Kahikatea News: Term 4, Week 5

Posted on by

Kia ora whānau!

We decided to push out our blog this week so we could include some photos of all the swimming fun! We are sure you will enjoy seeing what everyone has been getting up to.

Swimming!

On Monday, all our classes were organised into their new swimming groups. Everyone did a fantastic job of following instructions and being patient, as there was quite a bit of organising involved!

Since then, swimming has been amazing! Everyone is getting involved, giving things a go and really making the most of their time in the pool. It has been so awesome to see our swimmers growing in confidence in the water and showing off their fantastic skills.

Just a reminder that swimming is happening every day this week and next week. A big thank you to all our parent helpers who have helped us out so far. We really appreciate your support!

Here are a few snapshots of the fun!












Literacy Change for swimming

With swimming taking place, we have changed our literacy programme. This week and next week, we will be doing homegroup literacy each day rather than our usual literacy groups.

If you would like a book for your child to bring home to read, please flick your child's literacy teacher an email, and we can organise one for you!

Tree planting 

Last week, Kahikatea had the opportunity to get involved in some native planting! These plants will eventually be planted around our school, helping to make our environment even greener.

Amber and Talia's classes worked alongside Pōhutukawa to plant a variety of native plants. Before getting stuck in, we had a big chat about staying safe when handling potting mix. The children absolutely loved getting involved! It was also lovely to see our tuakana-teina relationships in action, with children working alongside and supporting one another.

In the afternoon, Sarah S and Sarah J's classes headed out around the school to do some weeding and help keep our grounds looking clean and tidy. Although perhaps not quite as exciting as planting, everyone got stuck in and had a great time! They were certainly demonstrating our school value 'We Care' by looking after our school environment.















Student Council Fun Run – Friday 27 November 🏃

Our Student Council is continuing their mahi to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters Christchurch as part of our Shaun the Sheep art project.

This term, the Student Council is organising a sponsored fun run on Friday 27 November, from 12:00–12:40 pm.

The idea is simple! Children sign up and gather a few sponsors for the number of laps they can complete around the school field in 30 minutes. Running or walking is absolutely fine! Parents and whānau are also very welcome to join their children on the day if they are free and keen.

We are also hoping to gather some spot prizes for our lucky participants!

Sponsorship forms will be coming home over the next few days.

This is an optional event, and we really appreciate your support for this awesome cause!


Ngā mihi nui, 

Talia, Sarah S, Amber and Sarah J


2026 Koru Team News Term 4 Week 4 (6/11/2026)

Posted on by

Kia ora, e te whānau, 

It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Koru hub. A warm welcome to Conor, Arabella and Rehmat, who have all settled into school life positively and confidently. It was Walk or Wheels week this week. We loved seeing the children collaborating to get to school together in a variety of ways. We had some amazing 'Wacky Wednesday' costumes and some fabulous Funky Footwear Friday creations. 

Coming Up: 

Saturday 7th November (11am-1pm) - Year 8 Sausage Sizzle and Bake Sale

Friday 13th November - Show Day (school closed) 

Friday 27th November - Fun Run 

Student Council Notice: 

The Student Council is continuing their mahi to raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, as part of our Shaun the Sheep art project.

This term the council is running a sponsored fun run on Friday, November 27th, between 12:00 midday and 12:40 p.m. (Please note the change of date - we have moved this event forward a week.)

The concept is to sign up, then gather a few sponsors for the number of laps of the school field your child will run in 30 minutes. Walking is OK too! Parents are more than welcome to run with their child/children on the day, if they are free and willing.
 
We are planning to gather some spot prizes for lucky participants. This is an optional event.
 

Photo Gallery:













Have a wonderful weekend! 

The Koru Team 

Kōwhai News Term 4 Week 4

Posted on by

Kia ora e te whānau,

The term is rapidly disappearing, and we are now gearing ourselves up for two weeks of swimming lessons, which is very exciting! 

