Monthly Archives: June 2023

T2W10 Final newsletter of Term 2

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Sun and soup - a wonderful way to end the term today! We were grateful to Rebecca from the PTA for coming in today and heating up the frozen soup that was leftover from the Matariki Hui last week. We had 18 litres of soup left, and it was all very keenly consumed at lunchtime today. We were very impressed at how many children love vegetable soup!

Cybersafety - especially over the holidays

We encourage families to monitor children's social media activity closely, especially over the holiday period. We know that device time can be a real obsession for some of our children and we also know that many children are not yet able to navigate the wide range of social media platforms that they may have access to. 
Please be especially vigilant of SnapChat. This is a popular platform among many of our children. The recommended age for SnapChat is 13, and one of the very real challenges of this platform is that ANYONE, whether known to your child or not, can make contact through SnapChat and can invite a user to interact with them. This feature alone makes SnapChat a highly unsafe environment for children to be in without very close supervision. Children can also invite their friends into groups, and groups that start as friendly places for communication, can easily and often become toxic if not carefully managed and monitored.

Wheelchair Rugby - Students vs Staff

As part of our schoolwide learning theme of "Innovation", your Year 7 & 8 team have been looking at innovation in the design of sports equipment for people with disabilities. We were fortunate to be able to access the wheelchair rugby chairs, courtesy of Parafed. As well as spending time looking at the design, and trying out the incredibly maneuverable wheelchairs, the students challenged the staff to a 'no holds barred' game of wheelchair rugby in the hall yesterday! Probably due to the fact that there was no running involved, the students' fitness advantage disappeared and the staff were the winners on the day!


From all of our staff, have a safe and restful holiday. We look forward to seeing you all at school again on Monday 17 July.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 17 Jul - Term 3 starts
Wed 19 Jul - PTA/Student Council Mid-winter breakfast 8:00 - 8:45am - all welcome (see blurb below)
Fri 21 Jul - 9:15am - Welcome Assembly
Fri 28 Jul - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 4 Aug- PTA Discos - see below for details
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly 
Fri 8 Sep - 10 am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 testing at Cashmere High
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - final day of Term 3

Term Dates for next year

At our Board Meeting this week, our Board confirmed the Term Dates for 2024. If you click on the link below, you will be able to view them, and you can also download a printable copy if you want one for the fridge!

Citizen of the Week

Ruvi Lawrence - Year 5

Ruvi, you are motivated, energetic, outgoing and fun! We are lucky to have you as a positive role model in our hub. You have an inquisitive mind and are highly engaged, embracing any challenge with enthusiasm. You have the self-confidence and persistence to make anything possible and regularly make interesting connections in your learning. Ka pai tō mahi, Ruvi.

School Notices

Picking up students from school

From time to time we get advised that a person, other than a listed contact for a student, will be picking them up from school. In these instances, we would really appreciate having the contact details for this person to ensure that we are able to contact them if there is any confusion around pick-up time/place for a student.
In these instances please phone the office on 03 3371404 or email office@beckenham.school.nz

Amber's home group - rescheduled Learning Conferences

We are very pleased to have Amber back at school again, and have rescheduled her home group Learning Conferences for Thursday 20th July, Week 1 of next term.  To book, please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and put in the code: wca24

School Donations and Tax rebates 

Claiming back 33% of your School Donations and Contributions from the IRD
A reminder that via the IRD you may be eligible to claim back 33.33 cents for every dollar you donate to the school. This includes both school donations and contributions towards camps.

On the main IRD website https://www.ird.govt.nz/ you can search ‘submit a donation receipt’ to find out more.

You are now able to produce your own Tax Donation Receipt from your Hero Login, for the tax year ending 31st March 2023.
Note you will need to do this by signing in through your browser, not in the app.

Please follow this link for instructions. Your receipt will be downloaded to your device for you to print or attach to your online IRD donation claim.

Rachel, our account officer, will be sending out statements through HERO early next week. Thank you to everyone who has made contributions to the school donation already. We rely on your donations to be able to provide the many different supports to the curriculum that we do.

If you have any other queries please contact accounts@beckenham.school.nz or phone the office on 337 1404.

PTA News

Midwinter Breakfast - Wednesday 19th July

Get your PJs on for the return of our annual midwinter breakfast!
Come to school in your pyjamas (or uniform) from 8am on Wednesday 19th July for warm porridge or weetbix. Don't forget to bring a bowl and a spoon! Whānau welcome. Please bring a can of food to donate to the City Mission.


PTA DISCOS



Friday 4th August is the new date for the PTA Discos
Bring a gold coin and come along and boogie the afternoon/evening away.
Whānau welcome
New Entrants and Year 1-2, will have their disco from 2.00-2.45.  
Year 3/4 -  4.00-4.45 
 Years 5/6 - 5.10-6.10 
 Years 7/8 -  6.30-7.30

BOT Update



Our Board are working on developing a new Strategic Plan that will take us into the next two years. To support the thinking that is happening on this, we invite you to contribute your feedback, if you haven't already. Some of you have completed paper forms, and the feedback can also be submitted through this online form.

