Monthly Archives: May 2026

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 15th May 2026

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

This week I attended some professional development where I was asked to reflect on what drains my optimism as a leader and what restores it. I was very quick to answer what fills my bucket - connecting with our staff and students.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful school community, and I feel very privileged to be part of it. The care, commitment, and positivity shown by our students, staff, and whānau every day make our school a very special place.

There is some important information in this newsletter, so I hope you have time to read through it carefully.

Upcoming Reporting

As part of our ongoing professional learning, teachers have been developing their knowledge and confidence in reporting student progress and achievement against the Ministry of Education’s new curriculum and descriptors for English and Mathematics.

This work has focused on making accurate, strengths-based judgements about student learning and includes opportunities for moderation through professional dialogue. Particular attention has also been given to identifying clear next learning steps for students.

In our next newsletter, we will provide further information about the new descriptors, what each of them means, and what our updated student reports for 2026 will look like.

Book Character Day and Readathon

It was fantastic to see so many students dressing up today as their favourite book characters. Today’s celebrations, along with the current Readathon kindly organised by the PTA, reinforce the importance of reading and developing a love of books.

The benefits of reading are well researched and documented. Research consistently shows that habitual reading, especially reading for pleasure, is linked to improved health and well-being, greater academic achievement, enhanced cognitive function, and even longer life expectancy.

Thank you to our PTA for supporting this wonderful initiative, and thank you to families for continuing to encourage reading at home. Keep encouraging your children to read, it truly makes a difference!

Digital Learning Survey

Thank you to the 130 parents who provided feedback through our recent digital learning survey. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your voice and perspectives with us.

Our first step has been analysing the information gathered. From this, the key message emerging from the survey is a desire for a more intentional, transparent, and balanced approach to the use of digital tools in learning.

Our next steps will involve completing a research review and gathering further feedback from both teachers and students. Following this, we will develop a pathway forward to ensure our digital learning practices are the very best they can be for our learners.

Ngā mihi nui,
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 2
Wed 20 MayBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 22 MayKahikatea Hansen Park Walk (9:30am-1:30pm)
Wed 27 MayYear 5-8 South Zone Cross Country Event
Fri 29 MayStaff Only Day - School Closed
Mon 1 JuneKing's Birthday - School Closed
Wed 3 JunePTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 4 JuneTrees4Survival Planting Day
Fri 5 JuneCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 10 JunePSC Artistic Gymnastics (Chch School of Gymnastics)
Fri 12 JuneCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Mon 15 JuneYear 5/6 & 7/8 Canterbury Softball Sessions
Tue 16 JuneYear 5/6 Canterbury Softball Sessions
Wed 17 JuneYear 5-8 PSC Cross Country Canterbury Zones
Wed 17 JuneBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Tue 23 & Wed 24 JuneLearning Conferences (Tue 2pm-7pm, Wed 2pm-6pm)
School finishes at 1:45pm
Wed 24 JunePTA Mid Winter Breakfast
Fri 26 JuneCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Tues 30 JuneYear 0-4 Cross Country Challenge (Zones)
Wed 1 JulyPTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 3 JulyLast Day of Term 2
Mon 20 JulyFirst Day of Term 3

Citizen of the Week

Kyle - Year 8

Kyle, you consistently demonstrate all of our school values in everything you do. You show genuine kindness and inclusion in every setting, making others feel welcome and supported. You are a loyal friend with an honest and caring nature, and you approach every challenge with a positive, fun-loving attitude. Kyle - well done!

Nina - Year 6

Nina, your gentle and patient nature makes you a pleasure to be around, and this shows in the culture you set in the learning space. You consistently impress by how you stay deeply concentrated on your tasks, showing a level of focus that leads to wonderful results while also bringing your fun and outgoing energy. You have a fantastic balance of personality and diligence; you should be very proud of your progress.  

