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Kōwhai News Week 4 Term 1
Welcome to week 4! It is hard to believe that we are nearly halfwayay through the term already.
Here is the latest news from Kōwhai team.
On Tuesday 12th March, Sport Canterbury is coming to school to run a Top Team Event with the children in our team.
Thank you to those parents who have already offered your assistance on for this morning event (9-11am). We still need the help of another 6-8 parents to enable this event to happen. If you are able to help please let your home group teacher know by Wednesday 6th March.
This past week has seen us beginning or formal reading programme. We have worked in pairs for this which currently has Kate and Rowe's home groups working together and Paulette and Nick's home groups teaming up. This is enabling us to target the needs of the children much more effectively.
If your child is reading Level 21 (gold) or below, then they should be bringing a reading book home each day to read. This book will be one they already know, with the aim to develop their reading fluency.
Library Each teacher is taking their reading group to the library each week and we are encouraging the children to issue a chapter book to read at school or home.
During literacy, we have had a focus on using figurative language to 'show' not 'tell' the reader. We designed our own 'wild self' using this website and the children wrote character descriptions to vividly describe the character they created. We were highly impressed with the quality of the language the children were using.
This week, we have focused on writing poems using our senses to describe an emotion. Some of these will be displayed in the hub for your viewing. We will try and post some to the blog for you to see they types of poems the children have created too. This coming week, we are carrying on with our exploration in the use of figurative language by describing an unusual food.
We have been working in our DMIC maths groups over the past to weeks. Our focus has been around having robust discussions and challenging people's thinking when they are solving a problem by asking questions like: "How do you know this is the correct answer?" "Is there another way you can solve this problem" "How did you get this number?" We have been working hard to establish our norms on how we can effectively and collaboratively solve a maths problem.
The children have been working in pairs to solve number problems that involve adding. It has been great to see the children asking for more challenging problems! Here is an example of the types of problems that we have been solving.
French
Hungarian
Green Thumbs
Coding
Thorrington Resthome
Origami
Our Passions Time, runs from 11am-12pm each Friday. It was great to see the children on Friday having fun in their first session.
Here is the latest news from Kōwhai team.
TOP TEAM EVENT- PARENT HELP STILL NEEDED
On Tuesday 12th March, Sport Canterbury is coming to school to run a Top Team Event with the children in our team. Thank you to those parents who have already offered your assistance on for this morning event (9-11am). We still need the help of another 6-8 parents to enable this event to happen. If you are able to help please let your home group teacher know by Wednesday 6th March.
READING
This past week has seen us beginning or formal reading programme. We have worked in pairs for this which currently has Kate and Rowe's home groups working together and Paulette and Nick's home groups teaming up. This is enabling us to target the needs of the children much more effectively.
If your child is reading Level 21 (gold) or below, then they should be bringing a reading book home each day to read. This book will be one they already know, with the aim to develop their reading fluency.
Library Each teacher is taking their reading group to the library each week and we are encouraging the children to issue a chapter book to read at school or home.
WRITING
During literacy, we have had a focus on using figurative language to 'show' not 'tell' the reader. We designed our own 'wild self' using this website and the children wrote character descriptions to vividly describe the character they created. We were highly impressed with the quality of the language the children were using.
This week, we have focused on writing poems using our senses to describe an emotion. Some of these will be displayed in the hub for your viewing. We will try and post some to the blog for you to see they types of poems the children have created too. This coming week, we are carrying on with our exploration in the use of figurative language by describing an unusual food.
DMIC- Maths
We have been working in our DMIC maths groups over the past to weeks. Our focus has been around having robust discussions and challenging people's thinking when they are solving a problem by asking questions like: "How do you know this is the correct answer?" "Is there another way you can solve this problem" "How did you get this number?" We have been working hard to establish our norms on how we can effectively and collaboratively solve a maths problem.
The children have been working in pairs to solve number problems that involve adding. It has been great to see the children asking for more challenging problems! Here is an example of the types of problems that we have been solving.
