Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 24th July 2026

Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

It has been a great first week back at school. Our students have settled quickly into their routines and have been engaging really well in their learning. We are looking forward to another successful and exciting term at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

Matariki Celebration 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Matariki celebration this week. It was a wonderful evening and a fantastic opportunity to come together as a school community.

A special thank you to our staff, our Ferndale colleagues, and Kate and Cath for the time, care and effort they put into organising such a meaningful event. Thank you also to our PTA for providing the delicious sausages and hot chocolates, which were enjoyed by so many.

Matariki is a time to reflect on the past, celebrate the present and look with hope towards the future. It reminds us of the importance of whanaungatanga/coming together, strengthening relationships and supporting one another. Seeing so many students, whānau and staff connecting, sharing stories and celebrating together was a wonderful reflection of what makes Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto such a special community.

Welcome Assembly

Today we welcomed our new students and staff to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto at our Term 3 Welcome Assembly. It is always a special occasion, and one that reminds us of the richness and diversity of our school community.

One of the highlights of the assembly is seeing each new student's country flag proudly carried through the hall. The pride shown by our students and their whānau is something truly special and reflects the unique journeys that have brought them to our school.

We are incredibly fortunate to have families from many different countries and cultures as part of our community. This diversity enriches our learning, broadens our perspectives, and strengthens our sense of belonging. It is something we value deeply and celebrate as an important part of who we are as Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

Every Day Counts

At Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto, we want every child to thrive. One of the most important factors influencing a student's success at school is regular attendance. Every lesson builds on previous learning. Whether students are learning to read, mastering mathematics, developing friendships, or building confidence, each day provides valuable opportunities that are difficult to replicate when they are absent.

Research consistently shows that students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve academically, develop positive relationships, and feel a stronger sense of belonging. Even missing one day every fortnight can add up to around four weeks of learning over the course of a year.

We understand that children will sometimes need to stay home when they are unwell, and we appreciate families making this decision when appropriate. However, if your child is well enough to attend school, we encourage them to be here every day. Establishing strong attendance habits in primary school lays the foundation for future success.

If your family is experiencing circumstances that are making regular attendance difficult, please let us know. We are committed to working alongside whānau to support every child to attend, participate and succeed.

Thank you for your continued partnership in ensuring every child has the opportunity to make the most of their learning. Every day really does count.

Ngā mihi,
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 3
Wed 29 - Thu 30 JulyCanterbury Cricket Sessions (Yr 0-6)
Wed 29 JulySouth Zone Indoor Basketball Tournament (Yr 5/6)
Fri 31st JulyCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 5 - Thu 6 AugustCanterbury Cricket Sessions (Yr 0-6)
Wed 5 AugustIntermediate Hub Open Evening (6:30-7:30pm)
Wed 5 AugustPTA AGM Meeting (7:30- 8:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 7 AugustKōwhai & Ferndale - Scooter-athlon (11:00-12:30pm) and
Koru & Kahikatea - Scooter-athlon (1:30-3:00pm)
Wed 12 - Thu 13 AugustCanterbury Cricket Sessions (Yr 0-6)
Fri 14 AugustCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Sat 15 AugustBingo Night! (Doors open 7:00pm, Hall)
Mon 17 - Fri 21 AugustPōhutukawa Cycle Safe Week
Wed 19 AugustBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 21 AugustPTA School Disco (Glow Party, Neon Theme!)
Wed 26 AugustSchool Duathlon Event (Yr 5-8)
Fri 28 AugustCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 2 SeptemberPTA Meeting (7:30- 8:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 3 SeptemberTeam Kauri Mount Hutt Ski Trip
Fri 4 SeptemberSchool Closed - Staff Only Day
Sat 12 - Sun 13 SeptemberPTA Book and Clothing Sale (Hall)

Citizen of the Week

Imogen - Year 4

Imogen, the positivity and enthusiasm that you bring to Kōwhai Hub every day is infectious. You always lead by example, displaying our school Kete values in all that you do. Your caring, empathetic nature, sense of humour and willingness to help out whenever you see a need make a difference to our hub. Tēnā rawa atu koe Imogen, keep shining!

