Monthly Archives: September 2023

Pōhutukawa Update, Term 3, Week 8

Posted on by


 

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all,

Last week we finished our Keeping Ourselves Safe programme with a look at "Why should I tell?", where students learn to stop inappropriate touch or behaviour, say “no” confidently, move away, and report what has happened.

Overall, we have been really impressed with the thoughtfulness and maturity of the students during this programme. Children need abuse prevention education throughout their schooling, as their needs and experiences change. They need to have the opportunity to practise skills and to have the learning reinforced. Thank you for continuing these conversations and discussions at home. The final homework activity to do with your tamariki is below.

Coming up in the next 3 weeks we have a planting day (this Wednesday), a speech competition, Inquiry presentations, and a talent show to finish another busy term. There is some important information about all of this below, so please thank you for taking the time to read on.

Planting Day with the Christchurch City Council

We have some more planting to do! As part of our ongoing kaitiakitanga/guardianship of our Beckenham Ponds, the Pōhutukawa students will again have the opportunity to work alongside Christchurch City Council and plant some native trees and shrubs down at the ponds. This is our 4th year of planting down at ngā pūroto, and it is a tangible opportunity to show our school kete value We Care - Arohaina te tangata me te taiao, we care for people and the environment they live in which is inclusive of community.

We plan to do the planting this Wednesday 6 September from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. We'd like to request that the tamariki bring their gumboots, or a pair of old shoes that they don't mind getting muddy. If the weather is wet, we will postpone.

Create a Culture - Resources from Home

This term as part of our inquiry into the concept of  'Innovation', we are investigating how to create a unique culture by naming and designing the following: physical features of their country, flag, food, language, clothing, holidays, government, Laws and Consequences, sport, school, and artworks. Our next step is to display their 'Create a Culture' project. Students have been given the task of choosing a non-digital form of presentation, such as (but not limited to) a poster, diorama, mobile, or brochure. This week we are inviting students to bring in whatever resources they may need from home in order to work on their presentations. Thank you for your support with this.

Pōhutukawa Speech Competition and 'Beckenham's Got Talent'

As some of you will no doubt be aware, the students have been working very hard on their speeches over the past 3 weeks. The students have been able to choose whether they would like to present their speech to the home group, or a smaller group if they would prefer. It's been wonderful to see the students diligently planning and crafting their speeches,  with many also putting in some extra mahi, work at home too.

Next week they will be presenting their speeches, and we will conduct a Speech Final to award the Megan McLachlan Year 5 - 6 Speech Cup. Nau mai te wero, embrace the challenge!

Also, there are a number of students ready to show us their hidden (or not-so-hidden) talents at the end-of-term talent show. We are holding auditions this week for the illustrious privilege of representing our team at the whole-school 'Beckenham's Got Talent' extravaganza which will be held on the last day of term.

Thank you for supporting our budding performers in their preparations for both of these competitions.

Keeping Ourselves Safe Homework Activity

In Keeping Ourselves Safe we have been talking about who children can go to for help if they feel
unsafe or worried. Reinforce the following messages with your child.


● You must tell someone if other people make you feel unsafe, worried or scared.
● If the first person doesn’t help, go on telling until someone listens and takes action.
● You can always come to me and I will listen and help you.

Work with your child to complete a drawing similar to the harakeke drawing attached. Give
specific names and contact details where you can.

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 7

Posted on by

Kia ora whānau,

It has been another busy fortnight in the Kōwhai Team.


Keeping Ourselves Safe

Over the last two weeks, most homegroups have had a Keeping Ourselves Safe lesson with Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer. The children were excited to see a police officer in the hub and had many questions for her.

Our current Keeping Ourselves Safe focuses are:

Focus area 2: My body is my own, Nōku tōku tinana 

In this focus area, students learn the names of body parts and that no one should touch their genitals unless it is for health reasons. They consider touch that they like, touch that hurts and touch that is confusing. 

Focus area 3: Unwanted behaviour and touch, Kore e hiahiatia te whanonga me te pā kino

In this focus area, students learn about saying “no” confidently, moving away, and reporting what has happened to an adult they trust. They also learn the difference between good secrets and bad secrets.

