Monthly Archives: June 2024

Kahikatea News Term 2 Week 8

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Kia ora e te whānau, 

So many exciting things have been happening in the Kahikatea hub this week!

Opera

The New Zealand opera's "Opera in Schools" came to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto and performed 'The Elixir of Love'. 





Baking 

Greta's mum Lauren came to show Fisher house and Tennyson how to make some delicious scones. The tamariki learnt how to measure ingredients accurately. The scones smelt delicious.












Clip and Climb 

Ella and Amber's homegroup had their trip to Clip and Climb. The children showed determination, resilience and teamwork. Everyone had so much fun! What a great afternoon! 






















Other Learning in the Hub























Cyber Safety 

Awareness of Online Harm
Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives these days. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.

Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.

To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link.  

PB4L

Our PB4L focus of the week is determination. Here are the links to a short story about determination and a catchy song. 



Maths

Our maths focus of the week has been learning how to measure accurately. The children have learnt to measure in non-standard units (e.g. plastic multilink cubes) and also learnt how to use a ruler.

Here are some helpful resources:


Nuts!

Just a reminder that due to serious allergies in the hub, we are a nut free zone. Please can children not bring in nut products such as peanut butter sandwiches and coconut snacks. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

                               Have a great weekend everyone!

                                                         

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 14 June 2024, Week 7

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Learning Conferences
Thank you so much for all your participation and engagement in Learning Conferences.  We gain so much information and insight from this time.  

A wee reminder that you can come in and speak with your child's homegroup teacher during week days.  Please just email and make a time to do this so they can put aside enough time for a successful meeting.
If you have any questions or "nose wrinkles" please make a time to see us so we can work through anything straight away.

Charlotte's Farewell
We had a lovely farewell to Charlotte Verity who has been teaching at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto since 2014.  Charlotte has led many initiatives across our school including staff and student wellbeing, supporting the development of programmes with our students who have English as a Second Language, Sustainability and composting and our Science programmes.
Charlotte is beginning a new teaching adventure at another kura in Christchurch.  All the very, very best Charlotte, we will miss you.

Plogging!
Our wonderful Jacky has been leading us on our "Plogging" journey.  We hope you may be able to help us with this.  Plogging refers specifically to the activity of picking up rubbish while jogging / walking.  Its name is a portmanteau of the Swedish term Plocka upp, meaning "to pick up" and the English jogging.  Jacky has some large tongs and buckets in the office, if you would like to take your child (and their friends) and do some plogging at drop off or pick up time.  Our school environment, and eventually the world, will thank you for it!

Ngā mihi nui
Sue Leadbetter - DP / SENCO

Important Dates

(you can also find the Community Calendar on our website here)

Fri 21 Jun - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Tue 25 Jun - Matariki Evening at Kura, 5.30-7:00pm
Wed 26 Jun - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 26 Jun - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 28 Jun - Matariki (kura/school closed)
Tue 2 Jul - Y0-4 Cross Country Challenge, 12:00 - 3:00pm, Hillview
Wed 3 Jul - Sandy's Farewell Assembly, 2:15-4:00PM, in the Hall, RSVP required
Fri 5 Jul - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 5 Jul - Last day of Term 2, School finishes 3pm
Mon 22 Jul - First day of Term 3, School starts at 8:55am
Wed 24 Jul - PTA Midwinter Breakfast
Wed 24 Jul - PTA Meeting (AGM), 7:00-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 26 Jul - Welcome Assembly, 9:15-9:30am, in the Hall
Fri 2 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 15 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 26 Aug - Staff Only Day (kura/school closed)
Wed 28 Aug - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Wed 28 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Fri 30 Aug - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Mon 2 Sep - School Duathlon, 12:15-3:00PM
Wed 4 Sep - Kauri Ski Trip TBC
Fri 13 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Thu 19 Sep - New Entrant and Year 8 Photos, 9:00-10:00am
Wed 25 Sep - PTA Meeting, 7:30-9:30PM, Green Room
Thu 26 Sep - BoT Meeting, 5:30-7:30PM, Staff Room
Fri 27 Sep - Celebration Assembly, 10:00-10:30am, in the Hall
Fri 27 Sep - Last day of Term 3, School finishes 3pm
Mon 14 Oct - First day of Term 4, School starts 8:55am