School Notices

Public Health Nurse

My name is Holly, and I am the Public Health Nurse for Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. The Public Health Nursing Service (PHNS) work with tamariki and their whānau where health and wellbeing concerns impact on their home and school lives.
Please contact me if you have any health concerns for your tamariki.

waea pūkoro: 03 383 6877 ext: 99628, 0272843397
īmēra: holly.cummings@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Medication at School

If a child requires medication at school on a long or short-term basis, parents/caregivers need to complete a medicine authority form with Jacky, Alisa or Chloe in the office. Procedures are followed to ensure that it is kept securely and administered appropriately.

Any medication that is required to be kept at school on an ongoing basis, expiry dates need to be checked regularly by parents/caregivers. If the school notices an expiry date is due, parents/caregivers will be advised.

Parents/caregivers are asked to please update the school on any medical/health information about their child by contacting the school office.

Kupu Māori o te Wiki

Kia ora koutou! This term, we will be learning a new Whakataukī (phrase/proverb), an instruction or saying, and a 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!"
Mauria te ponoBelieve in yourself and give it a go!
Whakataukī:He rau ringa e oti aiThis means many hands make light work. So, let’s focus on working together as a team!
Whakataukī:Mauria te ponoThis means to Believe in Yourself!
Saying:Ka kite anōThis means see you later!
Instruction:Turituri!Be quiet!
Kupu:ManuhiriThis is the word for guests or visitors.
Kupu:HōtokeWinter (season)
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.

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

BTKOP Cross Country - Champions & Runners Up

Our school cross country was a fantastic success, with students showing determination, resilience, encouragement, and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. It was wonderful to see so many tamariki challenging themselves and supporting one another across every race. We are proud to celebrate the achievements of our Cross Country Champions and Runners-Up listed below — an incredible effort from all involved. Congratulations also to Fisher House, who took out the Inter-House Cross Country Cup this year!

Koru:
Champions: Thomas & Devon
Runners-Up: Max & Izzy

Year 1:
Champions: Arthur & Tallulah
Runners-Up: Rafael & Athena

Year 2:
Champions: Greyson & Erin
Runners-Up: Max & Sadie

Year 3:
Champions: Hugo & Leah
Runners-Up: Bear & Hanaē

Year 4:
Champions: Beau & Florence
Runners-Up: Mason & Violet

Year 5:
Champions: Hunter & Amelia
Runners-Up: Jos & Stella

Year 6:
Champions: Ethan & Laurien
Runners-Up: Simon & Chloe

Year 7:
Champions: Haydn & Jayme
Runners-Up: Lucas & Clara

Year 8:
Champions: Zach & Laura
Runners-Up: Ben & Misha

PTA News

Readathon - Thank you

Thank you for all your hard work on the Readathon! If there are any last-minute forms or sponsorship money to return, you are welcome to bring it next week - we still have plenty of bookmarks!
 
Sponsorship money can also be paid directly into the account:  
PTA-Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto 12-3148-0244558-00

PTA Supporters Group

We’re always looking for people to support our fundraisers and events, so if you’re keen to get involved (but can’t attend meetings), you can join our Supporters Group:

Help us tidy up the school grounds!

We would love you to join us for a garden and outdoor space tidy up (and BBQ!) on Sunday, 24th May at 10am. Meet at Tree-mendous with your gardening gloves and tools!

BOT Update

Term 2 Policy Review Now Open - 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.)

ACTT Parent Seminar (Mandarin)

Many children growing up in New Zealand today are navigating life between two cultures. This Mandarin-language seminar explores how parents can better understand “third culture” children and create a safe space for communication and connection at home.

Saturday 16 May
1:00 PM
Halswell Library

Free childcare available for children aged 5–12. Please scan the QR code on the poster to register.

ACTT亲子讲座

在新西兰长大的孩子，往往生活在两个文化之
间。本场中文讲座将帮助家长更理解「第三文
化」孩子的内心世界，并学习如何建立一个让
孩子愿意沟通与表达的安全空间。

5月16日（星期六）
下午1点
Halswell 图书馆

提供5–12岁儿童看顾服务。
请扫描海报二维码报名。

Spaces Available at Pebbles

Dear Families,
We are pleased to share that we currently have spaces available in our Kea Room at Pebbles Montessori Cashmere (26 Colombo Street), for children under 2 years of age.