Please remember to pack some extra food for the day, as swimming can make the children very hungry. Children with long hair will need to have it tied up, and please make sure all clothing, towels and swimming gear are clearly named. We will have a fairly quick turnaround when getting changed, so it would be helpful to practise getting dressed and undressed independently at home. You can also revisit the social story clicking on this link to help your child feel prepared and confident about our upcoming swimming lessons.

The Tin Forest

During this time, we will be spending each day in our homegroups and following a slightly different programme centred around the wonderful picture book, The Tin Forest, by Helen Ward. This beautifully illustrated story explores themes of imagination, hope and the environment, with strong links to recycling and caring for our world. We will be using the story as inspiration for a range of writing activities, including persuasive posters, information leaflets, postcards, diary entries, wishes and setting descriptions. In Maths, we will be tackling a variety of enriching puzzles and number problems, developing our ability to work systematically, look for patterns and find solutions. We will also continue to strengthen our basic facts knowledge. There is plenty of exciting learning ahead as we head towards the end of the year!


Volcano Art

After learning about volcanoes, we put our creativity to work by creating our own erupting volcano artwork. We began by using oil pastels to create a colourful sunset background, blending different colours to bring our skies to life. We then used collage techniques to build our volcanoes and create dramatic eruptions, adding layers of colour and texture to show the flowing lava, smoke and ash. The finished artworks look fantastic!




Tree Planting

Jordan's homegroup were very lucky to have the opportunity to take part in a tree planting activity on Tuesday. The children worked alongside Year 5 and 6 students, first filling black bags with potting mix before carefully planting a selection of native tree seedlings. Everyone worked together brilliantly and the children were fantastic, getting stuck in and working like real troopers! It was a great opportunity to work with older students while learning more about planting native trees and caring for our environment.

Student Council Fundraiser

Here is a message from the Student Council:

The Student Council are continuing their mahi to raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, as part of our Shaun the Sheep art project.

This term the Council is running a sponsored Fun Run on Friday 27th November between 12:00 and 12:40pm. (Note the date change: we have moved it forward a week.)

The concept is to sign up, then gather a few sponsors for the number of laps of the school field your child will run in 30 minutes. Walking is OK too! Parents are more than welcome to run with their child / children on the day, if they are free and willing.
 
We are planning to gather some spot prizes for lucky participants. This is an optional event.
 


Discovery


Here are some photos from Discovery, which the children continue to enjoy. They love having the opportunity to explore a range of activities, use their imagination and get creative as they bring their ideas to life.













Have a great weekend!

From the Kōwhai team

Team Kaur Blog – Week 4, Term 4

Posted on by

 

Team Kauri Blog Update

Kia ora e te whānau,

What an energetic and action-packed week we’ve had in Team Kauri! Our tamariki have been representing Beckenham Te Kura o Pūrotu with pride, creativity, and incredible determination across sport, the arts, and hands-on learning. Here are some of the fantastic highlights from around our team!

Year 5–8 Choir Performance

Our Year 5–8 Choir took to the stage on Friday, 6th November, delivering a wonderful performance. Their hard work, vocal harmony, and dedication during rehearsals truly paid off, and it was a joy to hear them share their musical talents with us. Ka mau te wehi!

Jump Jam Team Shines at Cashmere High

A huge shoutout to our dynamic Jump Jam Team, who recently competed at Cashmere High School! They brought absolute energy, sharp synchronization, and infectious enthusiasm to the stage. They represented Team Kauri and our school with brilliant sportsmanship and spirit. We are so proud of their effort! 

Zones Athletics at Hansen Park

On Monday of Week 4, our selected athletes headed to Hansen Park to represent Beckenham at the Zones Athletics competition. Facing strong competition from across the district, our students pushed themselves, cheered each other on, and truly embodied our "We Love Challenge" and "We Get There Together" school values. High fives to everyone who gave it their all!

Imagination Station in the Hall

On Thursday, 5th November, our school hall was transformed into a hive of innovation thanks to Imagination Station! Students got hands-on with creative design, engineering challenges, and interactive building tasks. It was fantastic to watch their problem-solving skills and teamwork in action.

