Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 14 August 2020

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

What a fabulous end to our Readathon and Book Week we are having today with Book Character Day! It is so lovely to see the children and staff getting into the fun of the day. I haven't managed to capture photos today other than this one... I know teachers will be putting some into their next blogs!


Today marked the end of the Readathon. The PTA will be at the flagpole every morning next week, collecting the readathon cards and money, and giving out bookmarks. Please remember to return the cards and money raised as soon as you can.

COVID Announcement at 5:30pm today

We are all waiting for the announcement by the Prime Minister today at 5:30pm for a clearer picture of what next week might look for us. In the event that we move to Level 3, we would ask that you keep a close eye on your emails and our Facebook page for further information about our plan.

IF we move to Level 3, we will be communicating with you this evening about:
  • making our Learning @ Home site available again for home learning
  • arranging for students to borrow Chromebooks again, if needed
  • setting up '@School Bubbles' for children of essential workers
In preparation, we have asked teachers to ensure that children who already have BYOD or assistive technology devices bring these home today, along with chargers. All children are being asked to bring home at least one exercise book, and writing tools/pencil case, and library books.

Whilst we all hope that this isn't what next week will look like, we have done this before and our systems and procedures are ready to meet this possibility.

Community Conversation options next week

Whilst we plan for the worst, we hope for the best... Next week we have three opportunities for you to come along to school and be part of a conversation around our future focus.

Tuesday 18th August    5:30pm - 7:00pm       Whānau Rōpū Hui - children welcome

Tuesday 18th August    7:15pm - 8:30pm        Community Forum

Friday 21st August        9:00am - 10:15am    Community Forum

We hope that each family is able to be represented at one of these events.

Sandy Hastings
Principal - Tumuaki

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Tue 18 Aug - Whānau Rōpū Hui 5:30pm - 7:00 pm - Staffroom
Tue 18 Aug - Community Forum - 7:15pm - 8:30pm
Fri 21 Aug - Community Forum - 9:00am - 10:15am; Staffroom
Sat 22 Aug - Quiz Night - Hall
Wed 26 Aug - PTA Meeting, 7:30pm - All welcome.
Fri 28 Aug - Kauri Ski Trip

Term Dates

Click here to view 2020 and 2021 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Iris Beumelberg - Year 6

Iris, you are such a valued member of our Pōhutukawa Team.  You are a quiet achiever who works hard, leads by example and supports others to succeed in their learning.  You choose kindness every time, and are thoughtful and respectful.  Thank you for being yourself and living our school values every day.

School Notices

Board of Trustees - Notice of Casual Vacancy

The Board of Trustees has accepted the resignation of Carmel Wade as a Parent Trustee. The Board wishes to publicly thank Carmel for her support of our school and Board and wish her and her family all the very best with their permanent relocation to Auckland.

Casual Vacancy for an elected trustee
A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative.

The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection.

If ten percent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to:

Chairperson
Board of Trustees
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
71 Sandwich Road
BeckenhamChristchurch 8023

or email: office@beckenham.school.nz by 12noon, 17 September 2020.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Thomas Lyall who has been awarded a leadership scholarship for Cashmere High School.  These scholarships are highly sought after and this is a significant acknowledgement of the leadership Thomas has given to our school, and the recognition of his potential. Well done Thomas!


Otis Yeoman has had the honour of his artwork being published in Toitoi, a journal which features articles and artwork from young writers and artists. 
Toitoi celebrates the ideas, imaginations and creative spirit of our young writers and artist and reflects the cultures and experiences of life in New Zealand.
Congratulations Otis! (Story and illustration below)

Caught a Baby Pig!

Dad and his friend went for hunt out the back of our farm and chased a pig for a bit.  After catching it, they made their way back from the bush to the truck and saw another mob of pigs.  The pigs ran away but one baby pig was too slow.  Dad couldn't catch it so one of our dogs, Mungo, grabbed it.  She was about to rip the bay pig into little bits when Dad took it from her.
Dad took the baby pig home and we fed her some milk from a little lamb bottle.  We kept her in a bucket with blankies and I go up at one o'clock in the morning to feed her.   I did that for several days.  Once we knew she was going to survive, I named her Bacon.

Words by Ryan Campbell, age 12
Pictures by Otis Yeoman, age 11, Beckenham

 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.

Student Council News

Wacky Wig and Hair Day - Friday 4th September

Raising funds for the Child Cancer Foundation. 
Glam up your hair and bring a gold coin to donate to the Child Cancer Foundation.


Sports News

Last week Jenny and Sandy received the following email from the Head of Sport at Hillview Christian School, which we felt was most worthy of sharing. Congratulations to all of our great sportspeople who model our school values in their games.