Balloon Racers

The children have been busy using the design process to plan and construct balloon-powered racing cars. Here are the steps of the design process that the children are following:
  1. Define the problem/need.
  2. Research your problem and come up with ideas you have for solving it. 
  3. Create a prototype. 
  4. Trial and improve the prototype.
  5. Reflect.
Here are some photos of their progress:





Reading Books

If your child is in a reading group that takes a reading book home, please support them to return their book to school on time. One easy way to help with this at home is to coach your child to always put their reading folder and book back in their bag as soon as they have finished reading their book. This way their book should always come back to school. Thanks for your support in this.


Positive Behaviour For Learning - Friendship

As part of our Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) programme, the children learn different strategies for maintaining positive behaviour, improving their well-being and increasing their educational achievement.

We have a different PB4L focus each week. This week's focus has been on friendship. As part of this, the children have been learning about what a good friend looks like, sounds like and feels like.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3 Week 7

Posted on by

 In this post:

  • Ski trip
  • Choice 
  • Playground
  • Save the Date Year 8
  • Passions

Ski Trip

A huge thanks to our fabulous parent crew who supported all of our tamariki to have a fabulous day on the snow. Despite the soggy start at school, we were greeted by calm blue skies when we arrived. The children were fabulous. They followed all of the instructions that were drilled into them before we left, enabling the day to flow smoothly. So many children made so much progress; we were super proud of their achievements and attitude. We have a huge collection of photos which the children can access from home to show you. The media team are also working on a video which we will share soon. 



Choice

This week each homeroom had two sessions with Constable Meg as part of our teaching and learning around making positive choices around drug use. The children have been learning about the different levels of harm that can be caused by drug abuse and the laws and regulations that exist in our country. The children approached this learning with maturity and posed lots of questions for Constable Meg to answer. Constable Meg encouraged the children to talk openly about what they had been learning with whānau.

Another key message from Constable Meg was about how to react if friends were doing something that they felt was unsafe or could become unsafe: get yourself away from the situation. We know that as children enter their preeteen and teenage years, the perception of what your peers think of you has a huge impact on behaviour and that walking away from your friends takes a lot of courage. We thought we would share a useful strategy with you that you can set up with your child to help them make positive choices when with their friends. How it works is that you agree upon a code word between you and your child. This could be anything from 'bananas' to just an 'x'. If your child is ever in a situation where they feel uncomfortable, they text you the code word. On receiving this text, the parent calls their child and says that they need to pick them up and bring them home. The child can outwardly express their disappointment or frustration about this and save face in front of their friends. We thought that this was a strategy that might come in handy at some point during your child's journey into adulthood. 

Playground

Happy first day of Spring! We have been loving this wonderful weather this week and want to make a special mention of all the great lunchtime activities that have been happening. Many students have been playing football with the younger kids and lots of Koru games practises have been happening. We'd love to see this enthusiasm for active play continue. 







Save the Date Year 8

If your child is off to Cashmere High next year, you will want to mark the evening of Wednesday, September 13th from 6pm in your diary. That is the evening that Beckenham Whānau are invited to Cahsmere High to meet with the principal and have your questions answered. More details will be coming to you directly from Cashmere.


Passions

We are fully into the swing of our Friday afternoon passions for Term 3. It has been wonderful having Kate Allan come in to take a coding passion. Here are some photos from our 'paper mache clocks' and 'clay' passions. Lots of wonderful learning and fun being had! 









Kahikatea News Week 7 Term 3

Posted on by
Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to Spring! It has been wonderful to have warmer days and to see the sun shining this week!


Keeping Ourselves Safe

This week Kahikatea students have learned about:

Unwanted Behaviour or Touch

  • Students need to know that they can stop touching or behaviour that is inappropriate, that worries or confuses them, or makes them feel unsafe.
  • Students need to be able to say “no” confidently, move away, and report what has happened.

Secrets and Tricks

  • Identify the difference between good surprises and bad secrets
  • Identify the adults they trust about bad secrets
  • Explain safe practices for trick situations, including online.
This Brian and Bobby video has been a really helpful resource for our tamariki.

Last week during our lessons with Constable Meg we all watched this video about Consent (link). We encourage you to watch this too when you have time.

Word of the Week: Friendship

This week we have been learning about friendships and practicing being a good friend. Good friends have several common character traits. By intentionally practicing these qualities, you can help your child learn to be a better friend. 

Here are some friendly character traits you can work on:
  • Taking turns
  • Offering encouragement
  • Sharing
  • Being patient
  • Including others

Mathematics

This week teachers have been completing the JAM test (Junior Asssessment for Maths) so classes have been combined. Some of the topics we have covered during this time include Skip Counting, Time, and Mathematical Art.

