Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 6 September 2024, Week 7

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Staff Only Day Professional Development

On our most recent staff only day, our kaimahi (staff) came together to take part in a Professional Development workshop on the topic of Restorative Practice, which was presented by Rich Matla. It was a highly engaging and incredibly informative day. Restorative Practice is a strong part of our school culture and Positive Behaviour for Learning. Staff explored how to support children by working with them when unpacking boundaries, and routines and exploring incidents. This also included how to work with those ready and able to engage and those who may take a little longer or who have a skill set to build. Keep an eye on team blogs for some tips for home.

Staffing Update

Nau mai haere mai ki te Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto kaimahi. Welcome to our two new Teaching Assistants, Maisy and Lucy. Maisy will be working mainly with the tamariki in Koru, and Lucy will be working in Kahikatea, Kōwhai, as well as gardening club and ESOL. 
Maisy 

Lucy 

We also welcome Chloe to an administration role. Chloe will be supporting the admin team until the end of the year.

Chloe

Maths and Literacy Curriculum

You will have seen in the media that the focus for Curriculum Refresh for 2026 is English and now includes Mathematics. As a kura we have strongly focused on how we teach English and Maths over the past 3 years. We know we are in a strong place with the upcoming changes, and there will need to be time for staff to familiarise themselves with Te Mātaiaho The New Zealand Curriculum. The Ministry of Education has asked schools to take a Staff Only Day in Term 4, the focus being on these curriculum areas. Our day will be Monday 18 November.

2025 Enrolments - do you have a 4 year old!

We welcome enrolment forms for any New Entrant students who may start with us in 2025. It is never too early to pre-enrol your child, and having this data early will help us in the coming months when we begin to organise teaching staff for the following year.

If you know of any in our area, please encourage them to enrol.

Enrolment forms can be collected from the Office or can be found online here.

School events

It has been a busy couple of weeks at school! Further down you will see photos and write ups. Well done to all the tamariki involved and to our whānau for your support.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Thu 12 Sep - Pō Whakangahau - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi (4:30-6:30PM, Cashmere High School)
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Tue 24 Sep - Koru Games (Senior Students)
Wed 25 Sep - Koru Games (Senior Students) 
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - Koru Games
Thu 26 Sep - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Beckenham's Got Talent!
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am
Fri 18 Oct - Welcome Assembly, 9.15-9.30, in the Hall
Fri 18 Oct - Picnic in the Park (Possible Date), 5-7.30PM 
Wed 23 Oct - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 23 Oct - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Thu 24 Oct - School Athletics TBC
Mon 28 Oct - Labour Day (kura/school closed)
Fri 15 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day (kura/school closed)
Mon 18 Nov - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 27 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Wed 11 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.45-10.30am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Alex Mussell - Year 8

Alex, you bring fun, insight and inclusivity to our Kauri whānau. You are a deep thinker and motivated learner, who is naturally curious about our world. Your quick thinking coupled with your dry sense of humour is appreciated by many. Alex, you are in your element in a team environment whether that's problem solving in a group or playing sport. Thank you for the way you show our kete values every day at kura.  

Simon McKean - Year 4

Simon, you are an excellent role model in our hub and someone who makes a positive difference on a daily basis. The Kōwhai team appreciates your kindness, enthusiasm for learning as well as your willingness to help out whenever you see a need. Tēnā rawa atu koe, Simon!

School Notices

Kiingi Tūheitia Tangihanga

The Māori King passed away last week, and as a show of respect we raised the Tino Rangatiratanga flag at half mast. Our ākonga Māori shared with us that it is important to them for all kids to know about this, as it shows respect to Māori, and the Kīngitanga. We love this advocacy from our tamariki, and we got to hold space with them while the flag was raised, and a karakia was said. At the end of the day as the flag came down, waiata and haka took place, with all ages and abilities joining in and sharing this space together.

This was such a great display of leadership and respect from our tamariki.

Updating Student/Whānau Contact Details

It is important that we have the correct contact details for people who are listed as caregivers for all of our students.  If you have moved house, changed your phone numbers or have different people who you would like to have as emergency contacts, please get in touch with the office and update us with the new details.
Obviously if other details concerning your child have changed, e.g. medical issues, then we would also appreciate knowing about these. 

Hats, Sunscreen & Drink Bottles

Term 4 is incoming and this is a reminder that in Term 4 all children need to come to school each day with a school hat and their (named) drink bottle, it is also recommended that children come to school with sunscreen applied. We welcome children to begin bringing their hats now!

Water Play

We are looking for donations of old water play equipment for some of our tamariki to use during the warmer months. If you are willing to donate anything such as a hose, watering can, old guttering, etc we would gratefully accept! If you do have something to donate please give it to the office. Thank you for your ongoing support! 

Coffee Van!

We are very fortunate to now have a coffee van at school on Mondays from 8am to 9am.
To help care for the environment please consider bringing a keep cup to use.

Please see the price list below.

Lunch Orders

Lunches are delivered to the school office for children to collect at 1.20pm

Monday – Sushi Factory is available through LunchOnline.
Tuesday – Subway is available through LunchOnline
Wednesday – Subway is available through LunchOnline.
Thursday – Sushi Meets Dumplings is available.
Friday – Sushi Factory is available through LunchOnline.

Lunchonline (Subway/Sushi Factory)
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto uses Subway and Sushi Factory through the Lunchonline web based ordering system. To open an account please go to the Lunchonline website to get started.
Lunchonline orders need to be placed by 8:30am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Sushi Meets Dumplings
Sushi Meets Dumplings will deliver on Thursdays.
To place an order, please complete this form – Sushi meets Dumplings order form.
Orders for Sushi Meets Dumplings need to be placed before by 9am on Thursdays.

Maths Whānau Evening

Thank you so much to all the families who attended our recent Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto maths evening. It was wonderful to see so many people together sharing ideas about maths!
These are Rob's slides from the evening. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child's Homegroup teacher, or alternatively, you can email them to krystal.hunt@beckenham.school.nz

Kauri Ski Trip

What an amazing day! The sky was blue, not an ounce of wind in sight and 16cm of fresh snow!
The Year 7 & 8 kids were wonderful and had a blast. 

BandQuest

We had wonderful news from the school band The Groovy Geese who came second place on their performance night at Bandquest 2025!

