Living Springs Camp tomorrow

Camp tomorrow! We can't wait! Here are a few reminders:
  • All children are to arrive at school tomorrow at the normal time, in mufti, with their back pack and one gear bag.
  • Everyone is required to bring morning tea and lunch for Tuesday.
  • Every child must have a water bottle and a brimmed hat.
  • Please check that all gear on the list has been packed and named.
  • Any medication that your child will require (such as inhalers, antihistamine cream, hydrocortisone cream etc) is to be in a zip locked bag, along with a medical form, and handed to Katie upon arrival at school.
We have a group of parents organised to come out to camp to support our whānau. Some are full-time and others will be part-time. We will be well supported and thank the rest of you for not visiting during the three days. Part of the purpose of camp is for your children to develop independence.

If you should need to contact us in an emergency, please use Tracy's cellphone which is  
027 363 0220 or the camp number which is 03 02998788 and after hours 0800 462732.

We will see you Thursday afternoon. Keep an eye out for updates on the school Facebook page to check out our adventures!

T4 W4 in Pōhutukawa

Living Springs Camp 11-13 November (next week!)

Excitement is mounting as camp is next week. Here are a few reminders:
  • The children are to be at school on Tuesday morning at the normal time, in mufti, with their big bag and their back pack. We will stack their luggage in the pathway of our hub. 
  • Living Springs have notified us of the importance of bringing a single bottom sheet, due to having new mattress protectors
  • In their back pack the children will need their morning tea and lunch in a lunch box, a water bottle, their wide brimmed sun hat, sunscreen, a waterproof jacket and any medication (such as inhaler or travel sickness medication)
  • Other medication is to be in a ziplock bag with the medicine authority form filled in (sent home already) and handed to Katie.
  • The following items should not be brought to camp: money, electronic devices, torches, cell phones, cameras, toys. 
  • Please label all clothing and items being brought to camp.
  • When we return on Thursday, the children will need to be picked up from our hub so we can sign them off. They will be very tired and may need help with their luggage. We estimate we will be back at school from 2:30-3pm. If your child will be going to Bosco upon their return, could you please inform us.
Long jump at Hillview Christian School

Unfortunately due to the rain and weather forecast, this even has been cancelled.

Canterbury Triathlon

If your child would like to enter the Canterbury Triathlon. Please, use this form to enter your child for the Canterbury Triathlon. 

This event is being held at Pegasus on the 28th of November. A good level of fitness is required as this is a tough endurance event. This is a perfect event for those children who really love a challenge. The children who have enter previously have loved this event and the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing the course. 

The race is as follows:
Year 5/6: 75 m swim, 4.5 km bike, 2.5 km run
Year 7/8: 100 m swim, 10.8 km bike, 2.5 km run

The swim takes place in the lake and there will be times when the children will not be able to touch the bottom. There are no lanes. While the children race in heats, there are still quite a few competitors starting at once, which the children should be prepared for. 

Transportation and supervision for this event must be organised by individual families. We are also required, as a school to provide one adult helper to assist with set up or pack down, and have marshaling duties. This adult must be free from responsibility for any competitor. Please let me know if you are able to fulfil this role. 

Zone athletics sports on Monday 12 November

Congratulations to those students who have qualified to represent our school at the zones. This will be held at Hansens Park. Children who are competing on Monday are to meet in the Kauri hub at 8:20am. They are to be wearing sports shorts and a Beckenham sports top. With them they should have their school bag with a big lunch, water bottle and their school hat. If they do not have a school hat they will not be allowed to compete.

School hats

In terms one and four, a red wide brimmed/bucket hat is a compulsory part of our school uniform. It is important that we promote being sunsmart at school. Every student must wear their hat at break times and during any learning times outside, including PE and sports. It would be very helpful if you checked that your child/ren has a named hat at school.

Stationery

At this time of the year we often find that a number of children have run out of essential stationery items. Not having the correct equipment at school becomes a barrier for learning, and is frustrating for all concerned. To be ready for learning every child should have a pencil, pen, eraser, glue stick, ruler and pencil sharpener. We would very much appreciate your support for ensuring your child is prepared for the school day.

Beach Education opportunity

We are pleased to be able to offer your child/ren the opportunity to attend a full day Beach Ed programme, at the South Brighton Surf Club. Beach Ed is a full day surf safety course delivered at the beach by surf lifeguards, and is age-appropriate learning for our year 4-6 students. Beach Ed also covers module 8 of Swimming NZ Kiwi Swim Safe Program. 

Activities on the day may vary depending on conditions but will cover the following:
  • A tour of the South Brighton Surf Club.
  • Teaching of surf safety rules.
  • Identification of and how to escape a rip current.
  • Beach games - relating to a skill to stay safe on the beach including a sand sculpture of a rip current.
  • How to set up a beach patrol, reinforcing safety messages.
  • Water activities. This may include mock rescues, using bodyboards, channel/hole identification, and survival using a flotation device.
  • Lifeguard in a rip.
  • Sun smart tips.

We will be travelling to South Brighton over two days, splitting our children into two groups. The Year 6 students and those students competing in the Canterbury Triathlon will be going on Tuesday. The Year 5 and 4 students will be going on Wednesday.

