Many thanks for letting us know your views on camp going ahead at Level 2. The vast majority of whānau were very keen for camp to go ahead in Level 1 or 2, so that is what we are going to do. If we, or the Dunedin area, ends up in Level 3 then camp will be cancelled. Our fingers are crossed that this will not happen.
We are currently working on two programmes for camp, a Level 1 and a Level 2 programme. Most activities can happen for both options.
The cost of our week long camp in Dunedin / Waihola is well over $300 per child. With a grant from the Southern Trust and considerable fundraising, this cost has been reduced to $170 per child. This amount will be on your statement that will be coming out very soon.
Coming home this week will be a paper copy of the gear list and a health profile form. Please get the profile form back ASAP.
Showquest
Last Friday, we submitted our Showquest video. It was amazing to see all the hard work come together in a video that the children can feel very proud of. On Friday there is the option to watch our region’s entries online as part of a virtual show. Please see the following information for how to access this. We will be streaming the videos here at school for the children to see.
Your video will be hosted online as part of a free digital regional show. These videos will go "live" at 10am September Friday 18th, with regional judging announced after the weekend on September 21st. We encourage you to try and watch your show video with your Showquest crew if you can, and to watch and support each other's creations! The "live" video for Canterbury will be posted here - https://www.facebook.com/events/720456411865591/ - so share this link with your community and click "Going" to get updates. If you're not on Facebook you are also able to find the live shows via our website from 10am September 18th.
You'll be able to watch shows from all other regions too - take a virtual trip around Aotearoa to check out talented tamariki all over the country!
Volleyball Tournament at Hillview
Today the Koru Games teams competed in a volleyball tournament at Hillview. For many this provided their first competitive volleyball experience. It was awesome to see the teams go from strength to strength each game, their confidence building and their skills improving. There were many close and exciting games. The children were a delight to take to this tournament and demonstrated self management and good sportsmanship. Our teams finished 6th, 7th and 13th overall.
Special mention goes to the following children who received medals for fair play and sportsmanship:
Grace Monk
Mac Evans
Zoe Clarke
A huge thank you to Nicola and Anna for their support with this event today.
Winter Tournament
On Friday we will still be at alert level 2. This means that Canterbury Winter Tournament can not go ahead as planned. This affects our A grade netball and hockey teams. Primary Sport Canterbury are considering a postponement date of Thursday the 24th. We will let you know if this goes ahead.
St Martins Tournament
Tomorrow, about half our hub is involved in a fun mini tournament with St Martins, playing ultimate frisbee, touch and football. This was arranged after Koru Games was cancelled to give the children a chance to have the tournament experience. This will be held at Beckenham Park and will go from 9 to 12:30.
Children should bring a Beckenham Sports top if they have one.
Footballers will need shin guards and football boots.
Thanks to all of our parent help volunteers! Below is a timetable of who is helping when. We will head straight to the ponds as a hub after we have completed the roll (approximately 9 am).
9-9.45am: Group 1 Rachael, Chontelle, Bel, Kathie and Mike with River
9.45-10.30am: Group 2 Chontelle, Bel and Kathie with Beach
10.30 - 10.50 break time (whole school)
11- 11.45am: Group 3 Stephanie and Chontelle with Lake
11.45am - 12.30pm: Group 4 Stephanie, Nicola and Chontelle with Forest
Alpine will be split into 4 groups and join the other groups.
Please note that if your child has gumboots or gardening gloves then we suggest that they bring them along on Wednesday.
We look forward to seeing you there, here's hoping for fine weather!
Congratulations to these students who have been awarded a Kete certificate for showing our school values for Week 6 & Week 8:
Noah Webster: We Make a Difference
Thomas O'Beirne:We Get There Together
Nicholas Reedy: We Love Challenge
Andrew Gillespie: We love Learning
Joseph Simpson: We Love Learning
Walter Stallworthy: We Love Learning
Talent Show
On Monday afternoon this week Kahikatea students certainly demonstrated it really does have a lot of talent! Congratulations to everyone who showed our school value 'We Love Challenge' by getting up on the stage and giving it your best. Sue, Lisa and Katie have decided to put through three finalists for the school talent show, which will happen in Week 10 (if we move to Level 1). Those three finalists are...
