Category Archives: Weekly Newsletters

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter Term 4 Week 4 2023

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

It was a huge privilege and joy to attend the Christchurch Schools Music Festival on Friday night at the Christchurch Town Hall. Our 66 Year 5-8 tamariki who participated had an amazing time, both in their singing, and in enjoying the unique experience of being in the town hall and singing with an orchestra and a pipe organ! Huge thanks to Thomas Woodfield who led the choir this year, sharing his talent and skills to support the choir to be amazing and make the most of this experience. Thanks also to Megan Culver and Margot Holcroft who supported Thomas and the choir.
You can hear an extract of the final number, Elton John's 'Rocket Man' by clicking on the YouTube link below.

Trading Cards (and other precious belongings)

We have noticed an increase in students bringing trading cards to school. We understand these cards are valuable to the children. Unfortunately, due to the tendency of these cards to go missing, or making trades they later regret, we ask that students leave trading cards at home This includes having trading cards on the grounds or at the gate before and after school. It is much easier for everyone if cards are kept as an out-of-school activity. Thank you for your support with this.

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

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

Wed 8 Nov - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 10 Nov - Zones Athletics, Hansen Park
Fri 10 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Wed 15 Nov - 4pm Voting Closes - Board Elections
Thu 16 Nov - School Closed, Staff Only Day
Fri 17 Nov - School Closed, Canterbury Anniversary Day
Mon 20 Nov - Mon 27 Nov - Year 6 Beckenham Cycle Safe
Wed 22 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Fri 24 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 9:10-9:50am, in the Hall
Fri 24 Nov - PTA School Community Picnic, 5.00-7.30pm, Beckenham Park
Fri 1 Dec - Student Council - Celebrating Diversity and Culture Day (non-uniform)
Fri 1 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Thu 7 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 8 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 8 Dec - 12:15-3pm, Kahikatea Team trip to Isaac Theatre Royal, Southern Ballet
Mon 11 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Tue 12 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Fri 15 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9:45am, in the Hall
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Graduation, 11am-12pm
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Leavers' Lunch 12:30-1:30pm
Tue 19 Dec - Last Day of Term 4, School finishes at 12.30pm

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Billy Hudson - Year 5

Billy, your self-confidence has grown so much this year. You manage your learning appropriately and challenge yourself on a daily basis. You are full of a wealth of knowledge that you happily share with classmates. You show our school values 'We Love Learning' and 'We Love Challenge' often. Ka pai tō mahi, Billy!

School Notices

Congratulations to... 

Leo Cronin-Wilson
Maths Cup

Leo, you have an unquenchable thirst for mathematics. You possess a gift that sees you making amazing connections with numbers. You share these insights with great enthusiasm, baffling us all with your cleverness. This year you qualified for the Final Challenge in Otago Problem Solving and were part of the Year 8 Cantamath problem solving team who finished 12th out of 90 teams. Your vibrancy brings an extra sparkle to our weekly maths club. Congratulations Leo. 

Noah Palmer
Maths Cup

Noah, you are such an enthusiastic mathematician! Challenging problems motivate you and you have a thirst for new knowledge. You have been a regular at maths club over the past two years and even when overseas, continued to engage in maths competitions. In 2022 and again this year you were one of three from the Canterbury region to be awarded an Outstanding award for your dynamic models. This year you qualified for the Final Challenge in Otago Problem Solving and were part of the Year 8 Cantamath problem solving team who finished 12th out of 90 teams. Congratulations Noah.

Cian Scott
Social Sciences Cup

Cian, you possess such a wealth of knowledge about sociology, geography and history. Over the past two years, your insightful questions and observations have enriched our class discussions, sparked interesting debate and taken us off on many fascinating tangents. Your enthusiasm to understand the world around you is contagious. Your deep thinking and curiosity is your superpower. Jacob Bronowski, famous mathematician and philosopher once wrote, students ‘are not here to worship what is known but to question it.’ Question it you most certainly do and the world is a better place for it - and it makes our lessons far more interesting. Congratulations, Cian.

PTA News

The Great 2023 PTA Christmas Goodies Fundraiser


Orders are now live for our 2023 Christmas fundraiser.  

We have a delicious range of honey, fudge and Christmas tarts. Look out for an order form in your child's bag or you can order here today!

Orders close at 6 p.m. on 22nd November and will be available for collection by the hall on 8th December.

Panforte Fundraiser

Panforte deals are also available again, the 1kg is the same as last year.… and this year we have 3 additional flavours in the panforte mini range.

