Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 4th September 2026

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

We hope you have all had a good week. The students and staff have certainly enjoyed the warmer weather toward the end of the week!

Today, our staff engaged in professional development. These learning days are critical as they build our collective capacity to provide the best possible learning opportunities for our students. We truly appreciate the support of our families in keeping children home today, and we hope you enjoy the extended long weekend.

PTA Clothing & Book Sale

Next weekend is a significant event for our school, with the PTA’s annual Clothing and Book Sale taking place in our school hall on Saturday and Sunday. Our PTA works tirelessly for our kura, without their dedication, many of the additional resources and opportunities provided for our students simply wouldn't be possible. If you have time to drop by next weekend and make a few purchases, it would be greatly appreciated.

Ministerial Visit Update

Recently, Erica Stanford visited our school. Following her visit, we received a letter of thanks highlighting the great things she saw and how impressed she was by our students and teachers. During her visit, we discussed the classroom modification projects we have been involved in. Modifications for our two newest teaching hubs, Parenga and Tahaki, are in the pipeline; however, because these involve more complex retrofitting, we have been advised that we will be contacted in early 2027. We will keep the community updated as plans progress.

Shelter in Place Update

On Wednesday, we initiated a precautionary shelter-in-place procedure after several staff members and students reported a gas-like smell (similar to LPG) in the playground. In these situations, we always exercise maximum caution and follow our emergency response protocol. Emergency services attended the site and used monitoring equipment, confirming that the odour was not from a flammable gas. We were then able to resume normal school operations safely.

Thank you to our students for their excellent response during the shelter-in-place, and to our community for your ongoing support. Interestingly, a number of local parents reported noticing the same odour in the wider neighbourhood around that time.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ngā mihi,
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 & 2027 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 3
Mon 7 - Thu 17 SeptemberLife Education
Mon 7 SeptemberPSC Duathlon Event
Tue 8 SeptemberCashmere High School Testing Day (Yr 8)
Thu 10 SeptemberWhakanui Whaikaha - Disability Play Partnership
Thu 10 SeptemberCanterbury Cricket Sessions (Yr 7/8)
Fri 11 SeptemberCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Sat 12 - Sun 13 SeptemberPTA Book and Clothing Sale (Hall)
Wed 16 SeptemberBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Wed 16 - Thu 17 SeptemberPSC Winter Tournament Event
Thu 17 SeptemberPō Whakangahau Performance (Cashmere High)
Tue 22 - Thu 24 SeptemberKoru Games (Yr 7/8)
Fri 25 SeptemberCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Fri 25 SeptemberBeckenham's Got Talent (1:30-3:00pm)
Fri 25 SeptemberLast Day of Term 3
School Holidays
Mon 12 OctoberFirst Day of Term 4
Fri 16 OctoberWelcome Assembly (9:15-9:30am, Hall)
Fri 23 OctoberSchool Athletics Event
Mon 26 OctoberSchool Closed - Labour Day
Wed 28 OctoberBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Mon 2 NovemberSouth Zone Athletics (Yr 5-8)
Wed 11 NovemberSchool Chicken's 1st Birthday
Fri 13 NovemberSchool Closed - Canterbury Anniversary Day

Citizen of the Week

Ruby - Year 3

Ruby, you are a positive, caring and thoughtful member of our school community who always gives 100% to everything you do. You are a wonderful role model for others and consistently demonstrate our school’s Kete Values through your kindness, respect and positive attitude. You are always willing to lend a helping hand and look out for others, making you a valued and dependable member of the Kōwhai team. We love seeing your creativity shine and the enthusiasm you bring to everything you do. Keep up the fantastic work, Ruby! Ka pai tō mahi!

Indigo - Year 6

Indigo, you are a bright, respectful, and dedicated role model at our kura. By volunteering, supporting your classmates, and putting your best effort into everything you do, you lead with heart and humility. Your exceptional work ethic makes a huge impact on our school community. Ka pai tō mahi, Indigo—we are so proud of you! Ka pai tō mahi, Indigo.

School Notices

Medication At School - Reminder

If a child requires medication at school on a long-term 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.

For 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.

Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata - Period Products in Schools

The Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata initiative aims to relieve financial pressures for whānau. 

The initiative supports ākonga in having ready access to products to take home during the school term and school holidays to cover their full menstrual cycle should they need them. 

We can provide these through the school office.

Product will also be available in the Kauri - Hangere and Pōhutukawa - Parenga hub toilet spaces, where students can discreetly access products without having to ask.

Please come by the office if you would like to collect products, or talk with someone (ask for either Jo or Chloe); or feel free to email: pa@beckenham.school.nz

Sports News

Kia ora koutou,

This section of our newsletter is 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

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Duathlon

What a fantastic day at our School Duathlon! Our students showed great determination, enthusiasm and sportsmanship as they tackled the run, bike and run course. It was fantastic to see so many students getting involved, supporting each other and giving it their best. A huge thank you to our staff, volunteers and families for helping make the event such a success!

Congratulations to our place-getters:

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

Year 6
Champions: Corben & Laurien
Runners-Up: Leo & Chloe

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

Year 8
Champions: Zach & Laura
Runner-Up: Daniel

Cycling Southern Tour

A fantastic weekend of cycling success for Zach and Daniel! Zach won the U14 age group, with Daniel finishing 3rd. At the National Criterium Championships on Saturday, Zach claimed Gold and Daniel took home Bronze.

It was a lovely sunny weekend with plenty of hard efforts across the two days. Well done, Zach and Daniel!

Chicken Chat

Special Moments from the Coop!

PTA News

Book and Clothing Sale 12th & 13th September

Thank you for all your donations! Donations close on Wednesday 10th September to allow for sorting. If you can help over the weekend, please complete this form. There will be loads of great stuff to buy at low prices, and this is an important fundraiser to support our school, so we'd love to see you all over the weekend!

Smeg Knives 

We’re still collecting New World stickers so that we can restock the hall kitchen. If you have spares, please drop them in at the office. 

Weetbix TRYathlon

It's great to see lots of tamariki signing up for this fun challenge.  Entries are still open, and you can click on this link to join our Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto School Group. Tamariki can also join our School Group by using the School Group search function when entering online. 

The TRYathlon is all about giving it a TRY and is a rewarding and fun day out for you and your child. Every child gets a t-shirt and medal. We will have the school gazebo set up at the domain so that children and parents can meet up before and after their event.  The PTA will have ice blocks for tired/hot participants!

Children 6 years old on event day can compete in the Splash & Dash!
Children aged 7-15 years old on event day can complete the TRYathlon as an individual or in a team of two. 
For more information visit tryathlon.co.nz 

Entertainment Book

The two for one offer finishes on the 7th September so order your entertainment book now!! Click here to order one today!

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.)

Beckenham Tennis Club Hotshots 

Starting Saturday, 12th September, we are running a tennis programme called Hotshots at Beckenham Tennis Club. 
Key Dates:
Hot Shots starts 12th September 2026
No sessions 24th October and 14th November 2026
Term 1 starts back on 13th February 2027
Hot Shots: Learning tennis skills, having fun.
There are 3 sessions for Hotshots held on a Saturday during term time:
RED BALL: 5 to 7 year-olds, 9:15am to 10am
ORANGE BALL: 8 to 10 year-olds, 10am to 10:45am
GREEN BALL: 10 years plus. 10:45am to 11:30am


Any questions email: beckenhamtennis@gmail.com

Guardians of the Wild Wood: A Spellbound Drama & Puppetry Workshop

Looking for a creative school holiday activity for your child? Storybox Drama and Ipuppets are teaming up for a magical, hands-on drama and puppetry workshop inspired by the book Nettle’s Handbook for Hedgewitches by Claire Barker.

Children will step into the Wild Wood as Hedgewitches and Hedgewizards, make their own wand and forest folk puppet, learn puppetry skills, use drama and storytelling, and work together on a magical mission to save the forest.