Levi is making a lego ship. He needs 237 red lego bricks for the ship and 37 pieces of black lego for the cannons and 84 white bricks for the control room. How many pieces would have been used in total?
PASSIONS
To enable our children in Kōwhai team to have agency with their learning, each Friday they have been able to select a passion to pursue. This term the children have been given these options:French
Hungarian
Green Thumbs
Coding
Thorrington Resthome
Origami
Our Passions Time, runs from 11am-12pm each Friday. It was great to see the children on Friday having fun in their first session.
Gardening Gloves and Newspapers Wanted
Kate would love for the children in her group to bring along some gardening gloves for her sessions with the children. If you have any gardening gloves that you would like to donate to her Green Thumbs group she would love to hear from you! Also if they have any spare seedlings or pots, they are very much welcomed too.
She is also on the hunt for any old newspapers from home. If you have any spares please feel free to send them to school.
25th March - Art gallery trip (9am-2.30pm, Kate and Rowe's home Group)
26th March - Art gallery Trip (9am-2.30pm, Paulette and Nick's Home Group)
That's all for now
Kōwhai teaching team
Up and Coming Dates:
12th March - Top Team Event (9-11am, at school)25th March - Art gallery trip (9am-2.30pm, Kate and Rowe's home Group)
26th March - Art gallery Trip (9am-2.30pm, Paulette and Nick's Home Group)
That's all for now
Kōwhai teaching team
Term 1 Weeks 3 and 4 in Pōhutukawa
Swimming Sports
Congratulations to all of our students who entered the school swimming sports which was held at Wharenui Pool. For our Year 5 children it was the first time they have been eligible to enter a senior school event, and we were impressed with the number of students who took up the challenge.
Good luck to the swimmers who have qualified for the zones swimming sports being held on Thursday 14 March at Jellie Park.
Pitch Perfect
On Friday all of those Pōhutukawa children who were interested in joining the Pōhutukawa Pitch Perfect choir were given a letter, with a slip at the bottom which needs to be signed and returned to Katie. Please speak with your child and ensure that they are aware that joining the choir requires commitment. Choir members will need to attend regular practices during school time, as well as be available for performances in and outside of school time. The Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival requires confirmation of the number of children who will be participating from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. The music festival is on during the week of 5th - 8th November. We will perform on one night during this week - date to be confirmed.
Duathlon
Our school duathon is on the afternoon of Tuesday the 5th of March (this Tuesday). This is an optional event and an awesome opportunity for the children to show our school kete value ‘We love challenge’. House points are awarded to all competitors in recognition of their participation.
The course will be the same as in previous years. The children run a lap of the park, followed by a lap of the block, (Eastern Terrace, Fisher Avenue, Norwood Street). They then collect their bike from the Norwood Street side of the park and follow a serpentine course in Beckenham Park. Year 5 and 6s do one lap of the bike course, while Year 7 and 8s do two laps. After completing the bike course, the children leave their bike at the Norwood park entrance and run the block in the opposite direction, finishing back in the park. At no point do the children need to cross a road.
Before the race, we do a course walk with all competitors and we have lots of marshals on course to support the children in knowing where to go. If you are able to support us by being a marshal on the day, please email me at jenny.diggle@beckenham.school.nz.
Cool Curriculum Classes (CCC programme)
Last week we began our CCC programme. Each teacher is covering a different curriculum area, teaching a half hour lesson to every class once a week. Each class will have seven lessons for each curriculum area over the term. This term the coverage is:
Katie - drama
Rae - coding
Steve - music
Gayle - physical education (touch rugby)
Tracy - library
Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Week 5 Term 1
Week 4 is done and we have five weeks until we are off to Wainui! Next week is our leadership week. Today we shared a slideshow with the children about the week. A few missed out on this, so I have shared it through google classroom for them to check out over the weekend. Please read on for important messages.
We've been marking student reflections this afternoon and have noticed the challenge mentioned by a number of students, to a level that we will be discussing the challenge with the hub on Monday.