Alex, Art, Alfie, Mark and Robbie received huge applause for their two songs “For What it’s Worth” and “Little Lion Man” and we were so proud of their hard work and efforts which were rewarded on the night. They have won a $300 Rockshop voucher for the school. 

The judges commented on their musicality, stage presence and how tightly they performed. Well done and huge thanks to everyone who helped. 


Rockshop Bandquest is Aotearoa’s live music event for Primary and Intermediate aged school students. In its fourteenth year, the programme annually hosts hundreds of young bands in venues throughout the country.
‍
The kaupapa is to encourage Primary and Intermediate aged musicians onto the stage; learning through experience and developing their performance skills alongside their teamwork, communication, goal-setting and leadership skills.

Entrants get to perform in a supportive and encouraging competition format, with a focus on education, inspiration, and entertainment.

Sports News

Winter Sport

Over the past 11 school weeks, children from Years 5 to 8 have participated in winter sport. Fourteen teams competed against local schools in football, netball and hockey. The children have shown fantastic dedication to their team throughout this season and it has been awesome to hear about the leadership and sportsmanship shown by tamariki (children), at their games. My highlight was hearing the positive talk and encouragement that was a continuous narrative of our Year 7/8 football games. 

A huge thank you goes out to the adult coaches who volunteered their time to support this sporting opportunity. Helping us with winter sports is a huge time commitment and we are extremely grateful for your time and expertise.  Nga mihi nui mo to mahi! 

Back at kura (school), children developed skills in badminton, table tennis, Korff ball and theatre sports.

If your child has a sports top, shin guards or football boots that have been borrowed from school, please return these as soon as possible. We have upcoming sports events and will need to reallocate uniforms. If your child has a black polo or basketball singlet and is competing in Koru Games or Canterbury Duathlon, they may keep their sports top. 

PTA News

Thank you all for getting behind our Cookie Time fundraiser! We raised a fantastic $2,800 which makes a significant contribution to the new school gazebo. The gazebo, complete with Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto graphics, has been ordered and should be easy to spot at upcoming events. 

We hope you’re all enjoying the cookies! We have a few bags left so if you would like to buy another bag contact pta@beckenham.school.nz

Speaking of events, registration opens for the Weetbix Tryathlon next week. We’d love to get a prize winning big group together this time around! Look out for a Hero post next week. 

BOT Update

Policy Review Term 3

We would welcome your feedback on our policy topics, and subtopics, that are up for review this term. These topics can be found at the link below. Please follow these intstructions below to submit your feedback.
  1. Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
  2. Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
  3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
  4. Read the policy.
  5. Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
  6. Select the reviewer type.
  7. Enter your name (optional).
  8. Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
  9. Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
This review closes on the 27th of September 2024.

Principal Appointment Ongoing

The Board of Trustees would like to remind you that the Principal position is currently being advertised and we expect to hold interviews later in October.

Measles Immunity - Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand

Importance of being immune to measles
Aotearoa New Zealand is at a very high risk of a measles outbreak. Measles cases are rising worldwide, increasing the risk of an infected person bringing measles into the country. This is happening while a decline in local childhood immunisation rates is being recorded.

Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease. It makes most people very sick and can cause severe complications, including damage to the lungs (pneumonia), brain swelling (encephalitis), and sometimes death.  Measles also affects your immune system, so if you get measles you are more likely to get other infectious illnesses for months or years afterwards. 

Across Aotearoa, people’s immunity to measles is currently too low to prevent outbreaks from happening.

Checking if you are immune to measles
It is important to find records to confirm if you are immune to measles and not rely on your own or anyone else’s memory.

This is because many viral illnesses can cause symptoms like measles, particularly in tamariki (children). In the past, people may have mistakenly been told they had measles when they had another illness instead.

It is also common for people to be told they received vaccines as a child, but without written records, no one can be sure what vaccines they received and when they received them.

In Aotearoa, the timing of when measles vaccines have been given to a person has changed a lot over the years. This means many people are not aware that they missed out on getting one or both of their measles vaccines. This is particularly likely for people born in Aotearoa between 1969 and 1980.

Measles immunity by year of birth (as at end of 2023) — Regional Public Health(external link)

To find out if you are immune to measles, you can check your relevant immunisation records or test results. Proof of this information is needed for a healthcare professional to confirm if you are immune.

Community Notices

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

AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT!

Ahoy there me hearties! Luminaires is seeking singers, dancers and actors for their next major show, “Pirates of the Curry Bean”

For ages 8-25. No experience necessary.

For more information and to register go to: https://forms.gle/PaGDwAc7gNDMP49P7

If you have any questions or would prefer to be involved behind the scenes then find us on social media or email us luminairescharitabletrust@gmail.com

Brain Play has arrived in Christchurch! We teach all things science & technology to Kiwi kids - coding, robotics, science experiments, Minecraft & more. Join a free drop in session of our after-school coding classes - group sessions for ages 7 - 12. Or send us an email to hear more about our 1:1 sessions - these are a great match for students who are looking for extension, a new hobby and to build confidence and skills, and/or for students with high and complex needs. Visit brainplay.co.nz to read more, or email us on referrals@brainplay.co.nz.

French Classes for Children - Beginners

Give your child the opportunity to start learning French!

Alliance Française Christchurch is offering a beginners' class for children in Term 4. These fun and interactive classes are perfect for children who want to explore a new language and culture.

When? Thursdays, starting October 17th
Time? 4 PM - 5 PM
Where? Alliance Française Christchurch, 275 Cashel Street
Cost? $150 per term

For more information or to enrol, visit https://www.afchristchurch.org.nz/learn-french/children/crocos/?course_id=1691. All welcome!

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 23 August 2024, Week 5

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou,

You may have seen in the media that schools are currently finding it challenging to get relievers to cover classes. With the sickness that often comes at this time of year, both students and staff, we have had days where we have had to do some 'juggling' to ensure coverage of staff. The students were amazing when we had to do this, as it meant some changes to what they expected that day. Thank you also for your support.

2025 Enrolments - do you have a 4 year old!

We welcome enrolment forms for any New Entrant students who may start with us in 2025. It is never too early to pre-enrol your child, and having this data early will help us in the coming months when we begin to organise teaching staff for the following year.

If you know of any in our area, please encourage them to enrol.

Enrolment forms can be collected from the Office or can be found online here.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

Important Dates

Reminder: It is a Staff Only Day this Monday the 26th of August. School is closed to students.