Order Online here: https://pilgrim.net.nz/shop/
Don't forget to order before December 1st, and use the code 'BECK'.
Orders using the code will be delivered to school for collection on Friday 8th of December, with 10% of sales going to our kura!

PTA Secondhand Uniform Shop

Our Second Hand Uniform Shop is open on Tuesdays from 2.45 to 3.15pm and Fridays from 8.45 to 9.15. We’ve recently had an influx of senior jackets so pop in if you have a child entering year 7 next year!

Community Notices

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

3rd November (10% discount) - https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=BRECRN23&ep=DISCOUNT10 

30th November (10% discount)  - https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/Show.aspx?sh=BREADL23&ep=DISCOUNT10

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto School Newsletter, Friday 28 October, 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Our thoughts have been and continue to be with all of those involved with the Coronial Inquiry into the Mosque shooting that started in Christchurch this week. We know that this will be impacting many families in our community and we send our support and aroha to you all.

Thank you to our PTA!

We want to send an enormous shout-out of thanks to our PTA, both present and past, who worked over many years to fundraise for our outdoor spaces. The final part of the funds that they raised, contributed to the funding for our two new turf areas. Our children are enjoying these new surfaces so much, and we are extremely grateful for the funding that made this possible.

Considerations for home-group placement for 2024

As we start to put together home groups for 2024, we know that you may hold particular information or insight that you want to share that will support the placement of your child for next year.
While our teachers hold a lot of knowledge and understanding around the needs of our children, we are keen to also know if there is anything particular you think we should be aware of as we make these decisions.
As you will appreciate, putting home groups together is a hugely complex puzzle where the needs of all children need to be carefully considered. This means that we are not asking for 'requests' for teachers or for friendship groups as we would never be able to meet all of those. What we are seeking, is to be made aware of anything important you think we need to consider that we might not be aware of. We will add your thoughts to ours, and do the best we can to make sure that everyone's needs have been considered in our process.
If you have anything you want us to know, please email me (not the teachers) so that I have all the information in one place. I will need this information by the end of Week 4 - Friday 3rd November.
email: principal@beckenham.school.nz

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

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

Fri 3 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 3 Nov - 9:30-12:30, Y5-8 Choir at Chch Schools Music Festival Rehearsal
Fri 3 Nov - CHCH Schools Music Festival Beckenham Performance Night
Wed 8 Nov - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 10 Nov - Zones Athletics, Hansen Park
Fri 10 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Wed 15 Nov - 4pm Voting Closes - Board Elections
Thu 16 Nov - School Closed, Staff Only Day
Fri 17 Nov - School Closed, Canterbury Anniversary Day
Mon 20 Nov - Mon 27 Nov - Year 6 Beckenham Cycle Safe
Wed 22 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Fri 24 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 9:10-9:50am, in the Hall
Fri 24 Nov - PTA School Community Picnic, 5.00-7.30pm, Beckenham Park
Fri 1 Dec - Student Council - Celebrating Diversity and Culture Day (non-uniform)
Fri 1 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Thu 7 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 8 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 8 Dec - 12:15-3pm, Kahikatea Team trip to Isaac Theatre Royal, Southern Ballet
Mon 11 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Tue 12 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Fri 15 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9:45am, in the Hall
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Graduation, 11am-12pm
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Leavers' Lunch 12:30-1:30pm
Tue 19 Dec - Last Day of Term 4, School finishes at 12.30pm

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Cian Scott - Year 8

Cian, you are a natural leader in our Kauri whānau. You look out for those around you and are proactive in stepping in when you see an opportunity to help or support others. We see this on the sports field when you come alongside others to offer advice and encouragement. We see this in the loyalty that you show your friends and the artful way that you are able to use humour to brighten someone’s spirits. Thank you for all you bring to our Kauri whānau. 

School Notices

Board Parent Mid-Term Election 2023 - 3 Vacancies

Instruction on how you vote electronically has been distributed by email to eligible whānau. If you have any problems with this process, please contact our Liaison Officer for the Board Election at reihana.dougherty@beckenham.school.nz

Please take the time to read the candidate statements, and cast your vote. Your participation in this process is hugely appreciated, and essential in the appointment of our representatives to our Board, that represent our school community.

Voting closes at 4:00 PM Wednesday, November 15th.

Attendance

Thank you for continuing to be proactive in communicating if your child will not be at school. After the process of marking the morning roll takes place, text messages will be sent out to primary contacts for all students marked as not here ("?").