Community Notices

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






Exciting Opportunity for Aspiring Junior Chefs!

Introducing the Junior Chef Course, designed to unleash your child’s culinary potential!

Course Details:
Duration: 5 days
Start Date: 3 – 7 July 2023
Time: 9am – 12pm (8 – 12 year old)
         1pm - 5pm (13 - 17 year old)
Location: International Culinary Studio Training Kitchen, 1/57 Warrington St, Christchurch.

Give your child the gift of being self-sufficient in the kitchen! They’ll learn essential culinary skills, techniques, and gain hands-on experience under the guidance of experienced chefs.

Bring your own electronic device, such as a laptop or tablet, to fully engage with digital resources and take our learning to the next level.

Total Cost: $300 per student

Lecturers: Cheryl and Chef Andy will be teaching the kids a great set of skills. Below are some details of what they will be teaching the kids during the 5 day programme.

Day 1: Create the Perfect Pizza with Toppings.
Learn different Icing Techniques for Icing a Cupcake.
Day 2: Learn to make Shaped Bread Rolls
Make a Country Vegetable Soup.
Day 3: Learn to make Fresh Pasta and a Tasty Beef Sauce.
Day 4: Stuff, Roll, Crumb and Roast a Chicken Thigh
Serve with a Vegetable Skewer.
Day 5: Create Home-made Cookie Dough to make five different flavoured Cookies.
Learn to make a range of Handcrafted Filled and Shaped Chocolates.

Empower your child with culinary expertise that will last a lifetime.
Whether they aspire to be the next MasterChef or simply want to enhance their
cooking skills, this course is a stepping stone to their culinary dreams. This course will also help them with their mathematics, reading and social skills.
To reserve your child’s spot, sign them up here: https://www.internationalculinarystudio.com/events.
Limited spots available, so don’t miss out!
Join us at the Junior Chef Course and watch your child blossom into a talented chef.
Enroll today and ignite their passion for the Culinary Arts!

We will only run the course if more than 10 people register.
T & C’s Apply






Play Baseball in Christchurch

Christchurch Astros
The Christchurch Astros are looking for neighbourhood teams to play in the upcoming 2023/24 season
Start your own neighbourhood team (including coach) and we will help you coordinate competitive games against teams from around Christchurch.
If you cannot find enough players for a team, the Astros can help with the combination of programmes near to you.

- Starting school term 4
- Age groups ranging from 5 - U16
- No prior experience needed
- Limited coaching sessions available to help get started
- Equipment available for competitive games
- Practices to be held locally but games occur bi-weekly at Avonhead Park

Please register your interest by emailing: christchurchastrosbaseball@gmail.com


Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 10

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 In this post:

  • Farewell Sarah
  • Cantamath project
  • Basketball South Zones
  • Wheelchair Rugby (video)
  • Term 2 highlights video

Farewell Sarah

We've been incredibly lucky to have Sarah teaching in our hub over the first two terms of this year. Thank you to all the students who wrote kind messages in the card we presented as a hub, and thank you to Te Whānau Mahitahi for "Sarah-nading" her in our farewell hui with a waiata and a haka. While we will miss her, we know she won't far as she is joining Koru and starting a new entrants class next term.

We are also excited to welcome back Jenny and hear about her adventures over the first half of this year!

Cantamath

Next term, children will be given three weeks to complete a maths project, and while we will help with ideas if needed, children will need to complete the project at home. Please have a look through this slideshow to learn more. We will kick into this next term, but some students may be keen to get ahead over the break.

Basketball South Zones

Two Year 7 and 8 teams recently showcased their skills at the Christchurch South Zone Basketball tournament on Monday. Despite facing formidable competition from schools such as Hillview, St Martins, Ōpāwaho, and Rudolf Steiner, our girls and boys teams demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination, securing third place in the tournament. The students truly embodied the spirit of 'We Love Challenge,' displaying fair play and enthusiasm throughout the day. Thank you to Ibnu and the parents who joined us in cheering on our teams.






Wheelchair Rugby

Nicky's Inquiry group has been looking at innovations for people with disabilities. To culminate our learning, we got in 12 wheelchairs for two days of wheelchair rugby for all the students. This immersive wheelchair experience fostered an incredible blend of education and enjoyment. The students embraced the challenges and discoveries that came with navigating the world from a different vantage point. This was a fantastic experience for everyone (even the staff!). It was great to witness the empathy and understanding they developed. A huge thanks to Nicky for organising this amazing experience.



