Monthly Archives: June 2023

Koru Team News: Term 2 Week 9

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 Kia ora, e te whānau,

Here we are at the tail end of Term 2 and your tamariki are doing so well, as they strive to keep up the momentum with their learning! It's been a very busy fortnight, including Learning Conferences, our Matariki hui, several children having their transition to school visits and a big focus for our wee ones on the curriculum area of Science at the moment, specifically Electricity.

Firstly though, Friday was tinged with sadness for us all, as we farewelled Sonya, our teaching assistant. The children had made some beautiful cards for Sonya and these we gave to her, along with their very sweet messages about what the children were going to miss about her. Sonya has been a pillar of support in the Koru team, over the past two terms, and we will certainly miss her love, care, skill and talent, along with her creative flair and, as one of the children put it, her amazing tidiness!


We wish Sonya all the very best in the future - we know she'll be treasured by her new colleagues and the children she works with.
At the same time as farewelling Sonya, we have also been welcoming Denise, who is taking over the role that Sonya has held. We're really looking forward to having Denise with us in the Koru team, we can't wait to get to know her well and we welcome her with wide open arms into our whānau.


Junior Park Explorers:
We were really sorry to have had to postpone our Junior Park Explorers excursion on Friday, however we're all looking forward to a warmer, drier outing once we're able to set a new date some time in Term 4. We'll be looking for more parent helpers at that point! The children coped with the disappointment very well, and are to be congratulated for doing so.

Science:
We have been taking a dive into 'Electricity' last week and will continue with this focus in the week ahead. We are having great fun as we hypothesise and experiment, share our ideas and make connections with prior experiences.
Last Monday, the children discussed:
  • What is electricity?
  • Where does electricity come from?
  • Have you ever felt an electric spark from something or someone?
  • Have you ever had a power cut and not had any electricity?
  • Have you ever seen an electric car?
On Tuesday, the children learnt about what energy is and where it comes from, as well as having a look at renewable and non-renewable energy.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the children were introduced to the word 'circuit'. We looked at open and closed circuits and learned that a closed circuit is required for electricity to flow. We experimented to find out what electricity would flow through and what it wouldn't flow through. The children predicted that electricity wouldn't flow through plastic, but that it would flow through metal. Using an 'energy tube', we tested our predictions and found out that those predictions were right!
When the energy tube is 'turned on' the circuit is closed and that's when the tube flashes and makes an eerie fluttering noise. We discovered that our bodies conduct electricity, so as long as we had a hand on the metal ring at each end of the energy tube, the circuit would be closed. We even tested, if we were to sit in a big circle and all hold hands, whether the circuit would be closed and the energy tube would light up and make its eerie fluttering sounds, and ... yes, it did!!














One final thing:
A plea from Jossi's family - might Jossi's polar fleece have gone home in the wrong bag, by chance? It's been missing for several days now. Would you please check the names on your child's polar fleeces, just to be sure that you don't also have Jossi's by mistake. Many thanks :)

We hope you are all having a wonderful weekend with your whānau - stay warm, dry and cosy, and we look forward to seeing those beautiful, wide smiles again tomorrow morning!

Ngā mihi mahana,
Elizabeth, Stacey and Georgia


Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 9

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Kia ora whānau,

Welcome to the Kōwhai blog for Week 9!

Whānau Hui

We had lots of fun at our Whānau Hui this week. Thank you for coming along to take part in our Matariki celebration. There was lots of excitement in the air, culminating in an amazing performance given by the Kōwhai Kapa Haka group. Well done everyone! Here are some photos of what we got up to:










Waka

Over the past few weeks, our students have been engaged in building waka (Māori canoes) as part of our learning on New Zealand migration. Some children have built their waka using sticks, string and paper while others have built them in Minecraft. Here are some photos of their work:









AI Art

This term some of the children have been exploring the use of generative AI to create stunning digital portraits. Here is some of their work:

 


Reading Folders

If your child is bringing home Pip and Tim books, it is important that they bring their reading folder back to school every day. We suggest that the children always put their reading folder straight back into their bag as soon as they have finished reading at home. That way the folder will always make its way back to school safely. Thank you for your support with this.

