Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Final Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāpare (Thursday) 2nd April 2026

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

As we come to the end of another busy and rewarding term, I would like to take a moment to thank our entire school community for your ongoing support. It has been a term filled with learning, growth, and many opportunities for our students to shine.

Solar Project Update

I wanted to share some good news with you all. Last year, we were approached by a company called COG about the potential for solar arrays to be installed on our school buildings.

The advantages of this include:
  • Reduced carbon emissions
  • The school receives power at a discounted rate
  • Zero upfront or ongoing costs for the school
  • An interface to support students’ learning about sustainability through solar electricity generation
Following a period of consultation, I can confirm that the Board has passed a motion to proceed with this initiative. Below is an indicative image showing the proposed locations of the arrays around the school.

COG will now work with the Ministry of Education to complete all required documentation. If everything proceeds as expected, installation will take place next term.

Community Update

You may be aware of the damage to our school that occurred late last week. This has been disappointing for our community, and we are continuing to work through the situation.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support, offers of assistance, and information to help resolve the matter. We really appreciate the strong sense of care and pride our community has in our school.

We are continuing to follow this up and will work with the appropriate agencies to bring the matter to a resolution.

Looking Ahead 

Next term brings new opportunities for learning and involvement. We will share key dates and upcoming events early in the term so you can plan ahead. We look forward to continuing to build strong connections with our community.

Thank You

Thank you again for your support throughout the term, whether that’s helping with learning at home, attending events, or simply encouraging your child each day. It makes a real difference.

We hope you all enjoy a safe and relaxing break and look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed for the start of next term.

Ngā mihi nui,
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 1
Fri 3 AprGood Friday - School Closed
Upcoming EventsTerm 2
Mon 20 AprFirst Day of Term 2
Wed 22 AprNgā Puna Wai Tournament (Yr 5-8)
Fri 24 AprWelcome Assembly (Hall 9:10am - 9:30am)
Mon 27 AprANZAC Day - School Closed
Wed 29 AprPSC Aqua-thon Event (Swim & Run)
Wed 29 AprWorld Vision Junior Youth Conference
Fri 1 MaySchool Cross Country Event
Wed 6 MayPTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 7 MayRugby Fun Day (Yr 4-5, Burnside Park)
Thu 7 MayU11 NFL Tournament (Yr 4-6)
Wed 13 MayGirls Got Game - Basketball Programme
Fri 15 MayCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 20 MayBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Wed 27 MaySouth Zone Cross Country Event (Yr 5-8)
Fri 29 MayStaff Only Day - School Closed
Mon 1 JuneKing's Birthday - School Closed

Citizen of the Week

Mason - Year 8

Mason, you are a dedicated and skilled student who is showing a strong commitment to your learning. You help create an inclusive and welcoming classroom by sharing your social skills and building positive connections with others. Your sense of fun and great humour bring energy and positivity to our class each day. Thank you for the way you contribute to our learning environment.

Oscar - Year 5

Oscar, you are a fantastic role model in our hub. You give everything your best effort, and your focus and self-management make you a star learner. You are a kind, supportive friend and a respectful member of our class. Keep up the great work!

School Notices

Viewing our School Calendar in Hero

Any events added to our school calendar will now sync to the calendar in the Hero Family app. When logged into Hero, caregivers can view this by going to Events from the Hero landing page or in the menu on the left side of their Hero app.

Dungeons and Dragons Club!

Are you someone who has an interest in Dungeons and Dragons?
Do you know someone who has an interest in Dungeons and Dragons?

We want to begin a Dungeons and Dragons Club at school. We have some keen players - can you help us?

Please get in touch with Sue Leadbetter at: sue.leadbetter@beckenham.school.nz

Our Weet-Bix TRYathlon Tamariki

Kupu Māori o te Wiki

Kia ora koutou! This year, we are embracing our te reo Māori and will be learning a new Whakataukī (phrase/proverb), Kīwaha (saying), 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 ponoBelieve in yourself and give it a go!
Whakataukī:Whaowhia te kete mātaurangaThis means to fill the basket with knowledge!
Whakataukī:He waka eke noaWe are all in this together!
Kīwaha:Kia Tau!This means relax, or settle petal!
Kīwaha:Kei runga noa atu koe!This means you're awesome!
Kupu:NgahuruThis means Autumn.
Kupu:HarareiThis means to go on holiday.

