Kia ora e te whānau
We hope that Term 2 and our distance learning programme has been a success for you so far. We know there will have been any number of challenges for you to deal with but we have been getting some great feedback about the learning that is happening and thank you for all your support.
This afternoon the Government announced that we will move into Alert Level 3 on 28 April. That means we will be open to receive students from the 29 April. We will start to prepare our site from tomorrow.
The key message for you is that if you can, you should keep your child at home. You should only physically send your child to school if you need to. If your child has a health condition that means they are at a greater risk of a severe illness you must keep them at home. If your child is sick please also ensure you keep them at home.
In order to ensure the safety of those children and our staff who do come to school, we will be operating with strict enforcement of health and safety measures.
I want to assure you that we will continue to support your child’s learning at home.
We will contact you later this week to find out whether you can keep your child learning from home, or need your child to attend in person.
The Ministry of Education has advised that they are working closely with health to develop clear guidance that will support schools to safely re-open their premises to students and staff. This will help us work through the public health requirements that we all need to meet. As you will be doing, we want to be sure that what we do will keep our community as safe as possible.
For now, we will continue to support your child’s learning by distance while we progress our planning for what Alert Level 3 will mean for you and for our school. We will be in touch again soon with more information. As you have been doing, please keep connecting with your teachers with any questions you might have.
Sandy Hastings - Principal/Tumuaki
Ester Vallero - Board Chair
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Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter April 17th 2020
Principal's Patch
Kia ora koutou
Just a brief newsletter today to say "Thank you" for the way that you have engaged with our staff this week, as we have been contacting you to help understand how your bubble is working and where learning at home might fit in for you and your family. I also want to say a huge "Thank you" to all of our staff, for their flexibility, adaptability and 'courage' in embracing new online platforms and ways of working to bring learning to your children at home.Our first priority this week has been to make contact with each family and make sure that every family could access the different online platforms that we are using. We have encountered such a range of different situations that you are all trying to manage - from 'prefer to carry on in holiday mode', through to 'feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of keeping your own work-from-home life going whilst trying to oversee childrens' learning', and everything in between.
We are all in this together, and this is a work in progress for everyone, in our school and across the country. Our staff are completely united in focusing on having the wellbeing of our children at the centre of everything we do, and are energised (as well as being occasionally overwhelmed) by the new challenges that learning online has presented us.
Now that we have a better sense of where our families are at, we will be continuing to adjust the learning options that we offer.
We acknowledge that many of you are also dealing with significant other challenges in your lives at the moment, that the lockdown has only made more difficult and isolating to deal with. We may be able to connect you to support networks, including Mana Ake and a Christchurch Methodist Mission Social Worker, and there are other pathways we may also be able to recommend. If you would like to discuss any needs, please email Sue, our Deputy Principal sue.leadbetter@beckenham.school.nz and she will be very happy to offer support.
Moving to Alert Level 3
As you will have heard yesterday, the government are starting to outline what life might look like when we move to Alert Level 3, and to describe with more clarity what this timeline will be.
They have shared some initial thoughts about what this will mean for Education. Like you, we are waiting to hear what this means for school in more detail, and we understand that the Ministry of Education will be working frantically over the coming days to provide us with more clarity.
I do expect that there will be things that we will be
- required to do,
- recommended to do, and
- given scope to design ourselves, to meet our community needs.
We also expect the information to come will include: public health requirements in an education setting, workforce guidance, and advice for identifying students who will be attending school on site during Alert Level 3.
Until we know what these parameters are, we are not able to provide any more detail than you already know. Do be reassured that our staff are focussed on continuing to support the wellbeing and learning of all of our children, and have already demonstrated that they can be adaptive and flexible in these new times. We will get there together!
Welcome to our new bubbles...
Our staff have all been working in their bubbles, just like you have. Our bubbles vary in size and complexity - some are in a bubble of one, whilst others have large bubbles with children, adults and pets all trying to work, learn, play and relax alongside one another... you know the score!
Our school phone system is working again...
We have managed, this week, to get the school phone system diverted to Jacky's home and my home, so calls can now be made to the school number 03 337 1404 between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, and Jacky will answer them, and she can put calls through to me! (or call you back if you leave a message).
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The new Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto office...slightly smaller but just as efficient! |
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Rowe in her 'at home office' with her furry companions |
Anna at her 'kitchen table classroom'
Sandy at her new office, complete with board games to prop up computers!