Please talk with your child about this over the weekend, if you haven't already done so. We would also recommend having them show you their social media accounts, particularly any forms of instant messages. 'The Momo Challenge' has been appearing in videos linked to games, such as Fortnite.
The Momo Challenge
Yesterday, you would have received an email from the school regarding online behaviour, particularly around the "Momo Challenge." Please check the latest school newsletter online (or in your email) if you have yet to read Sandy's message.We've been marking student reflections this afternoon and have noticed the challenge mentioned by a number of students, to a level that we will be discussing the challenge with the hub on Monday.
Please talk with your child about this over the weekend, if you haven't already done so. We would also recommend having them show you their social media accounts, particularly any forms of instant messages. 'The Momo Challenge' has been appearing in videos linked to games, such as Fortnite.
Reminders for leadership week which is starting on Monday:
Year 7:
Can wear mufti on Monday.Year 8:
Send in food donations by Wednesday:- Megan's homegroup (Te Awa) A bag of fresh fruit; apples, oranges, bananas etc.
- Hannah's and Nicky's homegroups (Te Ngahere and Te Maunga) Baking
- Jenny's homegroup (Te Tai): A packet of breakfast cereal
If you have yet to return your child's health profile and medical consent form, please send this in on Monday.
On Thursday Year 8 come prepared with the following for Leadership Camp:
Gear list: Your child needs to come to school on Thursday dressed in clothes suitable for physical activity, i.e. track pants or shorts, t-shirt, polypro if cold, a warm top and sports shoes, suitable for running. The following needs to be packed in an overnight bag:
- Sleeping bag, pillow and something to sleep on, e.g. sleeping mat, stretcher or lilo
- PJs
- Toilet gear
- A change of clothes for the next day, again suitable for physical activity
These things should be packed in a day pack:
- Packed lunch and refillable drink bottle
- Sunhat
- Waterproof jacket
- Optional: camera, cell phone (these will be collected in)
Please make sure asthmatic children have inhalers with them and that medication is in a labeled bag. This needs to be handed to the home-group teacher as soon as your child arrives at school.
Duathlon is on Tuesday afternoon.
A separate email has been sent out about this today. Jenny is still looking for parent helpers.
Writing:
Today was the due date for our current 'trust writing' topic. We will send out emails to children (copied to parents) who need to complete writing over the weekend.
Important information for parents re internet "Momo Challenge"
Special update - Please monitor your child's online behaviour
Kia ora e te whānau
It has been drawn to our attention today that some of our children are talking about the "Momo Challenge" that has been circulating on social media for a number of months, and is trending again in NZ.
You can read about it on this link from the NZ Herald today.
We are being very vigilant at school and are monitoring our network very closely to identify if children are searching for this to find out about it. At this stage, unless we know about specific children talking about it, we are not going to discuss this specifically with the children as we think that most of them are not aware of it and we do not want to increase their curiosity about it and start additional searching.
Whilst we do not believe that this poses an 'actual threat' to our children, we are very concerned that it has the potential to cause some of our children extreme worry, anxiety and loss of sleep, and that this behaviour can become quite contagious when children talk about it together.
We very strongly urge you to check in with your child(ren) and regularly monitor their social media and internet usage. As parents, we need to be having regular discussions with our children about safe behaviour on the internet and social media, and talking with them about stuff that we know is circulating. When we have these conversations and explain to them what our responses are, we model to them how they can respond and help them to become astute at identifying 'rubbish' on the internet.
We will continue having ongoing, safety and cyber-citizenship discussions with the children to continue to develop their awareness and competency in safe use of the internet.
Keeping our young children safe in their use of digital environments is a partnership that we are in with you. We each need to stay aware of what our children are engaging in, and having important conversations with them when we have concerns or wonderings about their safety.
Please do let your child's teacher know if you have any concerns or want to discuss anything around cybersafety. We were alerted to this information today by a parent and we appreciate the importance of keeping one another 'in the loop' about these issues as they arise.