Kahikatea: Term 3, Week 2

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 Kia ora whānau, 

A big warm welcome back to school! We have been so busy these past two weeks the recent break is all but a distant memory. The kids and teachers are all glad to be back together and into our daily routine.

We would like to welcome Kendall to the team (officially) and also our two new students, Eva Bath and Mae Harrison. Kendall's home group will have the addition of some new students who are currently transitioning from the Koru hub. They will start in Kendall's class mid-term. The children have met the new kids and are very excited to reconnect, build on pre-existing friendships and create new ones.

Literacy Decodable Books:

Literacy reading books will now come home on Thursdays. The process has been impacted with gymnastics these past two weeks.

So this means that reading folders only need to come to school on Thursday when your child will receive their new reader for the week ahead. Reading folders can stay at home all other days.

Library days:

Tuesdays-Talia and Amber

Thursdays-Sarah and Kendall


Inquiry Learning:

Our overall concept this year is change. So far we have covered: Term 1-Health and Physical Education by looking at physical and emotional changes in ourselves. Term 2-Technology we studied changes over time, using Toys as the context. This term we are focusing on Science and looking at the life cycles of different insects and animals.

We have started by identifying living and nonliving things and looking at the life cycle of a butterfly and a frog.

Gymnastics:

We had two great sessions at the CHCH School of Gymnastics. We are so proud of all of our tamariki for giving everything a go and putting in 100%. Everyone demonstrated 'We Love Challenge!'Get ready for the photo dump, there are more to come!


































Unfortunately, this was all of the photos we could get to load. Click HERE to access the album with all of our gymnastics pics inside.



Kōwhai News: Term 3, Week 2

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 Kia ora e te whānau, 

Welcome back to a busy term 3! It has been so wonderful seeing our lovely tamariki (children) back at school with an eagerness to learn and bright smiling faces! 

We would like to welcome Jordan into our Kōwhai team, who will be teaching Rowe's class on Monday to Thursday's, for the remainder of Term 3. We are so excited to have him as a part of the team, and we know you will all make him feel welcome. Jordan will start on Monday of next week (Week 3). 



Ferrymead:

On Week 9 of last term, our Kōwhai hub went on an amazing outing to the Ferrymead Heritage park. Our tamariki had the chance to experience how different everyday things have changed over time, dressing up in outfits from the past, experiencing what a classroom was like, walking through an "olden days" shop, and having a tour around the different areas of the Ferrymead Heritage Park. This was such a fantastic experience! Have a look at some of the photos below:















Illnesses:
A post was made on Hero about illnesses around the school, and we just wanted to reiterate, if your child is sick, please keep them home until they are well. If your child has vomited, please keep them home for 48 hours from the last time they vomited. Gastro bugs can be very infectious and can spread quickly through a school if children are sent back too early. Thanks for your support with this and helping to minimise the spread of bugs as much as possible.

Library Times:
Just a reminder of our Library times:
Monday - Hazel and Jordan's Literacy Groups
Tuesday - Anna M's and Georgia's Literacy Groups
Wednesday - Anna R's Literacy Group

Head Lice:
Just a heads up that we have had a case of head lice in the hub, so please be vigilant of any scratchy heads! If your child has long hair, we recommend that they have their hair tied up to prevent the spread of head lice. Thank you!

Nut Free:
Just a reminder that our hub is completely nut free. Thank you for your support by not putting nut and nut-based products in your child's lunch. (Nut-based products include items like Nutella, Peanut Butter, Muesli bars containing nuts etc.)

Cyber Safety:

Parent/Caregiver Evening: Behind the Screens – Internet Safety Tips for Home


Raising kids in the digital age isn’t easy and you’re not alone. Should your child have Discord? What are V-Bucks? Is it safe to let them keep their phone overnight? Join us for a practical, entertaining evening hosted by Attitude that will help you feel more confident about parenting in the online world.


You’ll leave with smart tips, tools you can use straight away, and a better understanding of how to guide your child through the digital space without panic or overreaction. Come find out if you're a Firewall Parent, an Open Source Parent, or a Bluetooth Parent—and why it matters.


When: 7–8pm, Wednesday 30th July 2025.

Where: Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Hall.

Who: This event is for parents/caregivers only.

Cost: Free to attend. A small koha (donation) is appreciated to help support the cost of this event.


Please complete this form to let us know if you are attending.


We hope you have a safe and lovely weekend!


Ngā mihi nui,

The Kōwhai Team


Koru News Term 3 Week 2 (25/07/2025)

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 Kia ora e te Whānau,

Welcome to Term 3! We have loved hearing about everyone's break over the holidays, and it has been wonderful to welcome some new children to our Koru team.

Kōmanawa

Kōmanawa is the building that has been renovated and our Koru team will be using, along with Hangere, for the rest of the year. It has been an exciting time for the children to explore and learn in this wonderful space. At this stage, Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group will have their morning mat time and finish the day in Kōmanawa. It will be used by Katie for her Literacy Groups and as a space for Maths lessons for Elizabeth/Stacey's Home Group. 

