Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 12th June 2026

Principal's Update

Kia ora whānau,

School Reports and Learning Conferences

As shared in the last newsletter, school reports will be sent home to families next Friday. Information about Learning Conferences, including how to book a time with your child's homeroom teacher, will be sent out shortly.
Learning Conferences provide an important opportunity to discuss your child's progress, celebrate their achievements, and identify areas of focus for the remainder of the year. We look forward to meeting with you and your child at these conferences.

Property Update 

A number of improvements are scheduled for this term and next:
  • Solar Panels - scheduled for installation in the upcoming school holidays 
  • Artificial Turf near Kōmanawa Building - 7 September (Term 3 - Week 8)
  • New Shade Sails for Junior Playground - Term 3 holiday break
You may have noticed that one of the shade umbrellas near the Junior Playground has been removed. The metal structure is currently being rebuilt following damage caused by vandalism and is expected to be returned to the school today.

Unfortunately, the second umbrella was also damaged and will be removed today for repairs.

Third New Entrants Class

Our third new entrants class will open at the beginning of Term 3. This class will be taught by Elizabeth, with Nicola taking on a full-time role in the class she currently shares with Elizabeth.

If you have a child who will be starting school in Term 3 or 4, or know of someone in this situation, it would be helpful if they could be enrolled as soon as possible. This will support us with planning and ensure we are well prepared to welcome them.

Have a great weekend.

Ngā mihi
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 2
Mon 15 JuneYear 5/6 & 7/8 Canterbury Softball Sessions
Tue 16 JuneYear 5/6 Canterbury Softball Sessions
Wed 17 JuneYear 5-8 PSC Cross Country Canterbury Zones
Thu 18 JuneKoru team - Junior Park Explorers Trip
" "Whakanui Whaikaha - Disability Play Partnership (Parakiore Centre)
Tue 23 & Wed 24 JuneLearning Conferences (Tue 2pm-7pm, Wed 2pm-6pm)
School finishes at 1:45pm
Wed 24 JunePTA Mid Winter Breakfast
" "Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 26 JuneCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Sat 27 JuneBingo Night
Tues 30 JuneYear 0-4 Cross Country Challenge (Zones)
" "PTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 3 JulyFunky Hair Day
" "Last Day of Term 2
Mon 20 JulyFirst Day of Term 3
Wed 22 JulyMatariki Evening (5:30-7pm)

Citizen of the Week

Moana - Year 6

Moana, you are a kind, caring and enthusiastic learner. You consistently treat others with the utmost respect, and you are an incredibly supportive friend. Thank you for always demonstrating our school values with a positive smile. Well done, Moana!

Zaria - Year 8

Zaria, you are a remarkably capable and positive member of Team Kauri. You role-model our school values, especially 'We Make a Difference', through your willingness to support our school community as a student leader. You show initiative in your leadership roles and foster genuine connections with your peers through your kind actions and words. He tauiraira koe ki ō hoa (You are a role model to your peers). 

School Notices

Save the Date: Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto’s Matariki Evening 

Matariki marks the start of the Māori New Year. This is a time for reflection, connection, and planning for the year ahead. 
We would love to celebrate this special time with you and your whānau on Wednesday, 22nd July (the first Wednesday of Term Three) from 5:30 pm!

More details about the evening will be shared closer to the time, but please see the attached poster for a sneak peek!

40 Hour Challenge – We Need Your Help!

There are still lots of Year 5-8 students who have told us they would like to take part in this year's 40 Hour Challenge but haven't signed up yet.

Please have a chat with your child about whether they would like to be involved and, if so, help them sign up using the link below:

The 40 Hour Challenge takes place from 19–21 June and is a great opportunity for our tamariki to make a difference for children and families in the Solomon Islands.

We have made a fantastic start and have already raised $1,984 towards our school goal of $7,500. Thank you to everyone who has signed up and started fundraising so far.

If your child is not in Years 5–8 but your whānau would still like to support this important cause, donations can be made directly through our school fundraising page here:

Let's keep the momentum going and see how close we can get to our target!

40 Hours? Challenge Accepted!

Sign up. Switch off. Stand up for Pacific kids.

Winter Wellness Reminder

If your child is sick, please keep them home until they are well. This way, we can all work together to minimise the spread as much as possible.

Please call 033371404 or email office@beckenham.school.nz if your child/children are sick.