Thank you to all our parents, whānau, and supporters who help make these rich opportunities possible for our learners. Have a fantastic weekend!

Nāku noa, nā,

The Team Kauri Teachers

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 4 Week 4 2026

Posted on by



 Kia ora koutou, 

It's been a busy few weeks in Pōhutukawa, with plenty of learning, new experiences and exciting activities happening across the hub!

SMART Assessments 

Over the past few weeks, our tamariki have been getting familiar with SMART, the new nationwide assessment platform. Students have been completing online assessments in Maths, Reading and Writing. It has been a new experience for everyone, and we are proud of the way our students have approached these assessments, showing perseverance and giving them their best effort. Feedback has been that students prefer the new system, which is a positive! 



Kapa Haka Performance 

A huge congratulations to our tamariki who performed at assembly! Students proudly shared two pieces, a waiata and a haka. It was wonderful to see their confidence, enthusiasm and pride as they performed in front of their peers and whānau. Ka rawe, Pōhutukawa!

Pōhutukawa Takes on the South Island Nationals for Jump Jam!

For the first time ever, a group of our talented Year 5/6 students represented Beckenham at the National South Islands Jump Jam Competition, held at Cashmere High School Performing Arts Centre last Saturday.

The team took to the stage with confidence and enthusiasm, delivering an outstanding performance. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to rehearsals certainly paid off, and they should be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

The team was awarded three Merit Certificates for their outstanding Technical Execution, Presentation and Costumes – a fantastic achievement!

Kate is incredibly proud of the team and the way they represented our school. It was wonderful to see their hard work come together on such a big stage. Ka pai tō mahi, team! What an amazing experience and achievement!



Scientists in Action! 

There has been plenty of hands-on learning happening across the class, where we have been busy exploring the wonderful world of science!

We started by investigating the proteins that make up milk, learning about what milk contains before having a go at making our own. Some brave scientists even volunteered for a taste test!

We also had lots of fun making flubber, exploring the science behind how different substances react when mixed together. We learnt that adding an activator causes the long polymer chains in glue to link together, changing the mixture from a runny liquid into a stretchy, squishy substance!

Our scientific investigations haven't stopped there. We have also made our own glow worms and are currently growing crystals, observing how they form and change over time.

It has been fantastic to see the curiosity, questioning and excitement from our young scientists as they make predictions, experiment and discover new things!








Potting Day

A huge thank you to everyone who pitched in for our mammoth potting day! Thanks to our amazing Beckenham students, fantastic volunteers and the generous support of Jamie Stevenson and our sponsors ACCOR, we successfully potted up around 900 native seedlings for the Trees for Survival initiative. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work" and "We get there together!" your helping hands made a massive difference. We are now officially set up and ready for our next round of native tree planting in Canterbury! We also had an absolute blast sprucing up our garden area! It’s looking fantastic, fully refreshed, and ready to thrive for the upcoming summer growing season. Thank you again to everyone who brought their hard work and great energy!





Sun Hats

With the warmer weather arriving, a friendly reminder that all students need to bring their sun hats to school each day. Hats are an important part of keeping our tamariki safe while enjoying time outdoors. Please help your child remember to pack their named hat each morning.


Student Council Fun Run – Friday 27 November 

Our Student Council are continuing their mahi to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters Christchurch as part of our Shaun the Sheep art project.

This term, the Student Council are organising a sponsored Fun Run on Friday 27 November, from 12:00–12:40 pm. Please note that this date has been brought forward by one week.

Students who wish to participate can sign up and gather sponsors who will donate based on the number of laps they complete around the school field in 30 minutes. Running or walking are both welcome!

Whānau are also more than welcome to join their children on the day. There will hopefully be some exciting spot prizes up for grabs too!

Participation is completely optional, but we would love to see as many tamariki involved as possible in supporting this wonderful cause.

Click here to sign your child up for the Fun Run!

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. We are looking forward to another exciting few weeks of learning in Pōhutukawa!


Ngā mihi,
The Pōhutukawa Team