Principal's Update
Ngā mihi e te whānau,
Our PTA plays an important role in supporting our school. Through their work, they raise funds for key school projects and organise events that help strengthen the sense of community and belonging within our school.
Following the successful fundraising for our new turf (which will be installed later this year), the PTA is now turning its attention to the replacement of the shade sails over our junior playground. The current sails are reaching the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced to ensure our students continue to have a safe, shaded space to play.
There are two ways our community can help support this project. The first is to attend the upcoming MoveX evening session, and the second is to contribute to the Easter raffle. Your support of these events will help us move closer to funding this important project.
The existing shade sails will be taken down at the end of this term, with the new sails planned to be installed in time for the beginning of Term 4. This is an important project that supports the health and safety of our students, particularly during the warmer months.
Thank you to our PTA and wider school community for the continued support you show our school.
Details for both fundraisers are below:
Easter Raffle
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA is excited to be running an Easter Grocery Raffle in Term 1, with all funds raised going directly back into supporting our tamariki and school initiatives.
We will be creating one large family grocery hamper along with smaller themed hampers - and we would love your support to help fill them!
🧺 How You Can Help
We are asking each family (if you are able) to donate one non-perishable grocery item based on your child’s year level:
• Year 0/1: Small Easter treats (e.g. mini eggs, marshmallows, Easter lollies etc)
• Year 2: Sweet baking items (e.g cake mixes, icing, sprinkles etc)
• Year 3: Lunchbox snacks, biscuits & crackers
• Year 4: Bathroom and beauty items (e.g soaps, body wash, hand wash, toothpaste etc)
• Year 5: Breakfast items (e.g cereal, spreads, porridge, honey etc)
• Year 6: Pantry staples (e.g pasta, rice, sauces, canned goods etc)
• Year 7: Drinks (e.g juice boxes, cordial, hot chocolate etc)
• Year 8: Other grocery items (e.g coffee, tea, condiments etc)
Donations don’t need to be big - every little bit helps make our raffle exciting for the tamariki. We truly appreciate any support you can give.
📦 Drop-Off Details
Please drop your item to the School Office over the next two weeks into the Easter box.
Raffle tickets will go on sale soon for whānau to sell, with the draw taking place in Week 9 before Easter.
Thank you for supporting this PTA fundraiser - your generosity helps create wonderful opportunities for our tamariki.
Have a great weekend.
Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto
Important Dates
| Upcoming Events | Term 1 |
| Wed 11 Mar | School Photos (All Students, Except NE) |
| Thu 12 Mar | Kauri Team Mount Vernon & Waltham Pool Trip |
| Fri 13 Mar | Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall) |
| Fri 13 Mar | PTA MoveX Fundraiser |
| Thu 19 Mar | CJCA Girls Smash Cricket Festival (Yr 5/6) |
| Thu 19 Mar | Kōwhai Scooter Skills |
| Mon 23 Mar | Canterbury Hockey Sessions (Yr 7/8) |
| Tue 24 Mar | Canterbury Hockey Sessions (Yr 5/6) |
| Wed 25 Mar | Canterbury Swimming Event (Yr 5/6) |
| Wed 25 Mar - Sat 28 Mar | South Island School MTB Championships |
| Wed 25 Mar | Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room) |
| Thu 26 Mar | Canterbury Swimming Event (Yr 7/8) |
| Fri 27 Mar | Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall) |
| Wed 1 Apr | PSC Huxster Mountain Biking Event |
| Wed 1 Apr | PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm, Staff Room) |
| Thu 2 Apr | Last Day of Term 1 |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday - School Closed |
| Mon 20 Apr | First Day of Term 2 |
Citizen of the Week
Max - Year 8
Max, you are an extremely positive and enthusiastic member of the Kauri hub. You consistently demonstrate the school values and you approach everything calmly and thoughtfully. You are a natural leader through your actions. Tino pai!
Corben - Year 6
Corben, you are a wonderful friend and a dedicated, hardworking student. The contributions you make to our learning environment are thoughtful and genuinely valued. Keep sharing that fantastic smile and continuing to make our classroom such a positive, welcoming place for everyone.
