Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 10

Kia ora whānau,

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of Term 3 and what a busy term it has been! There has been lots of fantastic learning going on, of course, the highlight being our gymnastics sessions.

Gymnastics

We had 2 really successful sessions of gymnastics and the children loved taking part and trying out all the different apparatus. It was amazing to see everyone giving it their all and putting every effort into learning new gymnastics skills on the beam, the rings, the trampoline and the bars. Everyone was exhausted by the end of it!



























Scooter-athlon

Next term, the Kōwhai children will be taking part in an exciting Scooter-athlon on Wednesday 15th October from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This is the first time this event will take place at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto! Parents are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki. The event will give students early exposure to a duathlon-style challenge, helping prepare them for the Year 5 onwards duathlons.
The Scooter-athlon will follow a run → scooter → run format, giving students the chance to experience a fun, active, multi-stage race. Students are encouraged to wear their house t-shirts, bring their own scooter and helmet, wear closed-toe shoes, and follow the safety rules. Year 7/8 students will act as marshals to help run the event safely.
Please note: If it is raining, the Scooter-athlon will be postponed. Any changes will be shared with parents via Hero.
Please let your classroom teacher know if your child does not have a scooter or if you have a spare one you are happy to lend.
We can’t wait to see the tamariki scoot, run, and have fun – nau mai te wero! We love challenge!

Production: Jukebox Journey

We have been busy learning various dances through the ages over the last few weeks as part of our inquiry on dance, including Egyptian, rock and roll, disco, ragtime and also futuristic! From next term, we will be very focused on putting together a performance of all the dances for you to come and see in Week 9 which will be on Thursday 4th December at 11:30am in the hall. There is lots to do apart from learning our different dances including making props and also making and acquiring costumes. The children are already really enjoying the experience and are very excited to perform for you!



Athletics Day

Next term, we will be doing athletics, learning how to do shot put, long jump, discus, high jump and sprints. We will be practising over the first few weeks in preparation for our whole school Athletics Day in Week 4, Thursday 30th October. There will be more information to follow next term.

Hats!

Next term, everyone will need to be wearing hats at school to make sure we are being sun safe. Please make sure your child/children have a school hat ready for the beginning of term. This can be a red or black bucket hat or wide-brimmed hat. All children will need a hat to play outside and participate in outdoor activities such as athletics. Thank you so much for your support with this.

Walk or Wheel To School Week

In Week 2, we will be celebrating Walk or Wheel to School Week by encouraging everyone to walk, scooter, bike, run or skate to school. The children also have the opportunity to go in a draw to win an amazing prize! This is a great way to encourage the children to keep active as much as they can. We appreciate that some of the children are not able to do this but we do encourage those families that need to drive to school to drop their children off a short distance from the school entrance and they can walk from there. 

Lamb Visit

Georgia’s homegroup enjoyed a special experience when a lamb came to visit the classroom. The children were fascinated to learn how to feed the lamb with a bottle, and they loved having the chance to get up close to such a gentle animal. A heartfelt thank you to Poppy and Elisa for bringing in the lamb they were looking after. We are especially grateful for the time and effort they took to make this visit possible—it created a memorable learning experience for everyone!


Legacy Dance Studio - Hip Hop

Steph has been working hard with our Year 3-4 Hip Hop Club over the last couple of terms. The classes do warm-ups, games, freestyle and add onto their dance each week!  They are working towards performing at the Legacy Dance Studio end of year show. 
There is space in our hip hop club if your child is interested in joining in term 4. Please email legacydanceoffice@gmail.com.
 

Discovery Photos










As you can see, Term 4 is shaping up to be a very busy term! It will also be lots of fun so we are very much looking forward to it. We hope you have a wonderful holiday break.

From the Kōwhai team





























Pōhutukawa News Term 3 Week 10 2025


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

Read on for news and information about some exciting upcoming events. Have a great weekend everyone, kia pai ngā rā whakata.


Pōhutukawa Team Speech Finals

A massive congratulations to our five finalists! An awesome display of research practice and hard work to make the final from over 140 students! In the final it was Julia that took first place! Well done Julia! 



Year 5/6 Speech Finals Winner Julia


Back Row: Archer, James and Toby

Front Row: Julia and Britta


Legacy Dance Studio - Hip Hop

Tash has been working hard with our Year 5-6 hip hop club over the last couple of terms. The classes do warm ups, games, freestyle and add onto their dance each week!  They are working towards performing at the Legacy Dance Studio end of year show. There is space in our hip hop club if your child is interested in joining in term 4. Please email legacydanceoffice@gmail.com





Canterbury Flag Football Tournament


Ruby and Izzy made off with some awesome prizes! 


