Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto newsleter Friday 4 December 2020

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

We are getting close to the end of the school year, and what a year it has been. COVID-19 has put a lot of pressure on our community but together, we have risen to the challenge.

I want to thank you once more, for all you have done to keep yourselves, your whānau and our community as safe as possible. Through reinforcing good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, staying away if sick and seeking medical advice, we have kept operating safely, and our tamariki have, importantly, continued to learn. 

I also extend a specific thank you to all those in our community who have worked in health services and on the frontline to support New Zealand’s defence against COVID-19. They and their families and whānau have sacrificed so much to contribute to our own safety and to support the return home for more than 70,000 New Zealanders. 

You may not be aware of the extent of the work our frontline community do to keep us all safe including regularly being tested, constantly monitoring for symptoms, keeping a close track of their movements, maintaining physical distancing and holding off hugging loved ones when they get home until they have had a shower and changed clothes. 

I am sure you will join me in giving a special thank you to those individuals for all they have done for us.

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Wed 9 Dec: Junior Athletic Sports from 1:30pm (NE - Year 4)
Thu 10 Dec: Kahikatea Pool and Picnic day at Waltham Pool
Fri 11 Dec: Final Celebration Assembly 09:15am
Fri 11 Dec: Y7/8 trip to Corsair Bay 11-3pm
Mon14 Dec: Y7/8 Walk to Victoria Park
Tue 15 Dec: Year 8 Leavers Graduation 11am - Invited whānau only (due to space limitations)
Wed 16 Dec: - 12:30pm - School finishes for the year. Stationery lists and home group team and teacher information for 2021 sent home.

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 & 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Fern Newick-Taylor - Year 7

Fern, you consistently demonstrate our school values in all that you do. You are kind and inclusive towards others, you embrace opportunities to learn and you show perseverance in the face of challenge. You can always be relied upon to role model positive behaviours for learning and you apply a growth mindset to any situation. Thank you for the wonderful contributions that you bring to our Kauri whānau. 

School Notices

Gift giving at the end of the year

We are aware that gift-giving is one way that people often choose to show appreciation and that this is particularly so at Christmas or the end of the school year.


We talk with the children about the importance of showing appreciation in an ongoing way through words and actions, rather than necessarily through the buying of gifts. Our teachers talk with the children about the value of making and writing cards or small gifts. In that same spirit, we also appreciate hearing that what we have done has been appreciated, and we do not expect parents or students to buy gifts for staff.

Hats

Even though we are in the final days of school, sunhats continue to be a compulsory uniform item. We have very large numbers of children wanting to borrow hats, which we do not have available. Without hats, they miss out on participating in outside activities both during class time and during break times. Please ensure your child comes to school with a hat EVERY day. Please ensure your child's name is written on the inside of their hat. Thank you.

Healthy Opāwaho



Did you know that everything that goes into stormwater drains ends up in our river?  Our Healthy Ōpāwaho student leaders are monitoring one of the drains in our school, and picking up nearby rubbish. Last week, they found a drink can, a broken plant pot, several food wrappers, a broken pencil, a crayon and more.  We want a clean and healthy river...and we don’t want this rubbish entering it!  You could help our river by: 
  • when you go for a walk take a bag and gloves and pick up rubbish you see
  • pick up any dog poo when you’re out walking your pup
  • wash your car on the grass not on the road, so the toxins don’t run into the drains and river
Watch this video for more information:




Healthy Ōpāwaho Ambassadors, picking up litter...

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.

Lost Property



There is a significant amount of lost property that has accumulated over this term.  Please take a moment to have a look and see if any of it belongs to your family. Lost property is located on either the library deck, or inside the library.  



Mobile Phone Recycling

We continue to have the dropbox at the front desk of admin for people to drop off unwanted mobile phones.  These are mailed to the Mobile Phone Recycling Scheme and Sustainable coastlines organisation.

BOSCO

Join us this December holidays for not only Christmas fun like pass the parcel and making beautiful Christmas cards but we will also have a BYO wheels day, pot painting, some baking and a day filled with water fun. Book now to avoid missing out or contact Juanita on 027 645 6632 or email office@bosco.org.nz


Sports News

Canterbury Athletics

A huge congratulations to the children who represented our kura at Ngā Puna Wai on Wednesday. True to any Canterbury level competition, the standard of entries was very high. An example of this was the longest jump of the day by a Year 8 student measuring 5.25 metres. It was a pleasure to see our students hold their own against such strong competition, competing with ambition, integrity and sportsmanship. 

