Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 4th September 2020

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Another busy week has gone by and we are already past the half-way mark of this term, with four weeks remaining until the school holidays.

Whilst we are responding to the ever-changing COVID situation, you will have noticed that we have returned to weekly newsletters, to keep you up-to-date as much as possible.

As we continue at Alert Level 2, we are aware that the use of masks in the community is increasing and, like in Auckland, may become more of an expectation for adults as the COVID-19 situation continues. 
Below is a link to a story for children about wearing masks that you may find useful to share with your children, if they are asking questions about why adults are wearing masks. Whilst we have no indiciation that there will be an expectation for children to wear masks, they are certainly already seeing adults wearing them.

The Task of the Mask


Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Thu 10th Sep - BOT Meeting - Staffroom 5:30pm, All welcome
Wed 23rd Sep - PTA Meeting 7:30pm All Welcome
Fri 25th Sep - Last day of term 3.  School finishes at 3pm
Mon 12 Oct - Staff Only Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tue 13 Oct - Term 4 begins

Citizen of the Week

Matilda Barr - Year 4

Matilda, you are a pleasure to have in the Kōwhai hub. You are a motivated learner and always try your best at everything that you do. Your calm and quiet confidence makes you a fantastic role model to your peers. You consistently demonstrate our school values, showing a positive and caring attitude and are a great friend to others. Tino pai! 

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.

Dental Care during the School Holidays                                           

The Community Dental Service will be providing dental care for children enrolled with our service during the upcoming school holidays.  The clinics will offer treatment and relief of pain sessions by appointment only.   To make an appointment please call/email our Contact Centre which operates between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday throughout the holidays.
The following Dental Clinics will be open during these school holidays: 

·       Aranui Clinic, 240 Breezes Road, Aranui,

·       Lincoln Clinic, 35 James Street, Lincoln,

·       Rangiora Clinic, 163 Ashley Street, Rangiora,

·       Timaru Clinic, Level 1, 18 Woollcombe Street, Timaru

The clinics will offer appointments between 8.15am and 4.45pm for school-age and preschool children requiring treatment.  If your child has dental pain because of an accident, please contact your dentist in the first instance.
To book an appointment at one of our clinics please: call 0800 846 983
Or email commdental@cdhb.health.nz

Springtime at the Ponds...

Being spring, there are ducks and other birds nesting around the ponds. Please keep dogs on a lead in the ponds area, and encourage children to be mindful of the nesting birds as they are easily frightened at this time.


Student Council

A huge 'Thank you!' to everyone who participated and contributed to our 'Wacky Wig and Hair Day' today, in support of the Child Cancer Foundation.



We were really thrilled to have raised $660.90 to give to the Child Cancer Foundation.



Thanks also to the children who ran a 'Mighty Alex' bakesale in the weekend, and raised another $122.50!

We Get There Together!

BOT Update

Casual Vacancy for an elected trustee

A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative.

The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection.

If ten percent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to:

Chairperson
Board of Trustees
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
71 Sandwich Road
Beckenham
Christchurch 8023

or email: office@beckenham.school.nz by: 12noon, 17 September 2020.

Community Notices

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

Crater Rim Ultra: 18th October 2020 

Based from St Martin's Hansen Park, with a range of trail running distances from 10 km to 50 km, this exciting community led event also hosts the Athletics New Zealand Trail Running Championships. 
We’re thrilled to confirm the children's race will continue in 2020. It is a short blast around the Park for all ages.  Entries and info from:




Landsdowne Terrace Playcentre 

Landsdowne Terrace Playcentre (8 Landsdowne Tce, Cashmere) are having a Monster Garage Sale! Saturday 19 September from 9am till 12pm. There will be something for the whole family; clothing, toys, books, white elephant, bake sale, bouncy castle, sausage sizzle and a coffee cart. Please come along and support your local Playcentre

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Monday 31 August 2020

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Whānau Hui this Wednesday - postponed again!

Unfortunately, due to us still being at Alert Level 2, we have had to again postpone the Whānau Hui that was planned for this Wednesday evening. We will advise of a new date once we have further clarity around the changing alert levels.