Ages 5–7
Saturday 26 September | 10:00–11:30am
$30 per child
Parent/caregiver must accompany their child.
Book tickets: Guardians of the Wild Wood Ages 5-7

Ages 8–12
Saturday 26 September | 2:00–4:00pm
$40 per child
Book tickets: Guardians of the Wild Wood Ages 8-12 

Toi Auaha Community Arts Lounge: 5 Worcester Boulevard
Part of Tamariki Book Festival 2026: Spellbound.
With thanks to Creative Communities Christchurch for supporting this event.

Christchurch Art Gallery with Storybox Drama

Two special school holiday drama workshops at Christchurch Art Gallery!

The Story Feather
Wednesday 30 September | 10.30am–12pm
Ages 5–8 | $15
A magic feather has appeared in the Gallery, and those who believe in it can use it to talk to the birds! Explore Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu through drama and movement in this immersive art adventure with Sam from Storybox Drama.

Meet at the front desk
Book tickets: The Story Feather Ages 5-8

The Case of the Silent Birds

Thursday 1 October | 10.30am–12pm
Ages 9–12 | $15
The birds have fallen silent… but they have a message to share. Can you uncover it? Become an investigator as you examine the clues hidden within the artworks and follow the mystery through imagination, movement and drama.

Meet at the front desk
Book Tickets: The Case of the Silent Birds

Feeling the pinch on lunchboxes? Free Lunchbox Planner

https://www.kiwilunchbox.co.nz is a free tool built by an Auckland parent. 
It plans a week of school lunches around whatever is on special at Woolworths and New World, shows what the week will cost, and gives you a prep plan. No account needed, nothing for sale. 

Kids Travel for $25 by Rail These Spring Holidays

Our school holiday deal offers travel one way for just $25 on our world-class rail journeys, including Coastal Pacific, TranzAlpine, and Northern Explorer, for children aged 14 and under. Valid for travel between 26 September and 11 October 2026, bookings are now open until 11 October 2026. Please note, children must travel with at least one fully paid adult. 
 
For full details and booking information, visit Great Journeys NZ.

2026 Koru Team News Term 3 Week 6 (28/08/2026)

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Kia Ora e te Whānau, 

A very warm welcome to all the new children and their whānau who have recently joined the koru team. We love seeing how our 'golden oldies' are welcoming the newbies into the hub and into their play! 

We had such a fun time at the disco last Friday. It was lovely to see children dressed up and having a boogie on the dance floor. Giving the limbo a go was a very popular addition to the disco! Thanks to our wonderful PTA for all the organising that went into the fun event!














Science Topic
For the second part of this term we are learning about different living organisms and what they need to grow. We had a robust conversation last week about how we defined a living thing.  We found out that not all living things have eyes and mouths. Last week we planted a bean seed each and are now waiting for it to pop through the soil. We will be tracking its growth over the next few weeks. We also planted a bean seed to keep out of sunlight (in a cupboard) and one that we are not going to water. Do you think they will grow? As part of this topic we will be having a couple of lessons with the Life Education Educator and we'll get to meet Harold the Giraffe, how exciting!

Beckenham's Got Talent
Does your child love to sing, dance, play music or like to entertain in any way? If so, then Beckenham's Got Talent is for them! This is a school wide show where children will audition in their hubs and, if selected, perform in front of the school on the last day of term. If your child is interested in giving this a go then get practising at home and let your child's homegroup teacher know they are keen.

Up coming dates:
  • 4th September school will be closed due to a Staff Only Day
  • Life Education Van (Harold the Giraffe) will be at school in weeks 8 and 9
  • End of Term 3 - Friday 25th September

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Stacey, Kendall, Elizabeth and Nicola.



Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 6

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Kia ora e te whānau,

It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 6 of Term 3! Life in the Kōwhai hub continues to be busy, with plenty happening each week. There is never a dull moment, but all of the exciting opportunities are certainly keeping us on our toes!

Life Education

We are excited to welcome Harold and the Life Education bus to Beckenham in Weeks 8 and 9! Each homegroup will have two sessions, with the overall theme focusing on relationships with others.

The first session will explore peer pressure and strategies for managing it, while the second session will focus on understanding and coping with change. We are looking forward to some valuable learning and discussions with Harold!