Here are some photos of our tamariki enjoying some different maths this week:















Chess Fun! 

Every morning a group of Kahikatea students gather in the nook to play games of chess. Anyone is welcome to play and we encourage those of you whose children like to play or would like to learn how to play chess to check out this cool link: ChessPlus


We hope you are having an enjoyable weekend.

Team Kahikatea



Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 1 Sep 2023

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Looking ahead to 2024...


It is that time of the year when we are thinking about the needs of our school for 2024. Our roll determines our staffing, so, like every school, we need to have as much clarity around our numbers as possible.
If you currently have a child in Year 6, please fill out this survey so that we know about your intentions for your child for 2024. We expect that most Year 6 children will be returning, and we do ask that ALL Year 6 families fill this survey out.

Enrolling pre-schoolers for next year...!

If you have a pre-schooler in your home, it is never too early to get them enrolled! We are very happy to hold your child's enrolment in our system well in advance as this ensures that we are planning with the best possible information about our predicted numbers.
Please see Jacky or Reihana in the office for an enrolment form, or download an enrolment form from our website.


Please pass this on to anyone with a 3-4 year old in our neighbourhood... we are working on our staffing for 2024 and we really do need to know who to expect!

Ask them to contact our office for an enrolment form - office@beckenham.school.nz
or download an enrolment form from our website.

Relief Teachers

If you know a fabulous teacher who may be interested in becoming a Preferred Reliever at our school, please have them check out the vacancies information on our website. 

We are always looking for quality relievers to add to our relievers list. For any information or pātai (questions) on this process, please email Reihana: reihana.dougherty@beckenham.school.nz

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB: You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Wed 6 Sep - Strum Strike Blow - Wolfbrook Arena, 7:00pm - 8:15pm
Fri 8 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 8 Sep - PTA Calendar Art order forms sent home
Wed 13 Sep - Year 5-8 Choir - Music Festival Rehearsal
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - Final day for PTA Calendar Art orders
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - 1:45pm Beckenham's Got Talent!
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Abigail Blencowe - Year 6

Abie, thank you for being such a caring and conscientious team member. You take pride in your school work and quietly go about the business of making a positive difference to our team through your actions. You show integrity in all that you do. We notice this, and we appreciate it - and you - very much. Kei runga noa atu koe!

School Notices

Head Lice

We have had a few instances of head lice reported across different hubs.  Please check your children for evidence of head lice and treat them accordingly.  
If you are unsure of how to check and treat for head lice please contact Zoom Pharmacy on 0508 966 622, zoompharmacy.co.nz/mas or mas@zoompharmacy.co.nz.  This service is free both for consultation and for some medications, including head lice.

Kauri Speech Competition

In an enriching term of speech crafting, children in the Kauri hub have written captivating speeches that have enthralled us all. Last week we had our speech finals, held in front of whānau and the entire hub. It was great to hear so many wonderfully diverse and articulate speeches. Securing victory for year 8 was Christopher McCracken-Shannon, followed by Cian Scott and Ella Coleman. In year 7, Harriet Parawa emerged as the winner, with Finn Brietmeyer and Bobby MacDonald in second and third respectively. A huge thank you to our judges, Jo Smith, and Lucy, a former Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto student. Congratulations to all the speech finalists and a big thank you for all the effort Kauri students put into writing their speeches.

Year 7/8 Ski Trip

Our ski day had a rather damp start as we gathered in the school car park in driving rain at 5:50 am on Monday. We reached the Mt Hutt car park two hours later under a brilliant blue sky and surrounded by sparkling snow. It was going to be a great day! The children whisked through ski hire and into their two-hour lessons. Their perseverance and great listening paid off. By 11 am they were armed with the skills they needed to go it alone. It was a day of digging deep, embracing challenge and reaping the benefits. Lots of fun was had skiing with friends, being guided down new slopes by our wonderful adult team of helpers and simply enjoying the ambience of being in the mountains. By 4pm everyone was bundled into buses and cars for the journey home, where stories were shared and a bit of napping took place. It was an awesome day and we can't wait to do it all again next year!

Staff Profiles

Introducing Laura Cortes

We have been incredibly fortunate to have Laura join the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto kaimahi this term, as a Teaching Assistant, supporting our tamariki across the school.    

A bit about Laura... "I'm Colombian, a nature lover, avid dancer, and traveler. Media producer by profession, plus 5 years working as a Learning Assistant. Excited to join this school and city, ready to share my passions and skills."

Community Notices

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