Beckenham School Newsletter, Friday 19 May 2017

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Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Another busy fortnight at school saw our Year 7 and 8 students participating in the JRock / Stage Challenge at the Horncastle Arena on Thursday evening. They drew the first performance spot of the night and set an amazing standard for the performers who followed. Those of us lucky enough to be in the audience were immensely proud of them all. Every single one of our Year 7/8 students was involved and there on the night. That is one of the strengths of being a Year 7/8 at Beckenham - everyone takes part. We really do Get There Together.  Special thanks to the teachers in Year 7/8, Jenny, Jarred and Nicky, who supported the students, and to the parents who helped with food on the night.

Parent Seminar coming up: Tips for supporting Children with Anxiety

Canterbury District Health Board School Based Team are excited to present a workshop offering strategies for parents who want to help their child who is struggling with anxiety.

 Wed 7th June 7:00-8:30pm

  • Does your child suffer from anxiety?
  • Do you want to know more about anxiety?
  • Dow you want to find out more about how anxiety looks in children?
  • Do you want to find new ways to help your child?


Venue: Beckenham School in the staffroom (Room 13 behind the garage).
This is a FREE seminar. Please contact the office or Michelle Maule (Deputy Principal) to book a space; office@beckenham.school.nz or deputy.principal@beckenham.school.nz

Building Update

As you will have probably noticed, our West Hub is looking very close to being ready. I was fortunate to have a look inside again this week and the ceiling tiles and wall coverings were nearly all in. The joinery units are mostly in, and carpet is due to go down this coming week. The last major pieces of work will be the installation and commissioning of the underfloor heating system and the final landscaping pathway work around the outside of the building.


The East Hub is also moving along quickly and both are on track to be ready for our Y1-4 classes to move into them for the start of Term 3.

The new Bike Stand are is working well. Special thanks Fahey Fencing who have loaned us the temporary fencing for no charge. When we get the permanent fencing installed, we will be looking to have two gates, an 'in' and an 'out' gate, to improve the flow of traffic at peak times.

Sandy Hastings
Principal

Important Dates

Upcoming Events (also available on the Community Calendar)

Wed 24 May
Zones Cross Country at Halswell Quarry. Bus leaves Sandwich Rd site at 8:40am

Kowhai Trip to the City

7:30 - 9:30pm PTA Meeting, School staffroom. All welcome.

Fri 26 May
Winter Sport - all games start 1:15pm

Mon 5 Jun
Queen's Birthday - school is closed.

Wed 7 Jun
7:00-8:30pm Parent Seminar - Tips for Supporting Children with Anxiety
Free seminar - Beckenham School Staffroom

Thu 8 Jun
5:30-7:30pm Whānau Hui

Term Dates

Click here to view the 2017 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Olivia Cochrane - Year 8

Olivia, we are so proud to have you as part of Kauri Whanau. The enthusiasm and effort you display for learning, ensures that you consistently strive to give your very best. 'We Care' is a value that shines in you. Olivia, you display empathy towards others, helping and guiding wherever you see the need. You show our value 'We Get There Together' by working productively with a wide range of people, always being aware of what is required and ensuring the group stays on track. Thank you for the fabulous contribution you are making in the Intermediate Hub!

Maia Davis - Year 6

Māia, you personify the value of 'We love learning', with your positive and enthusiastic approach towards all areas of your learning. You demonstrate that you are a fantastic team player through your clear leadership skills, and by being able to view things from different perspectives. You are actively involved in areas outside of the classroom and participate with commitment and energy. Your kind and caring heart is appreciated by everyone in Te Whānau o Pōhutukawa. Keep shining Māia - you are amazing!

Sharing our Learning

Kauri Team - Year 7 & 8

There are a number of advantages of choosing to spend Year 7 and 8 in a full primary school. One of the advantages is the opportunity to participate and contribute, as with fewer children at the same level, more have the chance to get involved. J-Rock is a prime example of this.


