Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 5 March 2021

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

It certainly does seem that our value of 'We Love Challenge' is being tested as today our country had to deal with not just changing COVID Alert Levels, but a series of significant earthquakes, followed by Tsunami warnings. My thoughts were with principal colleagues in Whangarei and Whakatane who had to evacuate their entire schools, some walking many kilometres to get children out of possible tsunami zones. We contacted our Year 7/8 camp team at Wainui who were well away from the water today, packing up their camp and making ready to head home after a fabulous week of outdoor challenge and adventure.
Events such as these serve as a very real reminder of the need for us to be well prepared and planned for the possibility of an emergency. To that end, Jo Smith and I spent the day on Wednesday at a workshop run by the Ministry of Education and NZ Police that focused on just that - planning and preparing for emergencies. We will be sharing some of our planning with you through upcoming newsletters. We all have specific roles to play to help keep our children safe in unexpected or emergency situations. 

Fire Evacuation Drill

On Tuesday this week we had our first Fire Evacuation Drill of the year. It is a great chance to practise what to do if there was a fire alarm triggered at school. The fire alarm sounded and everyone on site, staff, children and visitors, walked to the assembly point on the field. You may like to talk with your child about the drill and what they had to do. This will reinforce the emergency procedure with them. They did a great job!

Thank you... Y7/8 Camp adults

Thank you to the staff and whānau who supported our Year 7/8 camp to Wainui this week. Taking over 100 young people on an outdoor education camp for 5 days takes an extraordinary amount of planning and organisation. We acknowledge your support and appreciate everyone who put in time and energy to make this camp so successful.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Week 6:
Wed 10 Mar - 4.15 - 5.45 Kiwi Volleyball at Hillview Christian School
Thu 11 Mar - 3.15 - 6.00 Miniball Grade C at Pioneer Stadium
Fri 12 Mar - 12.00 - 12.30 Celebration Assembly

Week 7:
Wed 17 Mar - 4.15 - 5.45 Kiwi Volleyball at Hillview Christian School
Thu 18 Mar - 9.00 - 1.15 Zone Swimming Sports at Jellie Park

Week 8:
Tue 23 Mar - 9.00 - 2.00 Canterbury Triathlon at Eyrewell Forest, South Eyre Road.
Wed 24 Mar - 7.30 - 9.30pm PTA Meeting
Fri 26 Mar - 12.00 - 12.30 Celebration Assembly

Term Dates

Click here to view 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Zach Guise - Year 3

Zach, you have made an outstanding start to the year. You consistently focus on doing the right thing and are an extremely caring and helpful member of the team. You work enthusiastically in all areas of school and are a fantastic role model to others. You are an absolute star, Zach. Tino pai!

School Notices

Christchurch Schools Music Festival - Representative group auditions still open...



A reminder that talented singers and musicians from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto can now apply for an audition to join a Representative Group - Junior & Senior Choir, Concert Band, Orchestra - for the 2021 Music Festival.

We want to encourage and support any students in Years 5-8 who are confident singers, and/or instrumentalists to apply for an audition. This is particularly the case in 2021 given the cancellation of the 2020 Music Festival.

Applications are made online on the Festival website here.

This is a chance to not only participate in a life-changing learning opportunity but also to represent Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto while doing it.

Being selected for a Representative Group for the Music Festival is the artistic equivalent of being selected for a Canterbury level sports team; let's make sure the opportunity is not overlooked.
If you have any questions about this, please speak with Jody Keenan (CSM Band tutor), your music teacher, or email Sandy principal@beckenham.school.nz

Te Mana Raupo Kahui Ako

Parent Workshop - Parenting to Establish Safety, Connection and Engagement

The workshop will provide an overview of children’s challenging behaviours and how parents/caregivers can better understand the causes and possible ways to prevent and respond.
The overview covers:
  • Understanding challenging behaviours
  • Understanding Window of Tolerance and Arousal and how this contributes to challenging behaviours
  • Understanding how co-regulation & attunement can enhance moments of shared joy
  • Learn a number of useful activities to respond to various behaviours.
This presentation is grounded in relational attachment based principles and philosophies.
This presentation is open to all families in our wider community and is free of charge.

Presented by: 
Dr Petria Thoresen, PhD, a fully certified Theraplay® Therapist and Theraplay®
Maria Lui, SWRB & MNZAC, a fully certified Group Theraplay® Practitioner and Theraplay®

St Martins School Hall
Tuesday 30th March
5:30-6:30pm

To attend, please RSVP to - reihana.dougherty@beckenham.schoool.nz

Parent Playground Roster

A big thank you to Katherine Christensen for offering to organise our parent playground roster. It will be wonderful to have extra adults out in the playground during lunch play to ensure that our tamariki are safe and happy.

Lunch play runs from 12.40 - 1.20 each day. Being on the parent playground roster is a wonderful opportunity to observe the dynamics of your own and other children playing in the playground, as well as being involved in the school community.

If you are interested, please contact Katie with the following information:
  • Your full name
  • Contact number
  • The names of your child/ren
  • Day/s of the week available
katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

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.

Children’s Day - a plant for every family to collect this coming Monday...

Children’s day was donated 2700 plants from Trees for Canterbury to give away to children at the event to plant at home following the event. Unfortunately due to the change in alert levels Children’s Day has been cancelled and changed to be an online event only. (See the community section for details)  As a  result, we have been given enough native plants to give one to every family within our school community.



These will be placed outside the hall on Monday after school for caregivers to collect. If we remain at alert level 2 children will be able to collect one plant per family to take home.