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.

Chicken Chat

Some of our tamariki visited Ferndale this week to speak with the children about chickens and take them on a visit to the garden area and to see the chickens in their home.  

We would like to share the slideshow the children made to share with our Ferndale Hub Friends.

Potato (the chicken) loves to sit on Seth's knee every time he visits!

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

Canterbury Swimming Championships

We are incredibly proud of our students who represented our school at the Canterbury Swimming Championships. They showed determination, sportsmanship, and excellent effort in the pool, achieving some fantastic results against strong competition from across the region. We had 14 students competing over the two days.

Sailing Success for Samson

We would also like to celebrate Samson, who achieved an outstanding result at the Canterbury Optimist Championships over the weekend, placing 3rd overall. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work and dedication he has put into his sailing. We are very proud of his success!

South Island Schools Mountain Biking Championships

Our students also achieved fantastic results at the South Island Schools Mountain Biking Championships. In the Cross Country race, Zach placed 1st, Daniel 6th, and Ben 11th. The boys also teamed up for the Year 7/8 Cross Country Relay, taking out 1st place. In the Enduro event, Zach finished 9th and Ben 21st. Unfortunately, Sedas was unwell and unable to race. We are incredibly proud of the effort and determination shown by all of our riders. Thank you to Malcolm Stoney for the incredible photos of our riders.

Huxster Mountain Biking - 2026 Success

Well done to all of our students who participated in the Huxster Mountain Bike Event. It was another great couple of days of racing with plenty of whānau support on the sidelines. The results below highlight some particularly commendable performances.

In the Year 5/6 division, Lexi and Laurien placed 1st in the Girls Team event. In the Year 7/8 category, Zach took 1st place in the Boys race and recorded the fastest overall time across both days of the event. Laura and Ben also placed 1st in the Open Teams, while Jayme and Mietta finished 4th in the Girls Teams.

PTA News

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Easter raffle in any way, by donating grocery items for the hamper or selling raffle tickets. Every little bit helps, and together we raised almost $5000 for new shade sails over the junior playground!! 
Congratulations to our Easter Raffle winners, who all take home Easter hampers, and we hope you all got a look at Cade dressed up in his Easter Bunny outfit in support of our fundraising. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone! 

BOT Update

Term 1 Policy Review Closing Soon - 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.)

Canterbury Rams Vs Wellington Saints - Ticket Discount

We would like to offer your school & community an exclusive 10% discount on tickets for the Canterbury Rams vs Wellington Saints home opening game at Parakiore on the 19th April.

10% Discount – Canterbury Rams vs Wellington Saints - https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/events/RAMSSAI26/venues/CPR/performances/ECPR0000026RA/tickets

We would also like to offer your school community a 25% off to attend the upcoming Canterbury Rams holiday camps & game day clinics for boys & girls. 
25% discount Referral Code on Checkout - TAKEOFF25
 
Canterbury Rams Holiday Camps & Game Day Clinics - Camps & Schools - Canterbury Rams

Table Tennis Canterbury - Free Event

This free event will be held on Sunday, 12th of April at Table Tennis Canterbury Stadium from 9.30am - 12.30pm. Registrations can be made by following the link here.

From Bellies, Babies to Tweens Market - SUNDAY 12 APRIL

Looking to save on quality baby, kids and tween items – or keen to turn your own pre-loved gear into cash?
Come along to the From Bellies, Babies to Tweens Market – a community focused buy/sell market dedicated to all things maternity, baby, kids and tweens. You’ll find a wide range of new and gently used items at affordable prices – all in one convenient location.
Sunday 12 April
9:00am – 12noon
Halswell Rugby League Club, Halswell Domain
It’s the perfect opportunity to shop sustainably, support local whānau and snap up a bargain. Bring your friends, spread the word and mark your calendar! Free entry for shoppers.
To book a stall or find out more, email: fbbtmarket@gmail.com

2026 Koru Team News – Term 1, Week 8

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Koru Team News - Term 1, Week 8 

Kia Ora E Te Whānau, 

We have almost come to the end of our first term together. Your tamariki have come so far and learnt so much in such a short space of time. Learning a new routine and becoming settled in the school day timetable is a big transition, and they have all done this so confidently. 

