Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 9 December 2022

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

...and the final school week of the year is upon us!

It was a wonderful celebration of achievements at our Final Celebration Assembly today. Congratulations to all of the tamariki who were presented with certificates and awards. 
Special congratulations to Lola Harris for being awarded the Leadership Award, and to Cleo Hopkinson for the Norman Kirk Memorial Prize for Citizenship.

We also farewelled the staff who are leaving at the end of this year.
Caitlin Worsfold is moving to Ashburton where she has won a position at Ashburton Intermediate.
Emma Hayes-Smith will be taking on further study, and we hope to see her back as a reliever if she has some spare days!
Kal Walker is moving to Australia to be closer to family.
Emma Glass (Ferndale) has won a new position at South New Brighton School
Gail Beedles (Ferndale) is moving to be at the Ferndale Haeata campus
Nicola Reddicliffe, Jan Malcolm and Tracey Maloney have all had fixed-term positions this year and these are about to end. We hope to see them back in 2023 either in a relieving capacity, or in fixed-term positions if they become available.


On Thursday this coming week, all of our students will be told who their teacher will be for 2023. Following that, each new 2023 home group will spend some time, together with their new teacher, getting to know one another. 

We are looking forward to having our two new teachers, Thomas Woodfield and Bridie Arifeh, visit this Monday, to participate in a Year 7/8 planning meeting. We will make sure that they are introduced to the Year 6 and Year 7 students whilst they are here, as they won't be at Beckenham when tamariki meet their teachers on the final day of school.

On Thursday, each child will be given a letter for you that tells you about their home group for 2023, has information on it about booking a learning conference with their 2023 teacher, and will have a stationery list attached.

If your child is not at school on Thursday for any reason, this information will be emailed to you.

Our office will be closed from 1pm on Thursday for the rest of the afternoon. The office will reopen on Friday for the day, before closing at 3pm for the summer break. There will be staff at school from Tuesday 24th January, and the office will re-open properly again on Thursday 26th January.

Learning Conferences will be held on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February, with classes starting on Thursday 2nd February.

Farewell to our Current Board of Trustees Presiding Member - Matthew Macdonald

Matthew Macdonald, who has had a 16 year association with the school, has handed in his resignation as a board member, effective from the eve of the first Board meeting of 2023 as he will no longer have any children at the school. We are extremely grateful for the service that he has given to our board, initially as a trustee, and then as our Presiding Member (Chair).
This leaves a casual vacancy on the Board, which the board have resolved to fill by selection. 
Please see the official notice about this below:

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board 
Casual vacancy for a parent representative

A casual vacancy has occurred on the school board for an elected parent representative.
The board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection.
If 10% or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.
Request for a by-election should be sent to:
Matthew Macdonald email: matthew@corehomes.co.nz
Presiding member (chair) 
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Board
by 7 January 2023 


Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki / Principal

Important Dates

Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Isabella Guise - Year 6

Isabella, you are a calm, hardworking, and self-managing learner. You show all our kete values daily and consistently demonstrate a positive attitude in all you do. You willingly help around the hub when you see a need and this is very much appreciated. Ka rawe, Isabella.

School Notices

Free Period Products

The Ministry of Education provides period products free to schools to ensure that tamariki do not miss school as a result of not having these products available. Your child can access these at any time, and is welcome to take a supply home for the holidays. They can come to the office and speak to any of the staff, or you can come in for them. They can also speak to one of the staff in the Year 5/6 or Year 7/8 team. This offer includes both sanitary pads and tampons.

Missing Scooter

This scooter belonging to one of our tamariki went missing from the Sandwich Road bike stand on Thursday the 3rd of November and it hasn't turned up yet - maybe someone took it home by mistake?

We have a whānau keen to see it returned, so if you could please take the time to check your child's scooter and ensure it hasn't been mixed up, it would be much appreciated. If you do find it or have any information please get in touch with the Office.