Kapa Haka Performance


In Week 10, Kōwhai will be performing at assembly and we are currently putting in lots of practise to perfect our songs. If you would like to come and see the children perform, Celebration Assembly will be in the hall at 10am. We look forward to seeing you there to support our tamariki.

Dance

Since the beginning of the term, we have been enjoying weekly dance lessons, with each homegroup learning a different dance to a different song. We are hoping to showcase our dances in Week 10, although we are still finalising exactly what this will look like and when the performance will take place. As soon as we have more details confirmed, we will let you know. The children have been loving their dance sessions and are very excited to show off their moves!

Large Ball Skills


Following on from our focus on small ball skills last term, we have now started developing our large ball skills. The children are working on their passing, catching and dribbling, building their control and confidence with a large ball. They are also learning the basic techniques and rules of invasion games, including how to work as a team, maintain possession and move into space to score. We have had one session so far, and the children are loving it!

Beckenham's Got Talent


It’s that time of year again when we get to brush up on our skills and showcase our talents! The children are currently busy practising their acts in preparation for auditions in Week 8, which will take place during Discovery time. Three acts will then be selected to perform in the finals on the last day of term. We are all very excited to see the wonderful talents our children have to share!

Discovery


Our Discovery Time sessions have continued to be a favourite part of the week, giving the children the opportunity to explore, create, problem-solve and learn through a range of hands-on activities. The children have enjoyed getting stuck into activities such as playdough, chess, pom-pom making, drawing, building and creating. These sessions encourage children to follow their interests, develop their creativity and perseverance, and work collaboratively with others. It has been wonderful to see the children using their imaginations, trying new things and proudly sharing what they have created!











Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team






















Kahikatea News: Term 3, Week 6.

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Tēnā koutou whānau!

We are already over halfway through the term, wow! It is so exciting to be heading towards spring and warmer weather. We are looking forward to seeing more sunshine, getting outside and making the most of the longer days! 

It has been a super busy couple of weeks in Kahikatea, filled with lots of exciting learning, special events and plenty of fun. Take a look at what we have been up to!

A Visit from Dr Dan

As part of our Inquiry learning about body systems, we were very lucky to have Dr Dan, Elsie’s dad, come in to chat to us about his amazing job as a neonatologist in the Christchurch Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The tamariki were super engaged and loved learning about what Dr Dan does to care of babies. He brought along life-size dolls, real medical equipment, photos and videos, which gave us a fantastic insight into his important work.

A huge thank you to Dr Dan for taking the time to come and share his knowledge with us!





Shapes!

We have been learning all about 2D shapes in maths and will be moving on to 3D shapes next week.

We have been exploring the different parts that make up shapes, learning about polygons and non-polygons, and investigating what makes different shapes unique.

We also got to have a go with the geoboards, which were a huge hit! It was so cool to see how many different shapes we could create and how many sides we could give our shapes. We definitely got creative!

Here are some photos of our shape investigations!









Disco Time!

Last Friday, we had our school Disco and what a fun afternoon it was! We loved seeing all the colourful outfits, impressive dance moves and, of course, popcorn all over the floor!

There was lots of dancing, music, a limbo competition and even an outfit parade. Everyone had a fantastic time!














Fairytales!

Lots of our literacy classes have been exploring fairytales, and it has been a super engaging focus.

Talia and Sarah J’s classes even performed their very own role-play of The Three Little Pigs! We were so impressed by how quickly they worked together to put their performance together.

The tamariki did an amazing job showing ‘We Love Challenge’ and being brave enough to perform in front of the class. We didn’t realise we had so many talented actors and actresses in our hub!









Big Buddies

We try to catch up with our Big Buddies every few weeks for some fun activities and a chance to practise tuakana-teina, learning from and supporting one another.

Last Friday, which was also Disco day (hence all the colourful outfits!), we teamed up with our Big Buddies for a scavenger hunt around the school. We had to work together to find lots of different things, such as:

🔎 Something with the letter B
🔎 Something smaller than your hand
🔎 Something older than your Year 2 buddy
🔎 And lots of other tricky challenges!

It was so cool to see everyone working together, thinking carefully and helping each other along the way. There were some very creative answers and lots of great teamwork!