Congratulations to JJ Mathias, Caitlyn McIntosh, Grace Monk, Jonty Mitchell, Ava Howard, Billy Murfin and Zoe Clarke. 

Congratulations to Billy who placed 2nd in the 60 m sprint. Billy ran an amazing race, with just a hair between him and first place. 

Mountain Biking

Congratulations to Morgan Lee, who finished 2nd in Gravity Canterbury’s Dave’s Race last weekend. For most of us, just looking at the course he raced down would make our stomachs turn.

Community Notices

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



Friday Whānau Fun Nights at South Library

An evening of stories, family and fun at the library!

Bring the kids, bring the grandparents, or bring your uncle and cousins – the whole whānau is invited!

Join us on the second Friday of the month for a short storytime, followed by fun, hands-on activities to do as a family. We’ll be building, making, and exploring right here in South library! Come along, create some great family memories, and get your weekend off to a fun start.

Friday 11 December 5-6pm (Christmas)

Age: This is aimed at 5-12 year olds and their family members of any age.

Cost: Free, no bookings required


Christchurch Netball

Christchurch Netball Centre are running netball skill and development sessions in Term 1 2021.Please visit their website to find out more.




Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 20 Nov 2020

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Lots of important information in this newsletter... including some staffing information, an update from the Board on the new strategic plan, and lots of dates to put in your calendar for the upcoming final weeks of the school year!

Reports

End of Year reports will be sent home on Tuesday next week. If you have any questions or want to discuss anything in your child's report with their teacher, please email them to make a time for a catch-up.
Stationery Lists and Home-Groups for 2021 will still come home on the final day of the school year.

Strategic Plan for 2021-2023

A huge thank you to all the whānau, students and staff, who contributed to the consultation process for the review of our Strategic Plan and consultation for our new Strategic Plan. This has been a very big piece of work over two terms and, last night, the board finalised the new Strategic Plan which we are now able to share with you.
This plan will drive our focus and areas of priority for the next three years. We will still have our 'business as usual' - the foundational work that we continue to do all of the time. This strategic plan highlights the areas of priority and, in some cases, new learning.

We intend to be regularly talking about this plan through newsletters so that you are well informed about the work that we are doing. 

You can also find the plan on our website (which may be easier to read than the images below)





Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Tue 24 Nov: Reports come home
Wed 25 Nov: Canterbury Schools Triathlon - Pegasus
Wed 25 - Fri 27 Nov: Pohutukawa Camp at Living Springs 
Wed 25 Nov: PTA meeting - Green Room, 7:30pm
Sat 29 Nov: PTA Top Team Event - Beckenham Park 
Mon 30 Nov & Tue 1 Dec: Kōwhai Rapaki Marae visit                                                            
Wed 2 Dec: Canterbury Primary School's athletics, Nga Puna Wai Park
Wed 2 Dec: Training and Jazz Band Concert at Hillview Christian School 9:15am
Thu 3 Dec - Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Fri 4 Dec: Year 3/4 Noho Kura (sleepover at school!) from 5:30pm
Wed 9 Dec: Junior Athletic Sports from 1:30pm (NE - Year 4)
Thu 10 Dec: Kahikatea Pool and Picnic day at Waltham Pool
Fri 11 Dec: Final Celebration Assembly 09:15am
Fri 11 Dec: Y7/8 trip to Corsair Bay 11-3pm
Mon14 Dec: Y7/8 Walk to Victoria Park
Tue 15 Dec: Year 8 Leavers Graduation 11am - Invited whānau only (due to space limitations)
Wed 16 Dec: - 12:30pm - School finishes for the year.

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 & 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Austin Reddecliffe - Year 4

Austin, you are an enthusiastic learner and always put your best effort into all areas of the curriculum. You consistently demonstrate a positive and caring attitude and are a great friend to others. You are an outstanding role model to your peers. You are reliable, courteous and thoughtful. Well done, Austin!

Taylor Collins - Year 6

Taylor you are an outstanding role model for all learners in our hub. Your quiet leadership and the gentle, friendly way that you work with your peers truly demonstrates our kete values "We Care" and "We Get There Together". You are kind, helpful, thoughtful and you make a difference in our hub every day. Thank you, Taylor, for giving your best to your learning each and every day. Well done!

Staffing Update

Appointments

We have made three new permanent teacher appointments to our staff, all of whom will start at the beginning of next year. 