Staff will continue to promote regular washing of hands, especially before eating, along with ventilating the hubs.

Thank you for your assistance with this.

Celebrating Student Achievement - Pippa!

Trees For Survival Planting Day

Last week, we had the Trees for Survival planting day. We took a group of 29 children, from across Year 5 - 8, and travelled by bus out to a farm in Kaiapoi, and met our sponsors from Accor Hotels, the land owners and their family. 

It was a beautiful day, the children worked incredibly hard, and had lots of fun. 753 plants were planted from our shade-house / Trees for Survival!

The experience was a wonderful example of our values, We Make a Difference, and We Get There Together, as students contributed positively to the environment, our wider Canterbury community and worked alongside others to restore a local area.

A special thank you to everyone involved in making the day such a success!

Staff Profiles

Welcome Kathryn Sutherland - Kōwhai Team

Hello! I'm Kathryn Sutherland. I've recently returned to Christchurch with my family after living and teaching in London for the last 23 years. I've been working at a school in Halswell since the start of this year, teaching in year 6, and I'm really looking forward to starting at Beckenham! 

PTA News

Midwinter Breakfast 

We’re busy organising the Midwinter Breakfast. This is taking place on Wednesday, 24th June, at 8am in the hall. Bring a bowl, a spoon and a can for the City Mission!  

Readathon

Congratulations to all for another fantastic Readathon! There was loads of great reading done, some great work on collecting sponsors and fabulous costumes at the Book Character day. We raised a grand total of $5,224 for the school, ka pai tō mahi!

Bingo Night!

Tickets are available now (via the Kindo app or click here) for a fun-filled night and a chance to win some great prizes. Look out for the accompanying raffle next week, and there will also be a silent auction during the event.

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

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 Flag Football - Ruby & Keira
Year ⅚ Football - Phoenix
Year ⅚ Hockey - Kit, Archie, Freya, Moana & Summer
Year ⅚ Netball - Pyper, Frankie, Florence & Zakyla
Year ⅞ Flag Football - Jeremiah & Tommy
Year ⅞ Football - Amelia & Clarel
Year ⅞ Hockey - Ben, Mitchell & Lily
Year ⅞ Netball - Mia, Hazel, Sristy, Saxton & Seb

BOT Update

Term 2 Policy Review Now Open - SchoolDocs

  1. Visit the 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.)

Kauri Week 7 Blog

 Kauri Week 7 Blog

Kia ora koutou,

What a busy and productive two weeks it has been in the Kauri Hub!

Our students are currently putting the finishing touches on their Sustainability Inquiry projects and explanation essays. Over the remainder of the term, students will be sharing their learning through presentations in their home rooms. They have been working diligently to prepare presentation scripts and showcase the knowledge they have gained throughout this inquiry. Be sure to ask your child what they have learned about sustainability and how they think we can make a positive difference for our planet.

Winter Sport

We have now completed two successful Winter Sport sessions. A huge thank you to all of the parents and whānau who generously volunteer their time to coach, manage, and support our teams. Winter Sport simply would not be possible without your commitment and enthusiasm.

Students are doing a fantastic job getting into the routine of bringing the correct gear each Thursday and being ready to go promptly. Those remaining at school have been enjoying a variety of activities, including badminton, table tennis, creative art projects, and cooperative games.

Trees for Survival

A group of our Year 5-8 students recently travelled to Kaiapoi with Sue to participate in the Trees for Survival planting programme. This valuable initiative gives students the opportunity to grow eco-sourced native seedlings before planting them to help restore eroding land, stabilise stream banks, and improve water quality.

The students returned to school a little muddy, a little tired, but full of stories and proud of the contribution they had made to the environment.


Literacy and Inquiry – Sustainability Explanation Essays

Over the past few weeks, students have been researching topics connected to sustainability, including sustainable cities, fast fashion, renewable energy, and protecting our oceans and waterways.

Throughout this process, students have demonstrated impressive perseverance, creativity, and critical thinking. Their inquiry projects highlight both their understanding of sustainability issues and their ideas for creating positive change.

In Literacy, students have focused on developing strong explanation essays by crafting effective topic sentences, paraphrasing research into their own words, and accurately citing sources. They have worked hard to clearly explain the how and why behind their chosen topics and should be proud of the progress they have made.