Face Masks and School

You will be aware that face coverings are now on public transport at Alert Level 2. This does not apply to any child who is under 12 years of age and does not apply to school bus transport.

Public Health officials have advised that children under the age of 6 should not wear face coverings. Children and young people do not need to wear face coverings at school. Other public health control measures are in place including children and staff staying home if they are sick, contact tracing, and hygiene requirements. If you want your child to wear a mask, that is fine too and we will support that.

Face coverings are another way we can help keep ourselves and others safe, along with our ongoing school procedures of good hand hygiene (hand washing or sanitiser), cough and sneeze etiquette, appropriate physical distancing, and staying home if we are sick.

We’re continuing contact tracing by having QR code posters at our entrances, so please check in every time you come onsite. If you haven’t already downloaded the NZ COVID Tracer app the Ministry of Health’s website has information to help you do that. We also have a requirement for adults coming on site to sign in on our school app in the office or paper contact tracing sheets at Alert Level 2. 

Thank you for your assistance with this. This will help us with contact tracing in the unlikely case it is needed.

If you have any questions about face coverings or anything else, please get in touch.

Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Mathematics in Action...

This is a great example of an OPEN-ENDED mathematics task being undertaken in the Kōwhai Team recently:

Arrays

What do we know about arrays?
  • Are there any arrays in our school community that we can find and share?
  • Take photos of at least 5 arrays
  • Write the two matching number equations that go with this
  • Be ready to present one of your findings to the class
  • Defend how you know it is an array
  • EXTRA THOUGHT: Are there different arrays for the same number?
  • EXTRA THOUGHT: Is it easier to find the total using repeated addition or arrays?
Arrays in the school environment

Important Dates

Wed 2 Sep - Whānau Rōpū Hui  5:30 - 7pm POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Fri 4 Sep - Wacky Wig and Hair Day - gold coin donation please
Thu 10 Sep - BOT Meeting - Staffroom 5:30pm, All welcome

Click here to view 2020 and 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Matilda Barr - Year 4

Matilda, you are a pleasure to have in the Kōwhai hub. You are a motivated learner and always try your best at everything that you do. Your calm and quiet confidence makes you a fantastic role model to your peers. You consistently demonstrate our school values, showing a positive and caring attitude and are a great friend to others. Tino pai! 

PTA News



A very very BIG thank you from your PTA for all of your INCREDIBLE SUPPORT of our children as they took part in this years Read-a-thon. We were all blown away by the enthusiasm from all the children and families and just how much money was raised.
Soooooooo… Hats off to EACH and EVERY one of you. To date an incredible

$7079.50

was raised which we will be able to pass onto Sandy and her team!!!
It is not to late to still bring in any final money - please hand it into Jacky in the office.


Readathon joy!

BOT Update

Casual Vacancy for an elected trustee

A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative.

The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection.

If ten per cent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to:

Chairperson
Board of Trustees
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
71 Sandwich Road
Beckenham
Christchurch 8023

or email: office@beckenham.school.nz

Community Notices

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

Canterbury Schools Orienteering Festival 

Are you interested in taking part in the Canterbury Schools Orienteering Festival taking part on the weekend of 12/13 of September ? The competition is open to all school children. You can compete individually or in pairs or teams. Courses to suit all range of abilities. Beginners welcome.  Contact Sarah Wright on tandswright@xtra.co.nz for more information.
More details on the competition can be found on the website http://papo.org.nz/

QE11 Swim Club

Are you a swimmer? Do you want to take your swimming to the next level and take part in competitions? Do you want to join an awesome Club and learn from a team of outstanding coaches?
QEII Swim Club is based at the Taiora QEII Aquatic Centre and we are taking registrations for our swim squads for term 4. If you can swim 50m confidently (any stroke) our coaching team would love to help you become a stronger more confident swimmer.
If you are interested in enrolling in the programme please phone  Jeanette at 022 476 7626 or email qeiiswimclub@gmail.com  to arrange a trial. 












Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter August 21st 2020

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Consultation on our next steps...

