Kahikitea Blog – Term 1, Week 8

 Kia ora e te whānau,

We are fast approaching the end of Term 1 and what a wonderful term it has been! It has been wonderful seeing the tamariki reconnect with friends from last year and in some cases make some new friends too!

The tamariki have settled well into our daily routines and weekly activities and we look forward to seeing them to continue to thrive and learn in the coming terms ahead.

Literacy

The tamariki have settled well into their literacy groups and have a good understanding of how the process works during the week. They are keen to learn and especially excited when they get to take a new book home on a Thursday. A small reminder that Thursday is literacy book swap day when they can return their previous book to their teacher and receive their new one to share with you at home.

Maths


Our focus this week has been concepts of subtraction and the tamariki have really enjoyed working with their Math buddy's in their home groups to solve some tricky questions and share their ideas.

Inquiry – Sustainability: Healthy Bodies and Minds

We have continued to focus on our healthy bodies and minds inquiry this week by looking at extending the tamariki's vocabulary regarding words around food choices. We established what a carbohydrate is and what it does for our bodies, additionally we talked about protein and the vegetarian/ alternative options available to fuel our bodies. This inquiry has provided some wonderful conversations and engagement in the classes.  

Learning Through Play


Our LTP sessions in Kahikatea are always hugely enjoyed by our tamariki, and they get the opportunity to engage in a wide range of learning opportunities, including art, science and construction. They are also given the opportunity to play sport outside and build their social skills through shared activities with their friends. This week we enjoyed a fabulous balloon art activity with lots of open-ended learning outcomes.  

Tuakana- Teina


We have continued to support our younger tamariki to make connections with our older students at the school and it has been absolutely wonderful watching these reciprocal relationships grow. Our homegroup children are always excited to see their "big buddies" arrive to play games, draw, build or organize sports activities outside. 

Little Kickers

The last two Wednesday's have been a fabulous opportunity for the tamariki to engage in some football games and learn some new skills. Every class has had its own 30-minute session to receive some ball skills training and play some fun games with two great coaches. 




Nga mihi nui

Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S




Kōwhai News Term 1 Week 8

Kia ora e te whānau,

We are now approaching the end of Term 1 and what a busy term it has been! We spent the first three weeks in our homegroups building relationships and getting to know one another, before moving into our maths and literacy groups, which are now well established. The tamariki have settled confidently into their routines and are thriving in their learning, which is great to see.

Scooter Skills 

In Week 7, we had a fantastic time taking part in our Scooter Skills sessions. During the sessions, we learnt a range of important skills to help us stay safe while riding our scooters. We practiced how to balance properly, control our speed and stop safely. 

Another key part of our learning was developing an awareness of our surroundings. We talked about watching where we are going and making smart choices while riding, especially when crossing roads. These are all valuable skills that will help keep us safe not only at school, but also when we are out and about in our community.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the parents and whānau who allowed us to borrow scooters for these sessions. Your support made it possible for us to take part in this awesome learning experience.





Living Our Values During Discovery

Throughout Term 1, we have been placing a special focus on noticing and celebrating students who are “living our values” during Discovery time, particularly through their social skills.

Discovery is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore, create, and collaborate. During this time, we have been looking closely at how students interact with one another showing kindness, including others, sharing resources, using positive communication, and working together as a team.

It has been fantastic to see so many students demonstrating these values in action. Whether it’s inviting someone new to join a game, taking turns, helping a friend, or solving problems respectfully, these moments all contribute to building a caring and supportive classroom environment.

At the end of each Discovery session, we take time to acknowledge the students we have noticed displaying our values. These students are celebrated and receive a certificate, which they proudly add to our “Living Our Values” wall. This wall is quickly filling up with examples of the positive choices and behaviours.

We are incredibly proud of the way students are supporting one another and showing what it means to live our values. Keep up the amazing work!

Pepeha 

Over the past few weeks, we have begun our social sciences inquiry focused on writing our pepeha. The tamariki have been exploring their family trees and learning how to introduce family members in te reo Māori, as well as sharing where they come from. Our next step is to draft their pepeha before representing them in pictorial form.

Next week, we will be sending the written pepeha home for whānau to review over the holidays to ensure the information is accurate. Please return these in Week 1 with any corrections or additions. Your feedback is really important to us, and we really appreciate your support. Thank you so much for your input.

Term 1 Overview 

As Term 1 comes to an end, we can all look back and feel proud of what has been a fantastic start to the year.