Library Books and Sport Uniforms

We need your assistance to ensure the return of all sports uniforms and library books before school closes for the year. All sports tops need be returned before Thursday. Each top has a $30 replacement cost. 

Congratulations to...

Keanna Hakeagaiki who has recently come 6th in New Zealand for her weight division in weightlifting. An awesome achievement Keanna! Ka rawe!


Marching award

This past weekend after months of preparation Cammie Inglis and Hayley Rose Ruyters competed in the South Island Marching Championship where their team won First under 12 Technical Team and 3rd under 12 Display Team. These combined totals rewarded the team 1st = Champion Under 12 Marching Team.

Attached is a team photo where there are some more familiar faces with both Jayde and Isabelle Inglis past students in the team too.

PTA News

Community Notices

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

A list of helpful go-to places and websites to support tamariki and whānau in getting the right support:

Community Helplines

1737 - free text and phone counseling 24/7 
Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800 269 4389
What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18-year-olds).
thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626
 
Emotional Regulation:
Feel Brave: Feel brave creates content (books and videos) that helps children manage tough
emotions and reach their creative potential. It was founded by Avril McDonald who is the
author of the award-winning, best-selling Feel Brave series of books which have been translated
into seven different languages and are used and loved all over the world.

Enabling Youth: works with at risk Youth/Rangatahi and young people between 11 and 30 years
of age (Christchurch and North Canterbury) and 12 - 18 (South Canterbury). The "Getting it
Together", programme involves 10 - 15 sessions. The individualised programme operates each
week, with face-to-face sessions and supported learning, while young people are engaged in the
programme. Participants are supported or expected to practice their learning throughout the
week and review their progress with their tutor/clinician at the next session. Tutors/clinicians
are available throughout the week to assist the young people and their whanāu. Some key
challenges Enabling Youth target self-esteem, regulating emotions and behaviours, relationship
management, coping with grief and loss, problem solving and life skills. https://www.enablingyouth.co.nz/

Christchurch Methodist Mission: Work with Adults, Parents, Whānau (mmsi.org.nz)

Kidz need Dadz: Separation or Oranga Tamariki issues, e.g. access to their children. Fatherhood
courses. Anger management courses. Whānau dispute resolution mediation. Emotional and
practical support: for at-home, teen, expectant, and solo dads; with depression, grief, loss,
separation anxiety; for fathers of special needs children. Website: https://www.kidzneeddadz.org.nz/

Pillars: Support for children of prisoners https://www.pillars.org.nz/

\
Grandparents Raising Grandkids: https://www.grg.org.nz/

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4, Week 8/9

 It's been quite a week in Year 7 & 8. Production, Top Team, Corsair Bay and quite a bit of regular learning as well!

We have the pleasure of teaching a fabulous group of children and they were outstanding this week. Their effort, talent and joy on stage; their teamwork and encouragement of each other at Top Team and the way they made the most of their day at the beach, despite the damp weather, were so good to see. What a lovely way the round up 2022, and we are not done yet!

Coming up next week:

Monday

A regular day and the children will be bringing most of their books home at the end of the day. Please make sure they have space in their bags. 

Tuesday

In the afternoon the 24/7 youth workers from Cashmere High and some ex-students who will be in Year 13 next year are coming to talk with the Year 8s and have some fun outside getting to know each other. 

Between 4 and 6, the Year 8s have their pool party. This is being held at 96 Fisher Avenue. Children are to bring a water bottle (no fizzy drinks), their togs, towel, sunhat and sunscreen.  We have been given a generous donation that will cover the cost of pizza, so no need to provide any food. If your child does not eat pizza, please email their home-group teacher. If children are not being collected at 6pm, we will assume they are walking home. Please email us if there are any special pick-up arrangements for your child. Many thanks to Pip and Michael for hosting this party.