Meagan Mathers joins us from Wellington where she has been teaching for the past three years at Kahurangi School in Miramar. Meagan originally hails from Christchurch and is looking forward to returning to her home city and being much closer to her whānau and friends here.


Quynh Nguyen (Quing Noo-en) has been teaching in the Wairarapa at Lakeview School and is also looking forward to returning to Christchurch where she has previously studied. Quynh originates from Vietnam. ‘Coming from a very crowded city of almost 10 million people, I have always dreamed of living where it is not too crowded but not too remote either, and Christchurch was a perfect option. I’d bet that anyone who comes to Christchurch will find something they love about this city. Kei Ōtautahi tōku kāinga ināianei | Christchurch is my home.’


Caitlyn Worsfold has recently completed her teaching qualifications and is currently working at St Martins School. "Following my graduation from the University of Otago in 2016, I made the decision to move to London and fulfil my dream to travel. In 6 months I saw many countries, was able to immerse myself in rich European culture and discover my true passion for teaching. Being a fluent speaker of Spanish and French has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone, and meet people all over the world. I live an active, and healthy lifestyle through growing my own produce, exercising regularly and enjoying time outdoors."

Retirements and Resignations

Chris Stace, our longest standing Teaching Assistant, has announced her retirement this week, effective from the end of this school year. Chris has a very long history as a Teacher Aide - first at Sydenham School, then moving to Beckenham when Sydenham closed in 2000. We know that Chris has been thinking about this for a wee while now, and that it has been a really hard decision to make. We so appreciate the care and commitment she has given to our school, and especially to all of the children that she has worked with over the years. She will be so missed, and we wish her a very happy retirement. We look forward to seeing her around the school next year in her capacity as 'grandmother' of two of our students.


Rob Proffitt-White has resigned from his appointment as Deputy Principal, effective during the school holidays. Rob has been shoulder-tapped for a once-in-a career opportunity to work for a global education organisation based in Canada, writing materials and doing project work with Universities and school collaborations at an international level, including an education project with UNESCO. We are gutted to be losing Rob after such a very short time, and we also understand the opportunity he has been offered. Rob has committed to continuing to work with us on an ad-hoc basis going forward and we look forward to learning from his new work too.



School Notices


Junior Neighbourhood support

All these girls overcame lockdown time to do something for others. Layla J and Layla W raised funds to feed gorillas at Orana Park, Molly made a newsletter series for her street and Mia made cards to sell and raised money for Charity Voices of Hope.

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.

CSM Outreach Band Information Meeting for 2021 tuition

Will your child be in Years 5-8 next year?
Would they like to learn a band instrument?



We are incredibly fortunate to have access to the CSM Outreach Band programme at Beckenham. This programme has been running in our school now for over 12 years. 
Students are able to learn a wide variety of instruments including:
  • flute
  • oboe
  • clarinet
  • saxophone
  • trumpet
  • trombone, 
  • bass guitar
  • percussion
Due to COVID challenges, we won't be having a Blow Test during school time this year, however, there will be an information evening for parent's and students who are new to the CSM Outreach Band Programme and would like to find out more, and possibly try an instrument on Tuesday 1st December, 7-8pm at Hillview School in the Junior Campus Staffroom.  All interested parents and students who will be in years 5 to 8 in 2021 are welcome to attend.    
So we have an idea of numbers, please register using this link Band Information Meeting Regn

BoardTalk

School Donations – A year in review

This year we made a change to the school donation scheme by requesting a flat $150* contribution per child, rather than a donation plus multiple requests for contributions throughout the year.

The Board of Trustees would like to thank the school community for supporting this change.  It has reduced the complexity of managing multiple small contributions for activities and made planning and budgeting more straightforward. Your contribution goes a long way in helping the school to provide rich and varied experiences for your tamariki.  It is not too late to make a donation.  

Don’t forget that you can claim 33% of your donation including donations for camp, back from IRD at the end of each tax year.  Current rules allow claims for up to 4 years in the past.   You’ll find more information at this link to IRD. https://www.ird.govt.nz/topics/income-tax/tax-credits/tax-credits-for-donations

If you do need a receipt you can email accounts@beckenham.school.nz and request one.  You can only request receipts once the tax year has ended.  Please be aware there could be a small delay in receiving your receipts as the school is transitioning the account management to a new member of staff.    

*School camps are additional request on top of the $150 donation’

PTA News

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Top Team and Community Picnic on 29th November has been cancelled as we are unable to get enough helpers. We would like to thank the 3 people who offered to help on the day.
We would also like to thank Platform Designs (poster design) and Smyth & Co barristers and solicitors who were supporting the event.