Community Notices

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

Cashmere Club would love to get some more players for their Future Ferns competition.
We are looking for players from Year 3-6 to join our family-friendly club, everyone welcome.
Email us at cashmerenetball@hotmail.com, or visit our website www.sporty.co.nz/cashmerenc


Mega Mates Social Skills Holiday Programme is coming to Christchurch!

We are excited to be running this great programme finally in Christchurch - we have had wonderful feedback from the previous Mega Mates run in Otago and Southland!
This programme is run by our great Christchurch based Speech Language Therapist - Ellie Bloxham 
She will be working on real social skill development in a small, fun group.

Don't miss out - numbers are strictly limited and there is an early bird booking special 
We are focusing on 5 to 7 year old's for this programme.
The course runs over 3 mornings - 3 mornings  28th, 29th & 30 April 2021

Beckenham, Somerfield, Spreydon and Waltham

We’ve already looked at the condition of roads and footpaths in your area and have picked up some things like potholes, damaged kerbs and areas where water is pooling. We’ve also completed safety assessments. To get the full picture, we’re keen to hear further information from local people about roads that may need things like safer crossings, slower speeds, or improved lighting.

Let us know what will make a difference in your neighborhood.
We’re seeking community input until 12 March 2021.

Make a comment on our map of your local neighborhood.
Email us at waybetter@ccc.govt.nz.
Or, submit your comments at have your say.

Kauri Bus Update

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Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

Our Kauri camp busses are running behind schedule. The children will be back at school by 3:15 with busses arriving on Eastern Tce.

Ngā mihi

Reihana Dougherty

Kauri Whanau – update

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Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

We just want to let you know that we have contacted Wainui to check how our Kauri whānau are this morning.  Everyone is together at the camp, on high ground, and involved in packing up activities. The children will be back at school by 3:00.  If there are any changes in arrival time school will contact you to let you know.  

Kindest regards
Sue Leadbetter

School at COVID Alert Level 2 – Quick update, Sunday 28 February, 2021

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Kia ora e te whānau

As you will all be well aware by now, and to quote Dr Siouxsie Wiles, we've hit 'another loop-de-loop on the COVID rollercoaster' and we are now operating again at Alert Level 2.

At Alert Level 2, school remains fully open for teaching and learning.

I'm conscious that we may have some new families who have started in the past couple of weeks so I'm re-sending the information from last time with ONE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE - the end of day finish times:
NE (Koru) AND Y1/2 (Kahikatea) children will finish at 2:45pm. This will allow for them to be collected and move away from the front gate area before the rest of the school is released. If you have children in both the junior and Y3-6 parts of the school, the junior teachers will hold your child in the hub until 3pm and bring them out then.

Year 3-6 (Kōwhai and Pōhutukawa) children will finish at 3pm as usual.

Year 7/8 children and staff are going to Wainui on camp tomorrow morning, albeit with additional contingencies built in for their health and safety.

1. Schools are open to everyone, and all children must attend.

At Alert Level 2 the disease is contained but there is still risk of community transmission. It is safe for children and staff to attend school as there will be appropriate measures in place, including for children and staff vulnerable to severe illness.


2. Learning will be onsite with distance learning offered in some circumstances.

Distance learning will be provided for those required to self-isolate, those individuals who health authorities have asked to stay away while waiting for a test result, or those choosing to remain at home because they are vulnerable to illness.
If you believe that your child fits the above criteria, please let the office know and we will contact you regarding home learning options.

3. Schools are not classified as gatherings and a range of events and activities can go ahead.

For most day to day activities at schools, the rules for gatherings do not apply. Under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Order, schools are exempted from physical distancing requirements when people are there to receive, provide, or support education services.
However as soon as an event or activity brings people onsite who are not there for education purposes, including students, parents and caregivers, then the rules for gatherings do apply. This includes performances such as school plays, cultural events and sporting activities.
This means that we will return to our protocol of parents dropping and collecting children from the gate rather than coming onto the school site. 

We will have staff at the main gate, and at the Park entrance to school so that you can hand children over to them, rather than coming onto the school site. Please remember that social distancing is important at Alert Level 2. This is particularly important at pick-up time in the afternoon so please try not to congregate in groups at the gate. If your child is able to travel independently, please encourage them to do so. If you can wait for them on the other side of the crossing, and spread out a little, that helps too. 


4. Schools will close for cleaning and contact tracing if there is a confirmed case who was infectious when at school.

The Director of Education will work closely with us and health authorities should this occur.

5. Face coverings are not required at school or on any school transport.

This includes charter buses hired by the school to transport students and staff. Anyone who chooses to wear a face covering at school will be supported to do so.

6. Sick people must stay at home.

They should seek medical advice if they have COVID-like symptoms and get tested if advised to do so. If that person displays relevant symptoms of COVID-19, tests positive for COVID-19, or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they must self-isolate.

7. We have a contact tracing system in place.

If you have to come onto the school site, please ensure you sign in at the office as usual, AS WELL AS using your COVID app if you have one

8. Fundamental public health measures continue to apply at every alert level:

  • Physical distancing (not touching and not breathing on each other at Alert Level 2)
  • Hand hygiene
  • Cough and sneeze etiquette
  • Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces.

Note that our drinking fountains will be unavailable at Alert Level 2, so every child does need to have a named water bottle at school every day.

Stay in Touch

If you need to contact your child's teacher - email is the best option at Alert Level 2. You can find all of the teacher and admin email addresses HERE
If you need to contact Jacky in the office - email office@beckenham.school.nz or phone 337 1404
To contact Rachel in accounts, contact accounts@beckenham.school.nz or phone 337 1404

We will continue to keep updating you as more information comes to hand.

We've got this!

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the Team!