Kōwhai News Week 1 Term 2

Posted on by
Welcome back, everyone!

We are really looking forward to seeing the children on Monday and hearing all about their amazing adventures over the past two weeks.

This term we welcome Dorinda to our teaching team. She is super excited to be working full time with our tamariki and we are so pleased to have her incredible talents at our disposal! Our home groups are all beginning in new spaces this term so the children and teachers have an appreciation of the areas in our learning space.
Kate- The Breakout Room
Rowe-Nook
Nick-Gallery
Dorinda- Atrium

What's on this term?

This term we will be learning about inventions and what it means to be innovative. We have some really cool learning experiences for the children to explore these ideas and we will also integrate this into our Literacy programme.

Reading

This term, children reading Level 20 and below will continue to have a guided reading session every day with their teacher and will take home a browsing book for reading fluency each night.

Children reading above Level 20, will be asked to have a chapter book that they can comfortably read and for enjoyment. If your child is reading a chapter book at home, please send this to school on Monday in their book bag. Each day after morning tea, the children will DROP and READ for 15minutes. This will also be the book they will read at home at night for 15-20 minutes.
We would encourage you to discuss what your child had read to you to ensure they understand any new vocabulary and to monitor they are comprehending what they are reading. Continuing to read to your child is invaluable!

School Photos

Apologies, in the madness of packing up the hub in preparation for getting the carpets cleaned, the school photos didn't get sent home. These will come home with your child on MONDAY and will be found in their book folder. Please make sure your child has their book folder at school.

Swimming

THANK-YOU to all the wonderful parents who have kindly offered their support at our swimming lessons. Rowe and Kate are taking over the organisation of this and will be in touch to confirm the days that you are needed. We only need one more parent for Wednesday 22nd May. If you can help, please fill in this form.

XCountry

We have our school cross country on Monday 6th May. Our start times are at approximately Year 3- 2.15pm and Year 4 - 2.20pm. We do need the help of some parents on the day to be course marshalls. If you are able to help us, please fill in this google form ASAP so we can ensure the safety of the children on the day. On Monday, we will walk the children around the course so they know where to go.  Here is the map of the route they will run for your reference.
The track is as follows:

  • Start at the cricket pavilion facing school
  • Run towards school
  • Turn right to run parallel alongside school
  • Turn right to run away from school running in front of the tennis courts
  • Turn right to run along the back fence behind the row of trees.
  • Turn right to join the gravel path that runs in front of the cricket pavilion.
  • Stay on the gravel path and follow it along the ponds and back up to the school for a second lap of the park.
  • Turn right and run behind the tennis courts.
  • Turn right to run along the back fence behind the row of trees.
  • Turn right to join the gravel path that runs in front of the cricket pavilion.
  • Turn right, guided by the cones into the finishing shoot.
  • After crossing the finish line stay in order and line up at your year group’s
Reminder from school newsletter 12 April
Early closing - Tuesday 7th May
As you may be aware, the negotiations between our teachers' union, NZEI, and the Ministry of Education continue with no agreement yet in sight. We are hosting a paid union meeting at Beckenham on Tuesday 7th May (replacing the meeting that was cancelled last term following March 15th events). We will be closing at 1:45pm on that day and request that you arrange for your children to be collected at 1:45pm, please.

That's all for now! Have a wonderful week ahead

Kōwhai Teaching Team

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 2 ready to go!

Posted on by
We hope you have had an enjoyable two weeks and that everyone has recovered from camp. The teaching team has had a chance to catch our breath and we are enthused for another great term of learning, creativity and adventure.

Fundraising for Camp and Show Quest

Last term we postponed our Kiwiana Bingo Night following the Friday attacks. This is now going ahead in on Saturday May 18th. Click this link now to book your tickets for what promises to be an entertaining evening full of laughs and bingo fun. We also need your help to put this night together. Please click this link if you are able to help Leigh and her team. 
Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to camp and once we have reached the camp target of $2000, the rest will go towards Show Quest fees.


Sport

Cross Country

Our school cross country is coming up on Monday of week 2, May 6th. We need parent helpers for this event. Please fill in this form if you can help.

Winter Sport

Weekly winter sport gets underway on Friday May 17th. We now have enough coaches. Many thanks to those of you who will be working with our children and making winter sport possible. Teams will be sorted in the first couple of weeks and then more information will be shared with you.