Upcoming Events

Mon 26 Aug - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Cookie Time Fundraiser Collection in the Hall (2.45-3.15pm & 6.00-6.30pm)
Wed 28 Aug - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 30 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Wed 4 Sep - Kauri Ski Trip TBC
Tue 10 Sep - School Duathlon (12.15-3.00pm)
Thu 12 Sep - Pō Whakangahau - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi (4:30-6:30PM, Cashmere High School)
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Tue 24 Sep - Koru Games (Senior Students)
Wed 25 Sep - Koru Games (Senior Students) 
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - Koru Games
Thu 26 Sep - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am
Fri 18 Oct - Welcome Assembly, 9.15-9.30, in the Hall
Wed 23 Oct - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 24 Oct - School Athletics TBC
Thu 24 Oct - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Mon 28 Oct - Labour Day (kura/school closed)
Fri 15 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day (kura/school closed)
Mon 18 Nov - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 27 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 12 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 13 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9.45-10.30am, in the Hall
Mon 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation
Tue 17 Dec - Last day of Term 4, School finishes 12.30PM

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Alex Mackintosh - Year 8 

Alex you are an excellent role model in our hub. You have grown as a leader and learner within our kura. You are compassionate and thoughtful with a quick wit to boot. Alex, you always step up and make the most of every opportunity. When it comes to learning, you work on improving by responding to feedback and giving your best effort. Thank you for all that you bring to our Kauri whānau.

Constantin Colville - Year 6 

Constantin, you are an excellent example of someone who tackles challenges head-on and approaches all that you do with a positive attitude. 'We Make a Difference' is a kete value you show daily, demonstrating a growth mindset and enthusiastic problem solving skills. Ka pai tō mahi, Constantin. 

School Notices

2024 Whole School Staffing Teams 


Please click the link, here, to see all the names and faces you may see across our kura (school).

Beckenham's Got Talent!

A message for your Tamariki from the Student Council:
We are excited to announce that in Week 10, we will be hosting a spectacular event: Beckenham's Got Talent!

This is your chance to showcase your unique talents and enjoy an afternoon filled with amazing performances! Whether you sing, dance, perform magic, or have a hidden talent, we want to see what you’ve got. 

Each hub will have the opportunity to showcase their performances, with three auditions from each hub that will advance to the finals.

The hub auditions will take place in week eight and the finals will be on the last day of week ten. if you want to take part in this event then tell your teachers to put your name on the Google form.

Cantamath

Our problem-solving teams took up the challenge of answering some very tricky questions at Cantamath on Wednesday. Well done to Lukas, Hanna, Tom, Ruvi, Bobby, Lewis, Ben and Annabelle.  Liv made a fabulous banner for the school, which the compère thought was the best on display. It is now hanging in our school hall. Our Year 7 & 8s had a number of pieces of work in the project competition and did exceptionally well. Well done to the following for receiving awards:

Excellence:
  • Lily and Annabelle
  • Lukas
  • Lewis
  • Mitch
  • Bobby
  • Charlie
  • Freyja
  • Elsie
  • Tish
High Commended:
  • Emmy
  • Mark
  • Lottie
  • Oscar R
  • Tilly
  • Evelyn
  • Matthew
  • Nicky’s maths class
  • Ben Cross
  • Austin
  • Harshit
  • Holly
  • Alex M
  • Alex P
  • Harriet
  • Hanna
Highly Commended in Overall Theme:
  • Bobby
  • Lukas
  • Tish
Our Year 7 Cantamath Team ready to go!

Second Hand Uniform Donations Needed!

We are looking for uniform items, especially larger sizes, for our second hand uniform shop and to support tamariki in need. We are also needing good condition, used shoes for children. If you have anything at home that you would be willing to donate, the Office would gratefully accept your contributions! Thank you to everyone who helps to keep the uniform room supplied, and running. 

The PTA Second Hand Uniform shop is open Monday 2:45-3:15pm & Friday 8:45-9:15am. Cash payments are accepted, and Eftpos is available at the Office.

Absences

Please contact the school office if your child will be absent from school. When contacting us please remember to include; your name, your child’s first and last name, the reason for their absence and how long you expect your child will be away from school. This ensures we can code your child correctly.

If you do not provide a reason for your child’s absence, we are required by the Ministry of Education to mark this as an unjustified absence on their attendance report.

Phone: (03) 337-1404
(Press 1 to leave an absence message)
Text Message: 021 027 94107
Email: office@beckenham.school.nz

Variety Club


Our kura (school) is a Variety Club school. We have a number of whānau already involved and accessing the incredible support that Variety provides to whānau, for tamariki (children).

If you, or someone you know, is in need of support, please click the link below to see what is available and how to apply: https://www.variety.org.nz/get-support/find-Support

If you need support to apply, we have devices at kura that you may use. 

Pastoral Support & Hardship 

As a school we endeavour to provide as much pastoral support as we can to ensure that all of our tamariki have everything they need to succeed at school. If there is an immediate need or barrier you are experiencing, please connect with us to see if we can help: you can do this via your child's teacher, the Office, or the Senior Leadership Team. 

We also know that whānau, and others in our community, sometimes like to contribute towards the costs for students whose whānau might be experiencing some hardship, and are not able to readily fund uniform, stationery or even lunches. This was the driving reason for setting up our school's hardship fund.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to make a contribution to our hardship fund, please let Rachel Higginson know by emailing accounts@beckenham.school.nz, or by simply depositing funds into the school bank account (12 3148 0131641 000) with the reference "Hardship donation". This will also be tax deductible.

We will ensure that these funds are used to support those families and young people who need support. Thank you to those who have already gifted to the hardship fund. No matter the amount, big or small, it is hugely appreciated. "We Get There Together".

Road Safety - No U-turns on Sandwich Road

To ensure everyone is kept safe at school drop off and collection, please no U-turns on Sandwich Road. There is a lot of traffic at these times and it works best when the traffic flows smoothly. The drop-off zone is designed to pull into and then drive straight out of. Thank you for helping to keep everyone safe.

Beckenham Maths Evening

We invite ALL our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto families (NE-Y8) to join us for a hands on workshop that will help you to support and extend your child with Mathematics.