Thank you so much to the whānau who attended one of our two 'Community Conversation' sessions this week, to input your ideas and contribute to our way forward. 
If you did not get the chance to attend, there are still two opportunities to share your ideas.
One is by responding to this survey where you will find the questions we discussed at the conversations meetings.
The other is to come along to the Whānau Rōpū Hui, now rescheduled for  Wednesday 2nd September from 5:30pm - 7pm.
We have also sent an email today to caregivers of our 2019 Year 8 students, inviting them to come and give feedback on Thursday 27th August from 3:45pm. 

New Learning Spaces to be built

The Ministry of Education has advised us that we have qualified for two new learning spaces, to replace the Hangere block, that runs adjacent to the Treemendous area and parallel to Eastern Terrace. In this instance, the particular building design has been pre-determined by the Ministry, and we will work with them to ensure that the interior fit-out meets our teaching and learning needs. We have been advised that the demolition of the current block is likely to begin after this school year finishes, with completion ready for the start of Term 2 2021.

Staff Only Days - Monday 31 August & Monday 12 October

Please ensure that you add these dates to your calendar. We have received feedback from some whānau that the first day of term is not their preference for Staff Only Days and we will take this into consideration when planning these dates next year.

Ngā mihi nui 
Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Sat 22 Aug - Quiz Night - Hall
Wed 26 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30pm - All welcome.
Thu 27 Aug - Past Y9 students afternoon tea and consultation 3:45pm 
Fri 28 Aug - Kauri Ski Trip BUS DEPARTS 6am
Mon 31 Aug - Staff only day.  SCHOOL CLOSED                                                                        
Wed 2 Sep - Whānau Rōpū Hui  5:30 - 7pm
Fri 4 Sep - Wacky Wig and Hair Day - gold coin donation please
Thu 10 Sep - BOT Meeting - Staffroom 5:30pm, All welcome

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Jain Cooper - Year 8

Jain, you are a stunning member of our team. You show a love of learning by putting a focused effort into your learning tasks. Jain, you are so reliable in the way you carry out leadership responsibilities. You demonstrate grit and teamwork on the sports field and you make us laugh every day with your dry sense of humour. 

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.

Better Beckenham Project

Over the next six months, our students from our kura will be involved in a special project - the Better Beckenham Project. The project is part of the NZTA (New Zealand Transport Association) Innovating Streets Fund.  It is designed to help communities retrofit streets to reduce vehicle speeds and create more space for people.  This could be anything from pop-up community-led street events to pilot a new walking or cycling facility, to a low-traffic neighbourhood to re-allocating more street space for people to connect with each other.  One part of the project will be designing and making benches to be placed around the river for people to sit on and enjoy the surroundings. 

This Sunday 23 August, from 10:00, at the St Saviours building at 200 Colombo Street, a group from the Cashmere New Life Church is going to deconstruct some palettes and start to prep the wood for these park benches. Anyone is welcome to join in the fun! There will also be a working bee on this project in 2 weeks time - we will keep you posted.

A new Student???


Who is this who has arrived at Beckenham? Ask your child if they know anything about him/her... Watch this space for more news

Student Council Event

The student council are excited to announce that Wacky Hair Day will be happening on Friday, 4th September, in support of the Child Cancer Foundation.


Dress up your head with your favourite hat, wacky hairdo, or wig, and bring along a gold coin in support of the Child Cancer Foundation.

Board of Trustees Update

Casual Vacancy for an elected trustee

A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative.
The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection.
If ten percent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.
Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to:

Chairperson
Board of Trustees
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
71 Sandwich Road
Beckenham
Christchurch 8023

by: 12noon, 17 September 2020.

Sports News

Canterbury Schools Orienteering Festival 

Are you interested in taking part in the Canterbury Schools Orienteering Festival taking part on the weekend of 12/13 of September. The competition is open to all school children. You can compete individually or in pairs or teams. Courses to suit all range of abilities. Beginners welcome.  Contact Sarah Wright on tandswright@xtra.co.nz for more information.
More details on the competition can be found on the website http://papo.org.nz/

Community Notices

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





Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 14 August 2020

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

What a fabulous end to our Readathon and Book Week we are having today with Book Character Day! It is so lovely to see the children and staff getting into the fun of the day. I haven't managed to capture photos today other than this one... I know teachers will be putting some into their next blogs!