It has been wonderful seeing positive relationships build throughout the hub. Throughout the term, we have worked hard across all areas. From developing new skills to challenging ourselves with new ideas, it has been great to see everyone showing enthusiasm and a willingness to give things a go. We have also focused on working together, showing respect, and supporting one another, which has helped make the Kōwhai hub a positive place to be.

Thank you to everyone for your effort and positive attitudes, and to our whānau for their ongoing support. It truly makes a difference.

We are looking forward to another exciting term ahead. We wish everyone a safe and happy break!











Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026


Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

A wet end to the week, with quite a number of tamariki absent due to illness. With coughs and colds, as well as of course Covid, doing the rounds, we are being extra vigilant with our ventilation practices in the team, and giving lots of reminders to cough into elbows, wash hands regularly, and be aware of personal space. We hope you all have a happy, healthy weekend. Please read on for some updates and reminders.


Canterbury Hockey Sessions

This week we were lucky enough to have Canterbury Hockey come into Beckenham and run some sessions with us in preparation for Winter Sport. It was great to "have a go" for those who would not normally pick hockey as a go to sport! Thankfully the weather played ball too and we had a great time with the very knowledgeable instructors! Thanks Kate McG for organising these for us! 








Winter Sports Starts Next Term

Our Winter Sports programme starts next Term and will take place on Thursday afternoons. The tamariki will be either participating in competitive hockey, netball, NFL flag football or football. More information will be coming up soon so keep an eye out on the BTKOP SPORTS Google Classroom and the Daily Daily Notices. 

Muddy Months

As we head into the more winter like months we are noticing the inevitable increase of muddy shoes and clothes as students come back from play and lunch, having played sports and games on our beloved Beckenham Park. In Term 2 we will be asking students to take off muddy shoes before entering the Hub and lining them up neatly outside the door. We suggest that if your child is coming home with very muddy clothes, please consider supplying them with a spare pair of school shorts and a spare school top for them to change into once they finish their games. We appreciate your support with this.

Citizen of the Week: Stella



Kete Award Recipients Term 1 Week 8


Jessica and Ivy


Cultural Presentation: Sri Lanka / Madeev





Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto Student Council 2026




 Staying Safe Online: Online Grooming 

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.

Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone

who isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and

what whānau can do to educate kids.

Check out the link here.



Have a great weekend everybody, kia pai ngā rā whakatā!

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, and Chloe.

Kauri Team Newsletter – Week 8 Term 1

 Kauri Week 8 Blog


Kia ora koutou, 

We have been very engaged and working diligently in the Kauri hub for the last two weeks! We’ve been focused on our Literacy/Inquiry tasks on Leadership, have had hockey sessions to amp up our skills, Tuakana Teina time with our Year 1 and 2s from Kahikatea, and started cross-country training for the competition in Term 2. The Year 5-8 teachers have also been collaborating about our Winter Sports programme, which starts in Term 2 as well! 

Upcoming Dates:

Term 1
Week 9:            

Wednesday - Huxster Mountain Biking Event at McLean's Island

Thursday - Last day of school for Term 1 (have a restful break!)

Term 2

Week 1:

Wednesday - Ngā Puna Wai Tournament (Year 5-8)

Week 2:

Monday - School closed (Anzac Day)

Wednesday - PSC Aquathon Swim and Run Event

Wednesday - World Vision Junior Youth Conference 2026 (for World Challenge Leaders)

Friday - BTKOP Cross Country Event


Tuakana Teina with Kahikatea students

Every other Friday (non-assembly days), Kauri is buddying with the Year 1 and 2 students for some shared reading and inquiry time. Last week, they paired up one-to-one and completed a Nature Scavenger Hunt and read books together. We love seeing our school values ‘We Care’ and ‘We Get There Together’, during this time. Looking forward to next time!

Canterbury Hockey Sessions 

Each Home Group had a jam-packed 45-minute session with a Canterbury Hockey representative. The students learned about push passing, how to hold a stick correctly, had a few competitions and played a game at the end. Everyone showed ‘We Love Learning’ during their session!

Literacy/Inquiry Biographies

The past few weeks, the students have been researching a leader of their choice and writing a biography essay about that person. The students will also create a static image of their leader. This is a visual representation of their leader with a quote and symbol to depict a strong image portrayal. We look forward to completing our projects and sharing them with whānau and each other.

