do this, it saves an enormous amount of time in the Office.

Just a reminder of the ways you can contact us:
BY TEXT - 02102794107
BY PHONE - 03 337 1404
BY EMAIL - office@beckenham.school.nz

Please note that the voicemail function does not work for the text line, you cannot leave messages on the cellphone number.
If you are emailing teachers, please ensure you copy in the office too.

Headlice

We have a had a number of cases of head lice reported in the school, so please check your student's hair and head and treat as necessary before sending them back to kura. You can find out more about head lice and treatment on the attachment (HERO).

Have you got your cheese roll order in yet?

Many thanks to those who have their cheese roll orders in already. If this is still on your 'to do' list, here is the link to place your order. Orders close this Sunday. 

ShowQuest 2022

Today a group of 26 students went with Jenny and a group of amazing parents to the Town Hall where they spent the day performing and filming their ShowQuest Entry. Due to COVID, this event is being filmed and critiqued virtually, and we expect that the children involved will have access to the professional recording when it is done.
It was an amazing day and a great culmination of weeks of planning, rehearsal and hard work. Congratulations!




Sports News

Junior Cross Country


On Tuesday this week, the junior school cross country was held on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
Thank you to all whānau members who were able to come along and support their tamariki during this event.

Congratulations to all those who have participated and put so much effort into completing the course. We are very proud of you indeed!

The following children are our 2022 cross country champions:

New Entrants: Florence Wood & Xavier Duncan

Year 1: Amelia Olykan & Hunter Olykan

Year 2: Ruby Grice & Alexander Pauley

Year 3: Jayme Scott & Max Olykan

Year 4: Laura Stoney & Ben Stoney

PTA News

Matariki Hāngī


Tēnā koe, thanks so much, for your support for our Matariki hāngī. 
The preordered kai will be available at the end of the Whānau Rōpū Hui, around about 6.30pm. 
We are so excited to be able to celebrate this special time of year as a community!!!
Orders are now closed as we have reached capacity. Sorry if you missed out on ordering, if it all goes well we may be able to go bigger next year! 

If anyone is keen to help by chopping up some veggies on a Tuesday evening (21st June)  please let us know by emailing pta@beckenham.school.nz

Peanut Butter Update

Thanks for everyone that ordered peanut butter, we sold 380 jars!! That is over $1000 dollars we can give straight back to school to support the children's learning.

Seeking a Parent Helper for Disco Night

The PTA would absolutely love the support of a school parent who would be keen to volunteer their evening to help us with playing the music for the school disco, on Friday 5th August.

Sound system & play-lists will be provided- we just need the support of an enthusiastic & knowledgeable parent to make this disco happen!

If you think you might be able to help us out please let us know asap. We would be very grateful for the help. Thanks!

Please email PTA@beckenham.school.nz

BOT Update

School Board of Trustee Elections 2022

Nomination round

Our kura will be undertaking a parent election for 3 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022.

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. 

Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon.
Election day is Wednesday 7th September.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

Community Notices

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

Public Meeting 27th June - South Library and Service Centre building

The Council is exploring a rebuild for the library and you are welcome to find out more in person, watch the meeting live, or catch up later on YouTube.

What's happening to the South Library and service centre building?

We're engaging with the community as we explore plans for rebuilding the quake-damaged South Library and customer services building, Te Kete Wānanga o wai Mōkihi.

The building was badly damaged in the 2010/2011 earthquakes. Temporary strengthening has made it useable, but the community deserves a permanent solution that will future-proof the facility for decades to come.

Even setting aside the earthquake damage, the South Library and Service Centre building opened in 2003, and is due for an upgrade to modern standards – it could be much greener and more energy efficient, and the space inside could be improved to better suit customers and staff.

What happens next?

We’re beginning the design process for a rebuild and will be in touch soon for your input to help develop a concept design for the Council to consider in the first half of 2023. The Council will then make a decision about whether to rebuild or repair. The building will keep the same floor area and remain on its riverside site.

They’ll also need to secure additional funding in a future Annual or Long-Term Plan, because at the moment there’s only $13.6 million set aside for the project, and we know that the cost of the work will be higher.

In the meantime, we’re staying open and you can keep using the building as normal.

There's no start date yet. We expect construction work to take about 18 months, and we're scheduling it for after the new Hornby Centre opens in late 2023.

While the work is underway, we’ll set up a temporary library in a suitable premises.

For more information coming up, keep an eye on christchurchcitylibraries.com

Cashmere High School


Unfortunately due staff absences we had to cancel our Open Day, however as an alternative we will be hosting three information afternoons, if you are considering attending Cashmere High School in 2023 we invite you to attend one of these sessions. Please click on the link to confirm your place, numbers are limited.