We appreciate your prompt response to these messages so we can mark your child, or follow up accordingly.

Please remember the roll is taken by teachers at 8:55 a.m., and any students who arrive in class after this time will need to be signed in at the Office.

Sports News

School Athletics Day

It was awesome to see our tamariki out on the park embracing challenge and supporting each other at our school athletics this week. This event celebrates the P.E. learning that our ākonga have been doing over the past few weeks. There were lots of impressive performances of skill and sportsmanship throughout the day from all ages. 

Thank you to the senior students who helped with set up and pack down and to whānau who helped run events or allowed themselves to be roped into our house relay. 

The final school event for our Year 5 to 8 tamariki is long jump, which is an optional event and takes place at Hillview Christian School. Children have signed up for this event through a Google form at school. 

Years 5 and 6 will do long jump next Tuesday morning from 9:00.
Years 7 and 8 will do long jump next Tuesday afternoon after lunch.

We are looking for a couple of adult help to support us with walking the children to Hillview Christian School and running the event. If you are able to support us, please send an email to Steve or Jenny. 

steve.cooke@beckenham.school.nz
jenny.diggle@beckenham.school.nz

Huxster

On Wednesday, a group of children from Years 5 to 8 competed at the Huxster Mountain Bike Relay at McLean's Island. At this event, children work in a team of two to complete as many laps of the course as they can within the allotted time. The sun was shining and the stoke level was high as the children took on this challenge. A huge congratulations to all who took part. 

All the children deserve to feel very proud of their achievements.

Ben and Zach - Third Place Year 5/6 Boys Team
Isabella and Annabelle - First Place Year 7/8 Girls Team

BOT Update

Term 4 Policy Review

Thank you to everyone who submitted their reviews and feedback on our Term 3 policies. Your feedback helps generate quality discussion with Staff, and the Board when looking at the policies and practices within our kura. Your voices and experiences are incredibly appreciated in this process.

This Term, the below policies are up for review:


If a link is inactive on SchoolDocs, our school doesn't have the topic.

How to review
  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.

Example of Policy Review questions
Feedback

You can send feedback on a topic to the school at any time using the green feedback button at the top of the page.
While only a certain number of topics are available for review each term, SchoolDocs users can send feedback about any topic, at any time, directly to the school. Members of the school community can submit feedback to the school to request a change, query information in the policy, or provide implementation feedback.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto – School Newsletter Friday 20 October 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

We have been watching with horror, the events that have been unfolding in Israel and Gaza over the past two weeks and recognise that this conflict is likely to continue to take a significant toll on lives in that region for some time to come. Our thoughts go out to all of you who have whānau, friends and colleagues in this area. 

Considerations for home-group placement for 2024

As we start to put together home groups for 2024, we know that you may hold particular information or insight that you want to share that will support the placement of your child for next year.
While our teachers hold a lot of knowledge and understanding around the needs of our children, we are keen to also know if there is anything particular you think we should be aware of as we make these decisions.
As you will appreciate, putting home groups together is a hugely complex puzzle where the needs of all children need to be carefully considered. This means that we are not asking for 'requests' for teachers or for friendship groups as we would never be able to meet all of those. What we are seeking, is to be made aware of anything important you think we need to consider that we might not be aware of. We will add your thoughts to ours, and do the best we can to make sure that everyone's needs have been considered in our process.
If you have anything you want us to know, please email me (not the teachers) so that I have all the information in one place. I will need this information by the end of Week 4 - Friday 3rd November.
email: principal@beckenham.school.nz

Challenging Online Behaviour out of school...

Outside of school hours, a number of children in our community are continuing to experience online bullying behaviour on social media platforms including TikTok and Fortnite, and this is causing extreme distress to both the children and their families.
Families have many steps that they can take if their child is being bullied or threatened online.
Depending on the nature of the incident, will depend on where you might go for support:

Self-Reporting Content
Report harmful accounts to the platform directly. By reporting in-app, platforms are able to see previous engagement with the accounts and other contextual information. Reporting through these channels is often the fastest way to get content reviewed and acted on.
For Tiktok: You can report a video or account to TikTok for abuse by following the instructions here. 

Report to the Police any incidents of immediate concern, especially around threats of physical harm.

