Koru News Term 4 Week 2

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Kia ora e te whānau, 

What a wonderful, mostly sunny start we have had to our Fourth Term! We have had lots of fun, playing outside, soaking up the sunshine, and digging away in the sandpit. Everyone is settling back in well with the routines and showing lots of curiosity, kindness, and enthusiasm for learning. 




Athletics

We have started practising for our Athletics Day, which will take place on Thursday, the 30th of October. We are practising our jumping, running, and throwing. It has been wonderful to see everyone give it a go and cheer on their friends! Nau mai te wero! We love challenge!


Social Sciences - Our Kura, Our School

This term, our Social Science focus is Our Kura, Our School. We began by taking a walk around our school to visit all our favourite spaces around the grounds. We had a korero (discussion) about our cultural narrative and about what the name 'Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto' means. We will continue to learn all about our school, and the people in it, and what makes us so diverse and special. 


Sunflowers

The lovely teaching assistant, Lucy, took a group of students out to plant the sunflowers that had sprouted over the holidays. Tamariki enjoyed learning about how to plant them and are excited to watch as they grow into beautiful flowers, which will brighten up our kura. 





Earthquake Drill

On Thursday, we had a school-wide earthquake drill to practise keeping ourselves safe. We learned to drop, cover, and hold. Everyone did an amazing job staying calm and following instructions. We are proud of how sensible and confident ākonga were during this important practice. 


Hats and Sunscreen

A quick reminder that hats are required at school every day this term. Please ensure your child's hat is clearly labelled. Hats are kept in your child's bag (or blue cubby) and sent home each day.  Students without hats play under the hall veranda during break times. Please apply sunscreen to your child each day before they come to school. We have a bottle in the hub for reapplication in the day if needed. If your child requires their own sunscreen, please bring it to school in a named bottle that can be kept on the teaching station. 


Ngā mihi nui, 

Niquita, Katie, Stacey, and Elizabeth

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 10th October 2025

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Term 4

This week we are trying something different - you can either read the update below or listen to it in a summary podcast here. 

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the final leg of the school year. 2025 has been filled with success and growth across so many areas of school life. At the heart of this is our strong sense of community and the way we work together to ensure the very best outcomes for our children.

Feedback plays a critical role in this process. Throughout the year, we’ve refined our approaches through meaningful engagement with whānau. 

Term 4 is a time for both celebration and planning. As we look ahead to 2026, we warmly invite your feedback on how we can further strengthen our programmes and approaches. Your perspectives help shape the direction of our school and ensure we remain responsive to the needs of our learners and community.

Opening Young Eyes to the Arts

Opening our students’ eyes to the possibilities within the arts curriculum is something we deeply value at our school. This term, we are excited to launch a music and dance programme for our Year 1- 4 students, running every Tuesday throughout the term.

Each week, students will enjoy a ukulele lesson with Paerau Hemopo, a talented musician and member of the band 1 Drop Nation, which is making its mark on the charts. They will also take part in a hip hop dance session with Steph Phillips, a dynamic member of Legacy Dance School. 

Through this programme, we hope to inspire our youngest learners to develop their confidence, creativity, and passion for the arts as they continue their journey through our school.

Attendance - Can we reach our target? 

As you may be aware, the Government has set a national attendance target that by 2030,
80% of students will be at school at least 90% of the time.

This target reflects research showing that regular attendance is closely linked to improved social and learning outcomes.

In 2024, 63% of Beckenham students reached this target. At the start of this year, we set ourselves a school goal of 70% of students attending at least 90% of the time for 2025.

We began strongly, with Term 1 at 76% and Term 2 at 69%. However, Term 3 brought unprecedented levels and types of illness, and our attendance dropped significantly to 49%.

To reach our annual target, we now need 86% of students to attend more than 90% of the time this term. While this is a challenge, we’re hopeful it’s still achievable.

Regular attendance has a big impact on learning, wellbeing, and connection to school. If you need support with strategies to improve attendance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We can work alongside whānau to put wraparound support in place.