Below you will find some more insights into our school day, some important dates for Term 2 and a few links at the end you may like to use during the holidays with your child. 

Kapa Haka

Whāea Cath is coming to visit us every other Friday for Kapa Haka. Last week, we learnt a new karakia and the actions that go with it. Then we sang some songs while Cath played her guitar. These were old favourites for some of us and brand new for others. Cath brought her little kiwi friend to meet us while we sang a song about kiwis. 



Maths

Our focus this week has been on measurement. We have used Gingerbread People to help use mathematical vocabulary and skills such as compare, taller, longer and shorter. We also ordered objects by their length using the vocabulary shortest and tallest. 






Inquiry - Kotahitanga

We have focused on how we use and show our school value 'we care' for the last two weeks. One of our favourite activities was musical hoops. As Kendall and Nicola took away more hoops, we had to think about how we could show 'we care' to make sure no one was left out when there weren't enough for us to have our own. 







Student Teacher 

Mitchell Ackland will be joining Koru for the last week of Term 1 and the first 6 weeks of Term 2. In-class placements are a hugely valuable part of teacher training and we know our school and our hub will be a lovely place for Mitchell to learn and grow in his journey to becoming a teacher. 



Holiday Links 







As this is our last blog post for the term, we would like to thank you all for a wonderful first term. We have loved getting to know you and your children. 


Ngā Mihi, 

Nicola, Elizabeth and Kendall

Kahikitea Blog – Term 1, Week 8

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 Kia ora e te whānau,

We are fast approaching the end of Term 1 and what a wonderful term it has been! It has been wonderful seeing the tamariki reconnect with friends from last year and in some cases make some new friends too!

The tamariki have settled well into our daily routines and weekly activities and we look forward to seeing them to continue to thrive and learn in the coming terms ahead.

Literacy

The tamariki have settled well into their literacy groups and have a good understanding of how the process works during the week. They are keen to learn and especially excited when they get to take a new book home on a Thursday. A small reminder that Thursday is literacy book swap day when they can return their previous book to their teacher and receive their new one to share with you at home.

Maths


Our focus this week has been concepts of subtraction and the tamariki have really enjoyed working with their Math buddy's in their home groups to solve some tricky questions and share their ideas.

Inquiry – Sustainability: Healthy Bodies and Minds

We have continued to focus on our healthy bodies and minds inquiry this week by looking at extending the tamariki's vocabulary regarding words around food choices. We established what a carbohydrate is and what it does for our bodies, additionally we talked about protein and the vegetarian/ alternative options available to fuel our bodies. This inquiry has provided some wonderful conversations and engagement in the classes.  

Learning Through Play


Our LTP sessions in Kahikatea are always hugely enjoyed by our tamariki, and they get the opportunity to engage in a wide range of learning opportunities, including art, science and construction. They are also given the opportunity to play sport outside and build their social skills through shared activities with their friends. This week we enjoyed a fabulous balloon art activity with lots of open-ended learning outcomes.  

Tuakana- Teina


We have continued to support our younger tamariki to make connections with our older students at the school and it has been absolutely wonderful watching these reciprocal relationships grow. Our homegroup children are always excited to see their "big buddies" arrive to play games, draw, build or organize sports activities outside. 

Little Kickers

The last two Wednesday's have been a fabulous opportunity for the tamariki to engage in some football games and learn some new skills. Every class has had its own 30-minute session to receive some ball skills training and play some fun games with two great coaches. 




Nga mihi nui

Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S




Kōwhai News Term 1 Week 8

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Kia ora e te whānau,

We are now approaching the end of Term 1 and what a busy term it has been! We spent the first three weeks in our homegroups building relationships and getting to know one another, before moving into our maths and literacy groups, which are now well established. The tamariki have settled confidently into their routines and are thriving in their learning, which is great to see.

Scooter Skills 

In Week 7, we had a fantastic time taking part in our Scooter Skills sessions. During the sessions, we learnt a range of important skills to help us stay safe while riding our scooters. We practiced how to balance properly, control our speed and stop safely. 