Netsafe deals with online harm advice, and have several helpful resources:
We encourage you to continue to engage with your child around their online behaviour, and to ensure that you are able to monitor and support their interactions in this challenging space.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Mon 23 Oct - School Closed, Labour Day
Wed 25 Oct - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Thu 26 Oct - School Athletics Day
Fri 3 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 3 Nov - CHCH Schools Music Festival Beckenham Performance Night
Wed 8 Nov - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 10 Nov - Zones Athletics, Hansen Park
Thu 16 Nov - School Closed, Staff Only Day
Fri 17 Nov - School Closed, Canterbury Anniversary Day
Mon 20 Nov - Mon 27 Nov - Year 6 Beckenham Cycle Safe
Wed 22 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Fri 24 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 24 Nov - PTA School Picnic, 5.00-7.30pm, Beckenham Park
Fri 1 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Thu 7 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 8 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Mon 11 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Tue 12 Dec - 7-8pm Kauri Production, in the Hall
Fri 15 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly, 9:45am, in the Hall
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Graduation, 11am-12pm
Tue 19 Dec - Last Day of Term 4, School finishes at 12.30pm

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Alicia Colquhoun - Year 6

Alicia, we have seen such positive growth in you as a learner this year! You put a lot of thought and effort into all of your work and you are showing more confidence in sharing your ideas with others. You are a kind, caring person and inclusive of all. We look forward to seeing you blossom in all that you do. Ka pai tō mahi, Alicia!

School Notices

Important Health & Safety Reminder

Please ensure all school gates are shut behind you until 3pm. Please do not use items to hold the gates open, and if you notice a gate has been propped open by something, please help us by closing this.

The gates surrounding our school have been added to ensure the safety of our tamariki. 

Well done to...

Jenna Sitompul
O'Sullivan Cup for Excellence in Art

Jenna, you have a great talent for drawing. Your style is full of fun and vibrancy with strong lines and great use of colour. You have been involved in many art projects over the past two years, including the design of our House murals and supporting the painting of Elmer. At the start of this year, you co-created our art club which a lot of students enjoyed participating in. You also designed a fabulous Cantamath motif in your trademark style. Thank you for all of your artistic contributions and for inspiring others. Congratulations Jenna.

Jemma Sunderland / Timon Spill
Janne Rowson ICT Award

Jemma, your leadership is on show when it comes to using technology to support the school. You willingly give your time and effort into making sure that events run smoothly through the use of ICT. You find solutions and troubleshoot any problems - especially when they unexpectedly come up in the middle of something! When we had our tree planting ceremony for the coronation of King Charles III, you worked hard to ensure that the outdoor speakers were set and that the music would work perfectly. You approach every task with the desire to get things right from the outset. Thank you for your ICT contributions. Congratulations, Jemma. 

Timon, you naturally excel when it comes to technology. You can always be counted on to reliably and efficiently set up ICT equipment for all manner of events, whether whole school or for a small group. In particular, your consistent dedication and invaluable contributions have made you an integral part of the ICT crew for production. Timon, you approach every task with a calm and focused attitude and you willingly problem solve. Your trustworthiness, proactivity and expertise make you a natural go to person whenever there is a need for support with ICT. Thank you for your ICT contributions. Congratulations, Timon.

Elijah Hakeagaiki, for his results, and contribution to his team at his recent rugby league tournament.
Elijah had a great break at his league tournament. They had an awesome time, played 5 games, and won all of them. He was very proud to do his haka before every game and also to support the other teams that were there. 



Scholastic Lucky Book Club - Issue 7 Out Now!


Issue 7 is out now, please follow the link below to look at the catalogue online, and to order. Orders close Friday 1 December.

Staff Profiles

Welcome to another of our new Teaching Assistants, Karen Glithero, who started with us this term.
Karen will be working primarily supporting students in the Kahikatea Team. 

PTA News

This coming week we have our monthly meeting, on the 25th of October at 7.30pm in the staff room - it’s always great to see new faces!

Almost one month until our Community Picnic, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday the 24th November.

AND! Look out for our 2023 Christmas Goodies fundraiser, we’ll have Christmas cakes and honey this year, which should make fabulous presents. More info coming soon! 

BOT Update

Board Parent Mid-Term Election 2023 - 3 Vacancies

Instruction on how you vote electronically has been distributed by email to eligible whānau. For those without valid email addresses - you have been mailed voting papers for a paper vote. If you have any problems with this process, please contact our Liaison Officer for the Board Election; at reihana.dougherty@beckenham.school.nz

Voting closes at 4:00 PM Wednesday, November 15th.