Term Dates: Click here to view  2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week (W6)

Jessica Walker - Year 3

Jessica, you are an exemplary role model in the Kōwhai hub. You have a growth mindset and tackle challenges with a positive attitude! You are kind and caring, and always there for others. You show initiative in the way that you volunteer to help out and find different ways of problem solving. Keep being your fantastic self. Ka pai, Jessica.

Citizen of the Week (W7)

Chester Gardiner - Year 6

Chester, you exemplify each one of our school values. You are kind, creative and personable, making a positive difference in our hub. Thank you for the leadership you show in technology and for being a brilliant role model for others. Chester, you get stuck right into learning tasks, consistently demonstrating a love of learning and challenge. Tino pai to mahi.

School Notices

Stay Well This Winter


As we head into winter, winter illnesses, such as colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses, along with predicted Covid waves, become more common.

As a school, we are conscious of doing all we can to support our tamariki, whānau and community to be as well as possible.

As a school, we will continue to:
  • Ventilate spaces and keep them warm
  • Regularly clean surfaces
  • Teach/remind tamariki to cough or sneeze into their elbow
  • Teach/remind tamariki to wash and dry their hands regularly, especially after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing, and using the toilet
  • Mask wearing will continue to be optional for those who would like to 
  • Contact whānau if a child is unwell while at school for them to be collected
As whānau, please continue to:
  • Keep your child at home if they are unwell
  • Encourage them to cough or sneeze into their elbow
  • Encourage regular hand washing

Sandy Hastings' Farewell Assembly

You are invited to join us in officially celebrating and farewelling Sandy Hastings from her role as Principal at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

We will be hosting a Farewell Assembly for Sandy on Wednesday the 3rd of July.
The Assembly is for the whole school, and guests, and will run from 2:15-3:00PM.
Following the Assembly we will welcome all staff and guests to join us from 3:00-4:00PM for kai (food) and refreshments.

Please would you indicate your attendance by filling in this form, linked here. We would appreciate knowing numbers, for catering purposes, if you intend to join us after the Assembly.

If you have any photos, memories or messages you would like to share, these can be emailed to pa@beckenham.school.nz

NZ Opera "The Elixir of Love" Performance

This Thursday, the NZ Opera "Opera in Schools" tour visited our kura to perform Donizetti's The Elixir of Love. The performance took place in the hall and NZ Opera introduced our tamariki to the world of opera and the story of The Elixir of Love. 

Matariki

Please save the date for our Whānau Matariki Evening which is to be held on Tuesday 25th of June, 5:30 - 7:30PM. Further information about this will come out via HERO.

Kura/school will be closed for the Matariki Public Holiday -  Friday 28th June 2024. 


Matariki, the Māori New Year, is typically marked by the rise of the Matariki star cluster in the appropriate moon phase. Some iwi observe the rise of the lone star Puaka as the beginning of the new year.

Matariki takes place in mid-winter from late May to early July. The dates vary according to tribes and geography. The first public holiday to celebrate Matariki was held in New Zealand on Friday 24 June, 2022.

Each iwi has their own stories and perspectives about Matariki and celebrate Matariki at different times. Some hold festivities when Matariki is first seen in the dawn sky; others celebrate after the rise of the full moon or at the beginning of the next new moon.

Today Matariki is generally seen as an important time to celebrate the earth and show respect for the land. It is also a time to acknowledge those who have passed away and to plan for the year ahead. 

Matariki is a good opportunity for all New Zealanders to come together with Māori communities to learn their stories, culture, and language.

To learn more about Matariki, click the link (https://www.matariki.com/about)

Uniform Donations Welcome

We are running low on bigger sizes in the PTA Uniform Shop. If you have any old uniform of any size your whānau no longer uses, please feel welcome to drop this into the Office.

