Koru News Term 2 Week 8

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Kia ora e te whānau,

It has been a fun fortnight in the Koru team, with our first-ever school trip and Matariki evening.


Christchurch Art Gallery Trip

We had a great time travelling on the bus into the city to visit the Christchurch Art Gallery on Monday. The children did an amazing job at showing 'We Care' and 'We Get There Together' by staying together as a group, listening carefully, and participating in the activities. 

On arrival, we met with the educator, who explained that we would be visiting an exhibition and then have the opportunity to create our own artworks.

Fred Graham: Toi Whakaata / Reflections: We were very fortunate to be shown around the Fred Graham exhibition. Tamariki were able to make connections between Māori myths and legends and Fred Graham's sculptures and relief works. We looked for shapes and patterns within each artwork, and children had a chance to draw the shapes and patterns that they could see.

Back in the Art Gallery classroom, children had a great time drawing shapes and koru patterns onto folded paper, which, once folded out, created really effective designs.






Matariki Evening

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to come together as a school community to acknowledge Matariki. 



Here is a song that we have been singing to help us learn the nine stars of Matariki.


Bee-Bots

Recently, children in the Koru team have been introduced to basic coding concepts as part of our maths learning, as well as during Learning Through Play. The Bee-Bots are programmable floor robots that help children learn about sequencing, directional language, and algorithms.  




Cybersafety

Staying Safe Online: Bullying

One in five young people in New Zealand have been the target of online bullying – it can happen to anyone, and it

can be hard for parents and whānau to deal with. Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto takes online bullying seriously and

would encourage you to chat to your tamariki’s teacher if you have any concerns about online bullying.

Visit Netsafe’s Online Bullying Advice for Parents to read more.


Wishing you all a happy, safe and relaxing long weekend.

The Koru team

katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

elizabeth.drummond@beckenham.school.nz

niquita.dalley@beckenham.school.nz

stacey.mclachlan@beckenham.school.nz

Kōwhai News Term 2 Week 8

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 Kia ora e te Whānau, 


Welcome to the Week 8 Kōwhai blog.


Matariki 


Mānawatia a Matariki! Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades, which rises in mid-winter and marks the beginning of the Māori New Year. It is a time of remembrance, celebration, and renewal. Over the last two weeks, children have been learning about the different stars that make up the cluster. The nine stars of Matariki are Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, Pōhutukawa, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi and Matariki. In te ao Māori, each star has a special job to do to look after our wellbeing and environment. Please see this slideshow for more information. 


On Tuesday evening, we held a Matariki evening at school. It was wonderful to see so many parents coming to see the kapa haka group perform and share in our Matariki activities. The Kōwhai students did a fantastic job performing, and we were very impressed by their effort. 



Reports and Learning Conferences 


Last week, we celebrated the Kōwhai students' progress and success during learning conferences. Thank you to everyone who came to a conference. It was great to have the opportunity to reflect on the first two terms of 2025 and discuss the amazing learning students have been doing. 


PB4L 


This term, the Kōwhai students have been engaging in Positive Behaviour For Learning lessons (PB4L) on Tuesday mornings. The objective of these sessions has been to support students to develop social/emotional skills and develop strategies to manage challenges and improve their wellbeing. Over the term, there have been several topics that we have covered. These have included: 


  • Understanding our emotions in relation to cross country

  • Appreciating our differences 

  • How to be a good friend


It has been wonderful to see students contributing and participating during these sessions and applying what they have learnt.  Here is an example of an activity students did around celebrating diversity.


For information about Wellbeing at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto please follow this link.

Instructional Writing 


Over the past few weeks, Kōwhai students have been learning how to write an instructional text. An instruction text is a type of non-fiction text that provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete a task. The text may include organisational devices. As part of the writing process, students have been learning how to follow a set of sequenced instructions and then write about their experiences. For some classes, this has involved doing some baking and creating!


For more information about instructional texts, have a look at this slideshow.







Ferrymead 


The Kōwhai Ferrymead Trip is coming up next week, Tuesday 24th June and Wednesday 25th June (Week 9).


A reminder that on the day your child is attending the trip, they need to be at school before 8:45 am. They will also need to bring: 

  • A lunch box with enough morning tea and lunch for the day

  • A full water bottle 

  • A polar fleece or jersey 

  • A light waterproof coat if it appears overcast

  • Comfortable walking shoes

If you have any questions or concerns, please email your child's homegroup teacher or Georgia (georgia.mckenna@beckenham.school.nz).