Thank you to all of our candidates who have expressed interest in supporting the governance and success of our kura. Please take a look at the candidate statements below:

Community Notices

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

Sunday 5 November - Commemorative Events for Parihaka



Warm greetings from our Parihaka Network Trust. The New Zealand History Curriculum offers wonderful opportunities for sharing the Parihaka story. Our Trust is here to help. Our mission is to 'promote Parihaka philosophy, ideals and beliefs of peace and reconciliation through non-violence.' 

This coming Sunday 5 November, we are providing three opportunities for people to connect with the story of Parihaka. You may wish to share this with your teaching staff or school community and share the Facebook link below.

5 November 2023
  • 10.30am - Parihaka Commemorative church service @ St Mary the Virgin, Church Square, Addington, followed by silent walk to old Addington Prison for karakia and laying of flowers.

  • 2.30pm - Silent Hikoi starting at Lyttleton Rose Garden: a pilgrimage walk from the old gaol around the coastal track to Rāpaki and the Parihaka Memorial*

  • 5pm - Memorial service at Rāpaki Church and karakia at the Parihaka Memorial, followed by light refreshments 
*wet weather alternatives will be posted on Facebook www.facebook.com/ParihakaOtautahi/ and Instagram www.instagram.com/parihakaotautahi/ 

Swimming Canterbury West Coast

After a successful events in March and June, Swimming Canterbury West Coast is excited to announce our third dedicated "Have-a-Go Carnival" event for 2023.

The event is open to any swimmer (of any age) who is not currently registered as a club or competitive swimmer with Swimming New Zealand and is capable of swimming 25m without assistance.

Participation is free, and registration is on the day. Swimmers are welcome to swim in 25m, 50m, kick, and relay races!

For more information, head to our website:
Facebook Event: t.ly/tdhZA

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto School Newsletter Term 4 Week 1

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

First day of Voting in the Library
... happened this week, to support our students with the concept of using a voting system to have a voice. They were voting on which genre of books they would like more of: Fiction (novels), Non-Fiction, Picture Books or Graphic Novels.

Our tamariki used their vote to provide us with crucial feedback for our purchasing! This is "Youth Voices Matter" in action!

Early indications show Graphic Novels are in the lead. Voting will continue for another week. The students have been very enthusiastic with several discussing the NZ Elections whilst queuing to vote.

Important Dates

Sat 14 Oct - Election Day, Voting Open in the School Hall 
Fri 20 Oct- Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Mon 23 Oct - School Closed, Labour Day
Wed 25 Oct - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Thu 26 Oct - School Athletics Day TBC
Fri 3 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 3 Nov - CHCH Schools Music Festival Beckenham Performance Night
Wed 8 Nov - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 10 Nov - Zones Athletics, Hansen Park
Thu 16 Nov - School Closed, Staff Only Day
Fri 17 Nov - School Closed, Canterbury Anniversary Day
Mon 20 Nov - Mon 27 Nov - Year 6 Beckenham Cycle Safe
Wed 22 Nov - PTA Meeting, 7.30pm
Fri 24 Nov - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 24 Nov - PTA School Picnic, 5.00-7.30pm, Beckenham Park
Fri 1 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Thu 7 Dec - BOT Meeting, 5.30pm, Staffroom
Fri 8 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Fri 15 Dec - Celebration Assembly, 10am, in the Hall
Mon 18 Dec - Year 8 Graduation, 11am-12pm
Tue 19 Dec - Last Day of Term 4, School finishes at 12.30pm

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Emily Christensen - Year 4

Emily, you are a wonderful role model in our hub. You are always positive, caring and helpful. You put your best effort into learning and have outstanding self-management skills. Thank you for always demonstrating our school values in everything that you do. Well done, Emily!

School Notices

The sun is out, and our tamariki have been enjoying our newly installed surfaces in the Junior Playground! Don't forget hats are required in Term 4. Please ensure your child's hat is clearly named. 

Earthquake Drill

Next week on Wednesday 18th of October at 12.30pm is our scheduled termly evacuation drill. This term will be an earthquake drill. Drills are held once a term and most of our children are familiar and confident with the process. 

Teachers have been supporting learning and discussions on natural disasters in preparation for this, and there are discussion starters in the daily notices which are read each morning with all tamariki. 

If you are collecting your child early on Wednesday for any appointments etc. Please ensure they are signed in and out at the Office, as usual, to assist in the accuracy of our drill.

Staff Profiles

Please join us in welcoming one of our new Teaching Assistants who started with us this term.

Laura Stewart-Cameron joins our Learning Support Team as a Teaching Assistant and will be working primarily in Kahikatea. 