Elizabeth and Stacey's Home Group will continue to put their bags in the blue cubbies and literacy folders in the usual spot inside Hangere, however, they will now put their lunch boxes and drink bottles in Kōmanawa before school. We thank you for your support with new routines as our team grows!






Term 3 

We are beginning the term with learning about Science and the changes we notice in our weather. There have been wonderful discussions about the different clothes we wear, how our shadows moves, what the trees look like, what we see and feel on frosty mornings during winter. 

We will be getting creative through Visual Art when we create some masterpieces for our Calendar Art PTA fundraising (more information will come around the fundraising and how you can support our school). Later in the term, we get to use our Beebots in Technology to create maps and programmes to get them to change directions and go where we want them to go.

We can melt the ice quickly with warm water

The sun can help to melt the ice.

Can I use my warm breath to melt the ice?

We can rub the ice in our hands to melt it quickly.

Shadow shapes!

My shadow is very long and big!

Winter sunshine and making shadows!


Look at our cloud in a jar!

Wow!! 

Reminders:

  • Literacy folders need to come back to school every day! If a child does not have their folder at school, they are unable to take a book home. 
  • Library books are returned, and new books can be issued every Friday at school.
  • Kiss and Drop: As the number of children in our Koru Team grows, our hub can feel a little overwhelming for some tamariki in the morning. Pleas aim to "kiss and drop" your child off at the door, rather than entering the hub with them. This will help set your children up for a calm, quiet, and successful transition in the morning. Thank you so much for your support with this!
  • School car park: please use the gates on Eastern Tce and Sandwich Road to enter the school. We should not have any adults or children walking through the Staff/Ferndale car park as it can be busy before and after school.
  • Lunch boxes: please ensure your child is only bringing water to school in their drink bottle (no juice or other drinks). It is important to help teach your child how to open and close their lunch boxes, so they can do this independently at the start and end of eating times. It would also be amazing if you could either pre-cut or teach your child how to open packets in their lunchboxes (for exampe: twisty yogurt pouches, potato sticks, chip bags, muselie bars etc.) Thank you for your help in this.
  • Boxes: please save any boxes from cereals or museli bars etc, you might normally put out in your recylcing bin and send them into school instead - the children are loving creating and decoratin in the Maker Space in Hangere. We'd alos love any little bits and bobs such as ribbon, lace, buttons, feathers etc. for decorative purposes. Many thanks if you're able to help out with any of these items.
Working Bee
We would love to say a massive 'Thank you!' to Erin (Max H's mum) for organising an epic school working bee around our school. This shows our school values 'We Make a Difference' and 'We Get There Together', what a difference a team of well organised helpers can make at our school. 











Have a wonderful weekend,
Ngā mihi nui,
The Koru Team








Kauri – Term 3, Week 2, 2025

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 Kauri - Term 3, Week 2


The last two weeks in Kauri have been jam-packed with lots of different activities. We have been busy working away on our calendar art, starting a new round of passions, maths, literacy and exploring opportunities outside of the classroom; as well as enjoying our new learning spaces.


Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday 29 July - School Beckamath Event

Friday 8 August - Celebration Assembly 

PTA School Disco: Year 7 & 8: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm


Sport in Kauri

Week two saw the return of weekly winter sport and it was great to have all our teams out competing yesterday in the sunshine. We want to thank all of our volunteers that show up every week to ensure our tamariki are able to get out every Thursday and experience the nature of competitive sport.


We have two upcoming sports events that we are still seeking parent support for:

Canterbury Volleyball - Wednesday 6 August – Year 7/8 team at Hillview Christian School. We are seeking at least one volunteer to take the team on the day.

Koru Games - Tuesday 16 September - Thursday 18 September - Various year 7/8 teams competing across Lincoln University, Rolleston Netball Centre and Foster Park. We are still seeking volunteers for the following teams and days:

  • Boys Dodgeball: Tuesday 16 September

  • Football: Tuesday 16 September and Wednesday 17 September

  • Ki-o-rahi: Tuesday 16 September

Please reach out if you’re able to support: kate.mcgregor@beckenham.school.nz 


South Zones Basketball Tournament

On Monday 21 July, we had a group of tāma compete in the South Zones Basketball Tournament hosted by Hillview Christian School. While the results didn’t go our way, the boys had a great day competing against and playing alongside other local schools.


Ski Day

We are excited to be able to take all of our Year 7 & 8s up to Mt Hutt on Wednesday September 3rd for our annual ski day. Nicky has sent out the requests for parent help and student information. If you have any questions, it is best to reach out to Nicky: nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz 


Passions in Kauri

The start of term three meant the start of a new Passions rotation. This term, we are excited to be offering: Felting, Engineering Experiments, Debating, Drawing and buddies in the junior school. It is always great to see the students trying new things and getting to collaborate with different groups of students. Last week, our engineering students created marble rollercoasters.


