Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 8 Sep 2023

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Next Week

Kapa Haka
Christchurch South Library has invited our Te Whānau Kapa Haka Rōpū to perform as part of their programme of events celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori next week. 

We have a performance slot starting at 5p.m. on Tuesday the 12th. 

We would love to see some of our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto whānau there to support our tamariki.

The performance will last between 15 and 20 minutes and will be a diverse showcase of the waiata and haka that the group has been practising. 

Strum Strike Blow

On Wednesday night Beckenham Ukelele and Recorder students took part in the amazing "Strum, Strike, Blow" performance at the Wolfbrook Arena, along with over 800 other students from Canterbury schools.

A special thanks to those whānau who helped make this a success with transport support for rehearsals, and to Roger and Josie, who have put a lot of time and effort into supporting musical opportunity and talent within our kura.

I will be away at the annual New Zealand Principals' Conference from Monday to Wednesday this coming week. 
Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB: You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Tue 12 Sep - Te Whānau Kapa Haka Performance at Christchurch South Library, 5pm
Wed 13 Sep - Year 5-8 Choir - Music Festival Rehearsal
Wed 13 Sep- Year 8 Student and Parent Evening at Cashmere High, 6-7pm
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 7:30pm - PTA Meeting
Thu 21 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - Final day for PTA Calendar Art orders
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - 1:45pm Beckenham's Got Talent!
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3
Mon 9 Oct - First day of Term 4

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Clara Shaw - Year 4

Clara, the positivity and enthusiasm that you bring to Kōwhai Hub every day is infectious! You are someone who leads by example, displaying our school Kete in all that you do. Your caring nature, sense of humour, and willingness to help out whenever you see a need makes a difference to our hub. Tēnā rawa atu koe Clara, keep shining!

School Notices

Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean up Week; 11th - 15th September 2023

Who wants to be a Plogger?
Plogging is a combination of 'jogging' with 'picking up litter', merging the Swedish verbs 'plocka upp' (pick up) and 'jogga' (jog) gives the new Swedish verb 'plogga', from which the word plogging derives.

Everyone will get a chance to plog next week when it is Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up week.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at lunchtime there will be buckets and tongs available for any and all ākonga and kaimahi (students and staff) who want to plog and get Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto 100% litter free!
See you by the flagpole!

Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori - Māori Language Moment

Te Āo Māori is celebrated and embraced every week within our kura, from waiata to karakia in the mornings, the way our tamariki embrace Mātauranga Māori each day is truly inspiring. Here are some new and exciting opportunities happening at kura, and some ideas for your whānau to explore together.

Tapu Ae!

We have a freshly painted Tapu Ae court in the Parenga/Pūkaki courtyard. Thank you so much to Gayle and Jenny for the organisation. 

This game is a hit with the kids, and relatively easy to teach and learn. 

We are just waiting on the middle path (te ara) to be painted, but the game can definitely still be played on the court as it is. 

Here is a link to a clip about how to play:


Resources

There are many different ways to upskill and embrace learning in ways that suit the way you learn, below are some great resources with different ideas for you and your whānau to explore together. Thanks to Steve for sharing these resources, and Tapu Ae details with us. We Get There Together, and this includes our learning journeys!
A simple yet great resource is Te Aka (The Māori Dictionary), where you can find the translation and meaning of a word by entering it in English or te reo Māori. Te reo Māori is a spoken language, and Te Aka offers a button to hear how a word is pronounced. This is a great way to learn the correct pronunciation of a word if you are unsure. Try it out using our hub, or kura names!


Cashmere High School Q&A Evening 

Please remember to RSVP here if you are a whānau with a Year 8 student headed for Cashmere High School in 2024, and plan to attend the Q&A session with CHS Principal, Joe Eccleton.

If you have any queries please contact Bianca Edmonds, Principal's PA - pa@cashmere.school.nz

Staff Profiles

Nau mai haere mai ki te Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto kaimahi... Anita Baker

We have welcomed another new face to our Beckenham Staff, and we are very excited to introduce Anita Baker who joins us on our Teaching Assistant team, supporting ākonga across our kura.


I’m Anita, a mum of 2 young boys. I love running, baking, coffee, and keeping fit. I’m looking forward to supporting the kids at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.

Sports News

School Duathlon Results

All children who participated in our school duathlon deserve to be very proud of their achievements. The course is a test of endurance and requires competitors to show perseverance and a love of challenge. It was really impressive to see how competitors supported and encouraged each other throughout the race. 