Jos - Year 5

Jos, you are a positive and caring member of our school community who always gives 100% to everything you do. You are a role model for others and consistently demonstrate our school's Kete Values. We love seeing your creativity shine! Keep up the excellent work, Jos!

School Notices

School Timetable

TimeActivity
8:30 am – 8:55 amStudents arrive at school and prepare for the day
8:55 am – 9:00 amStudents go to class, and the morning roll is taken.
9:00 am – 10:30 amLearning time
10:30 am – 10:50 amPlay time
10:50 am – 11:00 amKai time (morning tea)
11:00 am – 12:40 pmLearning time
12:40 pm – 1:20 pmPlay time
1:20 pm – 1:40 pmKai time (lunch eating); the afternoon roll is taken.
1:40 pm – 3:00 pmLearning time
3:00 pmHome time
3:15 pmClearing bell rings (any children that are not collected by this time report to the office)

Cellphones, Smartwatches, and other personal digital devices 

Please avoid bringing personal devices to school where possible. If students have to bring them to school, please turn them off, drop them off at the school office, and collect them again at the end of the school day.

Please refer to our school's policy relating to ‘cellphones and other personal digital devices’ through SchoolDocs, linked here.

Within the policy document, it states:

Personal digital devices include cellphones, which we manage according to government regulations, and other devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartwatches. Devices that are part of a school-approved Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme have separate conditions for use.
and
If students bring personal digital devices (including cellphones) to school, the following requirements apply:
  • Students may be able to take devices on EOTC events, but should check with the teacher or person in charge whether the device is allowed before the event starts.
  • Students must turn their devices off and keep them in the office during school hours.
  • If devices are used for a learning activity, this must be approved and supervised by teaching staff.

Kupu Māori o te Wiki

Kia ora koutou! This term, we are continuing to learn a Kīwaha (saying), and a new Kupu (word) each week, as well as a waiata. Have a go at learning the words and singing these!
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!
KīwahaPaia!This means Awesome!
KupuMakaririThis means cold.
WaiataMāori Alphabet - linked here
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.

Staff Profiles

Welcome Back Laura Morrison!


Welcome back to Laura, who has returned from maternity leave and is working in the Pōhutukawa team.

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

Speed Skating Success for Laurien

Congratulations to Year 6 student Laurien, who recently competed in the Canterbury Alpine Ice Skating Club (CAISC) Cup in short track speed skating. 
Laurien achieved an outstanding result, winning the Women’s Junior D category. She also set two New Zealand records in the 222m and 333m events, with the records currently awaiting official ratification. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of Laurien’s dedication and hard work. Well done, Laurien!

Cycling Success - Year 7 / 8

Congratulations to our cycling team on an outstanding performance at the South Island School Road Championships! Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto claimed Gold in the Team Time Trial, crossing the finish line in an impressive 19:15.47.

A special congratulations to Daniel, who also won Gold in the Individual Time Trial with a time of 5:23.19, before backing it up with a fantastic 3rd place finish in the Road Race. Strong performances also came from Dylan, who placed 8th, and Vinnie, who finished 9th in the U14 Boys Individual Time Trial; Haydn, who placed 4th in the U13 Boys Individual Time Trial and Jayme, who placed 5th in the U13 Girls Individual Time Trial.

We'd also like to acknowledge former Beckenham student Ben W, now attending Cashmere High School, who earned the Silver Medal in the Individual Time Trial.

What an incredible day of racing—well done to all of our cyclists on representing the school with determination, teamwork, and pride!

Gymnastics Success for Florence!

Congratulations to Florence (Year 6) on an outstanding achievement at a gymnastics competition in Auckland over the weekend! Competing in the Women's Artistic Gymnastics Programme at STEP 4, Florence was awarded the Artistry Award for her floor routine. This prestigious award recognises the gymnast who received the fewest artistic deductions across the day and delivered the most memorable performance for the judges. What an incredible accomplishment—well done, Florence!