Community Notices

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

Beckenham Community Christmas Celebration.



Thursday 10th December 2020 5.00-7.00pm
In the grounds of Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Free Family Event. BBQ and/or bring a picnic.
Market stalls, Bouncy Castle, Mystery Bottle, Games, Bicycle Smoothie Maker, Christmas carols and other favourites.
Organised by Beckenham locals for the Beckenham community, supported by the Beckenham Neighbourhood Association and Cashmere New Life Church.
Koha towards getting a community accessible AED (defibrillator).
Bottles for the Mystery Bottle (all funds towards the community accessible AED) can be dropped at the school office.

Motivationz Cricket

Motivationz Cricket is running a pre-Christmas holiday programme at St Andrew’s College for boys and girls. Run by Mark Lane, former NZ Cricket General Manager of Cricket Development.
6-7-year olds 17th, 18th and 21st Dec 12.30-2.30pm cost $100
This is an entry level programme where we teach the children the basic principles of how to catch, throw and strike a ball. This will be done through fun games and activities.
8-10-year olds 17th, 188h and 21st 12.30-2.30pm cost $100
This programme is designed to give the children the basic techniques around batting, bowling and fielding. The technique work will be supported with plenty of drills and modified games to reinforce the learnings.
11-13-year olds 21st and 22th 12.30-4.30pm cost $130
This programme will be developed to cater for the individual needs of the child. There will be some general testing before more specific coaching will take place.
If you would like to book email anthony@motivationz.co.nz your child’s full name, DOB and contact phone number.

The Voice of Christmas: WIN A SMART BEDROOM!!

This Christmas morning on Newstalk ZB - it's "The Voice of Christmas" singing competition... on the 'Crazy Kiwi Christmas Kids Show'... If you can sing, and you’re under 13, call 0800 THE VOICE (that’s 0800 843 864) and sing a Christmas carol or Christmas song as your audition. The grand prize? The ultimate smart bedroom bundle complete with an Amazon Echo Plus smart speaker and Alexa-enabled smart coloured light bulbs! Then tune in on Christmas morning to Newstalk ZB from 6am, to see if you've won!


Christchurch Boys Choir  - Auditions




Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Thursday 12 November 2020

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

It's been a short week this week so this newsletter is mostly to keep you up to date with upcoming events!

The weather for the long weekend is looking amazing... keep the hats and sunblock on and I hope you all get some time to relax and slow down just a little, before the Christmas rush is completely upon us!

Sadly, no Kapa Haka concert this year

Due to the limitations of COVID lockdowns and restrictions on assemblies, our new Kapa Haka tutor, Whaea Cath has had quite a challenging time getting regular sessions with all of our groups this year.  and in the latter few weeks we made the call to focus her time on preparations with Te Whānau Mahi Tahi for the recent Cultural Festival performance. On top of that, there have been extra events this term for most team, due to postponements from lockdowns. For that reason, we have made the decision not to try and hold a kapa haka concert this year. We do expect to return to holding some sort of end of year celebration of Kapa Haka next year.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the Team

Important Dates

Upcoming Events - lots and lots!

Tue 17 Nov: Homegroup photos for Sari and Sophie's groups. 
Wed 18 Nov: Rāpaki Marae visit Koru Team
Wed 18 Nov: 7-8pm BYOD Information Evening, Kōwhai Hub, Y4-7 whānau
Wed 19 Nov: Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Fri 20 Nov: Celebration Assembly 12:10pm - All Welcome
Wed 25 Nov: Canterbury Schools Triathlon
Wed 25 - Fri 27 Nov: Pohutukawa Camp at Living Springs 
Wed 25 Nov: PTA meeting - Green Room, 7:30pm
Sat 29 Nov: PTA Top Team Event - Beckenham Park 
Mon 30 Nov & Tue 1 Dec: Kōwhai Rapaki Marae visit                                                            
Wed 2 Dec: Canterbury Primary School's athletics, Nga Puna Wai Park
Thu 3 Dec - Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Fri 4 Dec: Year 3/4 Noho Kura (sleepover at school!)
Wed 9 Dec: Junior Athletic Sports from 1:30pm (NE - Year 4)
Thu 10 Dec: Kahikatea Pool and Picnic day at Waltham Pool
Fri 11 Dec: Final Celebration Assembly 09:15am
Fri 11 Dec: Y7/8 trip to Corsair Bay 11-3pm
Mon14 Dec: Y7/8 Walk to Victoria Park
Tue 15 Dec: Year 8 Leavers Graduation 11am - Invited whānau only
Wed 16 Dec: - 12:30pm - School finishes for the year.
BYOD Information Evening for Year 4-7 whānau
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto has an optional Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme for students in Years 5-8. This programme is very popular and has been in operation since 2014. If you want to find out more about our BYOD programme including the rationale, digital citizenship practices and device responsibilities, please visit our BYOD website and come along to our information evening on Wednesday, 18 November from 7-8 pm, in the Kōwhai Hub. If you plan to attend this meeting, please RSVP here.
 