Sickness

We are in the middle of the winter illness season. Please remember to keep your child at home if they are unwell. We are trying to minimise the spread of germs by encouraging the children to wash their hands before eating and sanitise or wash their hands as needed throughout the day.

End of Term

As the term draws to a close, we hope you have a restful and enjoyable break with your children, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term ahead.

Happy holidays!

From the Kōwhai team

T2 W8 – Fri 16 Jun

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Matariki Whānau Hui, Kapa haka & Soup - Wednesday 21 June from 5pm


We would like to invite you to our first Whānau Rōpū hui of 2022 next Wednesday.

Matariki is the start of the Māori new year and a time of reflection, connection and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate with you and your whānau on the 21st of June from 5pm.

5:00 pm - Welcome & Performance in Māpuna, the Hall - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi

5:20 pm - Matariki activities begin in Hubs

6:10 pm - Matariki activities finish in Hubs

6:20 pm - Performance by Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai joint kapa haka rōpū in Māpuna, the Hall

6:40 pm - Free Soup and Bread in the hall for all - bring a mug/bowl and share kai together.

Nau mai, haere mai.

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Wed 21 Jun - Whānau Matariki Hui, followed by PTA Hāngi
Wed 28 Jun - Board Mtg - 5:30pm Staffroom
Wed 28 Jun - PTA Mtg, 7:30pm Staffroom
Fri 30 Jun  - last day of Term 2
Sat 1 Jul - School Holidays begin
Mon 17 Jul - Term 3 begins

Citizen of the Week

Timon Spill - Year 8

Timon, you are an active learner who asks questions and explores different ideas to extend your knowledge. You are focused during learning times and use your knowledge to support others willingly. You put your hand up for leadership opportunities, and we all appreciate your ICT prowess! Thank you for being a willing and capable helper. You make Beckenham Te Kura o Puroto a better place.

Learning from our Hubs

Pond Restoration - Year 5/6 Team - movie

The Beckenham Ponds is a special place to the community and of course the namesake of our kura: Beckenham te kura o Pūroto. As a school, we have been working alongside the Christchurch City Council with a shared vision of the restoration of these taonga. For the past several years Beckenham students have been planting and maintaining native plants at the ponds, and using the environment for place-based learning opportunities. You may have seen some recent work being done. We hope you enjoy this short movie about this, and why this has our students excited!

Staffing Update

Welcome to Amanda Kay



Amanda started this week working three mornings a week in our Kahikatea Year 1/2 team as a Teaching Assistant, whilst Nathalie is away. Amanda has previously worked as an Occupational Therapist, and has two young children. Spending time with her family and baking take up most of her time!

Farewell to Sonya Watson



We are very sad to be farewelling Sonya Watson in her role as a Teaching Assistant this coming Friday. We wish her all the best as she moves on to a new position.

Congratulations to Sarah Junghenn


We are delighted to be able to confirm that we will hold on to the skills and professionalism of Sarah Junghenn. Sarah has been teaching in the Year 7/8 team for Terms 1 & 2 whilst Jenny Diggle has been on leave. Jenny will be returning next term to Year 7/8.
Sarah has agreed to take the next New Entrant group. She will start full-time in the Koru team in the early part of Term 3.

Community Notices

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

Cashmere Kea’s for 5 to 8 year olds: 

Spaces available for next term onwards. Fun and friendship are the cornerstones of the Kea programme. It is filled with a little bit of everything: outdoor activities, games and crafts. 

Meeting Place: Scout Den, Hackthorne Road, Cashmere, Christchurch Meeting time: Monday 5.45pm – 6.45pm Info about prices / contact details for Cashmere Kea’s https://scouts.nz/groups/cashmere-scout-group/ More info about Kea’s in general: https://scouts.nz/keas/

BushFarm School - Final holiday programme

Kia ora e te iwi,

Some sad news to share unfortunately, Bush Farm will be closing on the 6th Oct this year. As such, this will be the last lot of holiday programmes we will be offering to the public. www.bushfarm.org.nz

Please do contact us if you have any questions about the holiday programmes, or about our closure.



Diamond Futsal. 

We are the first and only futsal-specific program in Christchurch.

We have designed this program to engage the community and to increase participation in the game of futsal. We are open to all participants of all abilities that are wanting to give our program and the sport of Futsal a try. 