Year 7/8 Basketball Teams at South Zone Tournament

Our Year 7/8 basketball teams represented the school with determination and great sportsmanship at the South Zone Tournament on Wednesday. Both teams finished the day in equal 5th place, capping off the tournament with two impressive wins each. Throughout the day, our players showed resilience, teamwork, and plenty of skill on the court. It was fantastic to see both teams finish strongly and support one another in every game. Well done to all of our players on a great tournament!

Pōhutukawa & Kauri Weekly Winter Sport: Player of the day

Another fantastic week of Weekly Winter Sport! It has been great to see our students continuing to develop their skills, work together as teams, and represent our kura with pride each week.

Congratulations to this week's Players of the Day, who were recognised for their effort, determination, and the positive way they demonstrated our school values throughout the afternoon. We are incredibly proud of the resilience, sportsmanship, and encouragement shown by all of our students as they continue to grow in confidence and capability.

A huge thank you to our whānau and volunteers for your ongoing support and commitment. Your encouragement on the sidelines and assistance behind the scenes help make these opportunities possible for our tamariki.

Year ⅚ Football - Daniel, Mati & Reuben
Year ⅚ Hockey - Amelia, Aubrey, Summer, Moana & Maadev
Year ⅚ Netball - Maya, Florence & Sanvi
Year ⅞ Hockey - Walter, Sedas & Savannah
Year ⅞ Netball - Charlie, Sofia, Julia & Seb

PTA News

It's a busy term for the PTA! 

We're having our AGM on Wednesday 5th August, all are welcome.  

Then it's on to the Bingo night on Saturday 15th August. It's promising to be a hilarious night with some great prizes, so book a babysitter and don't forget to grab your tickets here. 
On the 21st August it's the annual PTA Disco - this can't happen without plenty of parent help, so look out for a Hero post to sign up!
We're currently collecting books and clothes for our mega book and clothing sale on the 12th and 13th of September. There are collection boxes in the office!

If you have any spare SMEG stickers from New World, they would be gratefully received - we really need some new knives in the hall kitchen!

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in touch at pta@beckenham.school.nz 

If you can't make it to one of our meetings but would like to help out with other PTA activities, join our supporters Messenger group.

BOT Update

Term 3 Policy Review Now Open - SchoolDocs

  1. Visit the SchoolDocs 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.)

Guitar & Bass Lessons - Students Wanted!

'My name is Francis Laurie, and I am a 16-year-old Cashmere student offering lessons for both guitar and bass guitar. I am grade 8 in guitar, and I’m studying for grade 7 in bass guitar. 
I charge $20 for a half-hour lesson and can either host lessons or teach at your house. I have some experience in teaching, as I have already taught multiple students for over a term. I would also be able to let you borrow an acoustic guitar for the lesson.

Text or call 028 464 5605 to discuss further details.' 

Experience Professional Basketball This Sunday

The Canterbury Rams have one regular season game left before their chase for a championship begins! Get behind the team for a Rodeo-themed night of basketball as they take on the Franklin Bulls. As always, if you purchase a bronze adult ticket, you'll get a complimentary bronze kid's ticket for free!

When: Tipoff: 6:00pm | Sunday, July 26
Where: Parakiore Recreation & Sport Centre

Kahikatea News: Term 2, week 11

 

Kia ora e te whānau,

Term 2 of 2026 has come to an end and we have celebrated this busy term with some wonderful events and activities! Thanks to all who attended learning conferences; what a wonderful opportunity for the kaiako (teachers) to connect with our parents and whānau and to highlight the success of our pupils. We have had PTA breakfast and PJ day, book character day and of course, funky hair day to celebrate the last day of term! We have enjoyed multiple sporting events, and we hope the tamariki enjoy a safe and well-earned break with an opportunity to recharge and relax.

Here are a few snapshots of what Kahikatea have been up to this week.

Hillview Cross Country Challenge!

A huge highlight of this week for some of our tamariki was to represent their school at the Hillview Year 1-4 Cross Country Challenge. It was a wonderful event, and the children showed fantastic sportsmanship and a "can do" attitude! Embracing the school value of "We Love Challenge"!