Year 5 Champions: Ben Stoney and Laura Stoney 

Year 6 Champions: Lily Miller and Kawa Taylor

Year 7 Champions: Jack Sayer and Isabella Guise

Year 8 Champions: Ella Coleman and Cahlen Stace

Canterbury Duathlon

On Monday, a group of children represented our kura at the Canterbury Duathlon. This course is even more challenging than the school duathlon with a 3km run and a bike of up to 9 km. The highlight for many is riding their bike along the Ruapuna Raceway.

I think this might have been our most successful Canterbury Duathlon yet!

For context, there are around 100 competitors in each race. We are super proud of all our competitors. Here are the results from the top 30. 

Lily Miller - 1st in Year 6 girls
Ben Stoney - 4th in Year 5 open
Laura Stoney - 6th in Year 5 girls
Izzy Clarke - 15th in Year 5 girls
Ella Coleman - 16th in Year 8 girls
Zach Guise - 20th in Year 5 open
Isabella Guise - 20th in Year 6 girls
Annabelle Smith - 21st in Year 7 girls
Kawariki Taylor - 26th in Year 6 open

Huxter Mountain Bike Relay Race


This event has been a very popular event in previous years for children who love biking. It is open to Year 5 to 8 children. Transport to this event and supervision during the event needs to be organised by caregivers. There will not be a teacher from kura at this event. 

If you wish for your child to be entered in this event, please fill out the following form linked here. The entry fee of  $25 for a team or $15 for an individual needs to be paid to the office upon registering your child.

PTA News

Readathon Fundraiser

A big thank you to everyone for the fabulous reading, costumes, and support for the annual Readathon.  We raised a magnificent $5160!  We will be able to buy lots of new books for the library, as well as some new games for the hubs. 

Upcoming Events

Don’t forget the Community Picnic, on Friday 24th November from 5pm.  We’ll have a Sausage Sizzle, Bouncy Castle, and ice blocks.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

The Weetbix TRYathlon is coming around again and we have created a School Group. Click on this link to join the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto group when you enter the TRYathlon.  You can also join our School Group, without the link, by using the School Group search functionality when entering online.


Notes from the organisers:
Sign up now for the OPENING WEEK SPECIAL, be sure you use the code ‘GIVEITATRY’ to unlock this VERY SPECIAL $25 discounted price. Limited entries, ONLY 100 entries per event at this price will be available so make sure you get in quick!

If someone you know requires financial assistance to enter the TRYathlon, should it be subsidised entry fees or funding for necessary equipment, then you can apply to the Weet-Bix TRYathlon Foundation for assistance. Visit www.tryathlon.co.nz/foundation for details.

BOT Update

Please note the next Board of Trustees meeting date has changed from Wednesday the 20th September, to Thursday the 21st of September. To be held in the Staff Room at 5:30p.m.

Community Notices

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


Cashmere High School Music presents Off to Oz a farewell concert for the Music tour to Sydney.

Tickets available from eventbrite

Kōwhai News Term 3 Week 7

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Kia ora whānau,

It has been another busy fortnight in the Kōwhai Team.


Keeping Ourselves Safe

Over the last two weeks, most homegroups have had a Keeping Ourselves Safe lesson with Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer. The children were excited to see a police officer in the hub and had many questions for her.

Our current Keeping Ourselves Safe focuses are:

Focus area 2: My body is my own, Nōku tōku tinana 

In this focus area, students learn the names of body parts and that no one should touch their genitals unless it is for health reasons. They consider touch that they like, touch that hurts and touch that is confusing. 

Focus area 3: Unwanted behaviour and touch, Kore e hiahiatia te whanonga me te pā kino

In this focus area, students learn about saying “no” confidently, moving away, and reporting what has happened to an adult they trust. They also learn the difference between good secrets and bad secrets.

Balloon Racers

The children have been busy using the design process to plan and construct balloon-powered racing cars. Here are the steps of the design process that the children are following:
  1. Define the problem/need.
  2. Research your problem and come up with ideas you have for solving it. 
  3. Create a prototype. 
  4. Trial and improve the prototype.
  5. Reflect.
Here are some photos of their progress:





Reading Books

If your child is in a reading group that takes a reading book home, please support them to return their book to school on time. One easy way to help with this at home is to coach your child to always put their reading folder and book back in their bag as soon as they have finished reading their book. This way their book should always come back to school. Thanks for your support in this.