Education Outside The Classroom - Sites of Significance Trip

On Thursday the 28th of August, we are excited to be taking our entire Kauri Team into Christchurch City to explore the city’s sites of significance. This links into our te reo and tikanga Māori unit where the students are exploring our cultural narrative and connecting with the local whenua. For this trip to go ahead, we are seeking parent support. A survey went home on Hero earlier this week but if you are available to help, even for part of the day, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher. 


Parent/Caregiver Evening: Behind the Screens – Internet Safety Tips for Home


Raising kids in the digital age isn’t easy and you’re not alone. Should your child have Discord? What are V-Bucks? Is it safe to let them keep their phone overnight? Join us for a practical, entertaining evening hosted by Attitude that will help you feel more confident about parenting in the online world.


You’ll leave with smart tips, tools you can use straight away, and a better understanding of how to guide your child through the digital space without panic or overreaction. Come find out if you're a Firewall Parent, an Open Source Parent, or a Bluetooth Parent—and why it matters.


When: 7–8pm, Wednesday 30th July 2025.

Where: Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Hall.

Who: This event is for parents/caregivers only.

Cost: Free to attend. A small koha (donation) is appreciated to help support the cost of this event.


Please complete this form to let us know if you are attending.

Pōhutukawa News Term 3 Week 2 2025

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Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

We trust everyone was able to make the most of the extra time with family over the holiday break. Winter is certainly making its presence felt this week with some cold starts in the hubs! We hope you're all keeping safe, dry, and warm. Please read on for some information about the beginning of the term.

PB4L

Our PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) focus for the start of the term is “being an up-stander”. We have been discussing how we can show the values ‘We Make a Difference’ and ‘We Care’ by being up-standers. We have discussed with the students the different actions we can take to be an up-stander (as opposed to a bystander) if we see someone being mistreated. We have linked the Slideshow ‘How to be an Up-stander’ here, and encourage you to take a look so that you can continue these very important conversations at home, too. You could also read Oat the Goat (bilingual interactive online storybook), which teaches how to show acceptance, empathy, and tolerance by being an up-stander. Mā tātou kātoa, te waka e hoe, we are all in the waka together.

Cross ("Cool") Curriculum Classes

CCC classes continue with some changes for Term 3. Chris is continuing to teach the Arts this term this term Visual Arts and a focus on Calendar Art: Matariki Art. Rae is covering Digital Technology and continuing with Coding. Gayle is teaching DNA and Genetics, and Megan is teaching Drama, Nick will continue with Digital Technologies: Voxel Art. There is always a lot of learning happening over the term in CCC, so we encourage you to keep chatting about what we are covering in these courses with your tamariki. He taonga te ako, the treasure is learning.


South Zone Basketball Tournament 

On Wednesday 23rd July the Year 5/6 Boys basketball team competed at the South Zone Basketball Tournament. We had an awesome day out and the boys were simply amazing! They represented their school with pride, being positive and showing a fantastic sense of sportsmanship. Results below

Game 1: WIN V Steiner School 14-0

Game 2: WIN V St Martins Red 6-4

Game 3: LOSS V Hillview 10-0

Play Off for 5th and 6th Position V St. Peters WIN 13-0

A massive thank you to all the supportive parents that came along to watch! We look forward to the next time we can get out to play basketball and show off Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto's fine sporting talent! 





Cycle Safe

During weeks 6 and 7 of Term 3 our Year 6, students will be involved in the Cycle Safe Programme provided by the Christchurch City Council. 

Cycle Safe is a cycle skills education programme for schools.  Students learn the benefits of cycling and how to ride with confidence and be road-wise.


The programme includes:

  • Cycle maintenance and helmet fitting

  • Basic cycling skills

  • Road rules

  • On-road cycling

Please fill in the permission slip and send it back to school by Thursday, 31st July.

Cyber Safety

Parent/Caregiver Evening: Behind the Screens – Internet Safety Tips for Home


Raising kids in the digital age isn’t easy and you’re not alone. Should your child have Discord? What are V-Bucks? Is it safe to let them keep their phone overnight? Join us for a practical, entertaining evening hosted by Attitude that will help you feel more confident about parenting in the online world.


You’ll leave with smart tips, tools you can use straight away, and a better understanding of how to guide your child through the digital space without panic or overreaction. Come find out if you're a Firewall Parent, an Open Source Parent, or a Bluetooth Parent—and why it matters.


When: 7–8pm, Wednesday 30th July 2025.

Where: Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Hall.

Who: This event is for parents/caregivers only.

Cost: Free to attend. A small koha (donation) is appreciated to help support the cost of this event.


Please complete this form to let us know if you are attending.


Stay safe, stay warm,

Kia Kaha

The Pōhutukawa Team

Chris, Gayle, Nick, Megan, Rae, Georgie, Viv, Stacy and Laura