Term 2 Highlights Video





Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto School Newsletter Friday 23 June 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Thank you to all of you who participated in our Matariki Whānau Hui! What a wonderful evening of whanaungatanga - connection, manaakitanga - hospitality and generosity, and ako - learning. Matariki is a time of rememberance and a time for communities to come together and celebrate - which we certainly did!
A huge thank-you to Jason Orchard and the PTA for enhancing the manaakitanga by providing delicious hupa huawhenua - vegetable soup.

Whānau Feedback

Over the next couple of months, our Board will be developing a new strategic plan to take us through the next two years. As part of this process, we will be engaging with our community, asking for your feedback and suggestions about what we do and focus on at Beckenham.

You may have already filled out a feedback form at the Learning Conferences, or at the Matariki Hui, and these forms are also available at the office, and will be around outside some afternoons at pick-up time.

We appreciate and value all of the feedback we get and are keen to talk to you if you have anything you might want to discuss, rather than write down. If that is the case, pop that on the form, and someone will contact you.



Alternatively, you can comment by clicking this link.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Mon 26 Jun - Year 7/8 Basketball - Hillview Christian School 9:00am - 12:30pm
Tue 27 Jun - 12:30-2:30pm - Y0-4 Zone Cross Country - Hillview Christian School
Wed 28 Jun - Board Mtg - 5:30pm Staffroom                                                                                
Wed 28 Jun - PTA Mtg, 7:30pm Staffroom       
Fri 30 Jun - 10am - Celebration Assembly                                                                                 
Fri 30 Jun - last day of term 2                                                                                                             
Sat 1 Jul - School Holidays begin                                                                                                     
Mon 17 Jul - Term 3 begins

Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Myka Orchard - Year 3

Myka, you are an incredible role model in the Kōwhai hub, the way you consistently show all of the school values. You are a conscientious learner, keen to do your best, and you are highly organised, thinking ahead and making sure you are prepared. You are also an extremely caring friend, always looking out for others and helping where needed. Myka, you are an absolute star!

School Notices

Kids Fest event: Native tree planting at Beckenham Ponds. Wed 5th July 10-11.

Our tamariki from Year 5/6 have been working very hard over the past few years at the Beckenham Ponds on restoration and planting. These holidays, there is a KidsFest Event happening at the Ponds.

Congratulations!

Beckenham Te Kura O Pūroto - Music Festival Audition Results

Following the recent auditions for the Representative Groups of the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival, we wish to advise you of the audition results for pupils from Beckenham Te Kura O Pūroto. 

Nearly 600 pupils auditioned for the 330 places this year and we have been impressed by the high standard of many of the pupils applying. 

The number of children applying for positions in the Representative Groups may mean that some children who were in groups in a previous year may have missed out in a getting a place this year.  We regret this but, to be fair to all children auditioning, we need to treat everyone openly and fairly.

Freyja Schoeler: Senior Choir 
Isabelle Parrett: Concert Band - French Horn
Mia White: Junior Choir

Sports News

Our Cross Country team represented Kura at the Canterbury Cross-Country Championships this week. These were held at Ngā Puna Wai. 
A special mention to Jack Sayer who placed 6th out of nearly 200 Year 7 boys. Well done to the other 7 students who gave it their all! What a great experience!

Community Notices

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

Community Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service

This winter, between Monday 12 June and Saturday 30 September, participating community pharmacies in Canterbury will provide a Minor Health Conditions Service for Māori and Pacific people, children aged under 14 years, and community service card holders.

The service allows pharmacists to have a clinical consultation and provide advice as well as medication if needed for a select set of minor ailments at no cost to the patient.
It also includes whānau members of a child with similar symptoms. For example, if the pharmacist determines your child needs treatment for scabies and they have older brothers or sisters, or you yourself also have symptoms, they may provide advice and medication for all of you.
The following health conditions are included in the Minor Health Conditions Service:
  • Acute diarrhoea
  • Dehydration
  • Eye inflammation and infections
  • Scabies
  • Headlice
  • Pain and fever
  • Eczema/Dermatitis
  • Minor skin infections
If your condition needs further support, the pharmacist can tell you the best place to go for your condition to get further help.
Participating pharmacies can be found by going to HealthPoint and searching “Minor Ailments”. You can also find a list here www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/go-well.  



Have a Go Swimming Event

Swimming Canterbury West Coast is excited to announce our second 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!
Please share with anyone looking to explore swimming as a sport, or recreational activity.
For more information, head to our website:
Event Page: t.ly/hGo3
Event Information Booklet: t.ly/fvyT
Event Poster A4: t.ly/blSz




Matariki Around the World

Matariki around the World, a beautiful musical journey exploring the Matariki star cluster around the globe, based on the book written by Professor Rangi Matamua and Miriama Kamo, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White, and published by Scholastic New Zealand.