Numicon - Numicon continues to be a very popular mode of learning for our tamariki and we are enjoying the opportunity to use a wide range of resources and classroom collaboration to extend the children's mathematical knowledge. This week we looked into comparing and ordering numbers to 100, and it created some wonderful problem-solving opportunities for the tamariki.






Funky Hair Day- Friday was FUNKY HAIR DAY!! As always, the tamariki shone bright and showed us their fantastic and creative hairstyles! They absolutely loved comparing their styles with each other, and there were lots of beautiful smiles all around. This was a fantastic way to raise money for the Starship Hospital, who do such incredible and vital work in Aotearoa.















Importance notice for Term 3:

Scooter-athlon- Next term, our Kahikatea Team will take part in an exciting Scooter-athlon on Wednesday 5th August from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Parents are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki.


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 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. Your child will need to provide their own helmet. We can’t wait to see the tamariki scoot, run, and have fun – nau mai te wero! We love challenge!


The Kahikatea teaching team wish you a safe and restful break, and we are looking forward to seeing you in Term 3.


Ngā mihi nui


Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S

2026 Koru Team News – Term 2, Week 11 (3/06/2026)

What a Brilliant Term 2! 

We've had an absolute blast this term! Our Koru Hub has been filled with laughter, deep learning, and wonderful moments of collaboration. It's been incredible watching our tamariki strengthen their friendships and work so beautifully together. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to welcome our third home group to the Koru team next term. Thank you for a fantastic term!

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us in the Hall last Wednesday for our PTA Midwinter Breakfast! It was wonderful to see so many cosy pyjamas and smiling faces sharing a morning meal together.

We want to extend a special shout-out to:

  • Our Generous Community: Thank you to everyone who brought along a canned food donation to support those in need.
  • The Incredible PTA and Volunteers: An extra-large thank you to the amazing team who arrived in the dar, early hours to set up the hall and whip up bowls of delicious warming porridge!
Events like this remind us what a fantastic community we have. Thanks for braving the winter chill with us. We Get There Together!








Digitech

On Thursday, we were incredibly fortunate to be able to welcome Kate Sutherland from Digital Future Aotearoa to spend the morning with us.

As part of our Matariki learning, we explored our kura from a different perspective and reflected on the places that are special to us. We began by wondering what our school might look like from above, like a bird in flight, before comparing our ideas with a real aerial view through a drone flight over the kura and park.

Tamariki noticed familiar places in a whole new way and shared their ideas about where we learn, play, and care for our environment. Back inside, they added their own reflections to aerial images of our kura, as well as creating their own bird's eye view drawings, celebrating Tūrangawaewae, our place of belonging.

We also explored digital citizenship and the responsibility that comes with being a safe and ethical drone pilot. We learned to look out for manu (birds), kurī (dogs), and people in the park, while Kate shared some of the Civil Aviation rules that help keep everyone safe.

It was a wonderful morning of noticing, wondering, reflecting, and connecting with our kura through a different lens.



Term 3 information:

Matariki - Wednesday 22 July

Matariki is the start of the Māori New Year and a time of reflection, connection and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto, with you and your whānau on Wednesday, the 22nd of July, 5:30 - 7:00 pm. There will be a welcome and performance in Māpuna, the Hall by Te Whānau Mahi Tahi. Then Matariki workshops and activities in the Hubs for whānau to make, play and experience together. Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai Kapa Haka will perform in Māpuna, the Hall, to finish the evening. 

Scooter-athlon - Friday 7 August

Next term, our Koru Team will take part in an exciting Scooter-athlon on Friday, 7th August, from 1:30 - 3:00 pm. This is the first time this event will take place at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto! Whānau are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki. The Scooter-athlon will follow a run - scooter - run format. Students are encouraged to wear their House T-Shirts, bring their own scooter and helmet, wear closed-toe shoes, and follow safety rules. The 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 via Hero. Please let your homegroup 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!

We look forward to seeing you all next term,

Kendall, Nicola, Elizabeth and Stacey

Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 11

We have made it to the end of Term 2, and what a term it has been! 