Thursday, 29th August (5:30 pm – 7:30 pm)

Time:
5:30 pm Tea, coffee and refreshments in the Hall Foyer.
6:00 pm Workshop starts in the Hall. (Approximate finish time 7:30 pm)

Who:
Parents/whānau and students from NE to Year 8
(Please note: no preschoolers or younger siblings. This is for school age children and parents)

Please complete this form to confirm your attendance: https://forms.gle/7nqiuXzLTeRJsrUk7

We look forward to seeing you there!

Parking Around Schools

Mana Ake

We have a wonderful new Mana Ake Kaimahi liaison person who will be working in our Kura on Thursdays. Camelah is from Purapura Whetu.  Welcome to our kura community Camelah!

Shelter in Place and Lockdown Procedures

Throughout the year we hold emergency practices/drills to ensure that staff and tamariki know what to do in an emergency. Scenarios include fire, earthquake, shelter-in-place, and lockdown.

Before these practices, we let ākonga (students) know that we have an upcoming practice, and a social story is shared to support everyone in knowing what to expect.

Shelter in Place and Lockdown
If a situation arises that people need to remain inside for safety, Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto has two levels, Shelter in Place and Lockdown. 

A Shelter in Place directive is issued when the threat is external and not directed at the school. For example, the school may activate the Shelter in Place plan if there is a report of a swarm of wasps, toxic smoke from a nearby fire, or an active armed defender in the community (but not in or near the school grounds).

A Lockdown instruction will be less commonly used and is only likely to be issued if the threat is directly to the school or on the school grounds. This will generally happen on instruction from the Police.

LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS

Lockdown procedures are determined by Police advice and require the cooperation of students, staff, and parents. We ask all parents/whānau to please follow the protocol outlined below to make sure everyone is safe.
  • When the school goes into lockdown, all parents/whānau will be notified via both a text message (via Hero) and HERO App alert (which will generate an email for those who don’t use the app). Please ensure the contact details the school holds for your child’s caregivers are current.
  • The school will continue to communicate through these channels, plus on the school Facebook page.
  • Students will not have access to laptops or other devices during a lockdown situation. This is for their own protection until the school ascertains the severity of the situation in consultation with the Police.
  • School phones may not be manned, so please do not try and contact the school, or your child. All information will be sent to you through the channels outlined above as soon as it becomes available. We will be doing the best that we can do to keep everyone informed. 
  • The school will remain in lockdown until advised by the Police or other authorised personnel that it is safe to be lifted.
  • Please do not, under any circumstances, come to the school until you are advised it is safe for you to do so. You may be putting yourself and others in danger.
  • Once the lockdown is over, parents will be contacted immediately.
Thank you for your understanding and for taking the time to familiarise yourself with this protocol as we work together in an emergency situation to keep everyone safe.

Community Notices

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


How do you play? We’d like to know  

Christchurch City Council is in the early stages of gathering community feedback to develop a Play Spaces Network Plan and we’d like to hear your thoughts. 

Our Parks Unit is responsible for 400-plus play spaces, and we need to ensure we are getting the best of these assets.  

The plan will focus on play spaces within Council parks such as playgrounds, outdoor fitness equipment, ball courts and green spaces, skate and scooter parks, bicycle skill areas, water play areas, and natural areas.      

We’re keen to hear what the community think about the play spaces they use.  This feedback will help us develop a draft Play Space Network Plan.  

To find out more or complete the full survey go to https://letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/Playspaces by the 31 August 2024. 

Maths / Strategy Games Club

I'm a qualified maths teacher who works in various local schools. I run a small group for Year 5-8 students who are keen to develop their maths and problem-solving skills.
The present group operates from 3.30 to 5pm on a Wednesday, (but the day may be flexible). We meet at my house which is at the bottom of Cashmere Hills.
If you'd like to know more, please contact me on 0210722939.
Kirsty F

Brain Play Christchurch

Brain Play has arrived in Christchurch! We teach all things science & technology to Kiwi kids - coding, robotics, science experiments, Minecraft & more. Book a free trial of our after-school classes - group sessions for ages 7 - 12. Or send us an email to hear more about our 1:1 sessions - these are a great match for students who are looking for extension, are looking for a new hobby and to build confidence and skills, and/or for students with high and complex needs. Visit brainplay.co.nz to read more, or email us on referrals@brainplay.co.nz.

Orienteering Training Events for School Students: 7th Aug - 5th Sept

Coaching and training is offered by Peninsula and Plains Orienteers for all school-aged children and sports leaders at all levels. No booking required, just turn up with your running shoes, a compass if you have one and $2 for the map. Bring your own Sport-ident stick if you have one, otherwise we will lend you one (a Sport-ident stick is a microchip that you place on your finger to 'punch' each control on the orienteering course).
Each training session will vary, it is run by volunteers and each will have something different to offer. There will be many different things to go over, so it will not have the same format every session. It may involve a walk around looking at features, or a discussion to start, often it will have a set course to run.
Download a flyer and find more information here:
https://papo.org.nz/events/view/4177/training-events-for-school-students-7th-aug-5th-sept-2024

Halswell Softball Club

Want to do something fun with dad on Father’s Day? Looking for a fun and inclusive sport to play in summer?

Halswell Softball Club prides itself on being an inclusive, ethnically diverse, family orientated club. We have players of all ages, from three years old to seventy years old and everything in between. Our players compete at both representative level and social levels. There is something for everyone!

Halswell Softball Club is based at the Halswell Domain, Christchurch. Although this is our home ground, we have players from across the city.

Free sausage sizzle to help with those hungry bellies and treats for the littlies, we look forward to seeing you there!

Junior Indoor Sports

Cashmere Tennis Club 

Cashmere Tennis Club is running free professional coaching on Sunday the 25th August, 1st and 8th of September. This is a chance for kids of any age to try tennis, they don't even need to bring a racquet or have any prior experience, just come and have a go!
9:00am – 10:00am: Ages 5 - 8 an introduction using low bounce balls and fun games
10:00am – 11:00am: Ages 8 - 12  starting to play games on a full size court
11:00am - 12:00pm: Ages 13+

Kidsfirst 'Stay and Play'

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 26 July 2024, Week 1

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Term 3! It has been lovely catching up with everyone over the week about how the school holidays were for them. 

We got back into learning and school events this week, beginning with the mid-winter breakfast. Thank you to the PTA for organising this. There were lots of positive comments about the delicious porridge. 

