Principal's Patch
Kia ora koutou
Welcome to the first edition of our blog style school newsletter! We are really excited about the new look and format, and hope that it will enable you, our readers, to access information more easily, on a range of devices, with more interactivity.
We hope to bring you more images, videos, links to the
school website (check out the amazing new look here too), team blogs, surveys, external websites and social media such as the
school Facebook page.
Our enormous thanks to Nick Bruce who put the new website and newsletter blog together, and to the small group of parents who volunteered to be a focus and testing group for him during Term 2
We'd love to get your feedback - tell us what you like, and, if something isn't working for you, how you think we could improve it. We do expect that there will need to be some 'tweeking' as we go!
New Security around the school, and particularly for bikes and scooters
Over the school holidays, we had a new security camera system installed in the school. Our old system had been steadily falling over, so it was very timely. The cameras will be able to be moved, as buildings and our site changes with the rebuild. We hope to be able to capture a time lapse of the building process through this system as well.
We have been aware of increasing concerns over security of scooters and bicycles at school. To that end, we have now asked children to park all scooters and bikes in the gravel area in front of the hall. We have a security camera on that particular area which we anticipate will help with security. We still request that all scooters and bikes are locked.
Free, 6 week Positive Parenting Course
We have worked with the Christchurch Methodist Mission to enable a Free, 6 week Positive Parenting Course to be made available at our school. The course is open to anyone in the community. The sessions will run from 6:30pm to 8pm each Tuesday evening, starting on Tuesday 9 August and finishing on Tuesday 13 September.
The sessions are being facilitated by trained staff from the Christchurch Methodist Mission, and funded through their funding streams.
The school will provide supervision for children, if you need to bring them along to enable you to attend the workshop.
Please click here to enrol as places will be limited.Does your child have a water bottle at school every day?
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is critically important for healthy hydration that promotes brain function, and therefore learning. We request that every child has a drink bottle (preferably a clear bottle, so that they can monitor their drinking) at school every day, that can be refilled with water throughout the day.
Apart from water, and milk (available through the Milk in Schools programme), we request that no other drinks be brought to school.
Click here for an interesting NZ article on water at schoolBuilding Update
Whilst we were hoping that the building programme would begin this term, we have been advised that the earliest it will now start is the beginning of Term 4. The Board are determined that we will not begin moving students and teachers to the Champion St site until we are guaranteed that work will begin here at school. We do not want to be moving off-site and have nothing happen for a long period of time. We will keep you posted.
Ngā mihi
Sandy Hastings - Tumuaki/Principal
Important Dates
Upcoming Events |
Fri 29 Jul
8:30am - 9:15am
2nd hand Uniform Shop Open
Fri 29 Jul
9:15am
Welcome Assembly
Fri 29 Jul
9:30am
Celebration Assembly
(Sir Peter Blake Award)
Fri 29 Jul
2:30-3:15pm
2nd Hand Uniform Shop Open
Mon1 - Fri 5 Aug
Cook Islands Language Week
Mon 1 Aug
11:30-3:00pm
Y5-8 Winter Tournament
Hagley Park
Tue 2 Aug
ICAS English test
Wed 3 Aug
7:00pm, staffroom
PTA AGM, then normal meeting
Tue 9 Aug
6:30-8:00pm, staffroom
Positive Parenting Workshop |
|
first of 6 weeks of free workshops sign up by clicking on link above
Thu 11 Aug 6:00 - 8:30pm BOT meeting
|
Citizen of the Week
Billy Murfin - Year 2
Billy, you are an outstanding role model who consistently demonstrates our Beckenham School values. Your kind, thoughtful and humourous approach to learning and social situations is appreciated by everyone around you and your peers look up to you. You put 100% effort into everything you do and help others to achieve alongside you which is evidence of your caring nature. Your smile and positive attitude to life brightens our day and we are very lucky to have you in our Kahikatea Team. Tino pai, Billy!Sharing our Learning
Kahikatea
Kahikatea have enjoyed a fabulous start to the term with children arriving refreshed and excited to be back at school. Something that has been generating excitement and interest is ‘Discovery Stations.’ This is a new element to our daily routine that runs alongside our Reading, Writing and Maths programs. You will be aware that schools are changing and adapting to the needs of the 21st Century. Discovery stations is our way of meeting those needs and developing soft skills such as creativity, confidence, collaboration and problem solving. Discovery Stations is all about giving children agency through offering a variety of stations, which provide coverage of the curriculum while fostering the development of ‘soft skills’.