Full Team after a long day of playing in the sun.



Bottle Rockets!








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 these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. 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



Have a lovely term break, Ngā mihi nui. Kia Kaha.

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Gayle, Nick, Megan, Rae, Georgie, Viv, Stacey and Laura

Kahikatea-Term 3, week 10

Kia ora whānau,
A huge thanks for all of your  continued support over the term. The kids have worked so hard and have earned a well-deserved rest (as have my team). 
A big thank you to Maddy, who has been with us for the last 6 weeks in Sarah's home group. We wish you all the best for your future teaching career!

Here are some learning highlights below:















Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto-'The school of the ponds'

We took our tamariki for a short stroll by the ponds as part of learning about our cultural narrative. We talked about the importance of the ponds to the everyday life of our ancestors. Many students were keen to collect rubbish while we were there, showing our values of 'We Care' and 'We Make a Difference'.

If you are able to parent help on our ponds trip next term please fill in the form HERE.



Kapa Haka
This term in Kapa Haka Whaea Cath has been teaching us how to use the poi-there is a lot of learning about tikanga with poi and we have impressed her with our learning.
















Book Amnesty:
Can you please have a look for any decodable reading books over the break and bring them back to us next term. We have a few that are missing. No books will come home during the break.

Talent Show:
Well done to the lava chicken boys: Atlas, Alex, Greyson, Gray, Johnny, and Finn who represented Kahikatea in the school talent show. You were amazing, what courage! You showed 'We Love Challenge'!






 

Kauri Blog – Term 3, Week 10

 Kauri Blog - Term 3, Week 10

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the Kauri hub, with tamariki engaged in a wide range of end-of-term learning and exciting EOTC opportunities. From classroom projects and assessments to experiences beyond the school gates, students have been making the most of every moment, showing focus, teamwork, and enthusiasm as the term draws to a close.

Upcoming Dates for Term 4:

  • Week 1: 

    • Throughout the week: Class Speech Competitions

    • Tuesday: Peer Mediator Training

    • Wednesday: Year 5-8 Relationships & Sexuality Education: Parent Information Evening

    • Friday: Celebration Assembly

  • Week 2: 

    • Throughout the week: Walk or Wheel to School week

    • Wednesday: Year 7-8 Speech Finals

    • Thursday: Year 8 Photos

Kauri & Pohutukawa Choir
The Kauri and Pohutukawa Choir had their Area Rehearsal for their upcoming performance on Friday 7 November. Tickets are now available through the following link, which also includes any additional information you may need: https://musicfestival.school.nz/

A huge ngā mihi to Megan for all of her mahi in preparing the choir and helping them sound beautiful. If you have any questions about choir, please reach out to Megan directly at megan.harris@beckenham.school.nz.

Kauri Ski Day
We had a fantastic day up the mountain for our Ski Day, and for many students it was a clear highlight of the term. The weather was kind, the snow was great, and the enthusiasm from our tamariki was infectious. It was awesome to see so many stepping beyond their comfort zones — from learning how to ski for the first time to challenging themselves on the bigger slopes. The determination, resilience, and teamwork on display were outstanding. Ski Day is one of those experiences our students will remember for a long time, and it was wonderful to see them embracing the challenge with such energy and pride.

A huge thank you from Team Kauri to Nicky, whose organisation and planning made the whole day possible, and to the many parents who came along to support. From helping with gear to cheering on the slopes, your contribution made a massive difference. 

Pō Whakangahau - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi Performance
He pō whakahirahira tēnei, kī tonu i te hari me te whakamanawa o ngā tamariki! This was a special evening, full of joy and the courage of our tamariki! Our Kapa Haka group, Te Whānau Mahi Tahi, recently performed at Pō Whakangahau at Cashmere High School. The performance showcased the amount of mahi and aroha that had gone into their preparations, as the tamariki represented Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto with pride and mana. Tamariki – your kaiako could not be prouder of you, and we hope you are so proud of yourselves too.

NFL Tournament
We had three Kauri students, Misha, Nick, and Clarel, as part of the NFL Flag Tournament team that represented Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto at the Canterbury U12 Tournament on Monday of Week 10. It was a fantastic day with great weather, exciting competition, and awesome exposure to a new game; and a big thank you to Chris from Pohutukawa who stepped up to take the team. Our students gave it their all on the field and came away with plenty of new skills, experiences, and memories.


Koru Games
Week 10 saw the long-awaited Koru Games take place. We had a record number of 93 students from the Kauri Team participating across seven different sports. This was an incredible feat, supported by three staff and nineteen parent helpers across the three days. For many of our tamariki, this was their first exposure to a competitive environment and, in some cases, an entirely new sport. The sportsmanship, behaviour, and hard work displayed throughout the event made us incredibly proud of our Kauri learners. 