Another key part of our learning was developing an awareness of our surroundings. We talked about watching where we are going and making smart choices while riding, especially when crossing roads. These are all valuable skills that will help keep us safe not only at school, but also when we are out and about in our community.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the parents and whānau who allowed us to borrow scooters for these sessions. Your support made it possible for us to take part in this awesome learning experience.





Living Our Values During Discovery

Throughout Term 1, we have been placing a special focus on noticing and celebrating students who are “living our values” during Discovery time, particularly through their social skills.

Discovery is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore, create, and collaborate. During this time, we have been looking closely at how students interact with one another showing kindness, including others, sharing resources, using positive communication, and working together as a team.

It has been fantastic to see so many students demonstrating these values in action. Whether it’s inviting someone new to join a game, taking turns, helping a friend, or solving problems respectfully, these moments all contribute to building a caring and supportive classroom environment.

At the end of each Discovery session, we take time to acknowledge the students we have noticed displaying our values. These students are celebrated and receive a certificate, which they proudly add to our “Living Our Values” wall. This wall is quickly filling up with examples of the positive choices and behaviours.

We are incredibly proud of the way students are supporting one another and showing what it means to live our values. Keep up the amazing work!

Pepeha 

Over the past few weeks, we have begun our social sciences inquiry focused on writing our pepeha. The tamariki have been exploring their family trees and learning how to introduce family members in te reo Māori, as well as sharing where they come from. Our next step is to draft their pepeha before representing them in pictorial form.

Next week, we will be sending the written pepeha home for whānau to review over the holidays to ensure the information is accurate. Please return these in Week 1 with any corrections or additions. Your feedback is really important to us, and we really appreciate your support. Thank you so much for your input.

Term 1 Overview 

As Term 1 comes to an end, we can all look back and feel proud of what has been a fantastic start to the year.

It has been wonderful seeing positive relationships build throughout the hub. Throughout the term, we have worked hard across all areas. From developing new skills to challenging ourselves with new ideas, it has been great to see everyone showing enthusiasm and a willingness to give things a go. We have also focused on working together, showing respect, and supporting one another, which has helped make the Kōwhai hub a positive place to be.

Thank you to everyone for your effort and positive attitudes, and to our whānau for their ongoing support. It truly makes a difference.

We are looking forward to another exciting term ahead. We wish everyone a safe and happy break!











Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026

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Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

A wet end to the week, with quite a number of tamariki absent due to illness. With coughs and colds, as well as of course Covid, doing the rounds, we are being extra vigilant with our ventilation practices in the team, and giving lots of reminders to cough into elbows, wash hands regularly, and be aware of personal space. We hope you all have a happy, healthy weekend. Please read on for some updates and reminders.


Canterbury Hockey Sessions

This week we were lucky enough to have Canterbury Hockey come into Beckenham and run some sessions with us in preparation for Winter Sport. It was great to "have a go" for those who would not normally pick hockey as a go to sport! Thankfully the weather played ball too and we had a great time with the very knowledgeable instructors! Thanks Kate McG for organising these for us! 








Winter Sports Starts Next Term

Our Winter Sports programme starts next Term and will take place on Thursday afternoons. The tamariki will be either participating in competitive hockey, netball, NFL flag football or football. More information will be coming up soon so keep an eye out on the BTKOP SPORTS Google Classroom and the Daily Daily Notices. 

Muddy Months

As we head into the more winter like months we are noticing the inevitable increase of muddy shoes and clothes as students come back from play and lunch, having played sports and games on our beloved Beckenham Park. In Term 2 we will be asking students to take off muddy shoes before entering the Hub and lining them up neatly outside the door. We suggest that if your child is coming home with very muddy clothes, please consider supplying them with a spare pair of school shorts and a spare school top for them to change into once they finish their games. We appreciate your support with this.

Citizen of the Week: Stella



Kete Award Recipients Term 1 Week 8


Jessica and Ivy


Cultural Presentation: Sri Lanka / Madeev





Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto Student Council 2026




 Staying Safe Online: Online Grooming 

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.

Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone

who isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and

what whānau can do to educate kids.

Check out the link here.



Have a great weekend everybody, kia pai ngā rā whakatā!

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, and Chloe.