What is futsal? Futsal is a fast-paced indoor variation of football/soccer that is played inside on a hard court with a low-bounce ball. Futsal emphasizes skilful footwork, quick passes, and close control due to the smaller playing area and fewer players on each team. It promotes agility, technique, and creativity while also developing teamwork and decision-making abilities. Futsal is known for its dynamic nature, high-scoring matches, and exciting displays of individual and team skills.

We have attached our flier for the program we plan to run in term 3 and also included a link to a form that students can fill out if they are interested. 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3hY_Ek8ClqIpgNzv-szRops84m1RtYgMJLxUE60AQI9MEEg/viewform?usp=sf_link





Kahikatea News Term 2 Weeks 7 & 8

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Kia ora koutou,

Wow....it is Week 8 already! We are having a blast in Team Kahikatea! As the weather cools down, please ensure your child has clearly named warm clothing. 

Hero Reports are Live

We have enjoyed being able to share the success of all of our learners! Have you seen your child's report? Have you shared this report yet with your child? 

Learning Conferences

These are coming up this week, on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th June. We look forward to meeting with you all. 

This is just a reminder that school will close at 2pm on both days. Children who are usually booked into BOSCO on those days will be able to attend from 2pm. The school will provide supervision for children between 2-3pm IF NEEDED.

Please see your child's Homegroup Teacher if you are yet to book a conference.

Word of the week

Our word of the week last week was FRIENDSHIP.

Below are some videos we showed the tamariki as we discussed what a good friend looks like, sounds like, and feels like.





He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai - if kindness is sown, then kindness you shall receive. 

Fun Run

On Friday 2nd June, some of our Tamariki (and awesome parents) participated in the school fundraising fun run to raise money for Trees For Canterbury. It was a fantastic effort by all, we are proud of you and loved cheering you on as you ran lap, after lap, after lap of the field. Below are some photos that were taken. 












Have you got your 'Maths Eyes'? 

As part of our mathematics lessons, we have been looking at everyday images and asking the following four questions:

1. What do you notice?

2. What do you think?

3. What do you wonder?

4. Where's the mathematics in this picture?

Have a go (both children and parents) with the following image. (It's a great way to see the world through a mathematical lens and to build up the skills of communicating using the language of mathematics.)

Photos from our week:
















Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.

Team Kahikatea

krystal.hunt@beckenham.school.nz

lisa.collier@beckenham.school.nz

katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

quynh.nguyen@beckenham.school.nz

amber.donovan@beckenham.school.nz

Koru Team news, Term 2 Week 7

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Kia ora, e te whānau,

Important dates:

Learning Conferences. Learning Conferences are this Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th of June, and school finishes at 2pm. Please complete THIS FORM to let us know what you want to happen for your child at 2pm. Every family needs to complete the form, thanks.

Junior Park Explorers: Friday 23 June. This is our new date as we had to postpone earlier in the term due to the weather. 

Matariki Evening and Kapa Haka Performance: Wednesday 21st June. We would like to celebrate with you and your whānau from 5pm onwards. 5pm welcome in the Hall, 5.20pm activities in Hubs, 6.20pm performance in the Hall by Year 3-6 children, and 6.45pm pre-ordered Hāngi available to collect. 

Fun Run:

On Friday, 2nd of June, we had 10 Koru children participate in a student council-organised Fun Run to raise money for Trees for Canterbury. 'We Love Challenge!' Awesome effort everyone!






Learning Through Play
During each school day, our tamariki are involved in Learning Through Play activities incorporating different social competencies, all while the children are engaged in play. Learning Through Play is all about our children choosing and directing their own play, and our job as teachers are to support, nurture and extend them through this journey. 
This can involve:
  • improving social skills, such as turn-taking, sharing, negotiating, and ensuring that things remain fair
  • being aware of; and the use of our school kete values in the classroom environment
  • learning how to work together with others and practise the skills needed to work collaboratively and to be a team player
  • noticing and commenting on how our tamariki are demonstrating the skills we focus on as our 'word of the week' eg. resilience, friendship, kindness, respect, co-operation, and inclusion.













Fun in our sandpit


Sorting shapes together

Working together to hold the hoop steady!

We Love Challenge

'We Get There Together'


Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Elizabeth, Stacey, Georgia and Sonya