Head Lice

Unfortunately, we have had a growing number of cases of headlice reported across the school. Can you please check your child's head for eggs and live lice regularly and treat accordingly if detected. The following link has very helpful information about headlice and how to treat it.

https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/head-lice#main-content


Staying Safe Online: Scams

People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher!


It’s important that you and your tamariki know what to look out for to avoid scams. Netsafe have put their best advice together to help you stay safe online and stay away from scams.


Read their scam tips here. 


 


Lost Property

If your child/children are missing any of the lost property items in the photo below, please contact the office to retrieve them. Thank you!


We hope you have a wonderful Matariki weekend. 

Ngā mihi, 

The Kōwhai team

Kahikatea News: Term 2, Week 8

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 Kia ora whānau,

It was lovely to catch up with you all at our recent learning conferences and at our whole school Matariki night. 

We cannot believe we are nearing the end of the term and nearly half a year gone with your, wonderful tamariki.

As you are aware, we are creating a fourth home group in our team. This home group will be taught by Kendall Skelton, who is currently a teacher in the Kowhai team and a parent to one of our Year 1 students. We are so excited to welcome Kendall to our team, we know she will be a great asset to us for the remainder of the year. 


Technology:
As part of our toys inquiry, we have designed a toy which we are going to attempt to start to make next week.
If you have any crafty items such as: buttons, fabric, cardboard, egg cartons, bottle caps, wires, plastic etc that you could send in, please do so by Wednesday of next week.
We will leave a big my food bag box in the Maker Space, on top of the bench by the sink for you to pop bits in!


Learning in Kahikatea:

We have been busy in maths where our focus over the past two weeks has been on Geometry-looking at the properties of  2D and 3D shapes and time. 



























Literacy:

Next term reading books will come home on a Thursday For the week. This means reading folders need to come to school on Thursdays instead of Mondays. This is to allow teachers to work through the books more than once before sending them home.

Library days are the same:

Tuesday-Amber and Talia

Thursday-Sarah and Kendall

Sarah's Literacy group looked at the story of the 'Gardeners' Maze. We had a go at solving some mazes, then created our own mazes for our friends to attempt to solve!











Matariki:

Over the past few weeks, we have been learning about all of the Matariki stars and what they represent, listening to many myths and legends and creating lots of artwork. Our Matariki night at Kura was a huge success. We hope you have a restful Matariki break with those who are near and dear to you.









Lost Property:
There is a few items of lost property over in the school office. Please pop in and grab these if any belong to you!

Thanks Team Kahikatea




Pōhutukawa News Term 2 Week 8 2025

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Ngā mihi e te whānau,

It was fantastic to see so many of you at our Learning Conferences last week, we really appreciate the whanaungatanga that comes as a result of these conversations. If you were unable to make it, we urge yout to touch base with your child's homeroom teacher for a quick update on learning. Mā tātou te katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing the waka together.

Mānawatia a Matariki

It was rawe, awesome, to see so many whānau at our Matariki celebration last week, and to see the kapa haka rōpu up on stage doing their thing. Matariki is an opportunity to reflect on the past 4 seasons, celebrate the present with whanau, and look forward to what is to come as the days get longer... if not warmer quite yet! We have been learning all about Matariki over the past few weeks. Of the 9 stars we acknowledge, 2 are associated with the natural elements of wind and rain. We certainly had those elements in play over the last few weeks and a lot of learning also came with them. It would be wonderful to reflect on this learning with your tamariki over the holidays. He taonga te ako, the treasure is learning.








Shoes/ Ngā hū

It has been really great to see the students 'stepping up' to show We Care for our school environment by removing their shoes during this wet and muddy season.  We are lucky to have wonderful underfloor heating in the classrooms, so feet stay nice and warm, and as an added benefit our carpet stays mud-free! In addition to this, we suggest that if your child is coming home with very muddy clothes, please consider supplying them with a spare pair of school shorts and a spare school top for them to change into once they finish their games. 

 BYOD/ Cyber Safety

We are so lucky to have such a huge uptake of whānau signing up their children to bring their own devices to school. We'd like to ask these whānau to please remind your children to bring their devices to school, and fully charged. This enables the school Chromebooks to be used by those students who do not bring their own devices to school. Learning online continues to be a vital part of our learning at school, and the cyber safety of our tamariki is always at the forefront of what we do. At the beginning of the year, we held workshops on how to be cyber safe, and also expectations around using devices. We have recently been revisiting some of these ideas, and reminding our students that their school accounts are for learning purposes only. Mā tātou te katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing the waka together.