Just one of the many and varied staff meetings through different media platforms over the past weeks...
So... from our bubbles to yours, stay safe over the weekend, and we look forward to connecting with you again next week.
Sandy and the team
Getting Support during times of challenge...
To access a variety of activities and ideas to support wellbeing at home, visit Sparklers.org.nz/parenting/
Parenting Helpline
Online coaching
Online coaching to develop parenting strategies or coping skills you can implement straight away.
Our parenting coach can support you with strategies to help in chaotic situations, create structured routines that best support your family, suggest strategies to stop unwanted behaviour, create plans to achieve a calmer household and learn how to work together as a team, etc.
30 mins or 60 mins sessions available via Zoom. Call 0800 568 856 to book an appointment or read more here: www.parenthelp.org.nz/coaching
Affordable counselling
We understand that in this strange new environment we are in that all relationships can be tested and we urge you to reach out for support. Our counsellors offer therapy online via Zoom or via telephone. We offer a 30-mins free initial appointment.Call 0800 568 856 to book an appointment or read more here: www.parenthelp.org.nz/counselling
Term 2, Learning from Home, begins tomorrow…
Kia ora koutou
As I write this, we are on the eve of getting back into a very new kind of school routine, of the virtual variety. This is such a new way of working for all of us. We are all finding our way together, and we will no doubt find many aspects of this challenging. We are confident that we will be able to support one another through this, and get better and better at it as we go along. We work out together where the biggest pitfalls and challenges are, and work through solutions that try to meet our new and emerging needs.It has been a HUGE two weeks for the staff, getting our heads around learning many new skills and ways of working together.
Everything takes longer when we are working online, and we are still learning how to use different platforms and technology. Bandwidth and connectivity are issues for us too, so please do bear with us as we iron out the wrinkles together.
From 8am tomorrow morning (at the latest) the Learning at Home page on our school website will have new links at the top of it, to the individual team pages. Each day, by 8am, these pages will be updated, as needed.
Teams are focusing on providing 'rich tasks' that include more than one curriculum area and can be adapted to the different needs of individual children. These tasks are likely to include elements of writing, reading and mathematics, along with other areas of interest.
What can caregivers do today, to help prepare for the term to begin tomorrow?
Getting some sort of routine going, for your family, will support everyone to be successful. We can't tell you what that routine should look like - the routine will need to work for your family.We do suggest that you write something down, and put it in a place where everyone can refer to it. Maybe just start with the next three days, and be prepared to mix things up, review and adapt as you find out what works and what doesn't!
Sue has put together some examples here of what different types of routines might look like. These will depend on many factors, including the age and independence of your child(ren).
You can read more detail about this by going to our Learning from Home page.
Specific message for caregivers of Year 1-4 students
Shortly after this newsletter arrives in your inbox, you will also receive an email explaining how you can log in to the new platform called Seesaw that we have got up and running for our junior school. If you have any problems logging in, please email your child's teacher and they will prioritise contacting you.Message for Year 5 - 8 parents - Setting you and your child up for success
Today we would like you to sit down with your child and a device and ask them to become the teacher. To be able to support your child at home with their learning, you need to learn about Google Classroom, the platform that we use for online learning. They will need to share their Google login and password with you so that you can access their work. It is OK for them to share this password with you, as you are their parent / caregiver (they may need to be told this).- Your child can show you how to get into Google Classroom and give you a wee tour.
- Ask them to show you the “classrooms” that they use.
- Go into these classrooms and ask them to show you a couple of the assignments they did last term and any posts that have been shared over the holidays.
- Also ask them to show you where the teachers leave them comments and feedback.
- If you have any questions or problems, please email your child’s home-group teacher. We will respond to those emails as a priority.
Thanks for helping us get there together!
Talk with your child about safe use of the internet, and devices.
Here is a poster to support this conversation. If you have a printer, you may want to print it out.
Borrowed School Chromebooks
If you have received a loan Chromebook in the past couple of days, please check your email for the loan agreement form, and complete that and send it back. If your child is in Koru or Kahikatea, the email will also have in it a Gmail address that you will need to use to help your child log in to the device.
If you have borrowed a Chromebook from school, and your child is in Kōwhai, Pōhutukawa or Kauri, they should already know how to log in to this device. If you have any difficulty, please email nick.bruce@beckenham.school.nz and he can reset their password for you.
