Monthly Archives: June 2026

2026 Koru Team News – Term 2, Week 9 (19/06/2026)

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 Kia Ora e te Whānau, 

It has been another busy and exciting week in the Koru Hub, with our tamariki engaged in a wide range of learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. From developing their literacy and numeracy skills to collaborative play, and hands-on learning opportunities during our ponds trip, there has been plenty to keep everyone motivated and engaged.

Our learners have continued to show curiosity, resilience, and enthusiasm as they tackle new challenges, build friendships, and celebrate their successes. It has been wonderful to see students supporting one another, sharing their ideas, and taking pride in their learning.

Junior Park Explorers Adventure at Beckenham Ponds

We enjoyed a wonderful morning on Thursday exploring Beckenham Ponds as part of the Christchurch City Council Junior Park Explorers Programme.

The trip gave our tamariki the opportunity to get outdoors, learn about the natural environment, and discover some of the amazing plants and animals that live right here in our local community.

During the visit, the children became nature detectives, using their observation skills to learn about the different birds, trees, and insects found around the ponds. They listened carefully to the sounds of native and introduced birds, looked closely at the shapes and features of different trees, and searched for insects living amongst the plants, grasses and pond water. There was plenty of excitement as students shared their discoveries and asked thoughtful questions about the natural world.

The Junior Park Explorers Programme encourages children to develop a sense of curiosity and appreciation for nature, and our students embraced every opportunity to explore, investigate, and learn. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they connected classroom learning with real-world experiences.

A special thank you to the parents and whānau members who joined us on the trip. Your support and assistance helped make the outing a success, and we greatly appreciate the time you gave to help our students enjoy this valuable learning experience.











Kapa Haka

We are loving our Kapa Haka sessions with Whaea Cath on alternating Fridays. It is a lovely time to share stories, sing waiata and korero. Cath often brings a small friend with her to help us learn new waiata. This week we meet her little ruru! 

PTA Mid Winter Breakfast 

The Student Council and PTA are hosting a Mid Winter Breakfast on Wednesday 24th June at 8am. Start your day with a lovely warm breakfast with your child in the hall. You will need a bowl, spoon and a can to donate to the Christchurch City Mission. Some teachers may be there to have breakfast too. Please note the classrooms will open at 8.30 as usual, there is no supervision for children to be dropped at breakfast unaccompanied. 

Toys at School 

We have seen an increase in toys from home being brought to school recently. If your child needs a particular toy for comfort, please contact their home group teacher. Otherwise, we ask that toys are not brought to school. They are often a distraction in the classroom and a big worry and disappointment if they get lost or broken. 

Cutlery and Lunchbox Food

If you are sending food to school with your child that requires a spoon or fork, please can you supply this in their lunchbox. We do not have cutlery in the classroom and it is very difficult to get this while we are supervising the children eating. It would also be very helpful if any pouches could be opened a little so the children can access these independently. 

ICT Message

Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!


It’s important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.


Read their scam tips here.


Coming Up 

Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th June - early finish for learning conferences at 1.45pm
Please make sure you have filled in this form to let us know your plans for your child on these days.
Wednesday 24th June - PTA Mid-Winter Breakfast
Friday 3rd July - Funky Hair Day, Last Day of Term 2

Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 9

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Kia ora e te whānau,

We are quickly approaching the end of the term, and it is a very busy time in the hub. Student reports will be available today, and Learning Conferences will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have not yet booked a conference for your child, there is still time to do so. If you need any assistance with booking, please contact your child's homegroup teacher, who will be happy to help.

Welcome, Kathryn!

We are delighted to welcome Kathryn Sutherland to our team. Kathryn joined us this week and has taken over Georgia's homegroup. She has spent the past week getting to know the children in her class, as well as the wider hub. We are thrilled to have her on board and look forward to her contributions to our team.

Descriptive Writing

In writing, we have been focusing on descriptive language, using our senses to describe what we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. We have been learning how to make our writing more engaging by including a range of adjectives and are beginning to explore similes, using them to create vivid images for our readers.


Midwinter Breakfast

Next Wednesday, the PTA will be hosting a Midwinter Breakfast. If you and your children would like to join in, breakfast will be served from 8:00 am. There will be plenty of warm, delicious porridge for everyone to enjoy!


Funky Hair Day

On the last day of term, the Student Council will be holding a Funky Hair Day to raise funds for Starship Hospital. Children are invited to come to school with a fun and creative hairstyle and bring a gold coin donation to support this worthwhile cause. Please note that students are still required to wear their school uniform.


Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year - and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!
It's important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.
Read their scam tips here.


Word Cup Fever

As many of you may already know, the FIFA World Cup kicked off last Friday. The children and teachers in the Kōwhai hub have been enthusiastically following the tournament, tracking match results on our World Cup board and discussing the games together. We have also enjoyed watching some of the matches before school in the mornings. It has been a fantastic way to share in the excitement of this global event and has sparked lots of lively conversations throughout the hub.



Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team


Kahikatea News: Term 2 Week 9

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 Kia ora te whānau, 

It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of another term. 

Kahikatea performed in our whole school assembly last week. The parent turnout was amazing, the kids were so thrilled, and they did so well.

The Kahikatea staff have been delighted by the progress our students have made so far this year. It has been wonderful to see their learning and development flourish, with this growth clearly reflected in their reports.

Reminders:
  • Learning conferences are on Tuesday, the 23rd and Wednesday, the 24th of June. School will close at 1:45pm both days.
  • A reminder to please bring reading folders on a Thursday, as this is the day when we switch books and children take them home. We will collect all readers over the break, so no books will go home in the last week of term. If you have any books at home, please bring them back in so that we are able to do a stocktake.
  • Friday, the 3rd July, we have a wacky hair day. Please bring a gold coin donation.


Here are some of our recent learning celebrations:

Literacy:

The children continue to work hard and remain focused during our whole-class and small-group reading and writing sessions. The writing they are producing is outstanding! Below are some images of students' writing and of  Amber running a whole-class reading session, which the children enjoyed immensely.








Maths:
The use of the Numicon mathematics programme is proving to be a great success. Students are more clearly able to articulate their ideas and findings using mathematical language. They can translate the use of Numicon shapes and rods into problem-solving tasks. Below are some examples of Numicon work we have been participating in this week as we work with recording addition and subtraction problems.















Geography:
We are well into our Geography topic and have spent the past two weeks looking at maps of New Zealand and studying the North, South and Stewart Islands. We have looked at where Christchurch/Otautahi is located, the region of Canterbury and other towns and cities that are important to our tamariki. We have looked at keys and how mountains, rivers, forests, etc, might be marked on a map. We learnt about the name Aotearoa and where it came from, and have listened to the Māori myth of Maui and the Giant Ika (myth of how NZ came to be). Students have spent some time drawing their own maps of N.Z.









Look at the amazing felted banner our students have been working on with Nicky:


Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!


It’s important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.


Read their scam tips here. 










Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 9 2026

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Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2, Week 10, 2026

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

What a busy few weeks we have had! We look forward to having the chance to connect with you at our Learning Conferences and also see many of you at our Matariki Evening coming up as well.  These connections, and the whanaungatanga that comes with them, are so valuable. They are wonderful chance for the students to reflect on their successes, as well as look ahead to the next two terms. We hope you enjoy some photos of life in the Pōhutukawa Hub over the past busy few weeks. Please take the time to read on for some important information.

Shoes/ Ngā hū

It has been really great to see the students 'stepping up' to show We Care for our school environment by removing their shoes during this wet and muddy season. It really does make a huge difference to our learning space. Our next 'step' in this regard is to continue to work on keeping the shoes in a tidy way. Again, revisiting these expectations at home, as well really helps us to get there together and show kindness to each other for keeping our learning spaces accessible for all, as well as showing We Care for our cleaning staff. A reminder that students can bring slippers to school to wear indoors as well if not having shoes on is a problem. 

Winter Sports/ Hākinakina

Our Winter Sports programme is also now full steam ahead, with all of our students getting some amazing netball, football, flag football and hockey experience! Our teams are enjoying themselves in the South Zone competition and representing Beckenham admirably. A huge mihi, thanks to the parents who are helping out on Thursday afternoons. We simply couldn't do it without your help and support.


Softball Taster Session 1 
"Give it a Go"













BLAKE NZ- Virtual Reality Sessions: Sustainability









Primary Sport Canterbury Zones Cross Country: Nga Puni Wai
Go Chloe!