Winter Sports/ Hākinakina

Our Winter Sports programme is also now full steam ahead, with all of our students getting some amazing netball, football and hockey coaching and tautoko, support from our Year 8 student leaders on Wednesday afternoons. Our competitive teams are enjoying themselves in the South Zone competition and representing Beckenham admirably. A huge mihi, thanks to the parents who are helping out on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. We simply couldn't do it without your help and support.

Stationery

As we are at the halfway point in the year, we'd really appreciate it if you could check with your tamariki about their stationery and what they need. Essential and consumable items that all students require are: HB pencils, an eraser, glue sticks, a highlighter, and a blue pen. We have gone through the students' remaining stationery , and they will be able to tell you what they need. Thanks for your support with this, mā tātou kātoa te waka e hoe.

Lost and Found

These items have been handed into the office lately. If you recognise anything as yours please go and see the lovely ladies in Admin to claim them! 










Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 13th June 2025

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou,

There's so much exciting progress as we approach the end of Term 2! A heartfelt thank you to all the families who took the time this week to attend a learning conference with their child. We truly appreciate your time and your commitment to strengthening the partnership around your child's learning and aspirations.

I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our PTA for their ongoing efforts in bringing our community together and raising valuable funds to support the purchase of resources that enhance our school. Last weekend’s book and clothing sale in the school hall was a great success. A big thank you to everyone who donated items and took the time to attend the event - we’re grateful for your support!

Matariki is the Māori New Year, marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster (also known as the Pleiades) in the winter sky. It is a time to reflect, remember those who have passed, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future. Families and communities come together to share food, stories, and traditions. Matariki is a special time for learning, connection, and renewal. 

To celebrate Matariki we would like to invite all our community to our Whānau Rōpū hui next Tuesday 17th of June from 5:00 pm. The PTA will be having a Sausage Sizzle on the night for a small koha (donation). 

Outline of the night:

5:00 pm - Welcome & Performance in Māpuna, the Hall - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi.

5:25 pm - Matariki activities begin in Hubs.

6:10 pm - Matariki activities finish in Hubs, whānau to head back to the hall.

6:15 pm - Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai Kapa Haka performance in Māpuna, the Hall.

We hope to see you there!


Have a great weekend.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Cade
Principal / Tumuaki
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Tue 17 Jun - Matariki Evening (5pm-7pm)
Thu 19 Jun - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am in the Hall)
Fri 20 Jun - Public Holiday, School Closed (Matariki)
Wed 25 Jun -  Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Wed 25 Jun - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 27 Jun - Funky Hair Day 
Fri 27 Jun - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am in the Hall)
Fri 27 Jun - Last Day of Term 2
Mon 14 Jul - First Day of Term 3
Fri 18 Jul - Welcome Assembly, Week 1 (9:15-9:45am)
Wed 23 Jul - PTA Mid Winter Breakfast (TBC)
Wed 23 Jul - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)
Fri 25 Jul - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am in the Hall)
Thu 31 Jul - Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)

Citizen of the Week

Matilda - Year 6

What a star you are, Matilda! In the Pōhutukawa hub, your independence and dedication shine brightly in all your learning. You tackle everything with such resilience, always pushing yourself to explore new concepts and work diligently. It's wonderful to see your eagerness to understand deeply. Ka pai, Matilda!

Tish - Year 8

 Tish, you consistently demonstrate a strong work ethic. You face each lesson with focus, determination, and a desire to succeed. Always eager to deepen your understanding, you seek clarification when needed, ensuring you grasp concepts fully. Tish, your commitment to growth and learning inspires those around you, creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom. Anō te pai! Fantastic,Tish!

School Notices

New Guitar Tutor - Matthew Stevenson


Hey there! I’m Matt, offering Guitar/Bass/Ukulele lessons.

Pricing: One on one 20min lesson  (tutor and one student) - $24.50
               Two on one 30min lesson (tutor and two students) - $19 per student
Styles: Rock, pop, jazz and most other styles
Suitability: Years 5-8

A bit about me:
I graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Arts from Ara Institute of Canterbury in 2018. With over 10 years of teaching experience, I genuinely enjoy sharing my passion for music. Besides lessons, I work with bands, ukulele orchestras, and various ensembles.