Basketball

We have two teams entered in the Monday after school basketball competition at Pioneer Stadium. Those involved would have received an email about this earlier today.

Passion help on Thursday afternoons


ShowQuest

During term 1, the dance passion group conceptualised and choreographed our ShowQuest performance and presented their work to the Kauri team. The children made choices on the parts of the dance that they wanted to be involved in and rehearsals started in the last few weeks of term.

The dance portrays themes of diversity and acceptance as it tells the story of a girl who experiences exclusion and cyberbullying. The dance is divided into four sections: the chair dance, cyberbullying scene, removing labels and the finale. All children are on stage in the last part of the finale.

All children are involved in this performance and need to be available all day and into the evening on Tuesday, May 21st. Please check below for your child's costume requirements. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketech.

Please see the following list for the costume requirements for your child. Let us know if you need support sourcing any of these things.

  • The Chair Dance - School uniform (red polo shirt, black shorts or leggings). 
  • Teacher (Jain) - Knee length skirt, shirt or blouse, tights, black shoes.
  • Cyber Bullying scene - Girls: black singlet and black leggings. We are providing a white skirt. Boys: white t-shirt and black shorts. Dance slippers or toe savers are preferred.
  • Removing labels - Black long sleeved top and black leggings, shorts or trousers. Children will be barefoot.
  • Finale - School uniform (red polo shirt, black shorts or leggings). 

Technology

Technology starts up again on Tuesday. Please remember that children need to be at school by 8:30am. Classes are outlined below.
Group A moves from Digitech to Fabric Tech
Group B moves from Fabric to Food Tech
Group C moves from Food Tech to Hard Materials
Group D moves from Hard Materials to Bio Tech
Group E moves from Biotech to Digitech.

Camp

No doubt your child would have returned from camp rather tired and with heaps of stories to share. We had a fabulous week away, full of challenges, new experiences and fun. A huge thanks to all of the parents who helped with camp, from the hard-working camp parents to those who helped prepare meals. We have laid out all of the lost property and baking containers in our maker-space. Feel free to pop in before school and collect what belongs to you. Over the next month, we will be putting together a camp photo-book, including descriptive writing from some of the children.  These will be made through Snapfish and will cost around $25. When the children fill in their camp feedback form (on google classroom now if they would like to do this), they will indicate if your family would like to order a photo-book.

Key Dates for Kauri

May 6     Cross country
May 7     School closes early for a teacher union meeting
May 13   Monday weekly basketball competition at Pioneer Stadium begins
May 14   Zone cross country
May 17   Winter sport starts
May 18   Comedy bingo fundraiser
May 20   Staff only day
May 21   Showquest, all day and evening at the Town Hall
June 11   Learning conferences, early finish
June 13   Learning conferences, early finish
June 18   Choir performance evening at Hillview School
June 19   Choir performance evening at Hillview School

A few camp photos ...












Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Friday 12th April 2019

Posted on by

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

An extra and brief newsletter today as it is the end of the term.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Year 7/8 camp at Wainui this week. The teachers have put weeks of planning into this and I want to acknowledge their huge efforts. Thank you also to all the parents and whānau who supported with baking, fundraising, attending camp and various other activities. I know that a terrific week of learning about stretching personal expectations and limits took place, with learning about the power of persistence, determination and self-belief were key learning outcomes for many. I am sure that there are around 125 extremely tired adults and children this evening, glad to be home again.

Early closing - Tuesday 7th May

As you may be aware, the negotiations between our teachers' union, NZEI, and the Ministry of Education continue with no agreement yet in sight. We are hosting a paid union meeting at Beckenham on Tuesday 7th May (replacing the meeting that was cancelled last term following March 15th events). We will be closing at 1:45pm on that day and request that you arrange for your children to be collected at 1:45pm, please.

It has been a very busy term, and I would like to thank both staff and whānau for their support and commitment to our children and their learning. I know that staff and children, and hopefully families too, are looking forward to the holidays to recharge and relax.

I am heading away on May 3rd and will be away for 8 weeks. On my return to NZ I will be attending the NZPF conference in Auckland in the last week of Term 2, and look forward to being back on site again in Term 3.