We will be holding x2 performances at the James Hay Theatre in the Town Hall on Wednesday 5 July - 10.00am and 11.30am. 




Kahikatea News Week 9

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Kia ora e te whānau,

It has been wonderful to connect with our community during Learning Conferences last week, and with our Matariki Whānau Rōpu hui this week. Thanks for coming along!


Matariki

We have been learning about Matariki through story telling, craft and singing. Our learners loved having whānau in the hub and joining in with the Matariki activities on Wednesday night. 

Here are some photos:









Mathematics

Our learners have been so engaged in our 'Notice, Think, Wonder' prompts. Here are some of the thoughts that we came up with for the following image:


"It's a pattern!"- Cara
"It's not complete."- Charlie
"It repeats the pattern". - June
"There are 3 colours. The whole picture is a rectangle." - Finn
"There are 10 squares." - Aya
"There's a red line... a rectangle... with squares attached." - Hunter
"There are 4 rectangles." - Felix "5 with the green!"- Hunter
"There are 3 blues and 3 yellows." - Henry
"It's like hopscotch - 1 foot, 2 feet, 1 foot, 2 feet..." - Jace

Matariki Maths:
















Word of the Week: Cooperation

We have explored cooperation this week. We have listened to stories, shared examples, and done some activities which have required cooperation/teamwork.

One of the activities that some of our learners were involved with was working in teams to create human objects. It was pretty chaotic when we were first working in teams to complete the tasks! People were trying different things and we weren't all communicating effectively. The second try was so much more successful. We reflected on how we were successful when working cooperatively.

Here are some images from that activity:




Another activity involved some collaborative colouring. Chunks of a puzzle were given out, that needed to be coloured in as a group. Some groups sat so that everyone could access the puzzle at once, to colour, and some took equal turns. It was fabulous to hear the conversation and problem-solving. We then worked collaboratively to put the puzzle together.







Kapa Haka

Our learners have really enjoyed singing a new waiata this term with Whāia Cath. It makes us giggle. Here are the lyrics, if your child wants to share this with you at home:




Parent Supervision Roster

We have a number of spaces on the parent supervision roster for Term 3. Please email Katie if you would like to support us in the playground during lunch playtime. 
katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz


Spare Clothes

With the wintery weather upon us, it would be fantastic if you can send your learner along with a spare change of clothes. They can also bring gumboots to avoid wet/muddy shoes. Tamariki are welcome to bring slippers along to school too!



This is the last blog of term 2, with just one week left of school! Have a wonderful holiday break! 

Ngā mihi nui,
Team Kahikatea

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 9

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In this post:

  • Ski Day
  • 40 Hour Challenge
  • Wheelchairs next week
  • Matariki photos
  • Innovation inquiry trip
  • Ngarimu Video Competition
  • NOTE-ABLE Children's Online Instrumental Music Competition

Ski Day

Helpers for our Ski Day in Term 3 are still needed. Please fill out this Google Form if you are able and willing.

40 Hour Challenge

Money and booklets (if students have them) are needed as soon as possible. Please hand them in to the office.

Wheelchairs

On Wednesday and Thursday next week, as part of our learning around innovation we will have a trailer-load of rugby wheelchairs coming to school for children to learn about this sport through maneuvering the chair and actively playing the game. Each homegroup will have a timeslot throughout one of the days to participate. Many thanks to Nicky for organising this fantastic opportunity!

Innovation Inquiry Trip

Nicky's inquiry group headed to the Margaret Mahy Playground on Wednesday, armed with universal design checklists, blindfolds and a couple of wheelchairs to check out the playground equipment. We discovered how tricky bark chips are for wheelchair users and started thinking about modifications that could be done to make some equipment more inclusive. That said, a lot of the equipment got very high ratings on our checklists!




Matariki Evening

On Wednesday evening, we gathered as a school to celebrate Matariki. Te Whanau Mahitahi opened the event with an outstanding performance, and the hubs were filled with opportunities engage in learning around what Matariki is as well as why and how we celebrate it.




Ngarimu Video Competition

The Ngarimu Video Competition for ākonga Māori in Year 7–13 is now open for submissions.
This competition is funded by the Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board for the purpose of providing ākonga with an opportunity to practise storytelling and research, and to learn about the history of the 28th (Māori) Battalion.

Ākonga can submit a three-to-five-minute video in English and/or te reo Māori, and be in to win one of six prizes for themselves and their school or kura.

Entries for the competition close on Friday 8 September 2023.

More information about the competition and last year’s winners can be found on our website.
If you have any pātai, please email ngarimu.scholarship@education.govt.nz.

NOTE-ABLE Children's Online Instrumental Music Competition

NOTE-ABLE was launched in 2020 by Nelson musician and music teacher Joel Bolton with the main goals of showcasing New Zealand’s talented young instrumentalists and inspiring  children everywhere to take up a musical instrument. Find out more here.