Yesterday the Year 7 & 8 team spent an awesome day at Horncastle area, taking part in J-Rock / Stage Challenge. This was the culmination of a term’s worth of learning, choreography, practise, refinement and the pursuit of excellence.  For many schools, participation in this dance event is optional. At Beckenham we expect everyone to be involved. As Maddi said, ‘Some people might say they don’t want to do J-Rock, but when they do it, they would be proud of themselves and they would want to do it again’.  Aside from our lighting technician and our backstage hand, every child stepped out under the lights, in front of a huge audience, and shone on stage. Boy were we proud of them. 

Initially enthusiasm levels weren’t that high, but by the time we were ready to perform, 99% of the children were loving it. As Portia said: ‘It was great; one of my best times at Beckenham.’ Today the children reflected on their experience. They had lots of gems to share: 
‘Don’t say you’re scared, just give it a go and you will have a great time.’ Joe
‘I liked how supportive everyone was, including other schools.’ Rosie
‘It put people out of their comfort zone and made then more confident.’ Sadie
‘We used synergy a lot, to help others.’ Boston
‘It improved my teamwork and leadership skills.’ Bella
‘It was a really cool atmosphere. I liked that we could share everyone’s ideas.’ Olivia
‘Everyone got a chance to be a star.’ Isaac

We are looking forward to sharing our performance, which focuses on our school’s whakapapa, with the rest of the school and our parent community, later in the term.

School Notices

Safety around the buses

We have noticed a small number of caregivers who are dropping/collecting children from the buses who continue to park on the 'no parking' zone opposite the buses. This results in the children crossing the road between the buses, putting them at extreme risk of being hit by a passing vehicle.
We do our best to put systems in place and we rely on everyone to follow those systems to keep all to keep all of our children safe.

Unknown Person

Our school account is receiving regular deposits from an individual identified as Y. E. Rozier.  If this is you, or someone who is paying on behalf of your child, could you please get in touch with Vicky in accounts, Ph: 3371404 or accounts@beckenham.school.nz.

Lunchonline - Daily lunch ordering and delivery system

Thank you to Lunchonline for the service that they provide every day for our families who wish to order lunches. We were one of the very first schools in Christchurch to sign up to this lunch supply system and they and their two suppliers in Christchurch (Sydenham Bakery and Pita Pit) have done a fantastic job of providing lunches ever since.

When we moved to two sites, the orders for each site naturally halved in number and our two suppliers have provided unflinching support through that, committing to keep on delivering around half the quantity to two different sites for the duration of our building programme.


To register for Lunchonline, go to their website www.lunchonline.co.nz and click on 'Families' then choose 'Create an Account'. Provided you put in your order by the 8:30am cut-off, the lunch will be delivered to school ready for lunch eating time at 1:15pm that day. You can order for future days, and you can also place a repeating order for a particular day(s).  A recent update to their menu means that you can now order a kids size pita or a regular size pita for the students who require something a little larger.
Each term, Lunchonline sends us a cheque for commission from the total orders that our families purchase. In term 1, this came to $85.36
This money goes into our curriculum funds and may be used for a wide variety of curriculum costs.



Staff Profile

Anne Chin - Learning support/Librarian

Kia ora koutou. I have been at Beckenham since 2001 as part of the support staff. I love working in the school library (in its many different locations) and engaging with the students.

Community Notices

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


Team Hutt

Team Hutt is an outstanding provider of Alpine Ski Race Programs in New Zealand and offer programs from under 8 years of age through to full time athlete programs at FIS level. For the 2017 season they are offering 15 different programs, incorporating more Junior Team Hutt programs, and for the first time a Masters Training program.
Team Hutt’s programs have an emphasis on introducing children at the junior levels to the sport of ski racing (developing a passion and love of skiing) and full programs provide the opportunity for children to advance their alpine skiing skills to a competitive level - right through to the international FIS level. Team Hutt is run by the Canterbury Alpine Sports Trust, a not for profit trust where all funds are re-invested into supporting the alpine programs, and is directed and led by experienced and world class coaches. For more information or to apply for a programme please visit www.teamhutt.com. The first of their programs start on Friday 16th June.