Positive Behaviour For Learning - Friendship

As part of our Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) programme, the children learn different strategies for maintaining positive behaviour, improving their well-being and increasing their educational achievement.

We have a different PB4L focus each week. This week's focus has been on friendship. As part of this, the children have been learning about what a good friend looks like, sounds like and feels like.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai Team

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3 Week 7

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 In this post:

  • Ski trip
  • Choice 
  • Playground
  • Save the Date Year 8
  • Passions

Ski Trip

A huge thanks to our fabulous parent crew who supported all of our tamariki to have a fabulous day on the snow. Despite the soggy start at school, we were greeted by calm blue skies when we arrived. The children were fabulous. They followed all of the instructions that were drilled into them before we left, enabling the day to flow smoothly. So many children made so much progress; we were super proud of their achievements and attitude. We have a huge collection of photos which the children can access from home to show you. The media team are also working on a video which we will share soon. 



Choice

This week each homeroom had two sessions with Constable Meg as part of our teaching and learning around making positive choices around drug use. The children have been learning about the different levels of harm that can be caused by drug abuse and the laws and regulations that exist in our country. The children approached this learning with maturity and posed lots of questions for Constable Meg to answer. Constable Meg encouraged the children to talk openly about what they had been learning with whānau.

Another key message from Constable Meg was about how to react if friends were doing something that they felt was unsafe or could become unsafe: get yourself away from the situation. We know that as children enter their preeteen and teenage years, the perception of what your peers think of you has a huge impact on behaviour and that walking away from your friends takes a lot of courage. We thought we would share a useful strategy with you that you can set up with your child to help them make positive choices when with their friends. How it works is that you agree upon a code word between you and your child. This could be anything from 'bananas' to just an 'x'. If your child is ever in a situation where they feel uncomfortable, they text you the code word. On receiving this text, the parent calls their child and says that they need to pick them up and bring them home. The child can outwardly express their disappointment or frustration about this and save face in front of their friends. We thought that this was a strategy that might come in handy at some point during your child's journey into adulthood. 

Playground

Happy first day of Spring! We have been loving this wonderful weather this week and want to make a special mention of all the great lunchtime activities that have been happening. Many students have been playing football with the younger kids and lots of Koru games practises have been happening. We'd love to see this enthusiasm for active play continue. 







Save the Date Year 8

If your child is off to Cashmere High next year, you will want to mark the evening of Wednesday, September 13th from 6pm in your diary. That is the evening that Beckenham Whānau are invited to Cahsmere High to meet with the principal and have your questions answered. More details will be coming to you directly from Cashmere.


Passions

We are fully into the swing of our Friday afternoon passions for Term 3. It has been wonderful having Kate Allan come in to take a coding passion. Here are some photos from our 'paper mache clocks' and 'clay' passions. Lots of wonderful learning and fun being had! 









Kahikatea News Week 7 Term 3

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Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to Spring! It has been wonderful to have warmer days and to see the sun shining this week!


Keeping Ourselves Safe

This week Kahikatea students have learned about:

Unwanted Behaviour or Touch

  • Students need to know that they can stop touching or behaviour that is inappropriate, that worries or confuses them, or makes them feel unsafe.
  • Students need to be able to say “no” confidently, move away, and report what has happened.

Secrets and Tricks

  • Identify the difference between good surprises and bad secrets
  • Identify the adults they trust about bad secrets
  • Explain safe practices for trick situations, including online.
This Brian and Bobby video has been a really helpful resource for our tamariki.

Last week during our lessons with Constable Meg we all watched this video about Consent (link). We encourage you to watch this too when you have time.

Word of the Week: Friendship

This week we have been learning about friendships and practicing being a good friend. Good friends have several common character traits. By intentionally practicing these qualities, you can help your child learn to be a better friend. 

Here are some friendly character traits you can work on:
  • Taking turns
  • Offering encouragement
  • Sharing
  • Being patient
  • Including others

Mathematics

This week teachers have been completing the JAM test (Junior Asssessment for Maths) so classes have been combined. Some of the topics we have covered during this time include Skip Counting, Time, and Mathematical Art.

Here are some photos of our tamariki enjoying some different maths this week:















Chess Fun! 