Laura Stewart-Cameron

"Kia ora. I’m Laura. I enjoy sewing and creating and love spending time with my two children and two dogs. I have a background in early childhood teaching and ballet teaching. I am looking forward to supporting the students at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto."

While we welcome Laura to her new role, we also farewell Amanda Kay who has given her time to our kura, and Ferndale. Amanda is making the move back to the North Island with her whānau, and we wish her all the best with her move and future endeavours!

PTA News

Thanks for all of your calendar orders - orders closed at midnight on Friday 13th October so we can get all the orders out in time for Christmas. 

Planning for our Community Picnic is coming together, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday 24th November.

Look out for our 2023 Christmas Goodies fundraiser, we’ll have Christmas cakes and honey this year, which should make fabulous presents. More info coming soon! 

And finally, we have our monthly meeting next week, 25th October at 7.30pm in the staff room - it’s always great to see new faces!

BOT Update

Board Parent Mid-Term Election 2023 - 3 Vacancies

At the close of nominations at 12 noon Wednesday, October 11th, the following nominations were received for the parent vacancies on the School Board. 
* Reena Brinner
* Craig Hurford
* Alex James
* Daniel Toledo
* John Richard Ussher
* Darren Webster 
We will now be proceeding to an election. Full candidate statements will be shared with you next week.

Instruction on how you vote electronically will be distributed by email this Wednesday the 18th of October. For those without valid email addresses - you will be mailed voting papers for a paper vote.

Voting closes at 4:00 PM Wednesday, November 15th.
The new Board will take office on Wednesday 22nd November 2023.

Thank you to all of our candidates who have expressed interest in supporting the governance and success of our kura. 

Community Notices

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


Team Social began with two parents who saw a need for social opportunities for young adults with special needs in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Their first event is a disco, so if you love to dance, come along. Ticket price includes food and soft drinks.

The Team Social crew will be there to supervise, but you are welcome to bring your own support person if required. We look forward to seeing you there! Jo, Gavin and Aron Harris. 0274264660 The link for tickets is below. 

Cashmere Kea's

Cashmere Kea’s for 5 to 8 year olds: spaces available for next term onwards. Fun and friendship are the cornerstones of the Kea programme. It is filled with a little bit of everything: outdoor activities, games and crafts. 

Meeting Place: Scout Den, Hackthorne Road, Cashmere, Christchurch Meeting time: Monday 5.45pm – 6.45pm Info about prices / contact details for Cashmere Kea’s https://scouts.nz/groups/cashmere-scout-group/ More info about Kea’s in general: https://scouts.nz/keas/


When:  Thursday 19th October 2023, 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Where:  La Vida Centre / CHRISTCHURCH

Presentation:  Understanding Your Brain: Building Resilience & Maximising Learning

'The concept of building resilience in our children is more and more at the forefront of parents' minds. Academic success is in fact a result of resilience and can mean very little without it. In this summary of the evidence and research around what resilience looks like, how it’s fostered and which environments do it the best, Nathan will break down for parents (in his usual ’straight from the hip’ humourous style) exactly what we can do to facilitate our children developing resilience, increase their academic ability and enjoy an overall better quality of life. We will look at how our brains work as a basis for understanding how to achieve this.'

(note: this presentation caters for parents/carers and educators who care for children of all ages.  It is also relevant for us grown-ups!)

More info/tickets available on Eventfinda NZ or by clicking on the link below:


Early bird tickets are still available - until sold out.  Get in quick!


Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 22 Sep 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

What an amazing end to Term 3 with the talent show! Beckenham has a lot of talent. Each team got to experience a variety of performances in their hubs, and from there 2 acts were chosen to represent each of the teams. 

Thank you to the Student Council for their organisation of the show and to all the performers for sharing your talents with us - We Make a Difference.

BOT Update

SchooI Board Parent Mid-Term Election 2023

Board of Trustees Nominations

Our school will be undertaking a mid-term parent election for 3 School Board vacancies.
This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community today, 
Friday 22nd September 2023.



We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with
legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination
into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address
in our database, or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on
to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates.

Nominations close on Wednesday 11 th October at 12 noon. Election day is Wednesday
15th November 2023.


Our school needs to have people on the Board who reflect the wonderfully diverse community that makes up our school population. This means that we need as many different world views sitting at our board table together, to enable us to have a deep and rich understanding of the needs of our tamariki and the best ways to support them to be successful.

We look forward to your participation in this process. 

Wishing you all a safe and relaxing two weeks. See you on Monday 9th October for Term 4.

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB: You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.
 
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3