Kia ora, we have had a case of head lice reported in Kahikatea. Please take a moment to check your child's head for eggs and lice and treat accordingly. If you find any evidence of head lice please treat your child before sending them to school.
It was lovely to have the weather warm up a bit today after what has been a pretty chilly week. A huge 'thank-you' to the PTA for the sausage sizzle today. We haven't had one for a long time and there was a LOT of excitement about this today.
Have you logged into HERO yet?
Thank you to all of you who have logged onto our new app "HERO" and have paid, or part-paid your accounts and donations. We really do appreciate every bit that you are able to contribute towards enriching the experiences that we are able to offer the children.
(Click here if you haven’t yet set up HERO on your phone, and download the app)
To see your current statement, log onto HERO and click on Finance
Week 9: Mon 28 Jun - Winter Tournament (Hagley Park North) Tue 29 Jun - Year 0-4 Cross Country Challenge (Hillview Christian School, 12-3pm) Wed 30 Jun - Whānau Rōpū Hui and Hangi (5-7pm) Thu 1 Jul - Postponement date for 0-4 Cross Country Challenge Thu 1 Jul - South Zone Winter Sport
Week 10: Thu 8 Jul - South Zone Winter Sport Fri 9 Jul - Celebration Assembly & Band Concert (11:50am -12:40pm) Fri 9 Jul - Last Day of Term
Emily, you are a bundle of focused and enthusiastic energy in the Kauri Hub. You show your love of learning across the curriculum. You notice when others need a helping hand and use your initiative to make a difference. As a leader you act with integrity and work positively with others to make projects a success. Tino pai Emily!
School Notices
Whānau Rōpū Hui
5:00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 30th June (Kōwhai Hub) - RSVP here!
Orders for the hāngī next Wednesday are now closed as they have reached the limit that is able to be catered for. We know that there may be lots of you who were hoping to order but hadn't got around to it yet, and we apologise that we aren't able to meet all of the demand this time. As this is the first time we have run this event, we are thrilled that there has been so much interest in it and we will definitely know to allow for many more orders next time.
In the meantime, please do still come along to the Hui, learn about Matariki, and meet a live eel!
Positive Behaviour for Learning - PB4L
‘Working together to create a safe, supportive and inclusive community as we fill our kete for the journey.’
We are continuing our implementation of PB4L at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. PB4L is a Ministry initiative, which is long-term and systematic. Our ongoing goal is to establish a whole-school change initiative to support positive behaviour within our kura. Expected behaviours are explicitly taught and reinforced by all staff across the school. PB4L supports our school Kete Values and prepares our tamariki for filling their kete for the journey - now and into the future.
House Points
House Points are one of the many ways we acknowledge living the Kete Values throughout the school day and to support PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning). When House Points are given to the tamariki they are also verbally acknowledged with which one of the school values they have demonstrated. The points are recorded over a fortnightly cycle. At Waiata, every second week, the House Captains announce the winning house. The winning house excitedly present their house chant to the rest of the school. The points are then cleared ready for the next fortnight.
Mana Ake “Drop-Ins” are continuing…
A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins” that are available on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30am. These drop-in sessions are here to provide parents with an opportunity to have a private, informal conversation around the well being of their child with one of our Mana Ake workers (kaimahi). If you feel like you would like to attend a drop-in session, please book in a time via the link here: Mana Ake booking The code to use is 88t39. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.
ESOL
ESOL students have been experimenting with materials to find the best insulation. Insulation helps keep things warm. The tested their insulation on ice cubes, and compared how quickly ice cubes melted.
Other students explored which materials were magnetic.
Access to Free Period Products
To be filled out by all parents/caregivers, with their young people who wish to access these products.
The access to period products initiative aims to provide free period products to children and young people in all state schools and kura across New Zealand during 2021.
Periods are a fact of life for half the population. Despite this, young people don’t always have access to the products they need to feel comfortable at school, engage in their learning, and manage what should be a normal and healthy part of life.
Access to period products is a necessity, not a luxury. The need to access period products exists for every young person who experiences menstruation including young women, girls, transgender, and gender diverse youth, in ways that meet diverse needs and cultural perspectives.
A variety of packs of pads and tampons will be provided. These products are easy to use and appropriate for a broad range of students’ age, developmental, and cultural needs. Enough product will be provided so that students can effectively manage their whole cycle and can take product home.
Staff Profiles
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Nathan Wallis, New Zealand's favourite Neuroscience Educator is going to be in Christchurch next week for another one of his popular talks about brain development – The First 1000 Days.