As we begin a new term a reminder, please feel free to contact your child's Home Group Teacher at any stage. They are more than happy to hear from you to celebrate successes and about any questions or wondering you or your child may have.

Staffing update

Welcome to Mikyla Campbell. Mikyla is relieving in Rae Marsh's Home Group for the next few weeks while Rae is on medical leave. Welcome to the team Mikyla.


Welcome back to Nicola Reddecliffe. Nicola is the Home Group teacher for our next New Entrant class.

2025 Enrolments - do you have a 4 year old!

We welcome enrolment forms for any New Entrant students who may start with us in 2025. It is never too early to pre-enrol your child, and having this data early will help us in the coming months when we begin to organise teaching staff for the following year.

If you know of any in our area, please encourage them to enrol.

Enrolment forms can be collected from the Office or can be found online here.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Wed 31 Jul - PTA Meeting (AGM), 7:00-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 2 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Wed 14 Aug - Year 7 and 8 (Kauri) Open Evening - 7-8pm
Fri 15 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 26 Aug - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Cookie Time Fundraiser Collection in the Hall (2.45-3.15 & 6.00-6.30pm)
Wed 28 Aug - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 30 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Tue 3 Sep - School Duathlon, 12:15-3:00PM
Wed 4 Sep - Kauri Ski Trip TBC
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am

Citizen of the Week (Term 2 Week 10)

Jessica Crump - Year 6

Jessica, you consistently show all of our school values every day. You are always lending a helping hand whenever needed. You are kind, caring and very respectful. You are a self-directed, independent learner which is admired. Tino pai, Jessica!

Citizen of the Week (Term 3 Week 1)

Xanthe Hills - Year 3

Xanthe, you are a positive role model who embodies our school values. You have a thirst for knowledge and your industrious nature helps you achieve great things. We love having you in the Kōwhai team! Tino pai, Xanthe.

School Notices

Year 7 and 8 Intermediate (Kauri) Open Evening 

Wednesday 14th August - 7 to 8pm

We would love for you and your child/ren to join us to learn more about our amazing Intermediate Team. Come and find out more about the learning programmes, leadership opportunities, Education Outside the Classroom and so much more! 

Sensory Tools

All humans have sensory needs that we regulate throughout the day. A great way for children to gain the feedback they need is via the oral/motor sensory system. If your child tends to chew/suck on clothing, fingers, ends of pencils etc, or if you child tends to lack concentration or becomes restless in the day, a chewy could be a great sensory tool. Chewies are mobile, they are fun and child friendly, and can help organize, calm, soothe, and regulate their sensory systems. We have a small stock of chewies at the office that we are selling for when your child's teacher and you feel your child may benefit from this. 

Coffee Cart

If anyone in our community has connections with a Coffee Van or Cart, who may wish to work with us to provide a school gate 'pick me up' service a couple of times each week, we would be interested in hearing from you. Please contact the Office. Thanks in advance.

Whānau Junior Playground Support Roster

We have a wonderful group of whānau, parents and grandparents, who come along to school during lunch play to support our tamariki in the junior playground. We have had a couple of time slots become available for Term 3. The benefits of being on the 'parent supervision roster' include the opportunity to be a part of the school community, and getting to know other whānau, parents and your child's friends. Please email Katie if you would like to offer your help for Term 3. katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

Cellphone Policy

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto does not recommend that students bring personal digital devices to school.  Personal digital devices include cellphones, which we manage according to government regulations, and other devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartwatches.

If a parent or caregiver needs to contact their child during school hours, they should call the office.

If students bring personal digital devices to school they must turn their devices off and hand them in to the Office during school hours.

The device will be kept in the office and can be collected by the student at the end of the day.

We recommend students do not bring unnecessary valuables to school. If an insurance claim for damage or loss to personal property is made, any insurance excess is payable by the student or their parents who own the property.

Full policy can be found on SchoolDocs, here. (Username: beckenham Password: pride)

Hauora: Health, Wellness & Winter Bugs

Please find linked here, a guide to managing communicable diseases for schools from Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand). This guide provides information on serious infectious diseases you may come into contact with and what actions may be required to stop them spreading.

It covers influenza, gastroenteritis illnesses (including norovirus), measles, meningococcal disease, mumps and pertussis (whooping cough).

For each of these information is provided on:
  • Common symptoms and how the illness spreads
  • How to protect your community and prevent illness
  • What to do if someone has the disease or illness (or if you suspect they have it)
  • Where to find more information

Conjunctivitis

We have a number of noted cases of conjunctivitis throughout the school currently. Thank you for keeping your tamariki home if they are showing symptoms, as this helps reduce the spread.

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is a very common condition in children. It causes red, irritated and sticky eyes, and can be extremely contagious.

Children with conjunctivitis should not go to school or daycare until their eyes are better. Thank you for your continued support with this.

Food Allergy Guidelines

Across our school, we have a number of children with different food allergies.

To support the wellbeing of these students we have the following guidelines in place which we ask you to follow:
  • All students should only eat lunches and snacks that have been provided by their caregivers.  
  • Bottles, other drinks, and lunch boxes provided by caregivers should be clearly labelled with the name of their child.  Home group teachers and caregivers will decide where the children’s bottles and lunch boxes will be kept during the day to ensure no cross contamination occurs.
  • Parents are asked not to bring food into school to be shared with other children.  Whilst we understand that there are times you want to celebrate special events for your children with their friends at school, e.g. birthdays or being awarded prizes, by bringing food and treats for them to share, we have a policy of children only eating the food that their whānau have prepared and sent with them.  We have a number of students with food allergies and also need to respect the wishes of some families who want to monitor what their children are eating and prefer their children just to eat food they have prepared. From time to time, there may be an event that teachers have organised that will involve food (cultural or learning activities) and they will have advised families in advance that this will be happening.  
  • At the beginning of each year caregivers will need to check the expiry dates on any medication to be held at school.  
  • On the first day of school, caregivers will need to bring their child’s medication to the school office.  Caregivers will need to sign a medicine authority form.  The responsibility of monitoring the expiry dates of medications rests with the parent.
  • Caregivers may be asked to come and talk to staff about their child’s specific health needs and ways we can support them at school.
We will inform you during the year if specific guidelines for your child’s hub change. 

Our full allergy policy and guidelines are available on the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto website under Information - Policies - SchoolDocs, then search ‘allergy’.

If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss them in the first instance with your child’s home group teacher.