Dates: Tuesday 27th November & Wednesday 28th November
Time: Leaving school at 9:00 am, returning to school at 3:00 pm both days.
Location:   South Brighton Surf Club (cnr Bridge Street & Marine Parade, South New     
                        Brighton. 
Cost: It will cost the school $13.50 per child to carry out/run this activity/trip. A  
                       request for your contribution to support this additional activity will be added to  
                       your child's next account.

The PTA have kindly donated $1000.00 towards transport costs for this trip, for which we are very grateful.

In order to make this fantastic, educational day a success, parents and teachers must participate in both water and beach activities. We require a minimum of one adult for every five students in the water. It is essential that parents and teachers bring their togs and be prepared to get wet. We are unable to take Preschoolers on this trip.
To this end, we are asking for 10 parent helpers per day, 20 in total. 
This will be fantastic opportunity for your child. Without you we cannot run this event.

Please contact us ASAP if you are keen to come and help out on one or both of the Beach Ed days.

We are sending home a paper copy of this information today.


Long jump at Hillview Christian School on Friday 9 November

Long Jump for Athletics

On Friday 9 November those children who have elected to participate in the long jump event for athletics will be walking to Hillview Christian School (on Wilsons Rd).

They will be leaving school at 12:40pm, taking with them their bag/lunch. Once they get to Hillview they will be able to eat their lunch in between jumping and waiting for others to have their turn.

Once all children have had sufficient jumps, they will be walking back to school. We imagine they will be back in time for assembly at 2:20pm.

To ensure the safety of our students we require 2 - 3 adults to accompany our long jumpers on the walk to Hillview Christian School. If you have a free afternoon on Friday, and would like to help us out, as well as cheer on our enthusiastic long jumpers, please email Tracy by Wednesday.
Many thanks
tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz

Image result for long jump clip art

Important Forms for Living Springs Camp 13 – 15 November

Hopefully your child brought home the three different notices relating to camp that we gave out on Friday. One notice is an information and gear list for you to keep. The second notice is a Health Profile and Medical Consent form. This is to be filled in and returned to school on Monday. This information is essential for us to plan and prepare in advance, to ensure that we are aware of medical backgrounds and history, just in case! The third form is a Medical Authority form. This is to be filled out if your child is bringing any type of medication to camp. The filled form, along with the medication, should be put into a zip lock bag or ice cream container and handed to Katie on the day we leave for camp (Tuesday 13 November).

We have attached the all of the notices and forms here, in the event that your little poppet misplaced them and they didn't quite make it home!

If you have any queries regarding camp, please contact one of us.




2018 T4 W2 in Pōhutukawa

Pōhutukawa Pitch Perfect choir performance this Friday

Good luck to the Pōhutukawa Pitch Perfect choir who are performing at Horncastle Arena on Friday 26th October.

The choir will be attending a massed rehearsal on Friday morning. They will bus from school to  Horncastle Arena in the morning, and will return to school by lunchtime. Whilst there they will be shown where to meet when they are dropped off that night (they enter through door 1) and where they are being seated in the arena when not performing.

We ask that parents please do not visit their child/ren during the performance. The performers are to be picked up at the end of the show from where they are sitting, so they are able to be signed out.

The children are required to be at the arena by 6:15pm, in clean and tidy school uniform .

Tickets are available through Ticketek. Adult tickets cost $22.00 and school age children are $10.00.

We welcome back our trainee teacher, Lisa Griffith



Pōhutukawa Whānau has been very fortunate to have had Lisa Griffith as a part of our team, for three weeks at the end of last term, and four weeks of this term. Lisa is in her last year of training to be a teacher, and when she finishes this placement will graduate, ready to begin her career as a teacher. She is mainly based in Beach, with Tracy and has been a valuable contributor to our team.

School Athletics Day

Our school athletics day is next Thursday, 1 November. The students will be participating in field events - shot put, discus and high jump, along with sprinting races.
They have an option of signing up for long jump, which will be held at Hillview Christian School, on an alternative day (Friday 2 November), and opting into mid distance (1000m) running, which is being held first thing on athletics day (9:15am).
The children should wear sports shorts and house shirts or their school shirt on athletics day. They have the option of wearing running shoes or bare feet when competing.
We will supply sunblock during the day, and it would be great if the children came to school with sunblock already applied to their face and torso.
A wide brimmed sunhat is essential for the day, along with a named water bottle. The children will be unable to compete if they do not have a hat. They will be carrying their water bottle with them from event to event.

Sexuality Road Programme: Parent meeting

In week 6 we will be starting our health unit: The Sexuality Road. This topic addresses, changes that happen at puberty (physical and emotional), communication and decision making, reproduction and where to go to for support. We will teach the Year 5 programme and the Year 6 programme separately. If you would like to find out more about what the programme involves, we will be holding a parent information evening for Year 5 - 8 families in the staffroom on Thursday November 2nd, starting at 7pm.

Living Springs Camp 13 - 15 November

We are very much on the countdown for camp. The teachers are finalising details, and intend to send home an information newsletter, gear list and medical form by the end of the week. If you have any concerns or questions about camp, please contact any one of the teachers in the hub.