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Fri 3 May - New Whānau Morning tea, 8:45 - 9:15am, in the hall foyer.
Fri 3 May - Welcome Assembly for new families - 9:15 - 9:30, in the school hall
Mon 6 May - School Cross Country in the afternoon. This is the correct date - not as stated in the last newsletter as the 8th May.
Tue 7 May - school closing at 1:45pm for Paid Union Meeting
Fri 10 May - Celebration Assembly.  12:10 - 12:40pm.  Everyone Welcome.
Thu 16 May - BOT meeting, 5:30 - 7:30pm

Note that school will be CLOSED on both Monday 20th May and Monday 12th August for Teacher Only Days

Term Dates

Click here to view 2019 term dates.

School Notices

Measles

Increasing tamariki vaccination rates is crucial to containing Canterbury’s measles outbreak.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink says the upcoming school holidays is a great opportunity to ensure vaccinations are up-to-date.

The most effective way to stop the current measles outbreak is to vaccinate those aged 12 months to 28 years who have never received an MMR vaccine.

As well as vaccinating those who have never been immunised, to prevent the transmission of measles, and to protect those most at risk of developing serious complications from measles, a second MMR vaccine is being made available to more people. A second MMR vaccination is available to:
all those aged 12 months–28 years
caregivers of infants aged up to12months
those aged between 29 and 50 who work with children
Dr Pink says if you are travelling these holiday’s please make sure your tamariki are fully vaccinated before departing.

For more information visit https://www.cph.co.nz/news-events/

Football Goal Posts in Beckenham Park

The local football club has erected goal posts in Beckenham Park.  We have been contacted by the Club with a plea that these are not treated as climbing frames.  One of them has a net - these cost over $300 to replace - and should not be pulled/bounced off like a trampoline or other similar actions likely to cause damage.
The goals are quite obviously not a piece of play equipment so please do not use them as such.

Sports News

Huxter Mountain Bike Relay 


On Friday 4th April, 22 children from Pōhutukawa and Kauri battled the elements at McLean’s Island in a fantastic display of perseverance and determination. Despite the challenging conditions, there were lots of smiles visible from beneath the mud.


Erik was just telling us just yesterday that rain and mud made for more fun; well, he got his wish! Tino pai to all our riders! Congratulations to Ben Evans who achieved an impressive 6th place in the individual category.


Canterbury Swimming

We had a record number of children qualify for Canterbury Swimming this year. We recognise that these children put in a lot of work into their training outside of school.

Congratulations to:
Zoe Clarke - 6th place Year 6 Freestyle
Charlotte O’Connor - 6th place Year 8 Breaststroke
Thomas Lyall - 5th place Year 7 Backstroke

BOT Update

Trustee Elections are happening in Term 2. Have you considered putting your name forward for election to the Board?

Becoming a Trustee


Trustees 
Trustees are active leaders in our schools. They have an important role of supporting strong professional leadership and ensuring effective teaching for all students through informed governance.

Parents/caregivers and people in the wider community can be school trustees. School boards need to represent the diversity of their school communities to ensure a bright future for all our children.

The trustee elections are the opportunity to vote for candidates who will make a positive difference for children’s education. We need more people willing to use their skills and experiences for the benefit of students!

"Board members are entrusted by the community to ensure the success of our schools and a bright future for our children. We need an education system where all children are expected to succeed and one where we all take shared responsibility in ensuring this happens. As a member of a school board, you can make things happen - you can make a difference."

- Lorraine Kerr, NZSTA President

A call for nominations will be happening at the start of Term 2. Please keep an eye out for nomination forms and information.

Community Notices

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

St Martins Scout Group Book Fair and Table Top Sale

Sat & Sun 27-28 April, 9am-3pm
297 Centaurus Road (near Rapaki)
We would LOVE your book donations before the sale - please drop off on the top door step of the den or email cubs@smartscouts.co.nz if you are unable to deliver them.
Please also email cubs@smartscouts.co.nz if you are keen to book a site for the Table Top Sale (byo 3x3m max gazebo if needed and table). $20 for one day, $30 for two days.

Landsdowne Terrace Playcentre

Landsdowne Terrace Playcentre, Cashmere is looking for a learning support worker to provide additional support for one of our tamariki and whānau. The position is for two sessions per week, 9-12 a.m, days negotiable, fixed term for 6 months. The ideal candidate will:
❖ demonstrate a strong interest in Playcentre philosophy
❖ be familiar with Te Whariki and committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
❖ have experience working with tamariki with specific language, social communication, learning and behavioural difficulties.
❖ be able to collaborate with whānau, centre members and external agencies as required to develop and implement an individual education plan for each child
❖ educate and empower other centre members

Contact Sara Moore on 930 0436 or email sara.csc@playcentre.org.nz for an application form.