Wednesday

Our Year 8s are to come to school dressed in their best clothes, ready for the Leavers' Assembly. This assembly starts at 11am and concludes with a lunch for the Year 8s and their parents. School finishes for Year 8 after this lunch. We would like them to head home, rather than congregating on the park. 

Thursday

This will be Year 7s final day, with school finishing at 12:30. The children can bring their togs and a towel as we plan to set up a slip-and-slide. We are also planning to celebrate the end of the year for Year 7 with pizza (also donated) before they head home at 12:30.

Thank you

A huge thank you to all of the parents who have helped out this week with Top Team and our Corsair Bay trip. The children had a blast and you were a key component in making this happen.

Photo Gallery ...










































Koru Team News, Term 4 Week 7

Kia ora, e te whānau,

This term continues to fly past at an incredible rate! Here we are at the end of Week 7, and we've had another week filled with new and exciting learning opportunities!

Art Gallery Visit

On Monday we visited the Christchurch Art Gallery. For many of our tamariki, this was their very first experience in this lovely building. They waited so patiently for the bus to arrive and Bianca, the Gallery Educator, welcomed us inside when we arrived. She helped everyone find a cubby for their bags and then proceeded to guide us around the gallery. We stopped and listened carefully while she asked questions and explained about the interesting and beautiful exhibit displays. After our tour, we returned to the art classroom, and Bianca showed us how to create our very own clay masterpiece. We would love to give a huge shout out to all of the wonderful parent helpers who came along to support our tamariki on the bus and throughout the gallery. Thank you so very much. Without your support, our Art Gallery experience would not have been possible.





















Learning through Play

Water Play has continued to be a popular theme throughout the past fortnight, with the children conducting investigations using a wide range of items. Will they sink or float? This theme has also 'filtered' into the sandpit, the children working in teams to create some impressive structures and water way systems.  








Whānau Picnic

It was wonderful to see so many of our Beckenham whānau at the school picnic event on Wednesday.  Many children enjoyed the fabulous new playground equipment.   Kapa Haka performances were enjoyed by enthusiastic audiences and the Student Council organised an awesome range of games such as the Disc Drop, Nerf Challenge and Balloon Pop.


Literacy

Please remember to continue searching for wayward reading books which may have found their way down the back of the couch or under the backseat of your car! We will continue with our literacy groups next week, but a reminder that books are no longer going home. You will find some games and activities in your child's Literacy folder instead  

Transition visits to Kahikatea 

This week and next week all of our Koru children are taking time in the afternoons to visit the Kahikatea hub. These visits provide a fantastic opportunity for our tamariki to make connections with next year's teachers and become familiar with their new learning spaces.

Holiday fun:

Please note that there will be one final Blog post sent out prior to the final day of school this year, and in that post, we hope to be able to include a variety of links, which you might find fun and helpful over the summer holidays. We'll have some Literacy links, some Maths links, and perhaps a few links to the teachers reading favourite picture books for the children to enjoy!

Reminders:

  • your child needs a named sun hat at school each day
  • when arriving and leaving school each day, we ask that you do not walk your child through the carpark area. Many thanks for your support with this
  • please send your child to school with sunscreen on, and we will help the children to reapply more sunblock before their big playtime
  • the children have been enjoying using the very cool water pump in our sandpit, especially in this beautiful weather that we have been having. Having a change of clothes in their bags would be useful for those days when the water is flowing!
We hope you are having a safe and happy weekend and we can't wait to see your tamariki back at school tomorrow for another awesome week ahead!

Ngā mihi mahana, 
Tracey, Georgia, Nicola, Elizabeth and Stacey










Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 2 December 2022

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

These past two weeks have been a real celebration of our tamariki and their talents.

We were privileged to enjoy two fantastic concerts last week, and they showcased some of our amazing, talented students. Thank you to the String instrument students and Ensemble, and also Ferndale Kapa Haka. You were both outstanding! 