Teaching Info:
My teaching approach revolves around setting goals; at the beginning of each term, we discuss the songs, techniques, and styles students are eager to learn, and we tailor our lessons to achieve those objectives.

To Register Interest:

Student Council

The Student Council is excited to announce a special event to support a great cause (the Kaimanawa Horses) - Funky Hair Day, happening on Friday 27th of June, or the last day of school!

We’re encouraging all students to come to school with their craziest hairstyles. Use hairspray, gel or anything to make your hair as funky as possible! It’s a fun way to get involved while making a difference.

This term, the student council are raising money to support the Kaimanawa horses, a species of horse in the North Island. These wild horses, of which there are about 300, are sadly being slaughtered. The funds we raise will go towards helping them find safe, loving homes.

We ask that students bring a gold coin donation. Every contribution will help provide care and protection for these special animals.

Ngā mihi,
Oscar on behalf of the Student Council

Head Lice

Unfortunately we have had a growing number of cases of headlice reported across the school, spread throughout various age group hubs.

Can you please check your child's head for eggs and live lice regularly and treat accordingly if detected.

The following link has very helpful information about headlice and how to treat it.


Matariki Evening

We would like to invite you to our Whānau Rōpū hui next Tuesday.

Matariki is the start of the Māori new year and a time of reflection, connection and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate with you and your whānau on Tuesday the 17th of June from 5:00pm. The PTA will be having a Sausage Sizzle on the night for a small koha (donation). 

Outline of the night:

5:00 pm - Welcome & Performance in Māpuna, the Hall - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi.

5:25 pm - Matariki activities begin in Hubs.

6:10 pm - Matariki activities finish in Hubs, whānau to head back to the hall.

6:15 pm - Pōhutukawa and Kōwhai Kapa Haka performance in Māpuna, the Hall.

We hope to see you there!


Kupu Māori o te Wīki:

These are our whakataukī (phrase), instructions and kupu (words) for the last couple of weeks. Give them a go! 

Whakataukī: Whaowhia te kete mātauranga - this means to fill the basket with knowledge!

Instruction: Tō ringa ki runga - put your hand up

Kupu: Huarākau - this means fruit.

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.

BOSCO

BOSCO is looking for new members to join our committee. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Harriet Takamore via email or pop on in when you have the chance to chat.

You would be joining a lovely bunch of volunteers who are passionate about the service BOSCO provides and being a part of its future.

BOSCO currently has availability each day for before and after school care for regular or casual bookings.

If you have thought about using BOSCO for your tamariki but aren’t 100% sure what we're about or how we work, please feel free to pop in for a chat with Harriet or send through an email with any questions you may have.

A trial session is welcome if you would like your tamariki to give it a go first.

Harriet Takamore
Programme Leader
BOSCO Incorporated
office@bosco.org.nz
027 645 6632


Garden Club Compost

A message from the GARDEN CLUB.

This is to show you what happens to plastic when it goes into the environment. 
Recently the garden club dug into the lovely compost bins & amongst lovely new soil was enormous amounts of plastic.
We found yoghurt potties, zip lock bags, pens, whiteboard markers, bubble wrap, popcorn & chip packets! 
This is all rubbish that was put in the compost bins. It doesn’t break down. 
Some of it can get shredded into little bits of plastic that then damages the eco-system.
We want to use this compost to grow healthy vegetables & give back to nature.

If you want to see it, come look behind the garden shed in the Garden Club area. 
No, to any form of plastic in the compost bins.

Let’s look after our environment!
Because ….We Care!




Special Congratulations to one of our Students - Hamish McCrae

Hamish took part in football trials over the April holidays and has been selected by the West Ham United Foundation to go to their Australian National Football Camp 2025 this coming September. There he will be coached by top class coaches from Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Hamish has worked really hard and we are very proud of him!

PTA News

CookieTime Fundraiser



Back by popular demand. The PTA are selling CookieTime Rookie Cookies. Look for an order form in your child’s bag or Online Order Here. Extra forms are available at the office.

This CookieTime Fundraiser features the 25g Rookie Size version of the famous Original Chocolate Chunk Cookie. Made with real Chocolate and real ingredients, this size is ideal for lunchboxes, handbags and coat pockets. 
 
$20 per bag for 20 Individually wrapped delicious cookies.
 