A nationwide creative writing competition for young Kiwi readers
Every Reader Has A Story … What’s Yours?
Books can stay with us long after we've turned the final page. Sometimes they help us through a difficult time. Sometimes they make us feel understood. Sometimes they open a door into a new world, a new idea, or a new way of seeing ourselves.
How has a book helped change you? 
To help celebrate the inaugural NZ Children’s Books Week: Read Around Aotearoa, the children's book-gifting charity, Kiwi Christmas Books, is inviting
you, the keen young readers of Aotearoa, to tell us a true story about how a book made a difference in your life. Entry
You could win $250 in books for yourself and $500 in books for your school, and have your story published! 


Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!


It’s important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.


Read their scam tips here. 




Stay safe, stay warm,

Kia Kaha

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Chloe, Nick, Kate, and Rae



Kauri News – Week 9

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Welcome back to Term 2!

Learning in Team Kauri - Presentations for sustainability inquiry

This term, our students have been deeply engaged in an inquiry topic focused on sustainability, exploring how our choices impact the environment and looking at ways to protect our planet for the future. Over the last two weeks, students have been proudly presenting their final project outcomes to their peers. These presentations showcase an impressive variety of creative mediums, including hand-crafted models, informative posters, and student-led podcasts, covering a diverse range of critical sustainability topics. We are incredibly impressed by the depth of research, critical thinking, and passion our students have demonstrated throughout this unit.

Canterbury Cross Country

Congratulations to our Year 7-8 students who made it through to Canterbury Cross Country. We are extremely proud of their efforts and the way they represented themselves at such a prestigious event. Results below:

AWD

Jacob Hamilton - 2nd (5:07)

Year 7 Girls

Clara Shaw - 87th (14:44)

Year 7 Boys

Haydn O’Connor - 32nd (12:14)

Year 8 Girls

Laura Stoney - 3rd (11:58)

Misha Lee - 45th (13:34)

Year 8 Boys

Ben Stoney - 33rd (11:33)

Year 8 hoodies - preliminary design and fundraising

We are excited to begin the process of designing and creating our special Year 8 hoodies! To ensure these keepsakes are accessible for everyone, the cost to whānau will be kept to just $20 per hoodie, with the students actively fundraising to cover the remaining balance. The students will be heavily involved in the design process to make these shirts uniquely theirs. Further information regarding order forms, sizing, and fundraising details will follow as soon as the plans are finalized.


Bingo Night & Hampers

Get ready for a fun-filled evening at our upcoming School Bingo Night! This exciting fundraising event is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together for an evening of friendly competition, great prizes, and school spirit. All proceeds raised throughout the night will directly support our upcoming school projects and student resources. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a first-time player, come along for a chance to shout "Bingo!" while making a meaningful contribution to our school. We look forward to seeing you there for a night to remember! A big thank you for all our whānau who contributed some amazing items for our Hamper prizes.

Cantamath planning & projects

The 2026 Cantamath competition information has noe become available outlining this year's three separate competitions: the Year 5&6 Challenge, the Year 7–10 Display Competition, and the Year 7–10 Team Competition. Please mark your calendars for two key dates in August: Tuesday, 18th August is the drop-off day for all Year 5&6 Challenge entries and Year 7–10 Displays, followed by the exciting Teams Competition on Wednesday, 19th August. The official theme inspiring this year's creations is "Maths in Nature", while students looking ahead can start brainstorming for the 2027 theme (and 2026 motifs), which will be "Maths in Games". The classes in Team Kauri will be spending some time over the next two weeks to go over expectations and ideas. We encourage whānau to spend some time with their child to work on their projects.

Upcoming Events: Term 2

Week 10

  • Learning Conferences - Tuesday and Wednesday

  • Early finish both days: 1:45pm

  • Bingo Night - Saturday 27th June 7pm in school hall (tickets available)

Week 11

  • Last day of Term - Friday 3rd July

Week 1, Term 3

  • Wednesday 22nd July Matariki Evening 5:30pm - 7:15pm


A nationwide creative writing competition for young Kiwi readers
Every Reader Has A Story … What’s Yours?
Books can stay with us long after we've turned the final page. Sometimes they help us through a difficult time. Sometimes they make us feel understood. Sometimes they open a door into a new world, a new idea, or a new way of seeing ourselves.
How has a book helped change you? 
To help celebrate the inaugural NZ Children’s Books Week: Read Around Aotearoa, the children's book-gifting charity, Kiwi Christmas Books, is inviting you, the keen young readers of Aotearoa, to tell us a true story about how a book made a difference in your life. Entry form
You could win $250 in books for yourself and $500 in books for your school, and have your story published! 

Term 2, Week 10 -  All Ages

Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!


It’s important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.


Read their scam tips here.