Measles

Last week, I received information about the measles outbreak in New Zealand from the Ministry of Education and have been asked to share the details below with you:
  • Measles is very contagious and can make people of any age very sick.
  • Watch for measles symptoms – fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes and a blotchy rash. 
  • If anyone in your whānau has measles symptoms keep them home and contact a doctor or Healthline urgently on 0800 611 116.
  • Vaccination is the best protection from measles. Check all whānau are immunised. 
  • Anyone closely exposed to measles who has not received two MMR vaccinations cannot attend their school | kura for at least eight days.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the warm weather!

Ngā mihi,
Cade
Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

Upcoming Events - Term 4

WEEK 2

Mon 13 Oct - Fri 17 Oct - Walk or Wheel to School Week

Fri 17 Oct - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 3 

Wed 22 Oct - Huxster Mountain Biking Event (McLeans Island)

Wed 22 Oct - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)

Thu 23 Oct - Possible NZEI Teachers' Union Strike (School may be Closed TBC)


WEEK 4

Mon 27 Oct - Labour Day - School Closed

Wed 29 Oct - Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm)

Thu 30 Oct - Athletics Day

Fri 31 Oct - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 5

Fri 7 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 6

Thu 13 Nov - Staff Only Day 

Fri 14 Nov - Canterbury Anniversary Day - School Closed


WEEK 7 

Fri 21 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)

Fri 21 Nov - PTA Colour Run (1:30pm-3:00pm Fundraiser Event)


WEEK 8 

Wed 26 Nov - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)

Thu 27 Nov - Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm)

Fri 28 Nov - Whānau and Volunteers Thank you (8:00-8:30am)

Fri 28 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 9

Wed 3 Dec - Kauri Production (1:30-3:00pm Matinee & 6:30-8:30pm First Night)

Thu 4 Dec - Kōwhai Production (11:30-12:30pm) & Kauri Production (6:30-8:30pm Final Night)

Fri 5 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 10

Fri 12 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9:45am-10:30am)


WEEK 11

Wed 17 Dec - Last Day of the Year, School finishes 12:30pm


2026 Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Maeve - Year 4

Maeve, you always bring positivity, thoughtfulness, care and kindness to our Kōwhai hub. You are hardworking and determined, and you always give everything your best effort. Thank you for always showing our school kete values in everything you do. Ka pai tō mahi, Maeve!


Carice - Year 4

Carice, A true team player, you have an unwavering supportiveness and collaborative spirit. Carice you are always the first to offer help with challenging material and is always considerate of her peers' needs and learning pace. Your contributions make our study groups and classroom discussions noticeably more productive and welcoming.


Jake - Year 6

Jake, your creativity shines through in the way you contribute fresh ideas and inspire those around you. You are self-motivated and put your best effort into all learning areas. You are a kind and loyal friend, and you display our school values daily. Ka pai tō mahi!

School Notices

Walk or Wheel Week

Next week is 'Walk or Wheel to School Week', this is a fun week that encourages primary school children and their whānau to walk, cycle, scoot or skate to school.


This takes place from Monday, 13th October to Friday, 17th October 2025.


Your child will have a small card that they can get signed off by their teacher each day that they "walk or wheel" to school. This will put them in the draw to win some cool prizes!


Whether you join us for one day or the whole week, we’d love to have you walking and wheeling with us.


Here are the themes:

Move it Monday - Let’s get moving! Start your Walk or Wheel to School week with an active way of getting to school!

Travel Together Tuesday - Let’s celebrate walking or wheeling to school with friends and whānau!

Wacky Wednesday - Display something bright; Look Bright, Be Bright, Stay Bright!

Thoughtful Thursday - Walking and wheeling helps create a healthier planet! How else can you help our environment? Maybe you could collect some rubbish on your travels!

Funky Feet Friday - Dress your feet - wear your funkiest socks or jazz up your trainers with glitter, tinsel, feathers - whatever you’re thinking!

Sunhat and Drink Bottle - Reminder

As we enter Term 4 and warmer weather, every child must attend school with a named sunhat and water bottle. Sunhats are compulsory when outside during Terms 1 and 4. Please also remember to send your child to school each day with sunscreen applied as well.


The Sports Corner

Kia ora koutou,


This section of our newsletter is dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges our students are experiencing in sports outside of school. It’s fantastic to already have three Kauri students sharing how they are embracing We Love Challenge - Nau Mai Te Wero beyond the classroom and pursuing their passions. 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


Laura Stoney - Interregional Cross Country 

 A huge congratulations to Laura for placing 7th in a highly competitive race at Ascot Park! She was the second-best runner from Canterbury, with the top five spots dominated by Wellington athletes. It was a chilly day, and the 3km course, complete with small hills and hurdles, was no easy feat. Laura's determination and skill were on full display, and we couldn’t be prouder of her outstanding effort among such tough competition. Well done, Laura!