Year 7/8 Mountain Biking Relay

The South Island Schools MTB Champs are currently underway, and the boys have already had an awesome start. Our Year 7/8 team of Zach G, Ben S, and Daniel M took out 1st place, finishing four minutes ahead of the next team. They also placed 10th overall, racing against mostly high school riders.

In the U14 Cross Country race, Zach G placed 1st, winning by three minutes. Daniel M finished 6th, and Ben S came in 11th.

Such a great effort so far—we’re excited to see how they get on over the rest of the event!


PSC Canterbury Swimming:

A huge congratulations to all the Year 7/8 students who participated in the zone swimming competition. Fun was had by all, especially when they got their ice cream! The participants displayed grit and our school value, ‘We Love Challenge’. Well done tamariki!

Welcome to Nate, our 24/7 Youth Worker!

Nate, a 24/7 Youth Worker, will join the Kauri team in Term 2, working 2 days a week. He comes with fantastic listening skills and a passion to support all tamariki. We look forward to working with him on our team!

Have a fantastic weekend with your tamariki,
Hugo, Kate McG, Megan C, Sarah A, Megan H & Nicky



Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 20th March 2026

Principal's Update

Ngā mihi e te whānau,

It has been a very busy couple of weeks at school. Students have been working hard in the classroom and engaging in a wide range of activities beyond it. At times like this, it can be difficult to keep up with everything that is happening!

Thank you to all our staff for providing these opportunities, and to our community for your ongoing support in making them possible for our students. There is some important information in this newsletter. Thank you for taking the time to read it carefully.

Join a band!


You may have seen a HERO post earlier in the week about opportunities for students to register their interest in school bands. This is a great opportunity for those learning instruments to take their practice to the next level in a highly supportive environment.

If you would like your child to take up this opportunity, please click the link below:

Safety on the Roads

Please note this message relates to a very small minority of our community. We are becoming increasingly concerned about some of the driving behaviours being demonstrated at pick-up and drop-off times. These include making U-turns in areas with heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and using designated no-parking areas for parking.

If this behaviour continues, we will seek support from external agencies to help mitigate the health and safety risks to our students.

Digital Technologies Review

As part of this year’s Annual Plan, we will be undertaking a review of how digital technologies are used in our school to support learning. This will include gathering feedback from families, reviewing current research, and considering health and safety guidelines related to digital technology use.

Our aim is to ensure that when digital technologies are used, they enhance learning experiences and outcomes, while also equipping students with the skills and attitudes they need to use these tools effectively and responsibly in the future.

Please look out at the beginning of next term for opportunities to be involved in this important review.

Turf Update

We are pleased to confirm that our new turf will be laid during September and/or October this year. The turf will be a real asset to our school and wider community.

Thank you again to the PTA for their work on this project, and to our community for their generosity through our fundraising efforts.

The turf location and design is shown below. 

Update from the Chicken Palace

 It is hard to believe that the tiny chicks that graced our office space at the end of last year are now on their way to maturity.

Caring for the chickens provides our students with valuable, real-life learning opportunities. Through this, they develop a strong sense of responsibility, empathy, and respect for living things, while also building patience and an understanding of animal welfare. These experiences bring our school values to life in a meaningful and authentic way, particularly in fostering care for others.

Thank you again to everyone who has played a part in making this possible at our school.

Work at School over the holiday break 

Over the holiday break, work will be completed on the exterior of the Old Dental Clinic (PTA Uniform Shop), and the interiors of the Music Rooms, Pūkaki, and Kōmanawa. Please feel free to use the school grounds as usual, but take care around work areas.

Have a great weekend!

Ngā mihi
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 1
Mon 23 MarCanterbury Hockey Sessions (Yr 7/8)
Tue 24 MarCanterbury Hockey Sessions (Yr 5/6)
Wed 25 MarCanterbury Swimming Event (Yr 5/6)
Wed 25 Mar - Sat 28 MarSouth Island School MTB Championships
Wed 25 MarBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 26 MarCanterbury Swimming Event (Yr 7/8)
Fri 27 MarCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 1 AprPSC Huxster Mountain Biking Event
Wed 1 AprPTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 2 AprLast Day of Term 1
Fri 3 AprGood Friday - School Closed
Upcoming EventsTerm 2
Mon 20 AprFirst Day of Term 2
Wed 22 AprNgā Puna Wai Tournament (Yr 5-8)
Mon 27 AprANZAC Day - School Closed

Citizen of the Week

Stella - Year 5

Stella, you are a magnificent role model in our hub. You are always positive, kind, and thoughtful towards others. You are an incredibly hardworking student, and you consistently demonstrate excellent self-management skills in all that you do. You are a star, Stella!