Today marked the end of the Readathon. The PTA will be at the flagpole every morning next week, collecting the readathon cards and money, and giving out bookmarks. Please remember to return the cards and money raised as soon as you can.

COVID Announcement at 5:30pm today

We are all waiting for the announcement by the Prime Minister today at 5:30pm for a clearer picture of what next week might look for us. In the event that we move to Level 3, we would ask that you keep a close eye on your emails and our Facebook page for further information about our plan.

IF we move to Level 3, we will be communicating with you this evening about:
  • making our Learning @ Home site available again for home learning
  • arranging for students to borrow Chromebooks again, if needed
  • setting up '@School Bubbles' for children of essential workers
In preparation, we have asked teachers to ensure that children who already have BYOD or assistive technology devices bring these home today, along with chargers. All children are being asked to bring home at least one exercise book, and writing tools/pencil case, and library books.

Whilst we all hope that this isn't what next week will look like, we have done this before and our systems and procedures are ready to meet this possibility.

Community Conversation options next week

Whilst we plan for the worst, we hope for the best... Next week we have three opportunities for you to come along to school and be part of a conversation around our future focus.

Tuesday 18th August    5:30pm - 7:00pm       Whānau Rōpū Hui - children welcome

Tuesday 18th August    7:15pm - 8:30pm        Community Forum

Friday 21st August        9:00am - 10:15am    Community Forum

We hope that each family is able to be represented at one of these events.

Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Tue 18 Aug - Whānau Rōpū Hui 5:30pm - 7:00 pm - Staffroom
Tue 18 Aug - Community Forum - 7:15pm - 8:30pm
Fri 21 Aug - Community Forum - 9:00am - 10:15am; Staffroom
Sat 22 Aug - Quiz Night - Hall
Wed 26 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30pm - All welcome.
Fri 28 Aug - Kauri Ski Trip

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 and 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Iris Beumelberg - Year 6

Iris, you are such a valued member of our Pōhutukawa Team.  You are a quiet achiever who works hard, leads by example and supports others to succeed in their learning.  You choose kindness every time, and are thoughtful and respectful.  Thank you for being yourself and living our school values every day.

School Notices

Board of Trustees - Notice of Casual Vacancy

The Board of Trustees has accepted the resignation of Carmel Wade as a Parent Trustee. The Board wishes to publicly thank Carmel for her support of our school and Board and wish her and her family all the very best with their permanent relocation to Auckland.

Casual Vacancy for an elected trustee
A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative.

The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection.

If ten percent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to:

Chairperson
Board of Trustees
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
71 Sandwich Road
BeckenhamChristchurch 8023

or email: office@beckenham.school.nz by 12noon, 17 September 2020.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Thomas Lyall who has been awarded a leadership scholarship for Cashmere High School.  These scholarships are highly sought after and this is a significant acknowledgement of the leadership Thomas has given to our school, and the recognition of his potential. Well done Thomas!


Otis Yeoman has had the honour of his artwork being published in Toitoi, a journal which features articles and artwork from young writers and artists. 
Toitoi celebrates the ideas, imaginations and creative spirit of our young writers and artist and reflects the cultures and experiences of life in New Zealand.
Congratulations Otis! (Story and illustration below)

Caught a Baby Pig!

Dad and his friend went for hunt out the back of our farm and chased a pig for a bit.  After catching it, they made their way back from the bush to the truck and saw another mob of pigs.  The pigs ran away but one baby pig was too slow.  Dad couldn't catch it so one of our dogs, Mungo, grabbed it.  She was about to rip the bay pig into little bits when Dad took it from her.
Dad took the baby pig home and we fed her some milk from a little lamb bottle.  We kept her in a bucket with blankies and I go up at one o'clock in the morning to feed her.   I did that for several days.  Once we knew she was going to survive, I named her Bacon.

Words by Ryan Campbell, age 12
Pictures by Otis Yeoman, age 11, Beckenham

 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.