Life Education Van

We are very excited to welcome Harold the Giraffe and our Life Education teacher back to Beckenham from Monday 7 September – Thursday 17 September.

Each home group will have two sessions in the mobile classroom, with both lessons supporting our current Science and Inquiry learning about our bodies and body systems.

Session 1: Why is physical activity good for our bodies?
Session 2: What are body systems and how do they work?

We are looking forward to some fun and interactive learning with Harold!



We hope everyone has a lovely weekend, and fingers crossed we get some more sunshine to enjoy! ☀️

Ngā mihi,
Talia, Sarah S, Amber and Sarah J


Pōhutukawa Team News Term 3 Week 6 2026

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

It's been great to see us starting to get back to our usual numbers here at kura after a few weeks of sickness throughout the team. Thank you again, whānau, for keeping tamariki at home who are unwell during this season of coughs and colds. It was just wonderful to see the sun out last! and have everyone outside being active and playing sports. Let's hope for some more sunshine! We also have the Duathlon coming up this Wednesday.Term 3 continues to be a busy and exciting term!

Christchurch City Council Cycle Safe Programme

Our Year 6 students recently completed the popular Cycle Safe programme, and what a success it was! Despite battling some challenging Christchurch winds, our tamariki showed fantastic resilience and determination as they mastered essential riding skills.

After practicing their control and signaling on site, the students put their training to the test by cycling out on the live roads around the Beckenham neighbourhood. A massive thank you to the awesome instructors from the Christchurch City Council team for their expert guidance, patience, and high energy. Our kids learned so much and had an absolute blast! ka rawe, Year 6!


Some feedback from the students:

L said - "They were very good at explaining what we were doing and very clear. They led by example. They showed us how to turn."

E said - " I know how to indicate when I turn right and it was a lot of fun!"

M said - "I learned road rules I never knew, especially the give way one off a side road."







Volley Ball Tournament: Selwyn Sport Centre, Rolleston

What an incredible day of volleyball! Our Year 5/6 Beckenham teams served up an absolute masterclass at the recent tournament, showing outstanding grit, growth, and team spirit.

As the tournament progressed, the kids adapted brilliantly, learning new skills on the fly, sharpening their rotation, and working seamlessly as a team. Their hard work paid off in the ultimate showcase: an all-Beckenham final battling it out for both 1st and 2nd place!

A massive thank you to our amazing coaches and parents, whose guidance and energy kept the players inspired all day long. Congratulations to all of our fantastic tamariki for representing Beckenham with so much enthusiasm and heart!


The bus may have been late and it was trying to rain but that didn't dampen our spirits! 






Food for thought Programme

Our first sessions in the Food for Thought programme got under way today for four of five of our home groups. We looked at different types of vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins and milk products and what they are good for for our bodies. We had a good time working through an interactive quiz and learnt the colours of different foods and how they help different areas of health for the body. 

It was great to see students engaging in the topic and comparing liked foods with their peers. Lots of conversation around healthy foods and fast foods as well! We look forward to continuing these sessions throughout the week and having our supermarket visits on Thursday and Friday!




Inquiry Unit

Our current inquiry focus is on body systems. We have looked at flowers, mushrooms and now we are moving into the human body.

We were extremely fortunate to have Ross, Kate's dad, come and visit us with his torso skeleton and fully articulated skeleton to help in the understanding of body systems.

He focused on the following:

  • The human respiratory system includes the trachea, lungs, diaphragm, ribs, and intercostal muscles. The structure of each part supports its role in breathing (e.g. the ribs form a protective cage, while the diaphragm and intercostal muscles draw air into the chest cavity).

  • The human circulatory system moves blood around the body and includes the heart, blood, and blood vessels. The structure of these parts relates to their function.

  • The digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems work together to supply oxygen, water, and nutrients to the human body.




Duathlon

Concentration, stickability, grit and a desire to do their best! All words that describe the supreme effort our duathletes showed on Wednesday afternoon.







Kapa Haka

Finishing on a high note! It was absolutley fabulous to see Franklin having a super time at Kapa Haka. 



Have a fabulous fortnight, until next time

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Rae, Chris, Chloe, Nick, and Kate