Year 0-4 Cross Country Challenge

This week, the top-placed students in our Year 0-4 cross country event which was held last term had the opportunity to take part in the Cross Country Challenge. This is held at Hillview Christian School every year with many other schools participating and is usually at the end of Term 2 but had to be postponed due to inclement weather. Luckily, the rain held off on Tuesday and, although it was cold (brrr!), we were able to go ahead with the event this time. The children successfully took part in their cross country races, putting every effort into doing their best. It was fantastic to see the determination on everyone’s faces as they strove to get to the finish line. Well done to you all! Following the races, the children then attended an award ceremony and enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea. It really was a fantastic experience for our tamariki. Thank you to all the parents and parent helpers who came along to support. We couldn’t have done it without you!




PTA News

Cookie Time Fundraiser

The PTA is selling yummy Cookie Time Rookie Cookies, look for the order form in your child's bag or order here https://forms.gle/mZJtMhQxGFjs1o7y9

BOT Update

Policy Review Term 3

We would welcome your feedback on our policy topics, and subtopics, that are up for review this term. These topics can be found at the link below. Please follow these intstructions below to submit your feedback.
  1. Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
  2. Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
  3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
  4. Read the policy.
  5. Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
  6. Select the reviewer type.
  7. Enter your name (optional).
  8. Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
  9. Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

Principal Appointment Update

The Board of Trustees would like to update you all as to the progress on appointing a new principal after Sandy’s departure. Thank you so much for all your feedback. It was hugely appreciated and we took on board your comments and suggestions, as well as those from the staff and children, when we put together the application pack. The position is currently being advertised and we expect to hold interviews later in September.

Community Notices

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

UNDER 5's DANCE CLASSES IN SYDENHAM

Get your tiny dancer twirling in our fun Mini Movers dance classes. These classes are aimed at building the children's confidence while incorporating the use of props and introducing basic ballet, jazz and hip hop skills. We love to use our imagination too. Mondays at 9.30 - 10.00am, 76 Hawdon Street. Contact thatdancestudio@gmail.com for more information.

The Muse Community Music Trust

Does your child love music? Would you like to give them the best possible musical start?

Music classes for children will begin in term three at Somerfield Community Centre on Wednesdays. The classes are based in the Kodály approach, an approach that helps all learners become confident musicians who can play, sing, read, write, improvise and compose. Instead of focusing on just one instrument, the approach uses singing games within a well planned sequential programme, to develop strong aural, memory and kinesthetic skills, while developing understanding of the language of music . Children who learn through this approach become lifelong musicians, with strong agency over their musical practice.

The classes are delivered by The Muse Community Music Trust who provide scholarships for parents where finances would prevent participation. 

The first class is a free trial. Bookings are essential.

See themuse.co.nz/children 

TERM 3 Weekly Singing and Acting Workshops!

Phillipstown Community Hub
Register by 19th July to ensure your place (late enrolments limited, email us to check)
Or email luminairescharitabletrust@gmail.com

Ages 8+
Want to learn how to sing? Or develop acting skills?
4-5pm Singing / 5.15-6.30pm Acting
Weekly workshops Thursdays 25 July to 26 September 
Plus a combined afternoon showcase Saturday 28 September
$150 per term / $120 (CSC Holders)
Sign up for both workshops and get 15% off
Scholarships available.



Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāpare (Thursday) 27 June 2024, Week 9

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Matariki Evening
Our thanks to everyone who made our Matariki evening such a success. It was great to see people coming together, having fun, making connections and enjoying some kai (food). We saw 'We Love Challenge' and 'We Get There Together' in action as our Kapa Haka groups performed to a large audience - ka rawe!

Matariki is a special occasion signifying the start of the Māori New Year. As the Matariki cluster of stars reappears in our night sky we take the time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. 

Staffing Update
From the beginning of Term 3, we welcome back Nicola Reddecliffe to the Koru Team. Nicola will be the Home Group Teacher for the New Entrant roll growth class. 

On Wednesday 3 July at 2.15pm we have a Farewell Assembly for Sandy Hastings. The Board, staff, tamariki and community will take this time to acknowledge Sandy's leadership during her time at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. Whānau are welcome to join us for this celebration. 

With one week left of term, it's a great opportunity to thank staff, tamariki and whānau for the mahi (work) and support during the busy last couple of weeks with the Disco, Learning Conferences and our Matariki evening. These opportunities add to the richness of school life.

We hope that the coming school holiday provides our tamariki with much needed rest, ready for the start of Term 3 on the 22nd of July.

Ngā mihi nui
Jo Smith - Tumuaki (Acting Principal)

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Fri 28 Jun - Matariki Public Holiday (kura/school closed)
Tue 2 Jul - Y0-4 Cross Country Challenge, 12:00 - 3:00pm, Hillview
Wed 3 Jul - Sandy's Farewell Assembly, 2:15-4:00PM, in the Hall, RSVP required
Fri 5 Jul - Student Council Dress Up Day (see info below)
Fri 5 Jul - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 5 Jul - Last day of Term 2, School finishes 3pm
Mon 22 Jul - First day of Term 3, School starts at 8:55am
Wed 24 Jul - PTA Midwinter Breakfast 8am to 8.30am
Fri 26 Jul - Welcome Assembly, 9:15-9:30am, in the Hall
Wed 31 Jul - PTA Meeting (AGM), 7:00-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 2 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 15 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 26 Aug - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 28 Aug - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 30 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 2 Sep - School Duathlon, 12:15-3:00PM
Wed 4 Sep - Kauri Ski Trip TBC
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - BOT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am

Term Dates

Click here to view 2024 term dates.

Citizen of the Week (Week 8)

Imogen Orchard - Year 7

Imogen, you are a shining star in our Kauri whānau. You are exceptionally kind and inclusive to all. Imogen, we see positivity, integrity and diligence in everything you do. You get involved, strive for excellence and are wonderfully nurturing towards younger tamariki. What a fabulous role model you are. 

Citizen of the Week (Week 9)

Max Richards - Year 4

Max, you are an outstanding role model in the Kōwhai hub. You are polite, thoughtful and caring and also respectful of everyone. You are a self-motivated learner, showing great focus on all that you do. You are a reliable leader and can be trusted to fulfil any responsibility you take on. Tino pai, Max!