School Notices
Road Patrol
No matter the weather, our dedicated Road Patrol team is out there keeping us safe as we cross Sandwich Road. This week, they have had a refresher session with Constable Meg. They are doing a great job.
Please make sure that you cross the road at this designated space. Sandwich Road can be a busy place at drop-off and pick-up times.
We Get There Together.
Our School Timetable
| Time | Activity |
| 8:30 am – 8:55 am | Students arrive at school and prepare for the day |
| 8:55 am – 9:00 am | Students go to class, and the morning roll is taken. |
| 9:00 am – 10:30 am | Learning time |
| 10:30 am – 10:50 am | Play time |
| 10:50 am – 11:00 am | Kai time (morning tea) |
| 11:00 am – 12:40 pm | Learning time |
| 12:40 pm – 1:20 pm | Play time |
| 1:20 pm – 1:40 pm | Kai time (lunch eating), the afternoon roll is taken. |
| 1:40 pm – 3:00 pm | Learning time |
| 3:00 pm | Home time |
| 3:15 pm | Clearing bell rings (any children that are not collected by this time report to the office) |
Public Health Nurse Notice
My name is Holly and I am the Public Health Nurse for your school. The Public Health Nursing Service (PHNS) work with tamariki and their whānau where health and wellbeing concerns impact on their home and school lives.
Please contact me if you have any health concerns for your tamariki.
waea pūkoro: 03 383 6877 ext: 99628, 0272843397
īmēra: holly.cummings@tewhatuora.govt.nz
Kupu Māori o te Wiki
Kia ora koutou! This year, we are embracing our te reo Māori, and will be learning a new Whakataukī (phrase/proverb), Kīwaha (saying), and Kupu (word) each week. Here is the last two weeks new te reo we have focused on:
Give these a go! Nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge! He taonga te ako - We Love Learning!
Whakataukī: Whakarite ngā kete mō te haerenga! - This means filling our kete for the journey. Who knows where this saying can be found?
Whakataukī: Ahakoa he iti kete, he iti nā te aroha - This means it’s the thought that counts.
Kīwaha: Paia! - this means Awesome!
Kīwaha: Mē he tē! - this means like a boss!
Kupu: Āe - this means yes.
Kupu: Kāore - this means no.
If you are unsure of the pronunciation of a word, have a look at
Te Aka (the Māori dictionary) where you can hear how the word is spoken correctly.
Chicken Chat
Our silkies are settling well into their routine and life here at Beckenham Te Kura. They are well cared for and have an incredible roster of students who are part of the 'Chicken team' taking care of their cage cleaning and water/feeding needs throughout the week. Monday to Thursday are timetabled 'chicken experience days' for the tamariki, and on Fridays, the chickens have a rest day.
Chicken fact ~ Did you know? Chickens can eat egg shells, and it helps them to lay more eggs!
The Sports Corner
Kia ora koutou,
This section of our newsletter will be dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges our students are experiencing in sports outside of school. We love seeing our ākonga (students) showing our school values, especially We Love Challenge Nau Mau Te Wero in the community. If your child has had a sporting success that you’d like to share with our community, please email me with a short blurb and photo to: kate.mcgregor@beckenham.school.nz - We’d love to feature it in our next newsletter!
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate McGregor
Sports Coordinator
Embracing the Challenge at the New Brighton XRace
Last weekend, Jess and her Dad took part in the XRace in New Brighton, and it was an exciting day all around. Jess was thrilled to finish first place in her age group — a fantastic achievement!
For those unfamiliar with XRace, it’s a family adventure race filled with mystery challenges and fun obstacles that teams must complete together. Along the course, Jess and her Dad tackled activities like a three-legged race (not easy when Dad’s legs are so much longer!), crossword puzzles, piggyback rides, and plenty of running between stations. Most importantly, it was a fun and memorable day out for both of them.
It was also great to spot around half a dozen other Beckenham tamariki taking part alongside their adults. Seeing so many members of our community involved and enjoying the challenges was fantastic, and they were all clearly demonstrating one of our school values — “We Love Challenge.”