Our centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:30pm, including throughout the school holidays. We close for a two-week period over Christmas each year.

At Pebbles Montessori, we warmly welcome all enquiries. You can get in touch via the online enquiry form on our website linked here. We would love the opportunity to show you around our centre, introduce you to our teaching team, and give you a chance to observe our Montessori philosophy in practice.

If you would prefer to speak with us directly or arrange a visit, please feel free to call us at any time on 021 274 1967. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming your family to our community.
Kind regards,
Pebbles Montessori Team

Kahikatea Team News Term 2 Week 3 2026

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Ngā mihi e te whānau, 

Here in the Kahikatea hub we have enjoyed another wonderful week of learning. 

The tamariki are very much settled back into our daily routines and activities and have all reconnected with their friends after the half term break. 

Cross Country - Cross Country was a highlight of last week and it created a wonderful buzz in the hub and around the school in general. The tamariki showed many of our school values including We Love Challenge and We Get There Together. There were lots of wonderful displays of sportsmanship and supporting one another during the run. 

Literacy - The tamariki continue to make steady progress through our structured literacy program
and have been enjoying practicing word recognition and creating their own sentences. Our shared group activities often create wonderful conversation full of rich language which the tamariki enjoy sharing with one another. As always our book swap day for Literacy is Thursday when the tamariki get the bring a new book home to share at home. 

Maths- Our Numicon program continues to gain traction with the tamariki as they get to explore new Math concepts and different Numicon resources. This week our focus has been on counting from 1 to 100 and the different ways this can be represented through estimating, grouping and patterns. The tamariki have enjoyed working as a class and in small groups to problem solve those tricky questions sharing their knowledge and growing together. 



Enquiry- Our enquiry has lead us to our local community this week and this has been an absolutely wonderful concept to work through with the tamariki. They know their community so well having the ability to name streets and parks they are familiar with as well as local amenities. We have talked through people in the community who help us such as police officers, paramedics and firefighters. The tamariki particularly enjoyed exploring their local area on Google maps and this created lots of animated conversation.    

Kapa Haka - In Kahikatea we have been so lucky to have the opportunity to work with whaea Cath during Kapa Haka sessions on a Friday. The tamariki get the opportunity to learn about waiata, tikanga practice and what kapa haka is all about. The tamariki are loving this weekly activity! 




Book Character Day!! Friday 15th May 2026 - Book character day is a wonderful opportunity for the tamariki to celebrate and share their favourite stories through visual representation, bringing fictional personalities to life for a specific occasion. It is such a fun day!




Cyber Safety - The HDCA for Parents and Whānau

The Harmful Digital Communications Act (or HDCA for short) is an act passed by the Government back in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers anything digital like text, emails or social media content. The most useful thing for parents to understand about the HDCA is the way the 10 communication principles define what is good or bad behaviour online.

If you’re ever concerned about your young person (or you just want to brush up on your knowledge!) visit Netsafe’s Guide to the HDCA. 


Have a beautiful weekend everybody.

Nga mihi nui

Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S







Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 3

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Kia ora e te whānau,


The weather is turning cooler, and the days are becoming shorter. However, there is plenty going on at Beckenham in the Kōwhai team!

Cross Country

Last Friday, May 1st, we held the long-awaited cross-country run. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was out, and the excitement was high!


Our Kōwhai students took on the challenge of a 700 meter course, completing two full laps of Beckenham Park. It was fantastic to watch them compete and their grit and determination were clear to see. Our Beckenham kete values were on full display, with tamariki showing We Love Challenge and We Get There Together. The cheering and sportsmanship from the sidelines was lovely to see too.


A big thank you goes to Kate McGregor and the Sports Team for their organisation behind the scenes, the day ran like clockwork. 