The evening is optional and is aimed particularly at parents of current Year 4-7 students who are considering taking up BYOD next year but have not yet made the decision. The information evening will give you a chance to hear about our BYOD programme and ask questions about how it works. 

We generally recommend that families who want to participate in the BYOD programme purchase a Chromebook for their child to bring school. We are currently changing our BYOD provider and will send out a Chromebook offer, with prices, closer to the end of the year.

With the introduction of the new Digital Technologies strand of the Technology Curriculum this year, ensuring that every child has access to a device becomes more important than ever before.




Timepieces wanted!

If you have any timepieces that you could donate to school eg clocks, watches, pocket watches, digital or analog, working or not, we would love to have them at school for a special interest area in one of our rooms.  Please bring them to the office.
Many thanks in anticipation.



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.

Sports News

Athletics Day

The weather didn’t make it easy for us this year. And we got there in the end! Our athletics events for Years 5 to 8 took place over three days as weather permitted. We were so impressed by the way the children adapted to the changes as they were made. We get there together! 

Something else that impressed us during the week was the way that the children supported and encouraged each other. On Tuesday loud eruptions of cheering could be heard from the hall as the children celebrated every person’s high jump effort. Many times over the three days, we saw children sharing advice and words of encouragement. During Thursday’s mid-distance, friends ran alongside some of the runners with words and sometimes even songs of encouragement. 

Congratulations to our Athletics Champions for 2020
These champions are based on a scoring system that takes into account placings across all the events.
Year 5 Champions: Jayde Inglis and Archie Arnott
Year 6 Champions: Billy Murfin, Caitlyn McIntosh and Petra Cooper
Year 7 Champions: Zoe Clarke and Jonty Mitchell
Year 8 Champions: Thomas Lyall and Grace Monk

Zone Athletics

We had a fantastic day at Hansen’s Park on Monday where just over 60 tamariki represented our kura at Zone Athletics. As usual, the children did us all proud, putting our school values at the fore as they competed in track and field events. I noticed many of our children helping out at events that their friends were competing in, which was great to see. Tino pai! 

Congratulations to all our competitors.

The following children have qualified to represent our zone and kura at Canterbury Athletics at Ngā Puna Wai on Wednesday the 2nd of December.

Ava Howard - 1st long jump
Billy Murfin- 1st 60 m and 2nd long jump
Caitlin McIntosh - 2nd 60 m
Grace Monk - 1st high jump
Jonty Mitchell - 1st long jump and 1st 60 m
JJ Mathias - 2nd 60 m
Lucky Lasiyal - 2nd 1200 m
Zoe Clarke - 2nd high jump

Canterbury Swimming

Congratulations to Abby, Fergus, Emma, Cooper, Zoe and Thomas who competed in Canterbury Swimming Championships. This event was a postponement date from Term 1. 

Swimming at Canterbury level is a huge achievement and the children all did amazingly well against very tough competition. 

Special mention goes to Thomas Lyall who placed 3rd in the 50 m Backstroke. 

Mountain Biking

Congratulations to Morgan Lee who has been making a name for himself in Gravity Canterbury’s downhill events. Morgan placed third in his first competitive outing at the Novice Downhill and then returned a couple of weeks later to take third again in the first race of the Summer Series in the under 13 category. Wananae!

Thank you to 'The Perfect Line' for the photo. 


Sports Uniforms need to be returned, please.

If your child does not have another upcoming sports event, please return their washed uniform to the office foyer. Thank you.

Community Notices

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

Studio One Performing Arts

Studio One Performing Arts, your local dance school, is currently giving Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary 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




-----------------------------------

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter 9th November 2020

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award for 2020

Sir Peter Blake believed in the incredible potential of young people to achieve great things.