Kura - Year 4

Kura, you are a highly engaged student who thrives on a challenge. Your inquisitive mind and confidence allow you to make insightful connections across your learning. You embody all of the Beckenham kete values every day. Thank you for always being an outstanding role model in our team!

School Notices

Parking Reminder - 3min area on Sandwich Road

A reminder please, that the drop off and pick up area on Sandwich Road (by the bike stands) is a 3min drop-off zone from 8:30-9:30am and 2:30-3:30pm on school daysThis means drivers are not able to sit in their cars from 2:30pm waiting for children, or to park cars in this area and go into school. If you arrive early and wait for children, or if you need to get out of your car and come into school, please find an alternative place to park on the street nearby. Having this area just for drop-offs means that the traffic on Sandwich Road moves smoothly before and after school, and this is much safer for our children.

Furthermore, please do not park in or use the staff carpark entrance or exit - this is for staff and service vehicles only. 

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

'EZlunch' Lunch Orders

Our school now uses Ezlunch, part of the Kindo platform, for all online lunch orders.
Ezlunch offers a simple, mobile-friendly way for families to order fresh, tasty lunches from the same local providers you already know and love. The ordering process is quick, payments are secure, and delivery to school is reliable and easy.

You can view the available menu, linked here.

Hardship Fund Contributions

We know that sometimes families, and others in our community, would like to contribute towards the costs for students whose families might be experiencing some hardship, and are not able to readily fund uniforms, stationery, or even lunches. If you, or anyone you know, would like to make a contribution to our hardship account, please email accounts@beckenham.school.nz or simply deposit funds into the school bank a/c, Beckenham Te Kura o Pūtoro Board of Trustees - 12 3148 0131641 000, with the reference "Hardship donation". We will ensure that these funds are used to support those families who need support. 

Getting support from our Hardship Fund

If you are a family who would appreciate some support with uniforms, stationery, or food, please contact the office or email accounts@beckenham.school.nz, and we will do the best we can to support you. We want to ensure that all of our tamariki have everything they need to succeed at school.

Kupu Māori o te Wiki

Kia ora koutou! This year, we are embracing our te reo Māori and will be learning a new Whakataukī (phrase/proverb), Kīwaha (saying), and Kupu (word) each week. Here are the last two weeks' new te reo we have focused on:

Give these a go! Nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge! He taonga te ako - We Love Learning!

Whakataukī:Mauria te ponoThis means to believe in yourself!
Whakataukī:He rau ringa e oti aiThis means many hands make light work. So, let’s focus on working together as a team!
Kīwaha:He reka!This means yum!
Kīwaha:WananeiThis means wicked!
Kupu:WeroThis means challenge.
Kupu:AkoThis means to learn.

If you are unsure of the pronunciation of a word, have a look at Te Aka (the Māori dictionary) where you can hear how the word is spoken correctly.

Chicken Chat

Chicken fact ~ Did you know? Chickens are the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

The Sports Corner

Kia ora koutou,

This section of our newsletter will be dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges our students are experiencing in sports outside of school. We love seeing our ākonga (students) showing our school values, especially We Love Challenge Nau Mau Te Wero in the community. If your child has had a sporting success that you’d like to share with our community, please email me with a short blurb and photo to: kate.mcgregor@beckenham.school.nz - We’d love to feature it in our next newsletter!

Ngā mihi nui,
Kate McGregor
Sports Coordinator

Swimming Sports Success 

What a fantastic day we had for our Beckenham Te Kura Swimming Sports! It was wonderful to see our tamariki giving their best in the pool and supporting one another throughout the day. Ka mau te wehi! A huge ka pai to all of our swimmers. You should be incredibly proud of the effort, determination, and positive attitude shown throughout the day. 