Children's Yoga for 4-6 year olds.

​Would your Child be keen to learn Imagi
nation Yoga?
We have some spare spots at the Huntsbury Community Centre Class, Tuesdays 3:30-4:15pm
Excellent for mind-body-social awareness, managing emotions, developing confidence and self-expression.
From their perspective it's a weekly, super-fun imaginative movement adventure!
Many Children benefit from this nurturing, creative & non-competitive environment.
Contact Lou on 0226 250 321 or hello@siouxiesolar.com
siouxiesolar.com/imaginationyoga


ALICE IN WONDERLAND AUDITIONS!!!

Sunday May 21st 4 - 6 pm at St Ninians Church Hall,
9 Puriri Street, Riccarton.
Catchup auditions on Saturday May 27th 10 - 11 am
Wanted - young performers 7 - 17!
Rehearsals will be weekends May, June. beginning of July!
Show is July 11 - 22 at Elmwood Theatre, Christchurch
Enquiries and registration to Helen at hellnhighwater@gmail.com 
See the Imagine Youth Theatre Facebook Page.
Further information if people want  more detail

Canvas Bag Drama School opens in South Brighton!

Is your child dramatic? Do they love dressing up and acting out stories?
From Term 2 Canvas Bag Drama School will be running 2 classes for children at St Luke’s Church Hall, 212 Pine Ave. To kick-start the opening of our South Brighton Campus we are offering a free trial for the first class.
Don’t delay, places are limited!

Thumbelina: 5 -7 years (Thursdays 3.30-4.30)
Starfleet Class: 8-12 years (Thursdays 4.30 –5.30)

Our classes combine a structured fun-filled social environment with extensive use of improvisation and role-play to develop positive feelings of self-worth and the ability to confidently express thoughts and feelings.
Classes are run by a qualified drama teacher - Gina Fowler
Please enquire at info@canvasbag.nz. or 021 222 7273 or check out our web page for more information.
www.canvasbag.nz

​

Last Minute J-Rock Reminders

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Thanks to all the families who have filled in the end of night pick up form. Just 10 to go. Please click and respond if you have yet to do so.

The children have worked exceptionally hard over the past weeks to create, refine and perfect their performance. We are very proud of them all. For a number, just being on stage is a huge deal, with some anxiety involved. These children will probably get the most out of the experience. Tomorrow is a huge day, so an early night would be appreciated.

Reminders (some of these items are new, so please read carefully):
  • Children are to come to school in their black base, with their school jacket over the top. I have most of the costumes in my car. Some children, mostly those with just one costume, have theirs at home to bring tomorrow. A number of children need a red school shirt for their performance. Please ask and make sure they pack this.
  • Bring: a full water bottle, a large lunch including morning and afternoon tea, a small game or book, as there will be lots of downtime to fill. Optional; rug or cushion to sit on. 
  • Dinner is an American hotdog, a muffin and a piece of fruit. If you think your child will need more, please pack extra food in their lunch box. Vegetarian and gluten free are also being catered for. A big thanks to the team of mums who are helping to feed the troops.
  • Electronic devices may be brought, however there will be times when these will be left in our changing area, unattended. During our performance, we will lock all children's phones in a staff car. It is up to you as to whether you are happy for your child to bring their device. 
  • Today we talked with the children about makeup. The children are welcome to bring this. A small mirror would also be handy. No pressure if they haven't got any; I'm sure their will be plenty of sharing happening. 
  • Girls' hair: Old school children in pigtails or plaits. All other girls with long hair in a high ponytail, except Maddi who will need a bun, which we can do late afternoon.
  • At the end of the evening, please come into the arena foyer to sign your child out. We have been asked to bring the children to the foyer in groups of ten, so it may take a few minutes for your child to show up. 
If you need to get a message to your child during the day, you can send Nicky a text 0276229403.