Student Council News

Wacky Wig and Hair Day - Friday 4th September

Raising funds for the Child Cancer Foundation. 
Glam up your hair and bring a gold coin to donate to the Child Cancer Foundation.


Sports News

Last week Jenny and Sandy received the following email from the Head of Sport at Hillview Christian School, which we felt was most worthy of sharing. Congratulations to all of our great sportspeople who model our school values in their games.

Hi Jenny and Sandy
I just had to write a note to compliment your wonderful tamariki from Beckenham at sport yesterday at Beckenham Park. In the game that I was part of the Beckenham Year 7/8 B Hockey team were outstanding in their behaviour and we were blown away at the end of the game when they came over and talked to us and suggested a Player of the Day from our team. I also had a report that the Year 5/6A Beckenham Hockey team were outstanding in their Fair Play and encouragement. Please pass on our thanks to those teams. We really appreciate the opportunity to play sport locally and Jenny and the Beckenham team do a great job in setting up the fields and making us feel welcome.
Thanks
Paul

Community Notices

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


Subsidies for neighbourhood events held between 23 October 2020 and 31 March 2021.
'Summer with your neighbours' is about bringing people together. It's an opportunity to organise a small get-together or local gathering to get to know your neighbours.
The Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board is making small subsidies available towards neighbourhood gatherings in its Board area.
Apply online at: ccc.govt.nz/GetTogether
Or request a hard-copy application form by phoning CCC Call Centre 941 8999.
Applications for subsidies close on 6th September 2020


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 14 August 5-6pm (Colour)
Friday 11 September 5-6pm (Bees)
Friday 9 October 5-6pm (Life in the past)
Age: This is aimed at 5-12 year olds and their family members of any age.
Cost: Free, no bookings required





COVID-19 Alert Level 2 update Tuesday 11 August 2020

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Kia ora e te whānau


Following the Prime Minister's announcement late this evening about the confirmed cases of community transmission of COVID-19 in NZ, we are required to move to Alert Level 2 tomorrow (Wednesday 12th August) and remain at that alert level for the rest of this week.

I have spoken with Ester, our Board Chair this evening and we have synthesised the available information from the various communications from Health, Education and the Prime Minister's messaging.

What this will mean for you and your children tomorrow, and for the rest of this week is:

  • School is open and functioning (pretty much) as normal!
  • The MOE website (updated tonight) states: 
    • It is safe for all children and students to be onsite (some children vulnerable to illness may choose to remain at home).
    • Anyone self-isolating, waiting for a test result or who is ill, must remain at home.
  • Our handwashing, sanitising and surface cleaning routines will be stepped back up to the gold standard again immediately
  • Unless it is an emergency, we are asking everyone who are not staff, itinerant teachers or students to stay off site - this means a return to dropping off and picking up at the gate. We will have teachers at the gates to support children to transition into school.
  • If you do have to come on site for any reason, please visit the office FIRST and sign in using either our digital sign-in register or the paper register. Please ALSO use the national COVID Tracer App to register by scanning a QR code on one of our entry doors.
  • If your child is unwell, please keep them at home.
  • Assembly will be cancelled, however BOOK CHARACTER DAY on Friday will still go ahead.
  • If you have a meeting booked with a member of staff, they will be in contact with you to either reschedule this, or book it via a ZOOM.
  • As we did at Alert Level 2 last time, the CSM Outreach music lessons and band programme will continue at school, with distancing as required.
As always, please keep sick children at home, AND remember to let the office know you are doing this. (We purchased a new cellphone this week for our text messaging so the issues that we have had around receiving text messages from parents last week should now be resolved.)
The school cellphone number is 021 027 94107 or you can email office@beckenham.school.nz

At this stage, there has been no public health message suggesting that we should adopt the wearing of masks. We are aware that New Zealanders have been asked to prepare for this possibility over the past week. We are expecting that this may become a public health recommendation going forward and encourage you to prepare your family for this possibility. 

If you have any questions or worries, please contact us by phone or email and we will respond as quickly as we can.

We've got this!

Sandy and the team