BOT Update

Principal Appointment

As you will be aware, we are in the beginning phases of appointing a new Principal for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. An important part of this process is to hear from our community. Your voice and experiences are important to inform the Board's decision making throughout this process. 
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board of Trustees would really value your input as we embark on this journey, to ensure we appoint the best person for our kura.
If you would like to contribute to this process, please fill in the form, linked here, by the 12th of July.

Alternatively, paper forms have been sent home with tamariki today for your completion. Paper forms need to be returned by Friday the 5th of July, the last day of term.

All responses will be anonymous, and we thank you in advance for your contribution.
Ngā mihi nui,

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board of Trustees

School Notices

Student Council Dress Up Day

A message from our student council: This Friday, 5th July, the student council is having a dress-up day to celebrate diversity. Tamariki can dress up in rainbow colours and bring a gold coin to donate to Youthline. Youthline is a group that supports the well-being of young people. This is a great group to call for a chat when you are dealing with tricky stuff in your life. 

Sandy Hastings' Farewell Assembly

You are invited to join us in officially celebrating and farewelling Sandy Hastings from her role as Principal at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

We will be hosting a Farewell Assembly for Sandy on Wednesday the 3rd of July.
The Assembly is for the whole school, and guests, and will run from 2:15-3:00PM.
Following the Assembly we will welcome all staff and guests to join us from 3:00-4:00PM for kai (food) and refreshments.

Please would you indicate your attendance by filling in this form, linked here. We would appreciate knowing numbers, for catering purposes, if you intend to join us after the Assembly.

If you have any photos, memories or messages you would like to share, these can be emailed to pa@beckenham.school.nz

Matariki Evening

Matariki is a great opportunity to share kai and reflect on the past 4 seasons, celebrating the present with whānau, and looking forward to what is to come as the days get longer. Thank you to everyone who attended our wonderful Matariki evening on Tuesday night. It was a very special celebration, and was awesome to see whānau connecting with our kaiako (teachers), as well as with other whānau. A big thank you to the PTA for having a delicious sausage sizzle, and to our tamariki for their exceptional kapa haka performances. We hope you have a happy and safe Matariki weekend! Mānawatia a Matariki!

Collectively we raised over $500 in koha, consumed 17 loafs of bread, 2 kgs of pre cut onions, and approximately 380 sausages! Kai (food) is a great way to bring a community together!

Show Quest

On Friday the 21st of June, 42 Kauri students performed at ShowQuest, at the Town Hall. The students performed a dance that they had conceptualised and choreographed as a group over Terms 1 and 2. The dance explored the positives and negatives of social media: it can disconnect us from our environment, yet connect us with friends and family. The content we see can inspire creativity, but also give us unrealistic expectations for what our lives and bodies should look like. 

The children were a delight to accompany to this event and they delivered an expressive and engaging performance.  The energy backstage was super positive and exciting. The children were so proud of their performance, and rightly so. 

Thank you to whānau who helped at the town hall. 

The performance can be viewed on YouTube and photos can be seen and purchased on the following link.


Community Dental Service - Holiday Clinics July 2024

The Community Dental Service will be closed for the upcoming school holidays:
 
     Closed from: Monday 8th July 2024
     Reopen: Monday 22nd July 2024

Three of our community dental clinics will be open during the break:

     Hillmorton (80-82 Sylvan Street)
     Aranui        (240 Breezes Road)
     Timaru       (18 Woollcombe Street)

If your child is experiencing any dental pain/discomfort, you can call us on 0800 846 983 and/or email: commdental@cdhb.health.nz and one of our clinicians will contact you.

PTA News

With the colder weather well and truly here we are always looking for donations of school sweatshirts and polar fleeces.  If you have been meaning to have a clear out, now is the time!! We particularly need tops in larger sizes. If you are looking to visit the PTA Uniform Shop, the hours are:

Monday 2:45 - 3:15PM
Friday  8:45 - 9.15AM

Thanks in anticipation.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Community Notices

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






BOSCO school holiday programme.

Bookings can be made through bosco.aimyplus.com

Please feel free to contact Harriet with any questions

office@bosco.org.nz


Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 14 June 2024, Week 7

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Learning Conferences
Thank you so much for all your participation and engagement in Learning Conferences.  We gain so much information and insight from this time.  

A wee reminder that you can come in and speak with your child's homegroup teacher during week days.  Please just email and make a time to do this so they can put aside enough time for a successful meeting.
If you have any questions or "nose wrinkles" please make a time to see us so we can work through anything straight away.

Charlotte's Farewell
We had a lovely farewell to Charlotte Verity who has been teaching at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto since 2014.  Charlotte has led many initiatives across our school including staff and student wellbeing, supporting the development of programmes with our students who have English as a Second Language, Sustainability and composting and our Science programmes.
Charlotte is beginning a new teaching adventure at another kura in Christchurch.  All the very, very best Charlotte, we will miss you.

Plogging!
Our wonderful Jacky has been leading us on our "Plogging" journey.  We hope you may be able to help us with this.  Plogging refers specifically to the activity of picking up rubbish while jogging / walking.  Its name is a portmanteau of the Swedish term Plocka upp, meaning "to pick up" and the English jogging.  Jacky has some large tongs and buckets in the office, if you would like to take your child (and their friends) and do some plogging at drop off or pick up time.  Our school environment, and eventually the world, will thank you for it!

Ngā mihi nui
Sue Leadbetter - DP / SENCO

Important Dates

(you can also find the Community Calendar on our website here)

Fri 21 Jun - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Tue 25 Jun - Matariki Evening at Kura, 5.30-7:00pm
Wed 26 Jun - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 26 Jun - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 28 Jun - Matariki (kura/school closed)
Tue 2 Jul - Y0-4 Cross Country Challenge, 12:00 - 3:00pm, Hillview
Wed 3 Jul - Sandy's Farewell Assembly, 2:15-4:00PM, in the Hall, RSVP required
Fri 5 Jul - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 5 Jul - Last day of Term 2, School finishes 3pm
Mon 22 Jul - First day of Term 3, School starts at 8:55am
Wed 24 Jul - PTA Midwinter Breakfast
Wed 24 Jul - PTA Meeting (AGM), 7:00-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 26 Jul - Welcome Assembly, 9:15-9:30am, in the Hall
Fri 2 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 15 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 26 Aug - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 28 Aug - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 30 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 2 Sep - School Duathlon, 12:15-3:00PM
Wed 4 Sep - Kauri Ski Trip TBC
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am

Term Dates: Click here to view  2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week (W6)

Jessica Walker - Year 3

Jessica, you are an exemplary role model in the Kōwhai hub. You have a growth mindset and tackle challenges with a positive attitude! You are kind and caring, and always there for others. You show initiative in the way that you volunteer to help out and find different ways of problem solving. Keep being your fantastic self. Ka pai, Jessica.