Results:
Year 5 Champions: Thalia & Jos 
Year 5 Runner-Ups: Jessica & Mati 

Year 6 Champions: Chloe & Laurence 
Year 6 Runner-Ups: Laurien & James

Year 7 Champions: Harriet, Hazel & Haydn
Year 7 Runner-Ups: Clara & Harvey 

Year 8 Champions: Sarah & Sebastian
Year 8 Runner-Ups: Zaria & Samson

Following our school event, a number of swimmers went on to represent Beckenham Te Kura at the South Zone Swimming Competition, where they achieved some outstanding results against strong competition from across the zone. We are very proud of all the students who represented our kura so well. This event was a fantastic example of what can be achieved through determination, resilience, and supporting one another. As the whakataukī reminds us: “Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei.” Pursue that which is precious, and if you stumble, let it be upon a lofty mountain.

South Zone - Individual Results:
  • Sebastian: 2nd in 50 m Freestyle, 3rd in 50 m Backstroke, 2nd in 50 m Breaststroke
  • Samson Nuttall: 2nd in 50 m Butterfly
  • Sarah: 2nd in 50 m Freestyle, 1st in 50 m Backstroke, 1st in 100 IM
  • Haydn: 2nd in 50 m Freestyle, 2nd in 50 m Backstroke, 2nd in 50 m Breaststroke
  • Hazel: 2nd in 50 m Freestyle, 3rd in 50 m Backstroke
  • Clara: 3rd in 50 m Freestyle
  • Harriet: 2nd in 50 m Breaststroke, 1st in 50 m Butterfly
  • Chloe: 2nd in 50 m Backstroke, 2nd in 50 m Breaststroke
  • Jos: 2nd in 50 m Freestyle, 2nd in 50 m Backstroke, 1st in 50 m Breaststroke
  • Mati: 1st in 50 m Backstroke
  • Thalia: 1st in 50 m Breaststroke, 2nd in 50 m Butterfly
South Zone - Relay Results (4 x 50 m Mixed Freestyle):
  • Year 8 (Sebastian, Vinnie, Sarah & Harriet): 2nd
  • Year 7 (Haydn, Harvey, Hazel & Clara): 1st
  • Year 6 (Laurence, James, Chloe & Laurien): 2nd
  • Year 5 (Jos, Mati, Amelia & Jessica): 2nd

Year 3/4 Miniball - A successful start to the season 

Our Year 3/4 Miniball teams, the Breakers, Ballers, and Boppers, have had a fantastic start to the season. It has been great to see our players developing their skills, working together as a team, and growing in confidence on the court each week.

Miniball is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn the fundamentals of basketball, and our teams have been doing a great job of supporting one another, showing determination, and giving things a go. Ka pai to all of our players for the effort and enthusiasm they are bringing to each game!

Touch Rugby - Fun for all year levels!

It’s been great to see the continued fun and success across our teams! The photos this week feature our Year 0–2 Fire and our Year 7/8 Eels and Pumas, who have been showing fantastic teamwork, effort, and enthusiasm in their games. Ka pai to all of our players for representing Beckenham Te Kura so well! 

PTA News

Easter Raffle 

Our Easter Raffle is up and running! Thank you for all the donations, and any last-minute donations can be dropped off at the office next week. You should all have a raffle sheet now, with 20 tickets to sell to family, friends, neighbours & workmates. Tickets are $2 each with a range of hampers to be won. Extra sheets are available at the office.

Please return all raffle sheets (sold and unsold) to the office by 3pm on Friday, 27 March.

Payment options:
  • Cash - place in an envelope with the raffles sheet in the box in the office.
  • Kindo app - download the Kindo app and pay online (and don't forget to bring your raffle sheet back to the office!).
All returned raffle sheets will go in a draw to win one of three Easter treats.

MoveX Fundraiser

Thank you to all those who supported our MoveX fundraiser last week! It was a great night, and we raised $660 towards the new shade sails. 

Uniform Shop

We're always on the lookout for fleeces at the uniform shop, so if your child is growing out of theirs, we would love to have it. Donations can be dropped off at the office at any time, or come to the shop on Mondays from 2:45pm to 3:15pm or on Fridays from 8:45am to 9:15am.

BOT Update

Term 1 Policy Review - SchoolDocs

  1. Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
  2. Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
  3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
  4. Read the policy.
  5. Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
  6. Select the reviewer type.
  7. Enter your name (optional).
  8. Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
  9. Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, our school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

Community Notices

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

Cashmere Netball Club - Looking for extra Players!

Cashmere Netball Club are currently looking for a few extra players in the following teams:
  • Year 6 - Saturday at Hagley Netball Courts, 11am - x 2 spaces available
  • Year 5 - Saturday at Hagley Netball Courts, 11am - x 4 spaces available
  • We are also still taking registrations for year 3 and 4.