The BLAKE Young Leader Awards aim to recognise our young New Zealanders who show commitment to leading positive change in their community that leads to a sustainable future for Aotearoa.
Each year, one senior student from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto is nominated to receive this prestigious award. At our Celebration Assembly today, we welcomed Hinewai and Hiria from the Westpac Bank, to present this award to Ruby McNiven. Congratulations, Ruby. This is a wonderful acknowledgement of your quietly confident and reliable leadership that has grown and developed throughout your time in the school.

Hinewai (Wespac),, Ruby, Heria (Westpac) and Sandy


SwimSafe Programme 

Our Kahikatea and Kōwhai students have been travelling by bus to Pioneer Pool most days (8 sessions) over the past two weeks, to participate in quite a different type of aquatic programme to anything we have done before. In the past, our aquatic programmes have tried to focus on developing swimming skills. After the swimming programme last year, we consulted with whānau and staff, and the general agreement was that this focus was no longer meeting the needs of our children. We are required, under the New Zealand curriculum, to provide aquatic education for children, so we spent the first half of this year working with staff from the council to make sure that what we did this year would provide better outcomes for all of our children. This year, all of our Kahkiatea and Kōwhai students (Y1-4) participated in an 8 session SwimSafe programme.
The focus of this programme was all about water safety and staying alive in the water.

As you can see from the photos below, all children were able to participate fully, regardless of their swimming ability. 

Being SwimSafe @ Pioneer Pool!





The organisation for this programme was significant, and wouldn't have been possible without the generous help of many parents and caregivers who supported at the pool, and from the extra work put in by the staff, in particular the team leaders, Laura Williamson and Amber Donovan.
Below is an email received yesterday from one of the parents who were helping supervise at the pool... 

"I just wanted to say a huge thanks for the past two weeks of swimming. It is obviously quite a huge undertaking to get it all organised and a lot of planning clearly took place to get all the kids there.
I thought you must be all quite exhausted after the two weeks!
It was a really fun and useful programme and watching from the side of the pool was useful for me to revise some key things about water safety.
Other parents I talked to also felt the teachers had done an amazing effort getting the nearly 200 kids to the pool each day, and that it was a really valuable opportunity for them."

Te Whānau Mahi Tahi at the Christchurch Schools' Cultural Festival

Last week saw our senior kapa haka group, Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, perform at the very final Christchurch Schools Cultural Festival. The Festival has been wound up, after the organising committee had been unable, for the past 7 years, to get any new members onto the committee.

We were immensly proud of our tamariki. Huge thanks to our (new this year) kapa haka tutor - Whaea Cath Milio for her commitment to getting our children to the festival and writing a special waiata for them to sing (to the tune of 'Peace Train'). Thanks also to Hannah Elliott for her support of Te Whānau throughout the year.
You can watch their performance on the YouTube clip below:


Staffing Update

It is that time of the year, when staff changes through schools across the country are announced in preparation for the new school year. As schools appoint teachers, new vacancies are created and a domino effect sometimes happens! 
Therefore, we have reluctantly accepted the resignation of Hannah Elliott, who has won a new position at Lemonwood Grove School in Rolleston. This is a great move for Hannah, who lives in the Selwyn district so will now be living much closer to her workplace. We acknowledge and thank Hannah for the contribution that she has made to our school, and in particular to the Kauri Team, over the past three years.

Hannah Elliott

We have been very busy this past week with interviewing for new teachers for 2021, and should be able to have those appointments in the newsletter next week.

We have also been pleased to welcome Rachel Higginson to our staff this week. Rachel has taken over the accounts and payroll position that Sandra Rauch has been in for the past 19months. Rachel was in this last week for handover from Sandra, who finished today. Rachel officially starts on Monday. For any queries regarding accounts or donations, you can contact her on the same email address: accounts@beckenham.school.nz

Rachel Higginson

New vacancy in the Office

We will shortly be advertising a third, administration position for the school. This new position will be a combination of support for Jacky in the office, and a PA to the leadership team and Board. The person specifications will include needing a high level of general organisation, familiarity and confidence with technology, and minute-taking experience. The role will be between 20-25 hours a week, mostly within school hours, and term-time only. We will post the vacancy on the school website by Monday 9 November and will advertise it through the school and neighbourhood Facebook pages.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 9th Nov: Zone Athletics, Hansen Park. 9am - 3pm
Thu 12 Nov: Celebration Assembly, 12:10pm
Fri 13th Nov: Canterbury Anniversary Day - school closed.                                                            Wed 18 Nov: Rāpaki Marae visit Koru, Year 0 and 1.                                                                    Wed 25th Nov: Pohutukawa Camp at Living Springs                                                                        Mon 30th Nov & Tue 1st Dec: Kōwhai Rapaki Marae visit                                                              Wed 2nd Dec: Canterbury Primary School's athletics, Nga Puna Wai Park           