Citizen of the Week (W7)

Chester Gardiner - Year 6

Chester, you exemplify each one of our school values. You are kind, creative and personable, making a positive difference in our hub. Thank you for the leadership you show in technology and for being a brilliant role model for others. Chester, you get stuck right into learning tasks, consistently demonstrating a love of learning and challenge. Tino pai to mahi.

School Notices

Stay Well This Winter


As we head into winter, winter illnesses, such as colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses, along with predicted Covid waves, become more common.

As a school, we are conscious of doing all we can to support our tamariki, whānau and community to be as well as possible.

As a school, we will continue to:
  • Ventilate spaces and keep them warm
  • Regularly clean surfaces
  • Teach/remind tamariki to cough or sneeze into their elbow
  • Teach/remind tamariki to wash and dry their hands regularly, especially after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing, and using the toilet
  • Mask wearing will continue to be optional for those who would like to 
  • Contact whānau if a child is unwell while at school for them to be collected
As whānau, please continue to:
  • Keep your child at home if they are unwell
  • Encourage them to cough or sneeze into their elbow
  • Encourage regular hand washing

Sandy Hastings' Farewell Assembly

You are invited to join us in officially celebrating and farewelling Sandy Hastings from her role as Principal at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

We will be hosting a Farewell Assembly for Sandy on Wednesday the 3rd of July.
The Assembly is for the whole school, and guests, and will run from 2:15-3:00PM.
Following the Assembly we will welcome all staff and guests to join us from 3:00-4:00PM for kai (food) and refreshments.

Please would you indicate your attendance by filling in this form, linked here. We would appreciate knowing numbers, for catering purposes, if you intend to join us after the Assembly.

If you have any photos, memories or messages you would like to share, these can be emailed to pa@beckenham.school.nz

NZ Opera "The Elixir of Love" Performance

This Thursday, the NZ Opera "Opera in Schools" tour visited our kura to perform Donizetti's The Elixir of Love. The performance took place in the hall and NZ Opera introduced our tamariki to the world of opera and the story of The Elixir of Love. 

Matariki

Please save the date for our Whānau Matariki Evening which is to be held on Tuesday 25th of June, 5:30 - 7:30PM. Further information about this will come out via HERO.

Kura/school will be closed for the Matariki Public Holiday -  Friday 28th June 2024. 


Matariki, the Māori New Year, is typically marked by the rise of the Matariki star cluster in the appropriate moon phase. Some iwi observe the rise of the lone star Puaka as the beginning of the new year.

Matariki takes place in mid-winter from late May to early July. The dates vary according to tribes and geography. The first public holiday to celebrate Matariki was held in New Zealand on Friday 24 June, 2022.

Each iwi has their own stories and perspectives about Matariki and celebrate Matariki at different times. Some hold festivities when Matariki is first seen in the dawn sky; others celebrate after the rise of the full moon or at the beginning of the next new moon.

Today Matariki is generally seen as an important time to celebrate the earth and show respect for the land. It is also a time to acknowledge those who have passed away and to plan for the year ahead. 

Matariki is a good opportunity for all New Zealanders to come together with Māori communities to learn their stories, culture, and language.

To learn more about Matariki, click the link (https://www.matariki.com/about)

Uniform Donations Welcome

We are running low on bigger sizes in the PTA Uniform Shop. If you have any old uniform of any size your whānau no longer uses, please feel welcome to drop this into the Office.

If you are looking to visit the PTA Uniform Shop, the hours are:

Monday 2:45 - 3:15PM
Friday  8:45 - 9.15AM

Community Notices

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

Free short-film Amnesty event for 2024 World Refugee Day, 2pm, Sunday 16 June

Amnesty International Christchurch/Ōtautahi warmly invites you to our free short-film event commemorating World Refugee Day, held on Sun 16 June at 2pm at the Christchurch Art Gallery. This is an hour of family-friendly short films relating to refugees & asylum-seekers, introduced by Sir Mark Solomon (Ngāi Tahu/Ngāti Kurī) and followed by an informal community-connection opportunity.

Envirokids Upcoming June Activities


Play the Drums

Beginner - learn to play
or
Already Play Drums - improve your drumming skills

Private individual tuition
With an experienced drummer who is a Drumsense certified master tutor
Learn Rock, Jazz, Big Band, Funk Dance and Latin Drumming
Tuition available after school and at weekends
Pupils of all ages welcome.
To arrange a FREE introductory session call, txt or email:
Chris Self
027 436 9930
masterdrumtutor@gmail.com
Ottawa Road, Wainoni

Wellbeing sessions for whānau


Future proofing! - what it takes to grow great adults!
Presenter: Anna Mowat, Director and facilitator for Real Parents
Duration: 1.5 hours (with Q&A)
Date: Tuesday 4th July 2024
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: $18 per person

Webinar Overview:
This is our most popular presentation and where we talk about the absolute fundamentals, the key things that our kids need to thrive and grow into great adults. And they're not all what you might think...

We'll take you through:
What it takes to build a strong, connected relationship with your kids,
Identifying your key parenting style and whether this is supporting your kids' best,
And how we can build a child's self-esteem and confidence!

KidsFest


Now in its 33rd year, the annual event offers a plethora of free and affordable activities for young people throughout the school holidays, from 6–21 July. It takes place in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, Selwyn and Waimakariri.

“Whether they’re musically inclined, fascinated by technology or love being outdoors, there are literally hundreds of activities on offer to stave off any winter boredom,”

“KidsFest welcomes back perpetual favourites like The Christchurch Brick Show, while also introducing a bunch of exciting new events this year. Browse the full list online at kidsfest.co.nz and start building your own schedule!

“It’s a great opportunity for children and young people to get out of their comfort zone and have fun experiences during the holidays. Kids can extend themselves in their areas of interest, as well as discover new hobbies and passions.”

Tickets go on sale at kidsfest.co.nz from 9am next Thursday 13 June. Demand will be high, so be in quick!