If you are looking to visit the PTA Uniform Shop, the hours are:

Monday 2:45 - 3:15PM
Friday  8:45 - 9.15AM

Community Notices

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

Free short-film Amnesty event for 2024 World Refugee Day, 2pm, Sunday 16 June

Amnesty International Christchurch/Ōtautahi warmly invites you to our free short-film event commemorating World Refugee Day, held on Sun 16 June at 2pm at the Christchurch Art Gallery. This is an hour of family-friendly short films relating to refugees & asylum-seekers, introduced by Sir Mark Solomon (Ngāi Tahu/Ngāti Kurī) and followed by an informal community-connection opportunity.

Envirokids Upcoming June Activities


Play the Drums

Beginner - learn to play
or
Already Play Drums - improve your drumming skills

Private individual tuition
With an experienced drummer who is a Drumsense certified master tutor
Learn Rock, Jazz, Big Band, Funk Dance and Latin Drumming
Tuition available after school and at weekends
Pupils of all ages welcome.
To arrange a FREE introductory session call, txt or email:
Chris Self
027 436 9930
masterdrumtutor@gmail.com
Ottawa Road, Wainoni

Wellbeing sessions for whānau


Future proofing! - what it takes to grow great adults!
Presenter: Anna Mowat, Director and facilitator for Real Parents
Duration: 1.5 hours (with Q&A)
Date: Tuesday 4th July 2024
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: $18 per person

Webinar Overview:
This is our most popular presentation and where we talk about the absolute fundamentals, the key things that our kids need to thrive and grow into great adults. And they're not all what you might think...

We'll take you through:
What it takes to build a strong, connected relationship with your kids,
Identifying your key parenting style and whether this is supporting your kids' best,
And how we can build a child's self-esteem and confidence!

KidsFest


Now in its 33rd year, the annual event offers a plethora of free and affordable activities for young people throughout the school holidays, from 6–21 July. It takes place in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, Selwyn and Waimakariri.

“Whether they’re musically inclined, fascinated by technology or love being outdoors, there are literally hundreds of activities on offer to stave off any winter boredom,”

“KidsFest welcomes back perpetual favourites like The Christchurch Brick Show, while also introducing a bunch of exciting new events this year. Browse the full list online at kidsfest.co.nz and start building your own schedule!

“It’s a great opportunity for children and young people to get out of their comfort zone and have fun experiences during the holidays. Kids can extend themselves in their areas of interest, as well as discover new hobbies and passions.”

Tickets go on sale at kidsfest.co.nz from 9am next Thursday 13 June. Demand will be high, so be in quick!

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 6

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Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 6

 

IN THIS POST:

  • Reports
  • Learning Conferences
  • Online Safety 
  • Disco

Reports:
Student school reports went live on Friday and we hope you have all had a chance to read and look through. There has been a lot of hard work and progress made by our Senior students in the first half of the year and the school reports reflect and celebrate this. If you have any questions don't hestitate to ask your childs' homegroup teacher at our learning conferences.

Learning Conferences:
These are happening this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Appointments are 15mins long and can be made online. You will meet with your child's homegroup teacher, this will include a discussion of the school, any questions you may have and a general check in. We look forward to seeing you!

Online Safety: Gaming

Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it’s fun. 


But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren’t seeing inappropriate content or chatting in-game with strangers?


Today we’re sharing Netsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe. 


YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/rPN_ev1RSDQ


Disco:
What a great night we had on Friday at the Senior disco! Everyone looked stunning and there were some extraordinary dance moves!
























Pōhutukawa Update, Term 2, Week 6

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Ngā mihi e te whanau, warm greetings to you all. We've been lucky with some amazing weather for the start of our Winter Sports programme, with all of our students receiving netball, football, and hockey coaching and tautoko, support from our parent coaches and Year 8 student leaders on Tuesday afternoons. We have more than 70 students participating in the South Zone competition and proudly representing Beckenham. A huge mihi, thanks to the amazing parents who are helping out on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. We couldn't have that number of students involved in the inter-school competition without your help and support. We hope you all enjoy the photos. Please read on for some important updates - including a revised date for the Food for Thought programme and our visit to St. Martins New World.