Stations are 'good to go' from the moment the children arrive at school with most children choosing to start their learning right then and there. This week the children have been working collaboratively to: create a bridge out of string and paper; work in pairs to write their name using the binary code; take on the role of teacher and curl up on the bean bag with a good book.
Each day we focus on a reflective question to support the children to make connections between the stations and their learning. This week we have thought about how we choose a station and what we can do to help others.
“I like Discovery Stations because there is a lots of learning. My favourite one is making codes so you can talk to a computer. I taught Sandy how to write her name in code!” James
“I like the building station. My bridge didn’t work at first, but I kept trying.” Lyndsay
“I have been doing the Impossible Bridge Station. I have been trying different things to see what will stabilise my bridge.” Dan
“Discovery Stations is really fun. I like having time to read my book in the Quiet Zone.” Vida
Stations change and adapt to meet the needs and interests of the children and to link in with our current learning contexts. You can be sure that there will always be opportunities for Reading, Writing and Maths on offer!
School Notices
Lost and Found
The badge below has been handed in to the office.
Immunisation Records
If you have already brought in immunisation details to the office for your child(ren) many thanks. If you haven't then please have a hunt for the plunket book or contact your GP and get a copy of the immunisation details. If your child has not been immunised I also need to know this. If you can take a clear photo of the relevant page with your phone, just
email it through to me with your child's name in the email.
Many thanks - Jacky
Junior Neighbourhood Support:
Welcome back to school, I hope you have all had a fun and safe break. Last term seemed very busy but the Junior Neighbourhood Support Leaders have worked on the focus- Be Fair and Helpful. You may have seen the colourful chalk messages in the playground. I also presented 6 Awards to children who have shown assistance, caring behaviour and given their time to help the community. Please remember to nominate any children that you feel have done something that shows a community spirit, an act of assistance or care. The forms are by the JNS mailbox in the office.
Check out the
Junior Neighbourhood support website.
Regards Elissa Smith
PTA News
Save the date! This is one you won't want to miss if you love a good belly laugh and lots of fun,
Comedy Bingo Show,
Friday 26th August.
More details to follow in term 3.
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
ADHD - University of Canterbury study - opportunity for your ADHD child...
The Mental Health and Nutrition Research Group at the University of Canterbury are currently running a study testing a vitamin-mineral formula to treat ADHD in children. If you have a child 7-12 years old with ADHD symptoms (an existing diagnosis is not required) who is not currently taking medication, see the study website:
http://bit.ly/childadhd, or contact Kathryn Darling
Kathryn.darling@pg.canterbury.ac.nz or 03-364 2987 ext. 7705. We only have a few spaces left and will only be taking new participants until the end of term 3, so get in quick!”
After school art
Monday's 3.30 - 4.30, 5-9 years. Tuesday - Thursday 3.20 - 5.30 10 years and up. Saturday arts and crafts sessions in Opawa.
Contact Ira on 0274489932
iraartist@hotmail.com www.artbyira.netAndy Griffiths is coming to town...!
National Scout Scarf Day
Friday 5th August is the 3rd annual
National Scout Scarf Day which encourages all present and ex Scout members to wear their scarves to School, work etc.
International advocate and speaker Melinda Tankard Reist, speaking on the sexualisation of children...
...at Hillview Christian School on Sunday August 7th (7-8.30pm) and we would love to invite your school community to attend. (
see flyer here)
Melinda will be speaking on the sexualisation of children, how this is impacting the global exploitation of children, and looking at practical things we can do in response.
There is an interview about this event on page 5 of todays press, and another article on Stuff
Stuff - Sexualisation of Children - an issues that needs to be facedwww.hagar.org.nzInsulation Subsidies for Landlords
Community Energy Action can provide a 50% insulation subsidy for landlords whose tenants either
- Have a community services card OR
- Are low income and have a health condition that is affected by the cold
Conditions apply. Subsidy includes ceiling and underfloor insulation, and installation.
Call us now to arrange a free, no obligation quote.
Please be aware that funding is limited for these subsidies. We are currently experiencing a high volume of enquiries, and there may be a waiting list to have your property assessed.
0800 GET WARM ● 03 374 7222 ●
info@cea.co.nz ●
www.cea.co.nz
