T4 W4 in Pōhutukawa

Living Springs Camp 11-13 November (next week!)

Excitement is mounting as camp is next week. Here are a few reminders:
  • The children are to be at school on Tuesday morning at the normal time, in mufti, with their big bag and their back pack. We will stack their luggage in the pathway of our hub. 
  • Living Springs have notified us of the importance of bringing a single bottom sheet, due to having new mattress protectors
  • In their back pack the children will need their morning tea and lunch in a lunch box, a water bottle, their wide brimmed sun hat, sunscreen, a waterproof jacket and any medication (such as inhaler or travel sickness medication)
  • Other medication is to be in a ziplock bag with the medicine authority form filled in (sent home already) and handed to Katie.
  • The following items should not be brought to camp: money, electronic devices, torches, cell phones, cameras, toys. 
  • Please label all clothing and items being brought to camp.
  • When we return on Thursday, the children will need to be picked up from our hub so we can sign them off. They will be very tired and may need help with their luggage. We estimate we will be back at school from 2:30-3pm. If your child will be going to Bosco upon their return, could you please inform us.
Long jump at Hillview Christian School

Unfortunately due to the rain and weather forecast, this even has been cancelled.

Canterbury Triathlon

If your child would like to enter the Canterbury Triathlon. Please, use this form to enter your child for the Canterbury Triathlon. 

This event is being held at Pegasus on the 28th of November. A good level of fitness is required as this is a tough endurance event. This is a perfect event for those children who really love a challenge. The children who have enter previously have loved this event and the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing the course. 

The race is as follows:
Year 5/6: 75 m swim, 4.5 km bike, 2.5 km run
Year 7/8: 100 m swim, 10.8 km bike, 2.5 km run

The swim takes place in the lake and there will be times when the children will not be able to touch the bottom. There are no lanes. While the children race in heats, there are still quite a few competitors starting at once, which the children should be prepared for. 

Transportation and supervision for this event must be organised by individual families. We are also required, as a school to provide one adult helper to assist with set up or pack down, and have marshaling duties. This adult must be free from responsibility for any competitor. Please let me know if you are able to fulfil this role. 

Zone athletics sports on Monday 12 November

Congratulations to those students who have qualified to represent our school at the zones. This will be held at Hansens Park. Children who are competing on Monday are to meet in the Kauri hub at 8:20am. They are to be wearing sports shorts and a Beckenham sports top. With them they should have their school bag with a big lunch, water bottle and their school hat. If they do not have a school hat they will not be allowed to compete.

School hats

In terms one and four, a red wide brimmed/bucket hat is a compulsory part of our school uniform. It is important that we promote being sunsmart at school. Every student must wear their hat at break times and during any learning times outside, including PE and sports. It would be very helpful if you checked that your child/ren has a named hat at school.

Stationery

At this time of the year we often find that a number of children have run out of essential stationery items. Not having the correct equipment at school becomes a barrier for learning, and is frustrating for all concerned. To be ready for learning every child should have a pencil, pen, eraser, glue stick, ruler and pencil sharpener. We would very much appreciate your support for ensuring your child is prepared for the school day.

Beach Education opportunity

We are pleased to be able to offer your child/ren the opportunity to attend a full day Beach Ed programme, at the South Brighton Surf Club. Beach Ed is a full day surf safety course delivered at the beach by surf lifeguards, and is age-appropriate learning for our year 4-6 students. Beach Ed also covers module 8 of Swimming NZ Kiwi Swim Safe Program. 

Activities on the day may vary depending on conditions but will cover the following:
  • A tour of the South Brighton Surf Club.
  • Teaching of surf safety rules.
  • Identification of and how to escape a rip current.
  • Beach games - relating to a skill to stay safe on the beach including a sand sculpture of a rip current.
  • How to set up a beach patrol, reinforcing safety messages.
  • Water activities. This may include mock rescues, using bodyboards, channel/hole identification, and survival using a flotation device.
  • Lifeguard in a rip.
  • Sun smart tips.

We will be travelling to South Brighton over two days, splitting our children into two groups. The Year 6 students and those students competing in the Canterbury Triathlon will be going on Tuesday. The Year 5 and 4 students will be going on Wednesday.

Dates: Tuesday 27th November & Wednesday 28th November
Time: Leaving school at 9:00 am, returning to school at 3:00 pm both days.
Location:   South Brighton Surf Club (cnr Bridge Street & Marine Parade, South New     
                        Brighton. 
Cost: It will cost the school $13.50 per child to carry out/run this activity/trip. A  
                       request for your contribution to support this additional activity will be added to  
                       your child's next account.

The PTA have kindly donated $1000.00 towards transport costs for this trip, for which we are very grateful.

In order to make this fantastic, educational day a success, parents and teachers must participate in both water and beach activities. We require a minimum of one adult for every five students in the water. It is essential that parents and teachers bring their togs and be prepared to get wet. We are unable to take Preschoolers on this trip.
To this end, we are asking for 10 parent helpers per day, 20 in total. 
This will be fantastic opportunity for your child. Without you we cannot run this event.

Please contact us ASAP if you are keen to come and help out on one or both of the Beach Ed days.

We are sending home a paper copy of this information today.


Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 4

We had a fabulous day in town on Monday. It was so good to be able to contribute to a practical action, which will benefit our community. We continue to be all action in the Intermediate Hub. Read on for important messages.