New dates for Food for Thought and Parent Help Required

The Food for Thought programme has been rescheduled to take place in Week 8 on the 17th, 18th and 19th of June. Food for Thought is a free nutrition education programme offered to all New Zealand primary schools, and provides Year 5 and 6 classes with three Nutrition Sessions with a qualified nutritionist. This will be an invaluable learning experience for the tamariki who always learn so much about nutrition from this programme. It will also be a golden opportunity to ask questions around the dinner table about what the tamariki have learned in this programme and about the new knowledge they have acquired about sustaining their health. He taonga te ako, the treasure is learning.

Parent help will be required for our trip to New World on Wednesday 19th June.

Each Home Group will walk to and from New World and receive an in-store lesson to consolidate what they have learned from the programme over the previous 2 days. The schedule is as follows: 

Steve's home group: 8:30 am - 11:00 am

Gayle's home group: 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Megan's home group: 10:30 am - 1:00 pm

Rae's home group 11:30 am - 2:00 pm

If you think you may be able to help out at any of these times, please get in touch with your child's home group teacher. It is possible to accompany your child with a buddy with your buddy and a different home group depending on the time you are available. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Have a great weekend everybody,

The Pōhutukawa Team

Kahikatea News Week 6 Term 2

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Discos! Discos! Discos!

Big Big thanks to all our parent helpers who made the DISCO possible.








Identity

You may have noticed a whole lot of waka going up in our homerooms. Tamariki (children) have been working on a hoe (oar) that expresses how they contribute to class. This shows our school value of Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe, 'We Get There Together'.




Salt painting

Sarah and Quynh’s homeroom explored salt painting. This process involves the pulling (osmosis) property of liquid on salt. It was challenging to get the picture you wanted as you were limited by the materials. Our tamariki showed patience working together and demonstrated our school value of Nau mai te wero, 'We Love Challenge'.






Arts- Music

Last Friday some of our tamariki (children) enjoyed a music session with Ferndale ākonga (students). Both parties had a brilliant time - we are so lucky to spend time with our Ferndale friends





Cyber Safety - Gaming

Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it’s fun. But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren’t seeing inappropriate content or chatting in-game with strangers?
Today we’re sharing Netsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau ToolkitNetsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe.


LiteracyEncourage your tamariki on their reading journey through reading and storytelling. Every child is given reading books to take home for home reading.


Mathematics

We are currently exploring and developing an understanding of time through a unit of work called How Long Now?


Dear parents and whānau,

This week we have been exploring time and learning to tell time to an hour and a half-hour. We have also been looking at different sorts of clocks. Please support your child in drawing pictures or taking photos of clocks in your home and community (for example, watches, appliance clocks, novelty clocks, clock radios). Another way you can support your child's learning is by talking about the time when certain things happen, especially if it is on the hour or half hour. For example: "Look! It's 8 o'clock, time for bed" or "It's 5:30, time for tea".

In addition to this, we always appr

Also, we are always helping our children to consolidate their number knowledge. Any card and board games are a fun way to reinforce this learning. For example memory, fish, old maid, snap, stop the bus. 



ResilienceThis week uur PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) focus has been on Resilience. Here are the links from our daily notices:

Resilience Song

Building Resilience: Character


Teaching Assistant 

We are fortunate to have a trainee Teaching Assistant joining our team. 

Sanduni 


Hi everyone 

My name is Sanduni and I’m from Sri Lanka. We moved to 

New Zealand 8 years ago with my husband Harsha and my 6-month-old son Sedas. My son is now 9 years old and studies at Beckenham School in year 5. I have another daughter too. I love to dance and teach traditional dancing to Sri Lankan kids in Christchurch. 

I will start studying a teacher aide course this year 

because I love to help children like you improve their 

learning skills. I'm so excited to start my first day next week. Thank you very much to all the teachers who have allowed me to visit their classrooms. See you all on Monday morning. 

Sanduni