Jacob Hamilton - Basketball Success 

 We are incredibly proud of Jacob and his team for finishing 3rd overall! Jacob has worked hard throughout the season, and it’s been fantastic to see how much his game has improved. He was also recognised with a special award for consistently demonstrating the league’s values—a true testament to his character, teamwork, and commitment. Congratulations, Jacob, on a fantastic season! 


Kawariki Taylor - Pool Rescue Competition

A huge well done to Kawariki for his impressive results at the Southern Regionals Pool Rescue Competition! Competing in the Under 14 Boys category, Kawariki placed 3rd overall, with standout performances across multiple events:

  • 1st in the U1 Mixed Obstacle Relay
  • 2nd in the U14 Mixed Brick Relay
  • 2nd in the U14 Patient Tow
  • 3rd in the U14 Brick Carry
  • 3rd in the U14 Swim with Fins

Zach Guise - Cycling Success 

 A huge congratulations to Zach, who took out first place in the U13 Cycling NZ Schools Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships held in Nelson on Wednesday! What an incredible achievement — well done, Zach, for your hard work, determination, and outstanding performance on the track! 


PTA News

Save the date for our next big fundraiser - a Colour Run Friday 21st November! We are currently looking for local businesses or corporate sponsors who would like to support this exciting and fun event, taking place in Beckenham Park.

If you can help, please complete this form. 

Entertainment books are still for sale and available to buy here. There are heaps of savings and 20% of the book cost comes straight back to school.


There's still time to register for the Weetbix TRYathlon which is happening in February. Click here to register with our school group.

BOT Update

Term 4 Policy Review - 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, 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.)


Creative Kids Art Workshops - Andrea Baker Art

Now enrolling for Term 4: 8 week programme for children aged 8-12 years old.

Thursdays 3.30-5pm. Starting 16 October. 

Also taking enquiries for other days if Thursday does not suit.

Based at The Bull Room, Risingholme, Opawa

Experienced Art Educator - All material provided - Limited spaces

andreabakerart@gmail.com 0212327141








Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 10

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Kia ora whānau,

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of Term 3 and what a busy term it has been! There has been lots of fantastic learning going on, of course, the highlight being our gymnastics sessions.

Gymnastics

We had 2 really successful sessions of gymnastics and the children loved taking part and trying out all the different apparatus. It was amazing to see everyone giving it their all and putting every effort into learning new gymnastics skills on the beam, the rings, the trampoline and the bars. Everyone was exhausted by the end of it!



























Scooter-athlon

Next term, the Kōwhai children will be taking part in an exciting Scooter-athlon on Wednesday 15th October from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This is the first time this event will take place at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto! Parents are invited to come along and cheer on the tamariki. The event will give students early exposure to a duathlon-style challenge, helping prepare them for the Year 5 onwards duathlons.
The Scooter-athlon will follow a run → scooter → run format, giving students the chance to experience a fun, active, multi-stage race. Students are encouraged to wear their house t-shirts, bring their own scooter and helmet, wear closed-toe shoes, and follow the safety rules. Year 7/8 students will act as marshals to help run the event safely.
Please note: If it is raining, the Scooter-athlon will be postponed. Any changes will be shared with parents via Hero.
Please let your classroom teacher know if your child does not have a scooter or if you have a spare one you are happy to lend.
We can’t wait to see the tamariki scoot, run, and have fun – nau mai te wero! We love challenge!

Production: Jukebox Journey

We have been busy learning various dances through the ages over the last few weeks as part of our inquiry on dance, including Egyptian, rock and roll, disco, ragtime and also futuristic! From next term, we will be very focused on putting together a performance of all the dances for you to come and see in Week 9 which will be on Thursday 4th December at 11:30am in the hall. There is lots to do apart from learning our different dances including making props and also making and acquiring costumes. The children are already really enjoying the experience and are very excited to perform for you!