I think that's it. Can't wait for tomorrow! Kauri Whanau rock!!

Kauri Whanau: Term 2 Week 3 Weekly Update

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It was great catching up with so many of you at learning conferences last week. We now have enough transport for our ski trip next term: thanks to Liz, Terry and Bryan. This week is a very busy one with J-Rock on Thursday and winter sport starting on Friday. Please find in the post information about J-Rock, cross country, winter sport and collaborative writing.

J-Rock:

Only two more sleeps until we hit the big stage! Yesterday, Monday, we had a very good dress rehearsal at Hillview. We are hoping to have one more dress rehearsal tomorrow at the Beckenham church hall on Martin Ave, but this is still to be confirmed. Just to be sure, please collect your child from Beckenham, not Champion Street tomorrow afternoon. Below are important messages about Thursday.
  • Children are to come to school in their black base, with their school jacket over the top. They will either bring their costumes with them, or these would have been loaded into Nicky's car on Wednesday afternoon.
  • Bring: a full water bottle, a large lunch including morning and afternoon tea, a small game or book as there will be lots of downtime to fill. Optional; rug or cushion to sit on. 
  • Electronic devices may be brought, however there will be times when these will be left in our changing area, unattended. During our performance, we will lock all children's phones in a staff car. It is up to you as to whether you are happy for your child to bring their device. 
  • Below is an outline of how our day will look. We will not know our performance time until Thursday morning. 
  • At the end of the evening, children will be collected from the Horncastle Arena foyer. 
  • We need everyone to complete this form, so that we know the collection plan for your child.

8:30  Board buses at usual place. 

9:00  Check in at Horncastle
10:15 - 10:45   Morning production meeting for everyone
11:15  Student co-host meeting (Jordan H)
1:15 - 1:45 Our rehearsal time
Auditorium out of bounds between 1:45 and 2:45
2:45 - 3:15 Student rep meeting (Juliette and Sadie)
4:45 - 5:05 Afternoon production meeting for everyone
5:10 Dinner: one hotdog, muffin and piece of fruit per child. If this won't be enough, please pack extra.
5:05 - 5:30 Student co-host briefing (Jordan)
7:00 Show starts 
7:05 - 8:15 Our performance will start some time between these two times
9:00 Collection of children from foyer

During down time the children can go in and watch other schools rehearse; there will also be games to play in the foyer. We encourage them to bring coloured pencils to finish their pixel art and also to bring a book or small game. 

Cross Country

The children embraced our school values last Friday afternoon as they ran in our school cross country event. It was great to see the children supporting each other and competing with enthusiasm. All the children ran a race they can be proud of. Many children have commented on the benefits that they experienced through regular running in the lead up to this event. We encourage the children in continuing this healthy habit.




The Year 7/8 results are as follows:

Year 7 Girls
Year 7 Boys
Year 8 Girls
Year 8 Boys
1st
Tilly
Joel
Kaia and Millie
Alex
2nd
Bonnie
Ayden

Fergus
3rd
Hannah W.
Gabe
Rosie and Daisy
Joe
4th
Bella
Santi

George
5th
Jess
Rohith
Hannah S.
Mitchel
6th
Portia
Tom W.
Juliette
Ayan
Good luck to the children competing at our South Zones Cross Country on Wednesday morning. We are still in need of a few parent helpers to ensure that our children are adequately supported during the event. Please email Jenny asap if you are able to join us. We are in particular need of helpers willing to course marshall.

Winter Sports

Our weekly Winter Sports start this Friday.


A huge thank you goes out to our  dedicated coaches and managers who have dedicated their time to up-skill the children and referee their games. We couldn’t offer this opportunity without your time, effort and expertise.


The children will leave Champion Street at 12.30 to travel by bus to their game location. Netball and football games will be held at Hagley Park, while the hockey players will be competing at Nunweek Park. All games start at 1.15.