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 & 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Holly Rogers - Year 8

Holly, you have certainly come out of your shell this year! You demonstrated "We Get There Together" by performing beautifully at the Cultural Festival and helping the group shine. You are kind, caring and lend a helping hand when needed. You have shown an increase in confidence which has enabled you to share your ideas more during your learning. You listen attentively and can always be relied on to make positive choices throughout the school day. 

School Notices

Kauri Theatre Sports

The Kauri Hub Theatre Sports team aka ‘Mission Improvable’ competed last Sunday 1st November at Rangi Ruru Ruru Girls School. There were 4 teams in the heat and even though they didn’t place for the finals, they did an awesome job entertaining the audience with their clever and humorous improv skills.  The team has worked hard all year with weekly practices and workshops at the Court Theatre in town. Well done team! 

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.

PTA News

Art Auction

After discussions last week, the PTA has decided to bring the SALE of the CLASSROOM ART from the NON EVENT FAIR forward.
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Art Auction will be starting soon. It started on November 06, 2020 at 09:00 AM  and will end on November 19, 2020 at 09:00PM. 
You can come and view the art in the school reception area from 2.45pm till 3.30pm on 11th November.
Here's your auction link to start bidding on your child's classes art work:

Top Team and Community Picnic

Just over 3 weeks to go for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto TOP TEAM and community picnic. We have had an odd Year so far so let's end it with a fun afternoon with the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Whanau. 
Top Team competition from 2 till 3.30, come along and support the teams.
For those not participating we will have fair games, a bouncy castle, sausage sizzle, cake stall, coffee cart and ice creams!
 
Make sure you book your team in soon as we have limited spots, click on the link and sign up ASAP
 
Cost is $10 per team, this has been kindly subsidised by Smyth & Co Barristers and Solicitors 
  • The ideal team size is 6, but you can have more or less  
  • Teams must include at least 1 adult with a maximum of 2 adults
  • It is recommended that participants are Year 4 or above (but if you have someone younger who wants to have a go then that's fine, just be aware they may not be able to complete every station) 
  • Teams need to arrive at 1PM for registration / warm up / team briefing
To run a successful event we will need helpers, please complete the link below if you can help for a short period of time or for the whole event.
If you are able to help in any way, run a stall, help out on a top team station, make a cake or slice, or if you have a musical talent please complete the link below. Top Team helpers
The more people that can help the more time everyone has to enjoy the event.

Board of Trustees - Election Update

Nominations for the three Parent Trustee Vacancies closed on Sunday 1st November at midday. Only two nominations were received meaning no election was required and those nominees have been declared duly elected by our Returning Officer.
Our thanks, and congratulations go to Suran Dickson and Richard Scott (bios below) for their willingness to contribute to the governance of our school through this process. The Board will now meet to determine a process for dealing with the vacancy that will remain on the board, through the third position not being filled through the election.

Suran Dickson

I am interested in serving on the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board of Trustees. Currently I am the Director of Flipside Consulting, a Diversity and Inclusion consultancy which works with leaders and organisations to ensure their culture is one which enables happy, innovative staff who bring their whole selves to work. Recent clients include the Crusaders, Christ’s College, Meridian, Orion, Connetics, Hohepa Homes and the Police. The work is a great privilege as we are able to challenge some of the innate structural and personal biases which prevent Māori and Pasifika having equitable opportunities in life, as well as overcoming the social barriers which can hold restrict both young men and women from achieving happiness and success. 
Having trained as a teacher and taught at Lincoln High School, I then moved to the UK in 2002 and taught there for a number of years across secondary, primary and special educational needs schools. I was deeply moved by a number of suicides of young people and left my teaching job to set up the anti-bullying charity, Diversity Role Models (DRM), which became a national leader in tackling bullying by encouraging empathy and critical thinking in young people. As CEO of this organisation I was heavily involved in building corporate relationships, fundraising, scaling the charity up at rapid pace and providing thought leadership around inclusion and diversity issues to the Department of Education, media, businesses and wider political arenas. After leading DRM for 6 years, I had my son, Sonny, and moved back to New Zealand in 2016 to absorb cleaner air, more space and to give him a taste of the Kiwi childhood I was lucky enough to have. Sonny has now happily joined Koru class and we are loving being part of the Beckenham community. 
I also sit on the South Canterbury District Health Board to offer an inclusion and equity lens to the health landscape; a less than dull role in the era of Covid. My spare time (surely a paradox as a working parent!) is spent training for half-ironman, marathons and anything else time-consuming to escape doing the housework.

