Principal's Update
Kia ora koutou
A big thank you to all those who attended our cross country event today. It was fantastic to see such strong community support, and even better to watch our students giving it their all in the sunshine at Beckenham Park. Events like this really highlight the spirit and energy of our kura.
Important Strategic Review - Use of Digital Devices for Learning
We are beginning a strategic review of the use of digital technologies in our school. This is important work as we consider how digital tools can best support learning, wellbeing, and balance for our students. We value your voice in this process and invite you to contribute by completing the survey linked below. Your feedback will play an important role in shaping our future direction. Ideally we would get feedback from every whānau/family in our school.
Please fill in the 5 question below to contribute your voice to the future of learning at our school:
Chicken Update
You may have seen earlier in the week that some of our chickens will be competing in the Christchurch Premier Chicken Athletics Event, Chicken Stock. Adding to the excitement, yesterday we had our first eggs produced by the chickens! This created a real buzz across the school, with students eager to see and learn more about the process.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Important Dates
| Upcoming Events | Term 2 |
| Wed 6 May | PTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room) |
| Thu 7 May | U11 NFL Tournament (Yr 4-6) |
| Fri 8 May | Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall) |
| Wed 13 May | Girls Got Game - Basketball Programme |
| Thu 14 May | Team Kauri Trip to Cashmere High School |
| Fri 15 May | Book Character Day |
| Fri 15 May | Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall) |
| Wed 20 May | Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room) |
| Wed 27 May | South Zone Cross Country Event (Yr 5-8) |
| Fri 29 May | Staff Only Day - School Closed |
| Mon 1 June | King's Birthday - School Closed |
Citizen of the Week
Julia - Year 4
Julia, you are a hardworking and diligent learner. You consistently show our school kete values each and every day. You are a kind friend, and your caring and warm nature brightens our hub! Thank you for helping others and being an excellent role model! Tino pai tō mahi, Julia!
Maya - Year 5
Maya, you are the kind of person who makes our school feel like a community. You show kindness and empathy every day, and you’re always quick to help others and include everyone. You take on challenges with confidence and treat everyone with respect. Thank you for being such a positive role model.
School Notices
Pedestrian Crossing and Road Safety on Sandwich Road
We know that everyone is keen to keep our tamariki safe as they travel to and from school. To support this, please always use the pedestrian crossing when crossing the road. Please do not cross over the road outside of the crossing. This is especially important during the busy pick-up and drop-off times with increased traffic around the school.
Please also remember that the 3-minute 'Kiss & Go' drop off zone on the school side of Sandwich Road is MAX 3 minutes - not enough time for you to get out of your car and go into school to drop off or collect your child, or to sit waiting in your car. If everyone uses this area as a quick drop-off/pick-up point, then all of the traffic will flow more smoothly, and the surroundings will be much safer for our children.
Thank you for working together to keep our tamariki safe!
September Staff Only Day
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the date for our upcoming Staff Only Day in September has changed. The original date of 11th September has been rescheduled to 4th September.
Term 2 Reminder - Food Allergy Guidelines
Across our school, we have a number of children with different food allergies.
To support the well-being of these students, we have the following guidelines in place, which we ask you to please follow.
- All students should only eat lunches and snacks that have been provided by their caregivers.
- Bottles, other drinks, and lunch boxes provided by caregivers should be clearly labelled with the name of their child. Home group teachers and caregivers will decide where the children’s bottles and lunch boxes will be kept during the day to ensure no cross-contamination occurs.
- Parents are asked not to bring food into school to be shared with other children. Whilst we understand that there are times you want to celebrate special events for your children with their friends at school, e.g., birthdays or being awarded prizes, by bringing food and treats for them to share, we have a policy of children only eating the food that their whānau has prepared and sent with them. We have a number of students with food allergies, and we also need to respect the wishes of some families who want to monitor what their children are eating and prefer their children to only eat food they have prepared. From time to time, there may be an event that teachers have organised that will involve food (cultural or learning activities), and they will have advised families in advance that this will be happening.
Caregivers may be asked to come and talk to staff about their child’s specific health needs and ways we can support them at school.
We will inform you throughout the year if specific guidelines for your child’s hub change.
Our full allergy policy and guidelines are available on the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto website under Information - Policies - SchoolDocs, then search ‘allergy’.
If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss them in the first instance with your child’s home group teacher.
Ezlunch - School Lunch Deliveries
Ordering Ezlunch through Kindo is quick, easy, and one less thing to think about in the morning. You order from home (or on the go), and your child's lunch is delivered to school, ready to eat.
Here's how:
1. Log in to the Kindo app (or set up an account at shop.kindo.co.nz)
2. Pick from the menu on your school's available days
3. Your child collects their lunch at school
Order & win!
Every Ezlunch order placed between 27 April - 22 May goes in the draw to win 1 of 5 x $50 Kindo credits each week. Order here:
mykindo.co.nzT&Cs apply.
Kupu Māori o te Wiki
Kia ora koutou! This term, we will be learning a new Whakataukī (phrase/proverb), an instruction, and Kupu (word) each week. Here are the last two weeks' new te reo we have focused on:
Give these a go! "Nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge! He taonga te ako - We Love Learning!"
| Mauria te pono | Believe in yourself and give it a go! |
| Whakataukī: | Ahakoa he iti kete, he iti nā te aroha | This means it’s the thought that counts. |
| Whakataukī: | Whakarite ngā kete mō te haerenga! | This means filling our kete for the journey. |
| Instruction: | Whakarongo mai | This means listen to me |
| Instruction: | Titiro mai | This means look at me. |
| Kupu: | Hīkoi | This means walk |
| Kupu: | Aroha | This means love |
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 Stacey Hurst - Assistant Caretaker
Hi, I’m Stacey. I moved to New Zealand two years ago with my family from Western Australia. My three children currently attend Beckenham School.