Please make sure that the children bring the following things to school each Friday.
Football
Netball
Hockey
Beckenham football shirt
Shin guards
Football boots
Water bottle
School jersey/jacket
Beckenham netball dress
Water bottle
School jersey/jacket
Black Beckenham sports top
Mouth guard
Shin guards
Water bottle
School jersey/jacket

For safety reasons, all children’s nails should be kept short for the duration of Winter Sport. Jewellery cannot be worn while playing and it is preferred that these items are left at home on sport days to eliminate the risk of a treasured item being lost. Small studs earrings can be taped over.


The weekly draw can be found online through the following link.


From time to time the teams will incur a bye. When this happens the children will still travel to their game location and have a practise session with their coach.


Collaborative writing:

Over the past week, the children have been writing collaboratively, in twos or threes, to describe a photo. We have been so impressed with their levels of collaboration and the quality of their writing.

Elise and Nathan:
One move. One move and I could win. The look on my opponent’s face says it all. Suspense hangs in the air like a bad smell. Make a wrong move, they win, and then it's all over. My heart is beating a steady rhythm, in time with my breaths. A bead of sweat rolls down my already damp forehead, begging to be wiped off, but the uncertainty makes it impossible to look away, even for a second.


My opponent’s face is in anger. I can see the lights get brighter. It is very quiet in the library. All eyes are on our game, no one could look away. Our pieces are standing still. Everyone is silent and no sound in the room could interrupt our tense moment.


Glancing around, some of the library staff have stopped their work to watch the tight game. I hear faint arguing outside. You could hear a pin drop, it's so silent. Even in this quiet, you can tell that everyone around us is practically bursting to say something. Books are piled miles high around us, threatening to topple under the weight of suspense.


Anxiety levels are very high in the room. Every single face in the crowd have their eyes on us. My body has started to feel very warm, like I’m boiling in my skin. It is so close that it is just going to take forever to decide my final move.


As my hand starts to move, the watchers lean in, closer and closer as my hand move closer and closer to the chessboard. Only a few pieces left, a few soldiers still battling. My pieces are very close to capturing the king. Slowly, I place my last piece, my last move. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Checkmate.”


KORU HIGHLIGHTS: Term 2 Week 3

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Kia ora whanau,

What a busy start we have had to Term 2!

Learning Conferences
Heartfelt thanks to those of you who were able to participate in Learning Conferences last week. This is a very special time for children as they share their learning with their families. Your feedback written on the Celebration Stars is very much appreciated, and will mean a great deal to the children.
Talking about my Maths learning in Hub 3

Sharing my learning with Dad!


Rhythm Interactive experience
Last week our children were treated to an outing to the local Methodist church hall, where John and Lucy (Rhythm Interactive) taught everyone how to drum, keeping time as one!
In 2002, Rhythm Interactive was born in a garage in Queenstown. The interactive drum shows are such that each student is given an African-styled hand drum to play along during the show. Rhythm Interactive shares its unique teaching methods, such as "If you can say it, you can play it" to demonstrate how children can learn rhythm, music, singing and dance in a fun way.






Small Stix
On Tuesdays over the next few weeks, the children will all be involved in junior hockey lessons, which are led by specialist hockey teachers. Please ensure that your child is wearing sensible shoes and warm clothes, as these lessons will be outside (weather permitting).

Self Portraits
Some of the children have been working on making their own self portraits, and have modelled their work on Picasso. We're sure you'll agree they're fantastic!



Book Review
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers


This gorgeous story, about a Belfast boy who eats books to absorb some smarts, is so charming that it makes you want to join Henry on his culinary literary journey. Henry loves eating all sorts of books – story books, dictionaries, atlases, joke books, books of facts and even maths books.


Amazingly, as Henry gobbles, his knowledge bank increases and increases until he starts to feel a little ill. Is it all the paper and cardboard stuffing his belly? It seems so. Poor Henry is subsequently reduced to learning from books the old fashioned way – by reading.