Dance: Lottie & Poppy
Singing: Art
Instrument: John
Congratulations!
Athletics
The date for this school-wide event is on the community calendar. Please remember to send your child to school in appropriate footwear and ensure they have a drink bottle full of water as we will be starting practices very soon! Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement as we undertake this new learning challenge.
Kahikatea & Kowhai Water Skills for Life
Our tamariki will be participating in a program of learning at Pioneer Pool. These lessons are based on the principles of water skills and do not replace or replicate the swimming lessons your child may already be engaged in. This is an opportunity to learn water safety. Our students will have 8 lessons starting in late October
Our Year 3's are loving time out on the big field with staff from Cashmere Tech who are running football sessions this term. Please remember to send your child to school each day inappropriate footwear, especially if your child is part of this football session.
Ako ma te Tākaro - Learning Through Play
We are on the lookout for lots of old bits and pieces for our tamariki to explore using in our Ako mā te tākaro time. Quite a few tamariki have shown a strong interest in construction and design so we would love some of the following:
- hammers - screwdrivers - small saws - nails and screws - offcuts of timber or old wooden pellets etc
We really appreciate all the wonderful donations of bits and pieces that are regularly coming in for our tamariki to create with. Some are in the process of building a 'glasshouse' out of clear 2-litre milk bottles to place over a wee garden outside our hub - this is an ongoing work in progress and we will post photographs on its completion.
ESOL group and Little Garden
Our wonder teaching assistants, Pip and Jeanette, work with our ESOL group each week and are using a 'School Kit' activity to build a garden with the New World little garden seed pots. If your child would like to bring in 1 little garden unopened seed set to pot, nurture, and grow for our glasshouse, please send them to see Jules at the atrium end of the hub and she will help them get it set up.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori
Next week is our annual Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and we will be exploring our Pepeha as well as our Turangawaewae - where our ancestors stand. There are some wonderful resources for practicing Te Reo Māori at home that can be found on the following:
Just a short newsletter this week as we wait to hear the next stages of our COVID-19 Alert levels on Sunday.
Whanau Hui Pātai / Invitation - Whānau Hui
We have unfortunately had to postpone our efforts to hold a proper Whānau Hui with all of the whānau and tamariki able to attend, due to the challenges of COVID-19 Alert levels.
We would like to extend an invitation to Whānau Māori to attend an adults only hui this coming Rāapa 16 Mahuru (Wednesday 16 September) from 7-8:15pm in the staffroom. The kaupapa of this hui is to share orur goals and aspirations for our tamariki Māori, so that these aspirations can be reflected in the Strategic Plan the Board are writing for the next three years.
If you are whānau of tamariki Māori, please come along and participate in this hui.
Staffing Update
We have sadly accepted the resignation of our Pōhutukawa Team Leader, Anne Batchelor this week, effective at the end of this school year. Anne has been offered a position with the RTLB service. She will be training and working as a Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour, alongside Paulette Newton and Cath Barrie and under the leadership of Michelle Maule (all of whom were also teachers at Beckenham).
The Team Leader position for 2021 will be advertised next week in the Education Gazette.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week
14-20 Mahuru, 2020 - 14-20 September 2020
At school we will be joining in with others all around New Zealand at midday on Monday with the 'Māori Language Moment'. We invite all of our whānau and community to join in too. All you need to do is make a deliberate action to use some Te Reo Māori, for example you could greet someone with 'Kia ora' or 'Tēnā koe', or you could start an email with the same greeting... be part of the movement to celebrate and support the learning and reviatalisation of this language of Te Reo Māori that is unique to our country.
Everyone can contribute to te reo Māori revitalisation:
Make te reo welcome at work and in the community
Encourage others to use and learn te reo Māori
Wwelcome Māori language into your life
Pronounce Māori words correctly when speaking English
Learn a little, use a little
Learn more, and use what you know
Keep improving your language, and share what you know
CleanUp Week - across NZ and in Beckenham!