Learning Conferences

We would like to extend a big thank you to all the whānau who came along to our Learning Conferences last week. It was wonderful to sit down with so many families and celebrate the amazing achievements of our Kōwhai tamariki. We love working alongside you.

Term 2 In A Nutshell

Despite the changeable weather, our hub has been abuzz with a range of busy and fun learning activities. In writing, we have been working on completing our narratives, with tamariki producing some fantastic writing that may have been shared with you at Learning Conferences. We are now working on descriptive writing, expanding our sentences to make them more interesting for the reader. 

In reading, we continue to focus on the structured literacy programme as well as reading a variety of rich texts. In maths, we have finished a unit of work focusing on statistics and are currently learning about fractions and decimal numbers.    

Learning out of the classroom has included P.E. lessons focusing on small ball skills. Learning to catch, throw and field tennis balls with a partner and in small groups has been a great challenge! These skills involved a lot of teamwork as well as developing hand-eye coordination. We have now completed our pepeha learning and are currently working hard on completing our paper weaving project, which we will be displaying on the hub's walls very soon.




Cross Country Challenge


On Tuesday 30th June, a team of 24 eager athletes from the Kōwhai team took on the Cross Country Challenge at Hillview Christian School. Everyone gave it their all, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and successful day out for the whole team!

Legacy Studio Hip Hop performance

The Legacy Studio hip-hop crew have been working hard practising their routines during their lunch breaks to prepare for the much-anticipated performance last weekend. Every crew member showed incredible focus and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe - We Love Challenge! Here is a photo of some of the hip-hop crew below.




Cyber Safety: Hector's World


Hector's World is an entertaining animated series used to support the education of online safety for primary school-aged tamariki. Over the course of Term 2, we have completed seven cyber safety lessons. The most recent lessons focused on: 

  • Why it is important to be kind and respectful online and how to get help if it’s needed.

  • The concept of ‘Digital Citizenship’ - learning the skills, values and behaviours that lead us to engage in online experiences positively, confidently and kindly.

We hope that this learning has encouraged conversations at home with your child/ren about safety online.






Scooter-athlon


Next term, our Kōwhai team will take part in the exciting Scooter-athlon again, on Friday 7th August from 11:30pm – 12:30pm. Parents are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki.

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 safety rules. Year 7/8 students will act as marshals to help run the event safely. Please note that 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. Your child will need to provide their own helmet. We can’t wait to see the tamariki scoot, run, and have fun – nau mai te wero! We love challenge!


We thank you for your continued support of our tamariki and wish you a happy and safe school holiday. We look forward to seeing you back in Term 3.


From the Kōwhai team


Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 11 2026

Kia ora Whānau,

It has been a busy and productive couple of weeks to wrap up the term for the Pōhutukawa team! From testing our academic limits to sharpening our skills on the sports field, our students have been giving it their all right up to the final bell.

Here is a quick update on what’s been happening across our team:


Kiwi Competitions Update

This week, many of our students stepped up to the challenge for the annual Kiwi Competitions.

Completed This Week: Maths, English, and science. A huge congratulations to everyone who participated. We saw some fantastic focus and critical thinking on display.

Coming Up Later: If your child is signed up for the spelling competition, please note this will be held later in the year.


Sphero Bolts

In our CCC lessons, we have been putting our digital technologies skills to the test by programming Sphero Bolts. The students have been working hard to code their mini robotic spheres, learning how to control their speed, direction, and angles to navigate them successfully along a custom-designed race track. It has been brilliant to see their problem-solving and teamwork in action.








Canterbury Softball Visits

Last week, we wrapped up our final session with Canterbury Softball. Over the two visits, the coach worked with our students to develop their throwing, catching, and batting skills.

It has been fantastic to watch the students' confidence grow on the field, and they thoroughly enjoyed learning these new skills. A massive thank you to Canterbury Softball for their time and energy!


Homegroup Moves

Just a quick heads-up that most of our home groups have now moved into new learning spaces for the second half of the year. The students have settled into smoothly and are really excited about the change.

Thank you for your ongoing support throughout this term. We hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing school holiday break with your families. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Term 3!


Warm regards,

The Pōhutukawa Team