Ara Leadership Programme

Today marked the fourth and final session of our Ara Leadership Programme. Throughout the programme, students worked alongside Ara students and participated in a range of adventure-based learning activities designed to develop leadership, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

It has been wonderful to see students challenge themselves, build confidence, and develop valuable leadership skills that they can apply both in and out of the classroom.

Upcoming Dates:  If you have not provided your luxury item for our fundraiser, please have your child bring in their item next week. We appreciate all you do.

Term 2

Week 8:

Thursday: Winter Sport

Friday: Celebration Assembly (Leadership Awards will be given)


Week 9:

Wednesday: PSC Cross Country Canterbury Zones (Yr 5-8)


Ngā mihi,

Hugo, Kate McG, Sarah A, Megan C, Nicky and Megan H 


Koru Team News Term 2 Week 7

Kia ora, e te whānau,

Welcome to our Week 7 news, and isn't it hard to believe that we're over half way through Term 2 now?! 

We're loving hearing your tamariki complement each other as they notice our school values being put into practice by their friends, throughout their days at school. We even hear gorgeous stories about this taking place at home too! Tino pai, tamariki - you're awesome! 

The children continue to put impressive effort into their learning across all curriculum areas. Our Literacy programme in the Koru team includes: small group reading and writing (individual letters, heart words, short words at their level, and then leading to short and gradually longer sentences), shared writing (whole class), handwriting, phonemic awareness, Narrative Intervention and a weekly library visit.

Some of the following links have been shared in previous posts, however they're well worth resharing, for new families as well as a reminder for the families of children who started in Term 1:

Please click on the links above, which match the stage of reading at which your child is learning. They provide valuable tips and support for you at home.

Shared Writing teaches the children about the parts of a sentence and what a sentence needs (e.g., a capital letter to start and a full stop, or exclamation mark or question mark at the end, spaces between words, etc.). The children learn about the 'who' (subject), 'do' (verb) and 'what' (object) in a sentence.

Our handwriting programme was a focus in our most recent post.

Phonemic Awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds. It doesn't involve print, just listening and responding. The children learn to isolate sounds, manipulate sounds, and blend and segment the sounds into spoken words.

Narrative Intervention teaches the children about the parts of a story, for example, the characters, the setting, the problem, the action and the solution (or, as the children like to describe it, 'the happy ending'!).

We love our library visits on Fridays! Thank you so much for ensuring that your child's library folder has been returned to school on or before each Friday. 

What’s coming up:

  • Junior Park Explorers: June 18th (Hooray, and thank you so much to those of you who have offered to help. We really appreciate that!)
  • Reports shared: June 19th
  • Learning Conferences: June 23rd and 24th

Congratulations and thank you:

We would like to acknowledge our very own Izzy Sepie, who recently amazed us all by single-handedly raising a very large sum of money in response to Cade's request for support for those families who might be struggling to provide food, stationery and/or uniforms for their tamariki. Izzy's response to this request for help was to hold her very own bake stall, and all of the money she raised, she donated to the fund which the school holds to support these families.

Izzy, you're a superstar and we say, "Thank you!" Tino pai tou mahi.

Photo Gallery:















A plea: 
Bali's very new polar fleece (zip up the front) has been misplaced and we'd love to find it as soon as possible. Please double check that it's your own child's polar fleece that was brought home today, rather than Bali's by mistake. Many thanks for your help with that.

All the best for a wonderful weekend ahead :)

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,

Stacey, Nicola, Kendall and Elizabeth

stacey.maclachlan@beckenham.school.nz

nicola.reddecliffe@beckenham.school.nz

kendall.skelton@beckenham.school.nz

elizabeth.drummond@beckenham.school.nz



Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 7

Kia ora e te whānau,

Here is an update on what has been happening in the Kōwhai hub over the last 2 weeks.

Cyber Safety Learning This Week

This week in Cyber Safety, we explored the difference between personal information and private information. Students learned what information is safe to share and what information should be kept private, such as passwords, home addresses, and phone numbers. We also discussed who we can trust with our private information and why it is important to think carefully before sharing details online or in person.

Your child may come home with some sheets to do at home. These sheets correspond with discussions and activities we have done in class. We have looked at making safe choices and have learned how to protect ourselves and others when using digital technologies. These skills are an important part of being safe, responsible, and confident digital citizens. Thank you for supporting this at home.

