Principal's Patch
Kia ora e te whānau
What a week! We have all been asked to be flexible and adaptable once again, as we join together to ensure that we keep our community free from COVID-19.
I would like to start today by thanking our staff for the way they sprung into action on Tuesday evening, after the sudden announcement of lockdown, to ensure that they had everything they needed to be able to work from home for an unknown period of time.
Thank you all, too, for what we know you will be doing to support your families at home. We know that there are so many different situations in our homes including welcoming home brand-new babies, essential workers who might be finding child-care very challenging, supporting sick whānau, and worries about family members in or away from Christchurch who may have been at 'places of interest' in this latest Covid outbreak. We send you all our very warmest wishes as we go through this lockdown. Further on in the newsletter is an extensive list of support links that you, or someone you know, might find helpful during this time.
Hopefully, you have all been able to access our 'Learning at Home' site (https://learningathome.beckenham.school.nz/) which is linked to our school website.
When you open the link, you should find this site, which has menus for each team that I mentioned in the message that went out on Wednesday evening, but understand some families haven't been able to find easily.
Hopefully the following images will make the menus (one for each team) a little easier to find. These menus take you to a wide range of learning activities that have been put together by each team, specifically for the children in that team.
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| Cellphone view |
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| computer view |
Following the announcement today that we remain in Level 4 until Tuesday evening, we will not be looking at loaning out any devices on Monday. Once we hear Monday afternoon's announcement, we will review the option of going into school and organising devices to issue and we will keep you updated on that. Thank you to the people who have signalled that they would like to borrow a school device. We will let you know what will be happening about this again at the end of Monday.
Until then, stay safe in your bubbles. Encourage your children to help around the home and live that school value of 'We Get There Together"!
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal
Important Dates
Upcoming Events
(Note - all of these are subject to change as covid levels change)
Term 3, Week 5:
Wed 25 Aug - PTA Meeting (7.30 - 9.30pm)
Thu 26 Aug - Canterbury Winter Tournament
Fri 27 Aug - Staff Only Day SCHOOL CLOSED
Term 3, Week 6:
Mon 30 Aug - Canterbury Duathlon
Fri 3 Sep - Celebration Assembly (12.00 - 12.30pm)
Term Dates
Click here to view 2021 & 2022 term dates.Citizen of the Week
Thomas Zinzan - Year 8
Thomas, you are such a kind and diligent member of the Kauri hub. You are a fabulous role model for all of our school values. Whether it in is the classroom or on the sports field you enhance each team that you are part of with your strong sense of fairness, great ideas and by giving 100%. Tu meke Thomas!School Notices
Agencies you can contact for assistance
Many families may find it tough going back into Alert Level 4. It can be challenging having children at home, being cut off from family and friends, trying to making ends meet and have high stress levels.
For people with disabilities or autism and their support people, the Explore 0800 000421 phone service available to provide advice or support. This includes advice or support around challenging behaviours. To access this service, you don’t need a referral and it doesn’t matter whether you’re new to Explore, currently on their waitlist or you’ve worked with them previously. The service is available Monday to Friday 9.00am–5.00pm. When you phone the 0800 number you will be connected with an administrator who will then book you an appointment with one of the specialists.
If you or anyone you know wants some advice or support over this time here are some further options that might be useful.