Year 0–2 Touch Rugby: Beckenham Fire & Beckenham Sharks
Our Year 0–2 Touch Rugby teams, the Fire and the Sharks, have been having a fantastic time on the field! The tamariki have shown great enthusiasm, teamwork, and determination each week as they learn the game and support one another. It’s been wonderful to see their confidence grow while having lots of fun playing touch rugby together. Ka pai to all our players!
Year 7 Relay Team Takes 1st at South Zones!
Congratulations to our Year 7 relay swimming team (Hazel, Harvey, Haydn, and Clara) who placed 1st at the South Zones swimming competition. This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to their teamwork and effort in the pool. We are very proud of how they represented our school.
I will share more results and highlights from South Zones in the next newsletter, so keep an eye out for those!
PTA News
MoveX
We're looking forward to seeing you at
MoveX next Friday, 13th March, 6pm to 8pm. We will have the place to ourselves, and the more the merrier (and more funds for the school).
Grab your tickets here! Just $20 for 2 hours jumping, bring friends and family. Supervising adults don't need to pay.
Easter Grocery Raffle
The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA is excited to be running an Easter Grocery Raffle in Term 1, with all funds raised going directly back into supporting our tamariki and school initiatives.
Drop-Off Details
Please drop your item to the School Office over the next two weeks into the Easter box.
Raffle tickets will go on sale soon for whānau to sell, with the draw taking place in Week 9 before Easter.
Thank you for supporting this PTA fundraiser!
Entertainment Book
And finally now is good time to order an Entertainment Book with $30 coming back to the school for all purchases in March.
Ngā mihi nui,
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA
BOT Update
Welcome, New Board Member - Iwi Representative - Jess Tarawa
Term 1 Policy Review - SchoolDocs
- Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
- Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
- Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
- Read the policy.
- Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Select the reviewer type.
- Enter your name (optional).
- Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
- Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, our school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Speaking 4 the Planet Competition 2026
The theme this year is based on SDG 2: Zero Hunger - Seeding Change: Feast for the Future.
- Prepared Speech,
- Spoken Word Poetry
- Visual Art
Registrations of interest to compete can be made via this
Google Form link before Friday 24th April. Finals day is Friday June 26th at Tūranga.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email chchnzaee@gmail.com
Free Kid's Easter Holiday Programme
Celebrity Netball - School Discounted Tickets
The Cancer Society has created a discounted promo code for our school community who would like to attend a Celebrity Netball Game at the new Parakiore Recreation & Sports Centre.
The event is an exciting, feel-good community event, it is the One Goal: Beat Cancer Harcourts Grenadier Celebrity Netball Game.
This high-profile, high-energy event brings together sports stars, media personalities, and local legends for a fun, action-packed match, all in support of the Cancer Society. Keep an eye on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/cancersocietysouthern as we announce the players.
Two star-studded teams, captained by iconic Kiwi personalities, will battle it out on court to raise awareness and funds for families facing cancer. Every goal helps people stay at the Canterbury Cancer Centre while they receive life-saving treatment.
Unlock your exclusive 33% discount by booking via the link below and entering the password (special rate: $20 per adult and $10 per child – 14 years & under).
Password: PLAYER26
Please note: this code is valid until Monday, 16 March, so be sure to book early. We’ve made it easy and affordable for everyone to be part of the action.
The venue:
Parakiore Recreation & Sport Centre — the largest aquatic and indoor recreation and leisure venue of its kind in New Zealand.
Event programme – Sunday, 22 March 2026
1:30 pm – Doors open
1:30 – 3:00 pm – Coaching sessions & pre-game entertainment
2:30 – 3:30 pm – Celebrity introductions
3:30 – 4:30 pm – The Celebrity Netball Game
Celebrate International Women’s Day – Women & Girls "Have A Go" Table Tennis NZ Event
Celebrate International Women’s Day by joining the Women & Girls "Have A Go" event in Canterbury.
- Sunday 8th March 2026
- 10:00am – 4:30pm
- Table Tennis Canterbury, 294 Blenheim Road, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8041
This free event is part of a nationwide TTNZ initiative encouraging women and girls of all ages and abilities to try table tennis in a fun, welcoming environment. No experience is needed and all equipment is provided.
For more information and to register, follow this link:
Sydenham Rugby Club Registrations are open!
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