Orders close Thursday 26th June 2025. Please put your paper forms in the box in the office.
Collection will be the 1st week of next term at the School Hall. Date to be confirmed and advised.

Book & Clothing Sale


Thank you for helping us make this event a success. From the donations we received, to the amazing parent helpers. We hope you enjoyed the Sale.

We raised $3,700 towards this year’s fundraising goals.

We have donated the remaining items to local charities, Clothed in Love and City Mission. 

BOT Update

Policy Review

  1. Visit the website https://beckenham.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
  2. Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).
  3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
  4. Read the policy.
  5. Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
  6. Select the reviewer type.
  7. Enter your name (optional).
  8. Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
  9. Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, 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.)

School Holiday Drama Workshops - Storybox Drama x Heather McQuillan 

Friday 4 July, 10am-12pm, 1pm-3pm
Somerfield Community Centre, 47 Studholme St, Christchurch
$60

Come explore key ideas in Avis and the Promise of Dragons and Avis and the Call of the Kraken through process drama with author Heather McQuillan and Storybox Drama. There will be chocolate and surprises too! 

Find out more and register here:




KiwiVolley School Holiday Programme

Canterbury Volleyball is excited to be running our holiday skills session for Primary aged children through the 2025 School Holidays.

It will be a fun, action packed morning where we will cover all the basic skills of serving, passing, setting and spiking with lots of fun games and drills.

These sessions will be great for any children from Yr 5 to Yr 8 of any ability.

Children will get to learn all the skills in a fun way, play a lot of game like drills and get to meet heaps of new friends while playing volleyball!

All sessions are 10am - 12 pm on the following dates:

Tuesday 1st July + Wednesday 2nd of July 

Tuesday 8th + Wednesday 9th of July

Where: Pioneer Stadium

Cost: $20 per day or $30 for two days per week



SCHOOL HOLIDAYS EVENT - Kid's Winter Retreat!

I am running a Kid's Winter Retreat with some awesome talents in the upcoming school holidays and would like to invite all kids/families in need.

aroha nui
Lou / The Children's Imagination Academy




Badminton Holiday Camp

Term 3 Holiday Camp - Open to ALL ages!

Enrolment for our weeklong high intensity badminton training camp is now open! 
Limited spaces available so get in quick!

Enrolment link below:

*Application closes Friday 4 July 2025, BAPN T&Cs apply*

See you all on court! 
BAPN Team
 
Willie Chen
BAPN | CZW Limited | Director
Mobile: +64 210 224 5655 | willie.chen@mybadmintonshop.co.nz

Hagley College Year 9 2026 Enrolments - CLOSING SOON


Enrolment applications for Hagley College Year 9 2026 are closing soon, on Thursday 19 June at midday – ahead of the long Matariki weekend.

Our close-off date is firm and we will not be able to receive any new applications after this date. We are also aware that our closing date is quite a bit earlier than for many of the other high schools, so I am just hoping to avoid anyone missing out.

If you are keen but haven't put an application in yet, go to:
https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ and click the button to start a new application as soon as possible.

Any questions can be directed to me any time at the below number or email address. I do also have paper copies of the enrolment form here for families who are unable to apply online (though we may be cutting it a little fine to rely on physical post at this point).

Thank you so much for your support. We really appreciate it.

Ngā mihi

Lisa Amer
Junior College Enrolments
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College
DDI: 03 364 5134
lisa.amer@staff.hagley.school.nz



Matariki at The Arts Centre

With Matariki around the corner, we're letting you know what's on for students and whānau during this special time of year. 

Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre is working with artists to celebrate Matariki from 7–22 June, with a vibrant programme featuring live performances, visual art, kapa haka, Tīrama Mai, an evening mākete, delicious kai, and so much more.

For tamariki and their whānau, we have a kid’s concert, Matariki for tamariki; wānanga/workshops making whetū harakeke (flax stars), tī rākau and poi making, and porotiti making. There is also kapa haka performances in the Great Hall, an evening mākete (with 60 stallholders over the Matariki long weekend) and Tīrama Mai light displays and storytelling. These events range from being free - $25+BF per child.

We thought you might be interested in sharing details of these activities with your students and their whānau via your newsletters, social media, and other communications channels. Attached is a small flyer you can use.  

The full programme and booking details can be found at https://www.artscentre.org.nz/whats-on/matariki-2025/

We hope to you can join us in celebrating.

Ngā mihi,

Arts Centre team