Athletics Day

Next term, we will be doing athletics, learning how to do shot put, long jump, discus, high jump and sprints. We will be practising over the first few weeks in preparation for our whole school Athletics Day in Week 4, Thursday 30th October. There will be more information to follow next term.

Hats!

Next term, everyone will need to be wearing hats at school to make sure we are being sun safe. Please make sure your child/children have a school hat ready for the beginning of term. This can be a red or black bucket hat or wide-brimmed hat. All children will need a hat to play outside and participate in outdoor activities such as athletics. Thank you so much for your support with this.

Walk or Wheel To School Week

In Week 2, we will be celebrating Walk or Wheel to School Week by encouraging everyone to walk, scooter, bike, run or skate to school. The children also have the opportunity to go in a draw to win an amazing prize! This is a great way to encourage the children to keep active as much as they can. We appreciate that some of the children are not able to do this but we do encourage those families that need to drive to school to drop their children off a short distance from the school entrance and they can walk from there. 

Lamb Visit

Georgia’s homegroup enjoyed a special experience when a lamb came to visit the classroom. The children were fascinated to learn how to feed the lamb with a bottle, and they loved having the chance to get up close to such a gentle animal. A heartfelt thank you to Poppy and Elisa for bringing in the lamb they were looking after. We are especially grateful for the time and effort they took to make this visit possible—it created a memorable learning experience for everyone!


Legacy Dance Studio - Hip Hop

Steph has been working hard with our Year 3-4 Hip Hop Club over the last couple of terms. The classes do warm-ups, games, freestyle and add onto their dance each week!  They are working towards performing at the Legacy Dance Studio end of year show. 
There is space in our hip hop club if your child is interested in joining in term 4. Please email legacydanceoffice@gmail.com.
 

Discovery Photos










As you can see, Term 4 is shaping up to be a very busy term! It will also be lots of fun so we are very much looking forward to it. We hope you have a wonderful holiday break.

From the Kōwhai team





























Pōhutukawa News Term 3 Week 10 2025

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Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all,

Read on for news and information about some exciting upcoming events. Have a great weekend everyone, kia pai ngā rā whakata.


Pōhutukawa Team Speech Finals

A massive congratulations to our five finalists! An awesome display of research practice and hard work to make the final from over 140 students! In the final it was Julia that took first place! Well done Julia! 



Year 5/6 Speech Finals Winner Julia


Back Row: Archer, James and Toby

Front Row: Julia and Britta


Legacy Dance Studio - Hip Hop

Tash has been working hard with our Year 5-6 hip hop club over the last couple of terms. The classes do warm ups, games, freestyle and add onto their dance each week!  They are working towards performing at the Legacy Dance Studio end of year show. There is space in our hip hop club if your child is interested in joining in term 4. Please email legacydanceoffice@gmail.com





Canterbury Flag Football Tournament


Ruby and Izzy made off with some awesome prizes! 


Full Team after a long day of playing in the sun.



Bottle Rockets!








Awareness of Online Harm

Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.


Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.


To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link. 



Have a lovely term break, Ngā mihi nui. Kia Kaha.

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

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

Kahikatea-Term 3, week 10

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Kia ora whānau,
A huge thanks for all of your  continued support over the term. The kids have worked so hard and have earned a well-deserved rest (as have my team). 
A big thank you to Maddy, who has been with us for the last 6 weeks in Sarah's home group. We wish you all the best for your future teaching career!

Here are some learning highlights below:















Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto-'The school of the ponds'

We took our tamariki for a short stroll by the ponds as part of learning about our cultural narrative. We talked about the importance of the ponds to the everyday life of our ancestors. Many students were keen to collect rubbish while we were there, showing our values of 'We Care' and 'We Make a Difference'.

If you are able to parent help on our ponds trip next term please fill in the form HERE.



Kapa Haka
This term in Kapa Haka Whaea Cath has been teaching us how to use the poi-there is a lot of learning about tikanga with poi and we have impressed her with our learning.
















Book Amnesty:
Can you please have a look for any decodable reading books over the break and bring them back to us next term. We have a few that are missing. No books will come home during the break.

Talent Show:
Well done to the lava chicken boys: Atlas, Alex, Greyson, Gray, Johnny, and Finn who represented Kahikatea in the school talent show. You were amazing, what courage! You showed 'We Love Challenge'!