Every morning a group of Kahikatea students gather in the nook to play games of chess. Anyone is welcome to play and we encourage those of you whose children like to play or would like to learn how to play chess to check out this cool link: ChessPlus


We hope you are having an enjoyable weekend.

Team Kahikatea



Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 1 Sep 2023

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Looking ahead to 2024...


It is that time of the year when we are thinking about the needs of our school for 2024. Our roll determines our staffing, so, like every school, we need to have as much clarity around our numbers as possible.
If you currently have a child in Year 6, please fill out this survey so that we know about your intentions for your child for 2024. We expect that most Year 6 children will be returning, and we do ask that ALL Year 6 families fill this survey out.

Enrolling pre-schoolers for next year...!

If you have a pre-schooler in your home, it is never too early to get them enrolled! We are very happy to hold your child's enrolment in our system well in advance as this ensures that we are planning with the best possible information about our predicted numbers.
Please see Jacky or Reihana in the office for an enrolment form, or download an enrolment form from our website.


Please pass this on to anyone with a 3-4 year old in our neighbourhood... we are working on our staffing for 2024 and we really do need to know who to expect!

Ask them to contact our office for an enrolment form - office@beckenham.school.nz
or download an enrolment form from our website.

Relief Teachers

If you know a fabulous teacher who may be interested in becoming a Preferred Reliever at our school, please have them check out the vacancies information on our website. 

We are always looking for quality relievers to add to our relievers list. For any information or pātai (questions) on this process, please email Reihana: reihana.dougherty@beckenham.school.nz

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

NB: You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.

Wed 6 Sep - Strum Strike Blow - Wolfbrook Arena, 7:00pm - 8:15pm
Fri 8 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 8 Sep - PTA Calendar Art order forms sent home
Wed 13 Sep - Year 5-8 Choir - Music Festival Rehearsal
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - Final day for PTA Calendar Art orders
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - 1:45pm Beckenham's Got Talent!
Fri 22 Sep - Final day of Term 3

Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates

Citizen of the Week

Abigail Blencowe - Year 6

Abie, thank you for being such a caring and conscientious team member. You take pride in your school work and quietly go about the business of making a positive difference to our team through your actions. You show integrity in all that you do. We notice this, and we appreciate it - and you - very much. Kei runga noa atu koe!

School Notices

Head Lice

We have had a few instances of head lice reported across different hubs.  Please check your children for evidence of head lice and treat them accordingly.  
If you are unsure of how to check and treat for head lice please contact Zoom Pharmacy on 0508 966 622, zoompharmacy.co.nz/mas or mas@zoompharmacy.co.nz.  This service is free both for consultation and for some medications, including head lice.

Kauri Speech Competition

In an enriching term of speech crafting, children in the Kauri hub have written captivating speeches that have enthralled us all. Last week we had our speech finals, held in front of whānau and the entire hub. It was great to hear so many wonderfully diverse and articulate speeches. Securing victory for year 8 was Christopher McCracken-Shannon, followed by Cian Scott and Ella Coleman. In year 7, Harriet Parawa emerged as the winner, with Finn Brietmeyer and Bobby MacDonald in second and third respectively. A huge thank you to our judges, Jo Smith, and Lucy, a former Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto student. Congratulations to all the speech finalists and a big thank you for all the effort Kauri students put into writing their speeches.

Year 7/8 Ski Trip

Our ski day had a rather damp start as we gathered in the school car park in driving rain at 5:50 am on Monday. We reached the Mt Hutt car park two hours later under a brilliant blue sky and surrounded by sparkling snow. It was going to be a great day! The children whisked through ski hire and into their two-hour lessons. Their perseverance and great listening paid off. By 11 am they were armed with the skills they needed to go it alone. It was a day of digging deep, embracing challenge and reaping the benefits. Lots of fun was had skiing with friends, being guided down new slopes by our wonderful adult team of helpers and simply enjoying the ambience of being in the mountains. By 4pm everyone was bundled into buses and cars for the journey home, where stories were shared and a bit of napping took place. It was an awesome day and we can't wait to do it all again next year!

Staff Profiles

Introducing Laura Cortes

We have been incredibly fortunate to have Laura join the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto kaimahi this term, as a Teaching Assistant, supporting our tamariki across the school.    

A bit about Laura... "I'm Colombian, a nature lover, avid dancer, and traveler. Media producer by profession, plus 5 years working as a Learning Assistant. Excited to join this school and city, ready to share my passions and skills."

Community Notices

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