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Whānau Rōpū Hui & Kapa Haka performance on Wednesday. Whakawhanaungatanga (the process of establishing relationships & relating to each other) is an important part of having a strong school community, and culture. It was really good to have so many whānau here to share kai and support our tamariki performing.




Our tamariki were treated to a wonderful final dress rehearsal of the Year 7/8 production yesterday afternoon. Completely written and choreographed by the students int he Year 7/8 team, this production will be extremely popular with whānau as it takes you on ' A Walk Through The 80s'! There will be two performances next week - on Monday and Tuesday evening, starting at 7pm. Entry by gold coin donation.

It's hard to believe that we are in December already, and that we have just one and a half weeks of school remaining. Please remember that school finishes at 12:30pm on Thursday 15th December.

As many families begin to prepare for the Christmas season, those who would like to add a small bit of Christmas bling to their uniform next week are welcome to do that!


Supporting transitions for all our tamariki

Children who will be moving into new teams for next year are currently in the process of having transition visits to their new buildings, and are meeting the teachers who are in each team at the moment. On the final morning of the year, all of the children will find out who their home group teacher is for the following year, and then each group will go together and spend time with their new teacher/team. Children will bring home a letter on that day, that will have information for you about their new team, their teacher, and about how to book a Learning Conference for the start of 2023. 

School starts next year with two days of Learning Conferences on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February, then classes begin on Thursday 2nd February.

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Mon 5 Dec Year 7 & 8 Production (7.00 - 8.00pm in the Hall)
Tue 6 Dec -  Year 7 & 8 Production (7.00 - 8.00pm in the Hall)
Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)
Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45-10.30am)
Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch
Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Luigi Vallero Reid - Year 8

Luigi, you are such a personable and friendly character. You make a difference by enriching discussions with your deep thinking and broad knowledge. Luigi, you shine as an advocate for diversity. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and encouraging inclusion in others. Our kura is a better place for having you in it. 

School Notices

A Walk Through the 80s!

Next Monday and Tuesday, Year 7 & 8 take to the stage to share their many and varied talents as they present: 'A Walk Through the 80s'. We would love you to join us for what promises to be an entertaining evening. Gold coin donation at the door. 

Community Dental Service - December/January Holiday Clinics

Congratulations to our Y8 Award Winners...

Mathematics Cup: Fergus Macdonald

Fergus your passion for all things maths is quite contagious. You love nothing better than a rich problem to immerse yourself in and you are always keen to share your solutions. You have created two amazing Cantamath projects and earned an excellence award this year with your dynamic wave model. You were part of the team that won the local Cantamath competition in Year 6 and also achieved an impressive result this year. You have qualified for the Final Challenge in Otago Problem Solving in Year 7 and again in Year 8. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and supporting others with their learning too. Tu meke, Fergus!  

Radcliffe Award for Special Contribution to Drama: Katya Atlas 

Katya, your love of everything theatrical is commendable. You earned the respect of your team members and became a role model in Theatre Sports. You were creative, witty and effortlessly ‘improv’d’ your way to an incredibly competitive second place. When you perform, your talent, energy and smile light up the room. Your connection to drama outside of school keeps you busy and always performing. You come by your talent honestly and I imagine we will see your name up in lights one day! As William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage.” Well, Katya, the world is yours!  

Special Contribution to Music: George Smith and Tahere Taylor 

George, you are a wonderfully talented bass and guitar player, who shows dedication to refining your skills and a real enthusiasm for performing. Watching you jam along, having the time of your life, and being totally immersed in the music brings so much joy. Isn’t that what music is all about? Your development has gone from strength to strength this year and you embrace opportunities to perform and share your music with others. This has included performances with The School’s Music Festival, accompanying guitar with Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, and our Kauri production. Thank you for sharing your music with us. 