Contacting staff
We are working on getting the school phone working and hope that this will happen tomorrow. In the meantime, you can:- phone the school cellphone 021 027 94107
- email office@beckenham.school.nz
- email your child's teacher
All staff would appreciate that you don't phone or text their private numbers unless they have already given you this number. Some staff would prefer not to give out their private numbers so when they call you, it will show on your cell as 'Private Number'. We know that many people often don't answer calls from unknown numbers, however, please consider that if the call is coming between 9am and 3pm, it may be your child's teacher trying to contact you!
Staff will try to always respond to emails within 24 hours.
Learning from Home TV
The new Ministry of Education developed "Learning from Home TV" channel on TV2+1 starts tomorrow. I've captured a screenshot of tomorrow's timetable below, and you can go to the actual page by clicking on one of the links above.
Week 2 Holiday update
Kia ora e te whanau,
How was Week 2 of your holiday, everyone? We see that you have been incredibly playful, creative, active, and, as well as all of that, there’s been some very interesting construction going in your homes!
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| Top quality colouring here. |
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| What a very cool wee desk and chair set up! |
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| Cloud dough, made from cornflour and hair conditioner - this looks very therapeutic... |
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| What wonderful creativity and construction skills - does this character have a name? |
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| More creative construction skills being displayed here! Does this character have a name, we wonder? |
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| Beautiful Easter egg colouring for the window; a lovely soft toy line up for our national teddy bear hunt; and chalk-drawn games for passers-by - oh, what fun! |
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| More creativity and construction, here combined with Science, to result in this electric car - fabulous skills! |
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| The family night walk around the neighbourhood - what a cool idea. |
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| An ice cream shop! Wonderful thinking... |
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| "Oh, I'll have that delicious-looking chocolate ice cream, please!" |
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| What an incredible amount of hard work went into this puppet show. Wouldn't we all love to know the story that goes with these characters? |
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| Mmmmm... what could possibly be in that bowl? Yum, yum, yum. |
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| A Mad Hatters' Tea Party - oh, what fun! |
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| Up a ladder and helping with papier mache... |
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| ...early days in teaching the exuberant puppy to sit calmly while the cryptic crossword is underway. |
We've loved catching up with you all, via the photos that you've been emailing us. What great fun we've all been having in the second week of our holiday.
The teachers have also been getting together (virtually!) to work on our Term 2 learning, and we are really looking forward to communicating with you on our new Seesaw platform. We’re all very excited!
Sandy is going to be sending out a newsletter later this afternoon. It will contain important information about your Learning From Home, so please make sure that you check for this and get in touch with us if you have any questions.
The teachers have also been getting together (virtually!) to work on our Term 2 learning, and we are really looking forward to communicating with you on our new Seesaw platform. We’re all very excited!
Sandy is going to be sending out a newsletter later this afternoon. It will contain important information about your Learning From Home, so please make sure that you check for this and get in touch with us if you have any questions.
Let’s have a great Term 2 together, everyone!
Ngā mihi mahana,
Jo, Stacey and Elizabeth
Easter Update from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Kia ora e te whānau
Announcement: Sandy will be on the school Facebook page LIVE at 4:30pm today
Kia ora from my bubble to yours.
We have three important jobs at the moment.
Job number 1: Stay home and save lives
Congratulations to us all for staying home and saving lives! This work has been, and continues to be, the primary job for each and every one of us in Aotearoa New Zealand.
As caregivers (at home), and as staff (at school virtually now), our job is also to provide a balanced and individually appropriate education for our children and ensure their wellbeing. Over the past two weeks, as well as trying to get a holiday of sorts, our staff have been working very hard to reimagine how teaching and learning will look in this new era we have shifted into. We know that your role now, in supporting your children's education has changed too, and we want to work together with you as we travel this journey together. Each one of us want to do our best. What that will look like will be different for each child, each family, each teacher, and each school.
Job number 3: Be kind
A key message, for all of us, is to 'be kind' to each other as continue to run this 'marathon' together. We won't get it right all the time so we want to be there to support one another and work through challenges together. Whether we are at home, or at school, our values remain at the heart of what we do.
Job number 3: Be kind
A key message, for all of us, is to 'be kind' to each other as continue to run this 'marathon' together. We won't get it right all the time so we want to be there to support one another and work through challenges together. Whether we are at home, or at school, our values remain at the heart of what we do.
The following is a direct quote from the email every principal in New Zealand received last night (Thursday) from the Ministry of Education:
"In Select Committee today, Minister Hipkins also spoke to the change of alert levels and the implications for education providers and their communities. The Minister noted it would be wrong to assume that all schools and early learning services will reopen at Level 3.