More information can be found by following this link on Eventfinda:
Haere mai! This Whānau Rōpū Hui is based around Matariki. It is an opportunity for us to connect with each other, celebrate Māori culture and learn about Matariki. See you there!
Please use this form to indicate your attendance to our whole-school Matariki celebration
5:00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 30th June (Kōwhai Hub) and to place your order for our whānau rōpū hangi.
Ordering Hangi:
Individual servings of hangi are $20 each. (These are large portions and could feed 2.)
Each serving will have pork, chicken, potato, kumara, carrot and stuffing.
Vegetarian options are also available.
Please pay by Monday 28 June at the school office OR into the school bank account
(12-3148-0131641-00) with "Hangi" and your name as the reference.
The recent rain that caused so much flooding and damage to Mid and North Canterbury areas also had the potential to cause flooding in our Beckenham part of the world too. However, it would seem that the work that has been done over the past few years on improving the river has paid dividends. It was quite extraordinary to experience that much rainfall, and to see the Ōpāwaho stay largely within its banks around the loop. We at school were very grateful for that, as no doubt many local homeowners were too.
Some of our Year 5/6 students put together a 'thank you' video which has been sent to the Council...
Celebrating PRIDE week
This week has been PRIDE week in New Zealand Schools. It has been interesting seeing the growing interest in this conversation at a primary school level across New Zealand. I believe that this demonstrates our growing understanding of the critical importance of being inclusive and valuing diversity, rather than merely tolerating it, or worse, fearing or condemning it.
Celebrating Pride in Every School
Whakanuia te uenuku ki ia kura
Supporting rainbow young people and their whānau to have a sense of belonging in their schools and communities.
Thanks to Anne Chin and the Diversity group for the fabulous displays in the library to support Pride week.
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal
Important Dates
Upcoming Events
Week 8: Tue 22 Jun - Structured Literacy Parent Seminar (7-8pm) Wed 23 Jun - Canterbury Cross Country (Halswell Quarry 9am-2pm) Wed 23 Jun - PTA Meeting (7.30 - 9.30pm) Thu 24 Jun - South Zone Winter Sport Thu 24 Jun - Structured Literacy - Parent Seminar (9-10am) Thu 24 Jun - Board of Trustee's meeting (5.30 - 7.30pm) Fri 25 Jun - Celebration Assembly (12.00-12.30pm) Fri 25 Jun - PTA Sausage Sizzle (1:20pm)
Week 9: Mon 28 Jun - Winter Tournament (Hagley Park North) Tue 29 Jun - Year 0-4 Cross Country Challenge (Hillview Christian School, 12-3pm) Wed 30 Jun - Whānau Rōpū Hui and Hangi (5-7pm) Thu 1 Jul - Postponement date for 0-4 Cross Country Challenge Thu 1 Jul - South Zone Winter Sport
Week 10: Thu 8 Jul - South Zone Winter Sport Fri 9 Jul - Celebration Assembly & Band Concert (11:50am -12:40pm) Fri 9 Jul - Last Day of Term Fri 9 Jul - Celebration Assembly & Band Concert (11:50am -12:40pm) Fri 9 Jul - Last Day of Term
Charlie, it is always heartening to see that you show the "We care' and "We get there together' values by giving help to others, often without being asked. You are always in the right place at the right time and are a role model in this area. The effort you put into your learning shows a great desire to always be and do the best you can. Kia ora mo to mahi!
School Notices
Teachers Paid Union Meetings - Next Thursday 24th June
Next Thursday all of our teachers who are union members (almost 100%) will be attending one of two paid union meetings that are being held (conveniently for us) in our school hall. The first meeting is at 10am and the second will be at 2pm. This means that we have booked a number of relievers for that day to release the teachers for one of the two meetings.
As the meetings will also be attracting many teachers from other schools in the area, car-parking in the afternoon is likely to be very hard to find.
Structured Literacy Parent evening
We are very pleased to have Caroline Morritt, our Resource Teacher of Literacy working in our school over the next two weeks. Caroline is going to run parent sessions around Structured Literacy over this time.
The access to period products initiative aims to provide free period products to children and young people in all state schools and kura across New Zealand during 2021.
Access to period products is a necessity, not a luxury. The need to access period products exists for every young person who experiences menstruation including young women, girls, transgender, and gender diverse youth, in ways that meet diverse needs and cultural perspectives.
If you have a young person who is in Year 5/6 or Year 7/8 who experiences menstruation, we would appreciate you getting together with them and taking the time to complete this form. More information to come.