Numeracy Links:


Reminders:

  • Please ensure that children arrive at school any time from 8:30 a.m. onwards, as prior to this time, teachers may be involved in meetings and/or will be setting up Discovery Stations for the morning. BOSCO is open from 7:30 a.m. for families who need to have children at school before 8:30 a.m.
  • It is very important that children bring their reading folders back to school every morning. Reading folders are a crucial part of hub reading routines.
  • As the weather cools, please ensure that your child has a school polar fleece (named!) each day.

Toy Donations:
Many thanks to those of you who have been able to donate toys and games to Te Whanau Koru. We appreciate your generosity enormously! If, by chance, any of you have any of the following items, they would also be gratefully received:

  • jigsaw puzzles
  • matchbox toys
  • sandpit vehicles (diggers, tractors, cranes, fire engines, trucks, concrete mixers!!)
  • lengths of plastic piping (left over from plumbing jobs)
As always, we appreciate your help and support very, very much!


Kowhai Team Newsletter Week 2 Term 2

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Wow! What a busy week!

Firstly, thank you all so much for coming along to our Learning Conferences this week. We were so impressed with how the children confidently shared their learning with you all. It is always so exciting to have the opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of our tamariki and identify next steps. Having a strong home and school partnership is essential for our children to feel truly supported and able work towards their learning goals. As a team, we really appreciate being able to work with such a caring and committed parent community. So thank you!

Rhythm Interactive

We had an amazing visit from Rhythm Interactive on Monday. Due to our hall being out of action at the moment, we took a short walk to the Methodist church hall just one block away from the school where we experienced a rhythm extravaganza. There was a drum for every child and there were 2 rhythm experts who took us through the whole experience. They taught us all sorts of different rhythms and they managed to teach us using only facial expressions and gestures - no talking. It was brilliant and the children absolutely loved it. It was a real test of their ability to watch and listen carefully and also to mirror which rhythms they were playing. The sound the children made resonated around the whole hall and everyone was into the groove. Fantastic!




Inspiration Stations
For our inspiration stations in  Hub 7/8/9 we have had a focus on living things. We have had many crafty activities involving observation drawings, collages, researching living things we are interested in, life cycles, creating pamphlets and a naming plants challenge. It has been wonderful to see the high level of interest and the questions that have been sparked because of this intriguing topic. We look forward to finding out more in our inquiry.




In Hub 5/6 we have had a focus on the children taking more ownership for their learning. Our key competency focus has been on Thinking and Self-Managing.  We have been promoting the children to:
Have their own ideas and follow through with them
Planing ahead and gathering resources Practising until success is achieved 
Make choices that provide a challenge Asking questions to extend thinking and understanding about topics Thinking creatively Making connections with previous ideas
Persisting when things are difficult

The children have been exploring the concept of patterns, where patterns are made, patterns with numbers and letters and patterns in art. The children have also actively explored their own interests into the living world, researching topics of interest and sketching still life images. We have really loved how children have supported each other with their learning and really challenged themselves to extend their thinking and understanding about these concepts. 

Trip to town- Wednesday 17th May
A huge thank you to all the parents who have kindly offered their assistance on Wednesday with our trip into the city. We will send out a reminder email the day before and if the weather looks to be wet, the postponement date will be the following Wednesday 24th May. 



On Wednesday we were very lucky to have Hugh McCarroll (Sophie M’s Grandad), who has been in the news recently for becoming a finalist in a NASA competition to invent a hands free space toilet for astronauts. He was able to teach us about the process of entering a competition like this and teach us more about space. We loved the passion Hugh showed and we hope he can come again to talk about more spacetastic topics, and answer more questions.  Check out the link below to find the article and video of Hugh.
Space Poop Challenge


That's all for this week. Have a wonderful weekend with your family!
Kowhai Teaching Team