We want to give a special shout out to our Ultimate Frisbee team who finished as the Bronze Medallists! What an incredible result. A very well done to Ben W, Max, Oscar R, Samson, Dylan, Robbie, Alfie & KJ. Karawhiua!

To all of our parent helpers, we are extremely grateful for you giving up your time — whether it was for one day or all three. Our students could not have these experiences without you, and we are so lucky to have had nineteen incredible volunteers who helped make this event a massive success and a truly memorable experience for our team.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini - My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

                                

Beckenham’s Got Talent
And to finally end what has been a busy two weeks and term, we celebrated with Beckenham’s Got Talent! Kauri was represented by Ben Stoney – The Piano Whiz, Hanna O’Sullivan – The Irish Dancing Queen, and A.L.A.R.M. – The Next Generation of Musical Brilliance. These three acts were a brilliant display of talent from the Kauri Team and truly blew us all away! It was wonderful to enjoy all the acts from across the school and cheer them on as they demonstrated our value of We Love Challenge.

Thanks for an incredible team and we are looking forward to getting back into it for our final 2025 term after the break. Have a safe and enjoyable school holiday with your tamariki!

Nga mihi nui,
Hugo, Kate, Sarah, Chloe, Nicky & Megan

Koru News Term 3 Week 10 (19/09/2025)

 Kia ora e te whānau,

Wow! We have reached the end of Term 3! What an awesome term it has been! We have celebrated Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). The tamariki have been looking at new kupu (words) and kīwaha (phrases). These have been pasted below, have a go at trying these out at home over the holidays! 

Our Beckenham Values:

  • He taonga te ako - We love learning!
  • Nau mai te wero - We love challenge!
  • Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoa - We get there together!
  • Nā mātou he rerekē te ao - We make a difference!
  • Arohaina te tāngata me te taiao - We care!

Kīwaha (phrases): 

  • Marama keke - a piece of cake, easy as!
  • Kei runga noa atu koe! - you're awesome!

Kupu (words): 

  • Kōanga - Spring
  • Mīharo - wonderful!

Reminders for Term 4:

Sunhats
In Term 4, children are required to wear their sunhats every day. If these are not brought to school, your child will need to stay under the veranda in the shade during Little and Big Play. Hats will be kept in your child's bag (or blue cubby) and taken home and brought back each day. Please ensure hats are named with a first and last name is written clearly on the inside of the hat - sometimes it can be tricky to find your hat when there is no name in it, and we have 500 children (=500 hats) at school! Thanks for your help with this!

Sun cream
Please apply sunscreen to your child before they come to school. We will have a bottle in the hub for children to reapply throughout the day if needed. If your child needs their own sunscreen, it can be brought to school in a named bottle and will be kept on the teaching station.

Lunch boxes
  • Please ensure your child is only bringing water to school (no juice or other drinks). 
  • Do not pack lollies, candy or chocolate in lunch boxes.
  • It is important to help teach your child how to open and close their lunch boxes, so they can do this independently at the start and end of eating times.
  • Thanks for remembering a spoon for yoghurt, as we do not have spare spoons to offer at eating time.
  • Please pre-cut, pre-open or teach your child how to open packets and yoghurt in their lunch boxes (for example, chip packets, twisty yoghurt pouches, museli bars, etc.)




Literacy folders
Please bring literacy folders back every day. New books usually go home on Thursdays for a week.

Library folders and poetry books:
These are needed on Fridays for our new poems, and also so that new library books can be issued.

Changes to contact details
If there have been any changes to your contact details or those of the emergency person you have for your child, please advise the Office so they can be updated.

Staff Car Park
We care about your safety! Please make sure that you enter and exit the school via the Sandwich Road, Eastern Terrace, or Norwood Street entrances. The gate from the car park is out of bounds; no families should be coming in or going out of the school through the car park. Thank you so much for your cooperation with this. The bottom two photos show where the get is, for families to use near the corner of Sandwich Road and Eastern Tce.


Literacy reading books (Pip and Tim books)
We would appreciate you all having a little hunt around at home in the holidays for any literacy story books. Please return ALL books at the start of Term 4 (no matter how long you've had them for), we love to look after our resources and they are very expensive to keep buying and replacing. 


Here are some photos of what our tamariki have been up to lately:


















We hope you all have a fabulous, safe, and relaxing school holiday. We can't wait to see you all refreshed for a wonderful Term 4!

Nga mihi nui,
Stacey, Katie, Elizabeth and Niquita