Whānau Rōpū Hui and Hangi
We would like to welcome you to our first Whānau Rōpū hui of 2021. The hui will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 30th June, in the Kōwhai Hub.
Nau mai haere mai! Come along, get to know other tamariki and whānau, enjoy some kai, and get involved in this important aspect of our kura. Come to the staff room first and get a cup of tea to bring over to the Kōwhai hub if you would like. The hui will coincide with Matariki, a time of renewal and celebration in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are going to come together to connect, celebrate and learn. All welcome, for more information please click here.
Mana Ake “Drop-Ins” are continuing…
A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins” that are available on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30am. These drop-in sessions are here to provide parents with an opportunity to have a private, informal conversation around the well being of their child with one of our Mana Ake workers (kaimahi). If you feel like you would like to attend a drop-in session, please book in a time via the link here: Mana Ake booking The code to use is 88t39. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.
Guinea Pigs in the Library
Our furry friends were being well looked after in the library, by our kind and caring students. They were well educated on all things Minecraft - and provided with a little kai (food) too.
Literacy Learning and Dyslexia
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Ashraf Samsudin, spoke at the Sounds-Write Symposium in June 2021, delivering a webinar called
‘Dyslexia, Working Memory and Literacy’. He discussed what dyslexia is, working memory and dyslexia, and simple strategies for effective literacy learning.
Ashraf stressed that in order for a person with dyslexia to learn literacy effectively, there are certain criteria that need to be met in their reading and writing instruction. These include:
-explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness
-phonics instruction that is systematic and sequential
-oral reading that is supported with specific, consistent error correction and feedback to aid fluency
-repetition/ repeated exposure
-explicit instruction in vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling and writing
These areas are illustrated in Scarborough’s Rope (pictured on our science of reading page).
Structured literacy is a term to describe evidence-based approaches to reading and writing instruction. Our structured literacy programme at Beckenham Te Kura ō Puroto, addresses the areas mentioned above, and is crucial for learners with dyslexia. This programme is also beneficial for all other literacy learners, as you can see on The Ladder of Reading infographic. Following a specific scope and sequence helps to ensure our tamariki don’t have gaps in their reading and spelling knowledge, and helps us create a solid foundation to continue to build upon.
We have had an exciting and busy structured literacy journey so far and are continuing to develop our skills and knowledge!
Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing this waka together.
Speaking 4 the Planet...
... is an art based competition for students to address sustainability issues creatively.
The live event was held last Friday at Tūranga. The theme of Ecosystem Restoration was explored through prepared speeches. Zoe placed second and Cleo was highly commended in the Year 7/8 category.
Otis placed second overall for his visual art submission in the Year 7/8 category.
The consideration and application of the theme was acknowledged in the success of these students.
Congratulations!
Staff Profiles
Congratulations to...
...the students from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto and their families who came out to Ilam to warm our hearts with their music on the 12th of June.
Samson N, Bonnie H and Lillie N played confidently on a big black grand piano. Tahere T played the guitar and sang.
Thank you to all the families for joining us and supporting the Modern school of Music concert.
Regards Margot
PTA News
Mid Winter Breakfast
Thank you to the parents, teachers and the student council who helped out with the Mid Winter Breakfast this morning.
It was wonderful to see our Tamariki in their snuggly PJ's while enjoying a yummy warm bowl of porridge.
We collected a huge amount of cans which have been donated to the Christchurch City Mission.
Midwinter Breakfast!
Sausage Sizzle
The PTA will be holding a sausage sizzle at lunchtime on Friday the 25th of June.
Sausages will be $2 – children who want a delicious hot sausage in bread for lunch can order and pay at the flagpole in the morning before school on that Friday.
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Camp Wondergirl is an organisation that inspires, empowers and educates girls ages 8-12 to explore mindfulness, embrace uniqueness, and express their superpowers. Our mission is to make sure every girl knows she is a Wondergirl - powerful, loving, and unique. We offer the tools, support, and community girls need to grow their superpowers so they can flourish into the Wonder Women they are destined to be!
Our signature 5 Day Leadership Programme, Project Wondergirl, runs every School Holidays in Christchurch and the next one is on 19-23 July. Project Wondergirl is a one-of-a-kind, transformative experience for girls to rise up as a leader by expressing themselves fully to make a difference. The girls discover their unique Superpowers and work as a Superhero Squad to create a Video Project that will empower girls all over the world. Activities include Yoga, Meditation & Breathing, Friendship Games, Creative Art Projects, Wondergirl Costume Making and so much more.