Summer Tournament Tomorrow

There are 37 children competing in a day-long tournament at Hagley Park and Wilding Park tomorrow. It is essential that every child going to the tournament has a sun hat and water bottle with them tomorrow, as well as their lunch, snacks and sports uniform. Tomorrow is forecast to be very hot and so any child without their sun hat or water bottle will need to stay at school. We are meeting in the hub at 8.15 for a gear check and then boarding the buses at 8.30. Tennis players may arrive at school at 8.30 as we are traveling by car to Wilding Park and have a later meet time. 

Top Team

Next Tuesday afternoon we have our Top Team event. Children need to bring a change of clothes: shorts and a t-shirt. They will get wet. If it is a cooler day, a polypro is a great idea.  Wearing togs, with a rash top, works really well. Children should also pack a towel. At the moment we have 8 confirmed helpers and we need 9. Confirmed are: Mary, Leigh, Kate, Nicola, Anne, Tim, Jack and Ellie. We need one more. Rory, Philippa and Peter were down as maybes. Can you please confirm if you can come.

Canterbury Triathlon

If you have a child who can swim, bike and run, has great endurance and loves a challenge, they may like to enter the Canterbury Triathlon.  Click here for more information and to sign up.

Long Jump

If the weather is cooperative, a group of our students will be walking to Hillview to compete in long jump on Friday afternoon. We need two parents to walk with this group. Please email Jenny if you are able to help.

Zone Athletics

Next Monday is Zone athletics at Hansen Park. The 30 children heading to zones will meet at school at 8.30 for a gear check and then catch the bus to Hansen Park. Sun hats and water bottles are again essential items. The day can be long and so a book, sketch pad, travel game or similar is recommended to help pass the time between events. Balls of any kind are not permitted. If you are able to help supervise children during the day, (even if it is just for part of the day), please email Jenny.

We made a difference!

Many thanks to Simon, Peter and Anne for accompanying us on our trip to Ōtākaro Orchard, Tūranga and Margaret Mahy playground on Monday. The day was a huge success. 'I never knew a library could be so much fun!' was the quote of the morning. The competition for the longest root system was a great way to keep the troops motivated while weeding at the orchard. Peter was very thankful for our 90 children who spent a total of 2 hours weeding. They made quite an impact. We were the first school group to work at the orchard in this way.

Longest weed winners in the afternoon.

An orchard for our city in the heart of Christchurch.


Impressive root systems were uncovered.











Long jump at Hillview Christian School on Friday 9 November

Long Jump for Athletics

On Friday 9 November those children who have elected to participate in the long jump event for athletics will be walking to Hillview Christian School (on Wilsons Rd).

They will be leaving school at 12:40pm, taking with them their bag/lunch. Once they get to Hillview they will be able to eat their lunch in between jumping and waiting for others to have their turn.

Once all children have had sufficient jumps, they will be walking back to school. We imagine they will be back in time for assembly at 2:20pm.

To ensure the safety of our students we require 2 - 3 adults to accompany our long jumpers on the walk to Hillview Christian School. If you have a free afternoon on Friday, and would like to help us out, as well as cheer on our enthusiastic long jumpers, please email Tracy by Wednesday.
Many thanks
tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz

Image result for long jump clip art

2019 House Captains and Student Council Exec

Over the past week, we have been interviewing Year 7 students who have applied for House Captain and Student Council Exec positions for 2019. We had 30 people applying and the group interviews saw fabulous attitudes and ideas. Actually, the whole year has been a bit of an 'extended interview', as we have watched how the children responded in a wide range of situations.

Our current Year 7 cohort has an interesting gender distribution, with 18 boys and 41 girls. 3/4 of the people applying for positions were girls. This year we have decided to move away from our traditional approach of having one boy and one girl as captains/deputies of each house. Our appointments reflect the gender distribution of this year group.

Being selected as a House Captain means that you may need to change house for your Year 8 year. As yet we have not looked at houses and will sort this later.

House Captains for 2019:

Freddie
Ben
Emily E
Vienna
Maddi M
Gemma
Sophia B
Meg

Deputy House Captains for 2019:

Jack
Arran
Dom
Ella C
Roxy
Morvern
Samantha
Matilda

Student Council Exec:

Chairperson: Lucy
Secretary: Paolo
Treasurer: Helena

Te Reo Champion (new role): 

Maia Davis
One area our school will be giving more attention to in 2019 is the use of Te Reo Māori in a simple and integrated way, so that whānau, staff and students can learn and use it together.  Our Te reo Champion will play a pivotal role in supporting us all to make this happen.


Part of the interview asked the children to reflect on our Year 8s: who they had been impressed by and for what reasons. It was heartening to hear such positive reflections about a wide range of our Year 8 students. We realise that being a house captain or on the council exec has been a long time ambition for many students. Those who have not been appointed will feel disappointed. Disappointments can be an opportunity to develop resilience and set new goals. There will be many more leadership opportunities available at the start of next year. Listening to the children at their interviews, we could see lots of potential School Ambassadors.

The house captains, council exec and Te Reo champion will attend 'Be Inspired', a leadership afternoon at Christ College on Wednesday, Nov 14. This is the proposed strike day. We will need parent support with transport and accompanying the children during the afternoon.