I have been working as a professional gardener for the past 20 years. I look forward to learning more about native plants of New Zealand and love seeing all the restoration work to bring back native habits throughout Christchurch and the rest of the country.
Chicken Chat
Chicken Stock - Poultry Athletics Competition
As shared earlier this week via Hero - 'Our school chickens continue to be a real highlight around the kura! A big thank you to the students and whānau who are giving their time to ensure these chickens receive such high-quality care in our school environment.
We’re excited to share an egg-citing opportunity… a few of our chickens have been selected to compete in Christchurch’s premier chicken athletics event – Chicken Stock!
It would be fantastic to see as many of you there as possible to support Potato, Ripeka, and one more soon-to-be-named representative as they proudly represent Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto in events such as:
- The Egg Pull – a true test of strength as chickens attempt to pull a tray of 12 eggs across the arena
- The High Jump – clearing increasingly difficult obstacles until only one chicken remains
- The Maze – sounds simple… but is it?
- Chicken Dressage – precision routines (yes, really!)
- Roundest Chicken – the quest for the most perfectly spherical chook
- The Legendary Stair Climb – the ultimate poultry showdown
- Best in Show – your chance to vote for your favourite chicken!
You can find more information about the event here:
Please note: the photo attached below has been enhanced (slightly) using Artificial Intelligence.'
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
Tennis Success for Matthew
We’re really proud to share that Matthew from Year 6 was selected to represent Canterbury in the Under-12 squad at the National Teams event during the holidays.
Over four days of competition, the team had a fantastic run and finished as runners-up overall. They had some great wins along the way, including tight 5–4 games against Central and Waikato Bays, a 6–3 win over Northern, and a strong 7–2 victory against Southern.
While Auckland took out the final 3–6, the Canterbury team showed real determination and teamwork throughout the tournament, competing well against some tough opposition.
Primary Sports Canterbury Aquathon
The Aquathon was a fantastic event, with students showing great enthusiasm, determination, and resilience throughout the day. It was awesome to see everyone challenging themselves and supporting one another, creating such a positive and encouraging atmosphere.
A quick shout-out to Samson for his outstanding sportsmanship—encouraging others, showing respect, and being a great role model throughout the event.
PTA News
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Readathon is up and running!
Hopefully, everyone is keeping up with their Daily Reading Target, finding plenty of books to read or share, and getting a few sponsors.
And why not try to Stop, Drop, and READ together as a whānau!
Additional forms are available from the office.
The PTA will be at school from Monday, 11th May, to collect sponsorship forms and present a new bookmark to each Reader.
Book Character Day
On Friday, 15th May, it’s Book Character Day - come to school dressed as your favourite book character!!
PTA Secondhand Uniform Room Hours
The PTA Uniform room is open on Mondays from 2:45 - 3:15pm and on Fridays from 8:45 - 9:15am.
The uniforms are all very reasonably priced, and with the colder weather now here, check to make sure you have a fleece or sweatshirt for your child.
You can pay by cash in the uniform room or by EFTPOS at the office.
BOT Update
Term 2 Policy Review Now Open - SchoolDocs
- Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
- Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
- Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
- Read the policy.
- Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Select the reviewer type.
- Enter your name (optional).
- Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
- 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.)
Girls Rugby “Have a Go” Festival Day Sunday 3 May
This fun, girls‑only morning is all about giving rugby a go, building confidence, and having fun with friends in a supportive environment. No previous rugby experience is required.
Event Details
- Date: Sunday 3 May
- Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm (approximately)
- Venue: Burnside Rugby Football Club
Who Is It For?
This event is open to girls from Rip grade through to Year 8, including:
- Girls who are brand new to rugby and want to have a go
- Girls who want to try tackle rugby or build confidence with new skills
- Current tackle players
- Rippa players who just want to play, connect, and have some fun
Girls will be grouped by age and experience, so everyone feels comfortable and supported.
What to Expect
- Fun skill‑based activities
- Optional contact and tackle‑style sessions (age‑appropriate)
- Games and “have‑a‑go” opportunities
- A mini festival atmosphere with plenty of encouragement
- Support with connecting players to local clubs for future opportunities
We’re also hoping to finish the morning with a BBQ.
How to Register
Register using the link below:
After School Climbing Club - 5-8 Year old Classes
This term, Boulder Co. Climbing Gym is launching a brand new afterschool bouldering class for 5–8 year olds.
Bouldering is a fantastic activity for young children. It builds:
• Physical strength, coordination, and body awareness
• Confidence and resilience - every problem solved is a genuine achievement
• Problem-solving and focus - kids learn to read a route and think creatively
• Social skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment
• A love of movement that carries well beyond the bouldering gym
2026 Term 2 dates for the 5-8yr old classes:
Tuesdays 4:00pm-5:00pm starting 21st April. Running for 11 weeks.
No experience is needed - our experienced coaches welcome complete beginners and work at every child's own pace in a safe, purpose-built environment. We keep the prices as affordable as possible with options available for non-members and members.
We already run established term programmes for 9-12 year olds and 13-17 year olds, and we're thrilled to now be able to cater to our youngest climbers too.
Full details on all classes, including days, times, and how to book can be found linked here.