Tahere, we love listening to you play guitar and sing our hub. Your voice is a real show-stopper and your technical ability on the guitar is enviable. Tahere, you approach music learning with gusto and focus. Your ability on the guitar has progressed in leaps and bounds this year and is a testament to the time you dedicate to practicing at home. Your music contributions have included performances outside of kura, accompanying guitar with Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, and our Kauri production. Thank you for sharing your music with us.   

Social Sciences Cup: Quinn Clarke  

Quinn, throughout your primary school years, you have shown great enthusiasm for learning about our world and the people and cultures within it. As a junior, you would take great pride in being able to identify the flag that was flying each day. Fast forward to your senior years and you continue to demonstrate impressive knowledge and insight in the subject of social sciences. You bring a blend of curiosity, understanding and deep thinking, which enables you to drive a rich discussion on a range of topics including electric cars, world leaders and a range of real-life and hypothetical social issues. You have maintained your enthusiasm and dedication to Kapa Haka into your senior years, demonstrating a commitment to learning about te ao Māori.   

Taylor Cup for Sportsmanship: Lola Harris

Lola, your dedication and mahi on the sports field has been rewarded with impressive results over the years. While there is no denying your ability as a sports person, it is not what you’ve achieved but how you’ve achieved it that we are recognising today. Lola, you play sport with the utmost integrity and humility. When it comes to proving your capabilities on the sports field, you let your playing do the talking. Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka. The kūmara doesn't speak of its own sweetness. It just is. Instead, you use your voice to build others up. You are bursting with compliments to your team and recognition for your opponents. Lola, you lead by example. Your actions set the tone within a team for others to rise to. Lola, you have proved over the years that when it comes to good sportsmanship, you know no other way to be than exceptional. It has been a privilege to share your sporting experiences with you. 

Taylor Cup for Sportsmanship: Quinn Clarke 

Quinn, you have demonstrated an insatiable enthusiasm for sport throughout your primary school years. You are a talented and versatile sports person. At every event and every game, you play to win, striving to give your best and do your bit as part of a team. This tenacity shows respect to your teammates and to your opposition, while your honesty and level head shows respect to the rules of the game. When things don't go your way, you keep your head high, embrace the challenge in front of you and continue to support those around you. A favourite quote of mine says that the sign of a good sportsperson is when ‘they walk off the court and you really can’t tell if they won or lost (because) they carry themselves with pride either way.’ This describes you perfectly. It has been a privilege to share your sporting experiences with you.  

Contribution to Māori culture: Niamh Wolt

'Me he korokoro tūī' – Like the sweet throated tui bird.  
‘Te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere. Te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao.’  
- The forest belongs to the bird who feasts on the miro berry, the world belongs to the bird who feasts on learning' 
 
Niamh, these two whakataukī about manu exemplify your mahi this year as a performer and one of our kapa haka leaders.  There is no doubt you are a performer, whose voice, presence and gracefulness have made you an amazing role model for others, and a delight for others to watch and listen to. You express and honour the kaupapa of our various waiata and haka with a voice that is strong, clear and beautiful.  When sweetness is needed, you are a sweetie! When a challenging presence is required you are fierce.  You don’t miss a beat, fully engaged, listening, watching, thinking, learning and absorbing as we practise, and totally “in the zone” when we perform. Not only have you brought these amazing things to Te Whānau as a performer, you have been dedicated, positive, organised, dependable and humble in your leadership role. 
Ngā mihi, wahine toa!  

Contribution to Māori culture: Tahere Taylor

“Ko Mauao te maunga, ko Tauranga te moana”  
Your maunga wears the reflected light of the dawn, but you, Tahere, shine with a light that comes from within.  Everyone can see it – the kaiako, the tamariki and the wider whānau here at Beckenham.  
 