Finally, a huge thank you goes out to all the whānau and caregivers who joined us on the day. Having a cheering squad in the sunshine made all the difference for our tamariki. 













Inquiry Learning: Writing Our Pepeha

This term for our Inquiry learning, we have been focusing on writing our pepeha. A pepeha is a traditional Māori way of introducing yourself. It is used to tell others who you are and where you come from. 


Thank you to all of the parents and caregivers that have worked together with their tamariki to fill in the blank parts of their pepeha form that was sent home. 


At school, we have been working hard to write our pepeha, to understand the different elements, and finally to practice saying it aloud to others. It is wonderful to see the tamariki learning and sharing about themselves.





Eating At School

This is a friendly reminder for all tamariki to remember to have a nutritious breakfast at home each morning. We are noticing an increase in the number of children who are coming to school and are eating from their lunchboxes before school starts. 


Each day, we are actively reminding the children that there are times when we eat at school. We encourage the children to wait until the allocated times to eat, which are morning tea and lunchtime.


Staying Safe Online

The HDCA for Parents and Whānau

The Harmful Digital Communications Act (or HDCA for short) is an act passed by the Government back in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers anything digital like text, emails or social media content.


The most useful thing for parents to understand about the HDCA is the way the 10 communication principles define what is good or bad behaviour online.


If you’re ever concerned about your young person (or you just want to brush up on your knowledge!) visit Netsafe’s Guide to the HDCA. 



Kind regards,


The Kōwhai Team

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto













2026 Koru Team News – Term 2, Week 3 (8/05/2026)

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 Kia Ora e te Whānau, 

It has been an exciting start to Term 2! We have quite a few new faces who have joined the hub in the last three weeks. It has been so nice seeing the children come together as a hub in their learning and play.  

Cross Country 

Last Friday, we had our whole-school cross-country. The Koru children showed our school value of 'We Love Challenge' when they gave it their best go and ran all the way around the park. The Koru teachers were so impressed and proud of everyone giving it a go. 












Inquiry Topic 

Our focus for this term is based on the Social Science curriculum, specifically Geography. We have started our learning close to home, looking at our school environment and what makes our place special. As the term progresses, we will move our lens wider to more of our city, island and then country. This week we learnt about our school logo, our full school name and the cultural narrative of our school.

Cultural Narrative 

Coming Up This Term: 

Friday 15th May - Book Character Dress Up Day - Children may come to school dressed as their favourite book character. 

Friday 29th May - Staff Only Day - School will be closed.

Monday 1st June - King's Birthday Holiday


Have a wonderful weekend, 

Kendall, Nicola, Elizabeth and Stacey


Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 3 2026

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Kia ora e te whānau,

What an awesome two weeks we have had in the Pōhutukawa Hub! Students have been showing excellent focus across all learning areas and are consistently demonstrating the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto school values.

As the weather gets cooler, students are asked to keep there muddy footwear outside of the classrooms. If they would like to bring along slippers to wear in class then that is completely fine!

Cross Country

A highlight of the fortnight for many was our annual school Cross Country last Friday. We are so proud of all our Pōhutukawa students who trained hard in the lead-up to the event and gave it 100% on the day. Congratulations to those students who placed in the top 10!







Weekly Winter Sports

On Wednesday, we held our Weekly Winter Sport trials. It was fantastic to see so many students participating and giving their best effort. Teams will be named early next week.

Weekly Winter Sport will begin on Thursday of Week 5 (21st May) and will run for 10 weeks. Please keep an eye on Hero for further information regarding this.

The HDCA for Parents and Whānau

The Harmful Digital Communications Act (or HDCA for short) is an act passed by the Government back in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers anything digital like text, emails or social media content.


The most useful thing for parents to understand about the HDCA is the way the 10 communication principles define what is good or bad behaviour online.


If you’re ever concerned about your young person (or you just want to brush up on your knowledge!) visit Netsafe’s Guide to the HDCA. 





We hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Ngā mihi,
The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team
Chris, Kate, Chloe, Rae and Nick