Richard Scott

My name is Richard Scott and I am standing for the Beckenham Te Kura O Pūroto School Board. I am a father of three with two children currently at Beckenham in years 1 and 3. My youngest will start at Beckenham mid-2021.  Along with my wife, Christy, we have lived locally for five years, and prior to that not far away in Hillsborough, Christchurch.  I am a keen runner, skier and mountain biker. Professionally I am a Principal Mechanical Engineer employed part-time by AECOM NZ Ltd.  In this role, I provide design, analysis, technical leadership, project management and construction contract management in the power and utility industries mainly across New Zealand and Australia. I have not been nominated or held a board position previously, however, I consider myself to have useful skills to offer the board in order to further develop strong values and leadership.  I am particularly interested in academic performance, cultural activities and sporting opportunities.



Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto newsletter, Friday 30 October, 2020

Posted on by


Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

We urgently need three new Parent Trustees for our Board of Trustees... 

You should all have received, via email today, the information about how to nominate yourself or someone else for the position of Parent Trustee on the Board.

Nominations close this Sunday, 1st November at noon.

Our Board of Trustees are critical for the successful governance of our school and we have a very strong history of having boards that are effective and very engaged in monitoring and supporting the strategic direction of the school. 

There are no particular set of skills required for the Board - other than being a caregiver who cares about the success of all of the children in our school. 

Please do consider if this is something you could do to contribute to the success of your child's school - for three years.

COVID-19 Tracing update

Whilst we have low numbers of active COVID-19 across New Zealand, we have been reminded by the Ministry of Education of the importance of maintaining high contact tracing in the event that a confirmed case of COVID-19 should be linked to our school. Please ALWAYS sign in at the office when you come on site (other than to drop-off or collect children at the end of the day). Please do not go into hubs unless it is absolutely necessary. You can ALSO use our contact tracing app QR code to keep your own tracing diary.



Athletics Update

Due to the inclement weather this morning, the decision was made to postpone the Athletic Sports for Years 5-8 until Tuesday next week, weather permitting

The weather forecast is currently not that flash for Tuesday, so if we can't do this on Tuesday, the Athletic Sports as an event will be cancelled, and teachers will do their best to run events over the following three days, as the weather permits, so that we can identify students to go through to the Zone Athletics on Monday 9th November.

As the Year 1-4 students will be swimming every day next week, we have decided that they, and the New Entrants, will have their own Junior Athletic Sports on a new date, which we will advise next week.

More Maths learning... in Years 5/6

The Põhutakawa learners found themselves working in groups today to solve 12 problems that had been scattered across the hub. Grit and tenacity to get there together was order of the day with some groups spending 20 minutes or more determined to seek a solution. Next week our learners will discuss and defend their solutions and strategies as they delve into mathematical reasoning.



Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 2 Nov: Year 7/8 Technology (bus leaves at 8:30am) Note change of date for this week!
Tue 3 Nov: Year 5-8 Athletic Sports
Mon 9th Nov: Zone Athletics, Hansen Park. 9am - 3pm
Thu 12 Nov: Celebration Assembly (our first for this term!)
Fri 13th Nov: Canterbury Anniversary Day - school closed.                                                              Wed 18 Nov: Rāpaki Marae visit Koru, Year 0 and 1.                                                                      Wed 25th Nov: Pohutukawa Camp at Living Springs
 

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 and 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Selwyn-Jack Bayliss - Year 6

Selwyn-Jack what a year you are having!  You are demonstrating 'We Love Challenge' each day, by the way you focus beautifully on your learning and put in your very best effort.  You are acting on feedback from your teachers to improve your work, demonstrating responsibility for, and pride in, your achievements!  Keep up the brilliant effort Selwyn-Jack, you are a superstar!

School Notices

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.

BOT Update

BOT Mid-Term Elections 2020

Nominations for Mid Term positions for our Board of Trustees are closing very soon. You will have received an email with nomination details and how you nominate. Please note nominations close on Sunday 1st November. We look forward to your interest.

Wayne Jamieson
Returning Officer

Community Notices

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