Next week - 14-18 September, is NZ CleanUp week and we are joining in at school...
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Principal / Tumuaki
Important Dates
Upcoming Events
Wed 16 Sep - 9:15am - CSM Band Concert for whānau at Hillview Christian School
Wed 16 Sep - 3:15pm - CSM Band Concert for whānau at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Hall
Wed 16 Sep - 7-8:15pm - Whānau Hui in the staffroom (adults only)
It was with enormous sadness that we have had to farewell Peter Rabbit, who has been a faithful and loyal friend to hundreds of children at Beckenham te Kura over the past 9 years. Peter has been cuddled and loved by children, read to, played with, taken out to the park for time on the grass, and has helped children who have been feeling sad or upset by simply allowing them to hold him, and most children at Beckenham will know him really well. Something that Peter did incredibly well was to help children who were having trouble saying goodbye to their families at the start of the school day - Peter was worth way more than his weight in gold.
Peter Rabbit died of old age last week. In human years, he would have been about 85. He will be greatly missed, and remembered by all with enormous fondness.
Peter, aged nearly 9 years
Better Beckenham Project
This project is funded by a $210,000 grant from the NZ Transport Agency in Wellington, aiming to use public spaces (roads and footpaths) to make better neighbourhoods. The project covers the Beckenham Loop, where its geographical limits (in a bend of the river), and low through traffic make some easy enhancements possible. river, and slower vehicle speeds, but we want your ideas too! The project is to be jointly run between the City Council and the residents, so please come along and have some input at our community parties in Beckenham School hall on the 4th September from 3:15 pm till 5pm and 6th September from 3 pm till 5pm. A few children from Beckenham School will have posters on display as they have been working as junior design consultants to produce ideas for the community. Looking forward to seeing you there! For more info email BetterBeckenham@gmail.com.
Mana Ake “Drop-Ins” are continuing…
A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins” that are available on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30am. These drop-in sessions are here to provide parents with an opportunity to have a private, informal conversation around the well being of their child with one of our Mana Ake workers (kaimahi). If you feel like you would like to attend a drop-in session, please book in a time via the link here: Mana Ake booking The code to use is 88t39. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.
Considerate Driving
Sandwich Road can get very congested around drop off and pick up times. Please show consideration for other drivers and ensure you are not blocking the road when you are dropping off and picking up your children. We have a designated pick up/drop off zone - we would strongly encourage you to use this area to assist with the traffic congestion.
BOT Update: Mid-Term Elections
School Board of Trustee Mid Term Elections 2020
Nomination round
Our school will be undertaking Mid Term Elections for our Board of Trustees this year. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 9th October 2020.
The Board of Trustees have again employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination forms and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be e-mailed to you by Friday 9th October 2020.
For those that do not have access to the internet, nomination papers will be available at the school office and those nomination papers should be returned to the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing.
Nominations close on Sunday 1st November 2020 at 12 noon.
We look forward to your participation in this process.
Wayne Jamieson
Returning Officer
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Would you like to take your school child’s younger sibling(s) to an affordable ECE centre with high adult:child ratios, and meet local families? Landsdowne Terrace Playcentre is a parent run Early Childhood Education Centre with a friendly and diverse group of local parents. We believe that child led play is central to development, and recognise the value of parents as first educators. Come and visit us in our spacious grounds at 8 Landsdowne Terrace on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday mornings 9-12, or our explorer outings on Thursdays. Email landsdowneterrace@playcentre.org.nz or message our Facebook page. Ph: 3322140
"Whānau tupu ngātahi - families growing together"
Studio One Performing Arts
Studio One Performing Arts, your local dance school, is currently giving Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary lessons in your area. The school’s director is teacher, choreographer & ex-ballet dancer Patricia Paul A.R.A.D. (London). Ballet lessons from 3 years through to Advanced, and all levels in Jazz and Contemporary starting from age 7. For all enquiries please phone 372-9191 or email info@studioone.co.nz