We are looking at various scenarios and they will be based on health considerations and requirements under Level 3, particularly managing physical distancing. A hybrid model of both distance learning and on-site learning is very likely at least in the early stages of Level 3. The Public Health requirements will affect each school differently.
We want to reassure you that following any announcement, you will have some time to prepare for physically re-opening your school or early learning service to welcome back on site your staff and some, but not all, of your children/students.
Assuming the alert level does change, current planning assumptions are that you will have Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April to fully access your site and undertake a property inspection and necessary maintenance and cleaning. Monday 27 April is a public holiday (ANZAC Day observed) and Tuesday 28 April will be a staff-only day. We therefore anticipate Wednesday 29 April would be your first day with some of your students/children able to attend in person. Early Learning Centres might not need all of this time.
We are developing detailed guidance to support you through this process. This will be ready in time for any decision announced on 20 April. Our staff will then work with you to support you to develop a detailed plan for your school and communication to your parents."
Over the past two days, there have been significant announcements relating to Education. It is important, when we hear these announcements, that we appreciate that they span at least three sectors of Education, from Early Childhood Education, through the Primary years, and right through to Senior Secondary where NCEA is a focus. Many of the initiatives that the government are rolling out in education are to try and ensure that students who are the most disadvantaged, through lack of digital connectivity, are able to access education.
The Ministry are asking schools like ours to try to do whatever we can do, to ensure that we support our own community with getting connected, so that they can focus on more remote and disadvantaged communities with the rollout of devices and hard copy packs. If we can support you, then those elements of the Ministry rollout will not be required for our community.
What I can confirm we know:
- Term 2 begins on Wednesday 15th April, in the virtual environments of our homes and yours.
- Level 4 lockdown will continue at least for the full 4 weeks originally indicated.
- When we finally do shift out of Level 4 lockdown, it will be to Level 3. What that will look like for schools, and for our school in particular, is not yet clear, AND we can expect it to be significantly different to what we think of as 'normal'.
- The Ministry of Education have asked every school in New Zealand to survey their families, to collect information about the ability of each family to provide online connectivity and device access for all students
- We still have some Chromebooks at school that we would like to get to any families who might still need them, and the Ministry has now provided us an official way of doing this on Monday and Tuesday this coming week.
Our goal over the coming week:
Our goal is for EVERY child in our school to have access to a device, so that they can engage with the learning that we will be trying to provide. Not all of the learning will be online, however, you and your child will need to GET online to be able to find out about what they can do.
From Wednesday, we will have a new set of pages on our school website - one for each team, that will provide some support for you and your children around learning from home. We encourage everyone to engage with this in the way that is going to work best for you and your family. Our teachers will be making contact with you and your children from Wednesday, and will be checking in with you if you/your child has not responded to messages.
Alongside our website, we will have two key digital platforms operating from which our staff will be able to engage with you and your children:
- Years 5-8 will be using Google Classrooms. This is a platform that both the teachers and children at these year levels are experienced in using.
- New Entrants to Year 4 will be using a new platform we have just invested in called SeeSaw. We will send out clear information next week on how to access this platform, and we will have staff available for online support if you need it. We will be learning together with you, how to get the best out of this new tool.
We will be sending out Communication Guidelines and tip sheets on getting up and running on these platforms on Tuesday this week, along with clarification on how we hope we can communicate with you, and you with us, over the coming weeks.
What you need to do NOW, please:
- If your family CANNOT provide digital device access of some sort for your child over the coming weeks, please email me (principal@beckenham.school.nz), Facebook msg me via the school Facebook page, or text the school cellphone on 021 0279 4107. Please make sure you tell us your name, your child's name and leave a contact phone number so we can call you back to get any clarification we need.
- Start talking with your child, and your household about how you will try to organise your days once school begins again on Wednesday. These last two weeks have been very unusual for all of us, and we know that developing routines may have been extremely challenging. Use the next few days to think about the routines that you would like to get your family back into, so that engaging with learning will be manageable for both you and your children. You may find that it is helpful to develop a visual timetable together, such as the example below, that you can all use and refer to. Your child's routines and timetables will need to reflect the needs of your children and your family's circumstances. Children usually get a strong sense of normality and sense of security from the development of predictable family routines.
(To download a .ppt version of this timetable that you can customise, click here)
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the virtual team
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the virtual team