Support services that remain open:- Women’s Refuge 0800REFUGE or 0800 733 843
- Shine 0508 744 633
- Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797
- Oranga Tamariki call centre 0508FAMILY
- CADS 0800 367 222
- Narcotics Anonymous 0800 628 632
- Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 229 6757
- Lifeline 0800 543 354 or free text 4357
- Youthline 0800 376 633 or free text 234
- Samaritans 0800 726 666
- Outline (LGBT) 0800 688 5463
- Depression Helpline 0800 111 757
- Suicide Prevention Helpline 0508 828 865
- The Fono West (Social Services) 09 837 1780
- Counselling Free Call or Text 1737
- Healthline for COVID-19 health advice: 0800 358 5453
Work and Income services centres are closed. However, you can apply for assistance via MyMSD or phone the contact centre on 0800 559 009. If you know someone who needs financial assistance, please tell him/her to call the free government helpline 0800 779 997 (8am–1am, seven days a week). If you know someone is feeling anxious, frustrated or needs a listening ear, they can call or text 1737 to talk with a trained counsellor. It is free 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Women’s Refuge 0800REFUGE or 0800 733 843
- Shine 0508 744 633
- Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797
- Oranga Tamariki call centre 0508FAMILY
- CADS 0800 367 222
- Narcotics Anonymous 0800 628 632
- Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 229 6757
- Lifeline 0800 543 354 or free text 4357
- Youthline 0800 376 633 or free text 234
- Samaritans 0800 726 666
- Outline (LGBT) 0800 688 5463
- Depression Helpline 0800 111 757
- Suicide Prevention Helpline 0508 828 865
- The Fono West (Social Services) 09 837 1780
- Counselling Free Call or Text 1737
- Healthline for COVID-19 health advice: 0800 358 5453
ESOL Happenings
The Kōwhai and Koru students enjoyed working together and making soup. They learnt and named the vegetables and used sequential language (first, next, then, after that).
The Koru students got into the spirit of the Olympic Games with their own mini Olympics. They made their own medals and ran relay races, an obstacle course and bowling.
Community Dental Service
Our aim is to engage and educate local communities and whanau in an online space about oral health.
Click here to visit the Facebook Page: Healthy Smiles Every Day - Mene Ora Mai - CDHB
Student Fundraiser
Four Beckenham students, Sophie M, Sophie C, Tabea and Heidi, are planning on shaving their heads in September to raise money for Child Cancer. They have set up a givealittle page for their fundraising (click here)
The girls are planning on donating their hair to Freedom Wigs to help others in need as well.
Sport News
Primary and Intermediate Ski Competition
Five children from Pōhutukawa and Kauri represented our kura on a glorious sunny day at Cheeseman Ski Field last Sunday. Recent snowfall made for some awesome skiing conditions. The children had fun bombing down the course. Well done to Zoe, Jonty, Isabelle, Flynn and August.
School Duathlon
We got this event in just in time!
The park was a hive of activity on Tuesday afternoon as 60 students from Years 5 to 8 competed in our school duathlon. This is a challenging event that requires its participants to dig deep to complete the course. It was awesome to see the children out embracing the challenges of the event. We were really impressed with the way the children encouraged each other. We get there together! Thank you to all the parents and students who took on marshalling and other leadership jobs.
School Duathlon Results
Year 5 champions: Anabelle and Jack
Year 6 champions: Archie and Jayde
Year 7 champions: Torun, Quinn and James
Year 8 champions: Jonty and Zoe
Winter Sport
We know that many children will have been disappointed to miss their last winter sport game that would have been on Thursday afternoon. We'd like to take this time to recognise the children's commitment to their team and all the positivity and teamwork that they showed throughout the season.
We'd also like to give a huge shout out to the parents that coached and managed teams and supported with transport and supervision. We are so grateful to you for giving your time and expertise to support this sports programme. We absolutely could not do it without you and we are very appreciative of your mahi. This season, we had a number of parents who supported teams even though their own child was off playing a different sport elsewhere. A mammoth thank you also goes to Paul who worked outside of his usual hours to manage a Year 5/6 football team. You are all amazing. Thank you!
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
RESILIENCE IN ANXIOUS TIMES
The stresses have never been greater, and the obstacles never more plentiful. So how do we look after ourselves in the middle of all this fuss? Human brains are amazing, but they are not really optimized, or the modern world let alone COVID19 times. So how do we keep ourselves in one piece while the whole world around us is literally falling apart? In this session Nigel will reveal some simple things we can do to manage stress, reflecting on the hard-won wisdom of a Jewish psychiatrist and some even older wisdom from the very old porch which has long since vanished from our modern world.
VOYCE Whakarongo Mai - Support for Rangatahi & Tamariki in care
If you find that you are in a bit of a jam and could do with assistance to help get you unstuck, please do not hesitate to reach out. Click this link to see some of the services available to children & young people, and those in care.