Hi Jenny and Sandy
I just had to write a note to compliment your wonderful tamariki from Beckenham at sport yesterday at Beckenham Park. In the game that I was part of the Beckenham Year 7/8 B Hockey team were outstanding in their behaviour and we were blown away at the end of the game when they came over and talked to us and suggested a Player of the Day from our team. I also had a report that the Year 5/6A Beckenham Hockey team were outstanding in their Fair Play and encouragement. Please pass on our thanks to those teams. We really appreciate the opportunity to play sport locally and Jenny and the Beckenham team do a great job in setting up the fields and making us feel welcome.
Thanks
Paul

Community Notices

(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)


Subsidies for neighbourhood events held between 23 October 2020 and 31 March 2021.
'Summer with your neighbours' is about bringing people together. It's an opportunity to organise a small get-together or local gathering to get to know your neighbours.
The Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board is making small subsidies available towards neighbourhood gatherings in its Board area.
Apply online at: ccc.govt.nz/GetTogether
Or request a hard-copy application form by phoning CCC Call Centre 941 8999.
Applications for subsidies close on 6th September 2020


Friday Whānau Fun Nights at South Library

An evening of stories, family and fun at the library!
Bring the kids, bring the grandparents, or bring your uncle and cousins – the whole whānau is invited!
Join us on the second Friday of the month for a short storytime, followed by fun, hands-on activities to do as a family. We’ll be building, making, and exploring right here in South library! Come along, create some great family memories, and get your weekend off to a fun start.
Friday 14 August 5-6pm (Colour)
Friday 11 September 5-6pm (Bees)
Friday 9 October 5-6pm (Life in the past)
Age: This is aimed at 5-12 year olds and their family members of any age.
Cost: Free, no bookings required





Kahikatea Newsletter, Term 3, Week 4

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Level 2 in Team Kahikatea

Kia ora whānau, 
Thank you for keeping up with all the information coming at short notice to your inboxes. It is a changeable situation so we appreciate that you make time to remain aware of the information school is sharing. The school Facebook page is an excellent way to keep up to date. 
Our hand washing, sanitizing and surface cleaning routines will be stepped back up to the gold standard again, immediately.
Unless it is an emergency, we are asking everyone who is not staff, itinerant teachers or students to stay off site - this means a return to dropping off and picking up at the gate. We will have teachers at the gates to support children to transition into school.

If you do have to come on site for any reason, please visit the office FIRST and sign in using either our digital sign-in register or the paper register. Please ALSO use the national COVID Tracer App to register by scanning a QR code on one of our entry doors. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home.

Assembly will be cancelled, however BOOK CHARACTER DAY on Friday will still go ahead. If you have a meeting booked with a member of staff, they will be in contact with you to either reschedule this, or book it via a ZOOM.
As we did at Alert Level 2 last time, the CSM Outreach music lessons and band program will continue at school, with distancing as required.


Recent Highlights in Team Kahikatea

Wellbeing 
We have spent this week learning about some of the key elements of wellbeing, and practised some new strategies to help us stay well. Teachers used a beautiful range of new books purchased by Anne, our librarian. The books cover the following areas, and children enjoyed reading and then practising the following: 
* Mindfulness - a mindfulness grounding activity, with Charlotte & Lisa
* Yoga - learning some new animal and other poses with Amber and Lisa
* Emotions - discussing and drawing about different emotions with Katie
* Resilience and recovery with Jules


Readathon
We are thrilled to see so many of our tamariki reading everyday and supporting this fundraising event for our PTA. Forms and money are due next Friday 21st August. Thanks so much for your support!
Thanks to all of you who are supporting children with reading and completing their regular book logs. We've had an extra focus on this, with certificates and celebrations for number of books or nights a child reads. The children have shown greater engagement and eagerness to read, which is helping them cement their learning. 


Beckenham's 'Got Talent' Talent Quest 
We have some students who have shown "We Love Challenge" by putting themselves forward to audition a variety of acts for Beckenham's Got Talent. Please check with your children, they can tell you if they are planning to participate in this. 

Star Writing 
The Sea by Hannah 
The sea is very beautiful, but if we put rubbish in the sea the animals will die and they will run out of food. And plants will die too. Then the sea won't be so beautiful. And the worst thing is that animals will also get sick and we do not want that. So we need to save the earth. We are the ones to do it. Let's save the sea and have fun too. The earth can be cared for too. We can try to help the environment and to save our home and our land for you and me. Everyone can help by telling people to do small things and it will make a big difference and soon a lot of people will be helping too. Stop littering so that animals don't have to die and the planet will be in peace. We should tidy up the beaches and planet so that it will be easier to save our home and land for the Earth so that we are safe. We need to be kind to animals.

Discovery - We Get There Together!


























Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 4

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 Kia ora Kōwhai whanau, 

It's been another busy week in our Kōwhai hub. 

Level 2 in Kōwhai Hub. 

Thank you for keeping up with all the information being sent at short notice to your inbox. It is a rapidly changing situation so we appreciate that you remain aware of the information the school is sharing at this time. The school Facebook page is an excellent way to keep up to date. 

Our hand washing, sanitizing and surface cleaning routines will be stepped back up to the gold standard again immediately.We have lots of sanitizer around the school, but if your child needs their own sanitizer, please send it into school with them and let their teacher know. 

Unless it is an emergency, we are asking everyone who are not staff, itinerant teachers or students to stay off site - this means a return to dropping off and picking up at the gate. We will have teachers at the gates to support children to transition into school.

If you do have to come on site for any reason, please visit the office FIRST and sign in using either our digital sign-in register or the paper register. Please ALSO use the national COVID Tracer App to register by scanning a QR code on one of our entry doors.

If your child is unwell, please keep them at home.

Assembly will be cancelled, however BOOK CHARACTER DAY on Friday will still go ahead. We look forward to seeing all the children dressed up as a character from a book in the hub tomorrow. 

If you have a meeting booked with a member of staff, they will be in contact with you to either reschedule this, or book it via a ZOOM.

As we did at Alert Level 2 last time, the CSM Outreach music lessons and band program will continue at school, with distancing as required.

Readathon

We have so many keen readers in Kōwhai - it is great to see! The Readathon forms and money are due back at school next Friday on the 21st of August. 

Maths 

We have started to focus again on Multiplication this week in Maths. Here is a picture of some different ways we are learning to solve Multiplication questions. In the next few weeks we will begin to use our multiplication knowledge to start learning more about Division. 


Beckenham's Got Talent

We have some students who have shown "We love Challenge" by putting themselves forward to audition in a variety of acts for Beckenham's Got Talent. We have been practicing during Discovery time and next week will start some break time practices as well. Auditions will be held in Week 7.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Next week we are starting a new topic focused around Planet Earth and Beyond. We will be learning about Earth and our Solar System. If you or someone you know has a particular interest in this, please contact your child's teacher as we would love you to come into the hub and share some of your expertise. 

We will be ending this area of learning with a visit to the museum "Our Moon' exhibit in early Term 4. More details will come at a later date. 

Nga mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team - Nick, Rowe, Tracey and Laura. 



COVID-19 Alert Level 2 update Tuesday 11 August 2020

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Kia ora e te whānau


Following the Prime Minister's announcement late this evening about the confirmed cases of community transmission of COVID-19 in NZ, we are required to move to Alert Level 2 tomorrow (Wednesday 12th August) and remain at that alert level for the rest of this week.

I have spoken with Ester, our Board Chair this evening and we have synthesised the available information from the various communications from Health, Education and the Prime Minister's messaging.

What this will mean for you and your children tomorrow, and for the rest of this week is:

  • School is open and functioning (pretty much) as normal!
  • The MOE website (updated tonight) states: 
    • It is safe for all children and students to be onsite (some children vulnerable to illness may choose to remain at home).
    • Anyone self-isolating, waiting for a test result or who is ill, must remain at home.
  • Our handwashing, sanitising and surface cleaning routines will be stepped back up to the gold standard again immediately
  • Unless it is an emergency, we are asking everyone who are not staff, itinerant teachers or students to stay off site - this means a return to dropping off and picking up at the gate. We will have teachers at the gates to support children to transition into school.
  • If you do have to come on site for any reason, please visit the office FIRST and sign in using either our digital sign-in register or the paper register. Please ALSO use the national COVID Tracer App to register by scanning a QR code on one of our entry doors.
  • If your child is unwell, please keep them at home.
  • Assembly will be cancelled, however BOOK CHARACTER DAY on Friday will still go ahead.
  • If you have a meeting booked with a member of staff, they will be in contact with you to either reschedule this, or book it via a ZOOM.
  • As we did at Alert Level 2 last time, the CSM Outreach music lessons and band programme will continue at school, with distancing as required.
As always, please keep sick children at home, AND remember to let the office know you are doing this. (We purchased a new cellphone this week for our text messaging so the issues that we have had around receiving text messages from parents last week should now be resolved.)
The school cellphone number is 021 027 94107 or you can email office@beckenham.school.nz

At this stage, there has been no public health message suggesting that we should adopt the wearing of masks. We are aware that New Zealanders have been asked to prepare for this possibility over the past week. We are expecting that this may become a public health recommendation going forward and encourage you to prepare your family for this possibility. 

If you have any questions or worries, please contact us by phone or email and we will respond as quickly as we can.

We've got this!

Sandy and the team