Your feet, like a maunga, are grounded firmly within te ao Māori. Throughout your time at Beckenham you have been able to share the mātauranga that comes from this, in the classroom, the sports field, and on stage. This is where we have seen you shine. Your contributions have been numerous. Your commitment. Your leadership by example. Your hearty voice, your ferocious haka, your pukumahi. Te ihi me te wehi. Playing the guitar to manaaki our rōpū. Your humbleness. Listening, responding and looking for ways to enhance the mana of others. Your presence had such a valuable impact on the mauri of individuals, and the group as a whole. 
The mana and esteem in which you are held by both adults and children is indisputable. Keep shining. Haere tonu e hoa. 
 
Ko ngā pae tawhiti whaia kia tata. Ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.  
The potential for tomorrow is determined by what we do today.

Sports News

Canterbury Athletics 

A huge congratulations to the tamariki who represented our kura and zone at Canterbury Athletics on Wednesday. We had an impressive 21 athletes qualify for this event across a range of disciplines. The children lived out our school values as they competed against very strong competition. A huge congratulations to everyone on an awesome achievement. 




Mountainbike Passions Rōpū

PTA News

Community Notices

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

Community Helpline

1737 - free text and phone counseling 24/7 
Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800 269 4389
What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18-year-olds).
thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626


Brain Play teaches online after-school science & technology classes to Kiwi kids aged 5 - 13, from right across the country! Online topics this term include 3D printing, coding, animation, STEM experiments, LEGO & more. Free trials available for new students. Check out our timetable on our website and use the form to get in touch - https://www.brainplay.co.nz/

Have a Go Session!

On Sunday 11th of December we would like to hold a ‘Have a Go’ session. If you know anyone who might be interested in giving surf a go please invite them down to our normal session from 9.30-11am. I have also included a flyer if you know of any schools, community groups or facebook pages that might be interested in sharing the event.

Kelly Sports Summer Holiday Programmes

Bookings for our upcoming Kelly Sports Summer Holiday Programmes at Hillview Christian School are now available online. 

The focus of our Programmes is to ensure kids are active throughout, with a great mixture of games and activities to suit everyone. WINZ Subsidies are available for families that qualify and we have options of Half Day sessions, School Day sessions and Full Day sessions available.

To register and for more information please visit www.kellysports.co.nz/christchurch-east or contact Adelma on chch@kellysports.co.nz for more information.


Kahikatea News – Term 4, Week 7

Kia ora e te whānau,

Wow, these final weeks are just speeding by! We have been having a lot of fun in Kahikatea and we hope that you are all well.


Word of the Week

This week, we have been focusing on Empathy.

We have been discussing with the students that:

Empathy is being able to know how someone else is feeling, even when you aren't in the same situation. Sometimes, in more simple words, we explain that empathy is being able to "put yourself in someone's shoes" and see things from their view.


Transitions

On Tuesday and Friday afternoons this week, our students have been taking part in some transitions to help prepare them for next year.

Current Year 1 students --- 2023 Year 2 Students in Kahikatea

Current Year 2 students --- 2023 Year 3 Students in Kōwhai

During these transitions:

The 2023 Year 2 students remained in Kahikatea and were joined by the Koru Hub for a Learning Through Play session. These sessions allowed 2023 Year 2 students to meet some of the tamariki that will be in their hub next year.

The 2023 Year 3 Students went through to Kōwhai for some fun. This allowed them to begin to make connections with some of the teachers and students that will be in their hub next year.


Arts Rotations

We are still enjoying our arts rotation! By the end of this, all home groups will have had two lessons in each of the arts strands; music, visual art, dance, and drama. The kids have been having so much fun during these lessons and we have all loved teaching these areas!






New Junior Playground

We have had so much fun exploring the new junior playground over the past couple of weeks! We are loving seeing the kids enjoying it during break times, as well as after school!









More photos from the week:














Ngā mihi nui,

Team Kahikatea

Katie McFarlane 
katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

Emma Hayes-Smith
emma.hayes-smith@beckenham.school.nz

Krystal Hunt
krystal.hunt@beckenham.school.nz

Megan Harris
megan.harris@beckenham.school.nz

Lisa Collier
lisa.collier@beckenham.school.nz