Kōwhai News Week 10 Term 1

Posted on by



Hi everyone, 
It's hard to believe that the term has come to an end. We have really enjoyed getting to know all our families over the past few weeks and have been impressed with the way the children are learning and working together in our hub. We hope you all have a great two-week break and an enjoyable and safe Easter. Apologies, for not handing out our school photos this afternoon. We were busy packing up the hub as our carpets are being cleaned. If you desperately want/need your photo during the holidays, please contact Paulette and she will attempt to arrange to get to you or sharing them with you.



Welcome to Dorinda
We are really lucky and excited to have Dorinda Hampton joining our team next term while Paulette is acting DP in Sandy's absence. Dorinda brings a wealth of knowledge and skill and we feel very lucky to have her teaching full time in Kōwhai. The children are looking forward to having her work with them too, especially the ones she taught last year.
Choir
Today the Kōwhai choir performed at the school Celebration Assembly. We were impressed with how well they performed as many of the children were extremely nervous with performing in front of an audience. We are aware that many of our parents work, so here are some videos of the children singing. A huge thank you to Dorinda for providing this opportunity for our tamariki. She came in especially today to conduct their performance.




Swimming
As you will have read, we have our swimming lessons next term at Aqua Gym. So far we have only had 8 responses from parents offering to assist us. We still need more parent help for our mornings at the pool to enable us to go. If you are able to assist, please use this google form to let us know what days you can help us. Thank you so much!

Passion Time
Each Friday, we offer the children the opportunity to pursue some 'Passions'. Next term the children have been offered the choices of Te Reo extension, French, German, Sport, Paper Crafts, Thorrington Rest Home and Robotics. If you would like to come along and take a small group of children for a Passion, we would love to hear from you. Next term, our Passions Time will be each Friday from 9.30am-10.30am. 

Mini ball
A HUGE thank you to Jamie Day, Dean Ingils and Nigel Easson for giving their time to coach mini ball teams this term. The children have absolutely loved this opportunity to play mini ball and it has been wonderful to see their skills grow over the course of the term. We will offer mini ball again in Term 4 so keep an eye out in Term 3 for mini ball information. 
FYI_ Please make sure you return your child's mini ball shirt to the school office next term.

Well, that's all for now.  See you all in two weeks time!
Kōwhai teaching team



Term 1 Week 10 Koru News

Posted on by
Kia ora, whānau,

It's almost impossible to believe that here we are in the final week of term! The children have had a marvellous term together, getting to know each other, their teachers and developing their understanding of our routines and expectations in relation to play and learning at school.

We wish you all the very best for a relaxing and safe holiday with your families. Further on toward the end of this post, you will find some links to Youtube clips which might be fun to use with your children at home over the next few weeks. Some clips relate to Numeracy, some to Literacy and we'll also have a couple of links to songs about kindness and well-being.

Art Gallery outing:
Thank you so much to those parents who were able to accompany us to the Art Gallery recently. We really appreciated your support. The children had a wonderful time and have enjoyed completing their art works in class over recent days. Check out our very own gallery of art works on display in the hub.




















Once again, our sincere thanks for your support with this outing!

The Three Billy Goats Gruff:
This has proven to be a motivating and inspiring provocation over the past two weeks, and has prompted much role play, creativity, and some very inspired bridge building. The children have worked together and problem-solved, and this has required negotiation and persistence to achieve some fascinating outcomes.










When We Were Very Young:
Thank you all for sending in the extremely cute and endearing photos of your children when they were little. The children are currently engaged in writing about themselves when they were young, including the funny, cute and adventurous things they used to do. Keep an eye out for their published writing from this week.
Also, a reminder that Friday is favourite baby toy day. The children will have a chance to share their toys and tell their friends about why this particular toy became their favourite. You could help at home by discussing this with your child, in advance of Friday.

Friendship List:
Please add a tick beside your child's name if you would like other families to have your contact details, particularly for organising play dates over the holidays. We'll have a list attached to the whiteboard tomorrow, and will be sending contact details home with the children on Friday.

Handy Links for holiday learning:


We hope you have a great holiday, everyone!

Ngā mihi mahana,
Jo, Stacey, Elizabeth and Kristika