Descriptive Writing 

Over the past few weeks, students have been developing their narrative writing skills by learning how to plan, structure, and write engaging stories. It has been wonderful to see their creativity shine as they have crafted characters, settings, problems, and solutions.

As we finish our narrative writing unit, we are excited to begin exploring descriptive writing with a focus on the art of writing. Students will learn how authors use carefully chosen words, vivid descriptions, and figurative language to create pictures in the reader's mind. They will experiment with using their senses, interesting vocabulary, and descriptive techniques to bring their ideas to life.

We are looking forward to seeing our students' imaginations at work and watching their amazing ideas come alive through their writing. 

PE Update

Recently in PE, we have been focusing on developing our small ball skills. Through a variety of fun drills, activities, and games, students have been exploring and improving their hand-eye coordination, as well as their throwing and catching abilities.

Students have been challenged to practice accuracy, control, and teamwork while participating in activities designed to build confidence and skill. These experiences help develop fundamental movement skills that can be applied across many different sports and physical activities.

It has been fantastic to see students showing perseverance, encouraging one another, and celebrating their progress as they continue to refine their skills. We look forward to seeing their confidence and coordination continue to grow throughout the rest of this unit!



We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

From the Kōwhai team






Pōhutukawa Team News, Term 2, Week 7, 2026

 It has been another busy and exciting few weeks in the Pōhutukawa Team!

Choir

Our Year 5–8 Choir is now underway on Tuesday afternoons. We have had our biggest sign-up ever, with an incredible 95 students choosing to take part. It has been wonderful to see so many students stepping outside their comfort zones and coming together through music. This is a fantastic example of We Get There Together, with students supporting one another as they learn new songs and prepare for upcoming performances.




Zones Cross Country

A huge congratulations to those students who represented our school at the Zones Cross Country event. Competing at this level takes courage, determination, and resilience. Thank you for giving it your best effort and representing our school so well. You certainly demonstrated our value of We Love Challenge.


Trees for Survival Planting Day

Last year, many of our students helped plant tiny native seedlings into larger growing bags as part of our Trees for Survival programme. Over the past year, these plants have thrived in our shadehouse and were finally ready for their next step.

This week, a group of 29 students from Years 5–8 travelled to Kaiapoi to take part in the annual planting day. Joined by sponsors from Accor Hotels and the local landowners, students spent the day planting an incredible 753 native trees that had been grown right here at Beckenham.

It was a beautiful day, and our students worked incredibly hard while having lots of fun. The experience was a wonderful example of our values We Make a Difference and We Get There Together, as students contributed positively to the environment and worked alongside others to restore a local area.

A special thank you to everyone involved in making the day such a success.


Mathematics Learning

In Mathematics, students have been exploring Geometry. Some of our maths groups took part in a fun fluency game where students created pictures using 2D shapes and then had to describe their design to a partner using precise mathematical vocabulary. Their partner then attempted to recreate the image as accurately as possible. The activity encouraged students to use their knowledge of shapes, position, and mathematical language while developing their communication skills. It was a fantastic example of We Love Learning in action and is a game that could easily be played at home.










40 Hour Challenge

We are excited to be taking part in the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge later this month. Students have begun signing up and planning their challenges, all while learning about how they can make a difference for communities in the Solomon Islands. We are proud to see so many students embracing the opportunity to support others and live out our value of We Care. If your child is interested in signing up please follow this link. 


Arts Canterbury Youth Art Exhibition

Calling all young artists! Arts Canterbury is inviting students aged 10–18 to submit one original artwork for the 2026 Youth Art Exhibition, taking place from 14–16 August at The Cashmere Club. There is no theme, and all art styles and mediums are welcome. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, with prizes awarded in two age categories (10–14 years and 15–18 years). Submissions close on 31 July, although entries may close earlier if capacity is reached. Students interested in entering are encouraged to submit their artwork as soon as possible via this submission form. 


Hot food at school.

Recently we have seen a rise in requests to cook noodles or heat other food in lunches for children. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate this. If your child would like hot food at school they need to organise a thermos for this.

We appreciate that hot food would be lovely during the colder days at school, however we can be heating food up in the staff room for children. Thanks for your understanding.


That's it for this fortnight see you next time!

Warm regards
The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team
Chloe, Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, Megan and Sesilia (UC Student)