Kahikatea News: Term 2, week 1

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 Kia ora te Whānau, 

A big welcome back to Term 2! We have heard many amazing holiday stories and hope you all have had some lovely, quality family time together. Our tamariki have been so excited to be back, and there has been much chat and reconnecting with friends and teachers this week.

We have started off the term by delving into some new and exciting learning:

Maths in Term 2

This term, our Y0-2 ākonga (learners) are using Numicon equipment to support their maths learning. Numicon uses equipment which helps make numbers visible (see) and tactile (touch/use), allowing learners to see how numbers are composed (made up of), how they fit together and how they relate to each other.

The ākonga (learners)  have been wonderfully engaged in these Numicon sessions. They have been highly motivated to complete the daily activities, explain their thinking mathematically and use their maths vocabulary.



















Literacy:
Our literacy learning is back in full swing, and the tamariki have come back from a break refreshed and ready to learn. It has not taken them long to get back into our literacy routines. 
A reminder to bring reading folders to school on Thursdays.










Inquiry Learning:
This term, our inquiry learning will be exploring the Social Sciences strand of Geography. Throughout the term, we will begin by looking at:
  • home
  • our school community
  • our wider suburb of Beckenham and the community
  • We will look at the geography and landscape features of New Zealand 
  • Then, finally, looking at where we sit globally in the big, wide world. 
There will be learning around mapping, key symbols and colours to recognise land and ocean features, knowing our immediate surroundings and where we sit in relation to the wider community and learning about simple services in our area.

We will be heading out into the community on a walk this term, and we will need parent helpers to assist. Please click HERE to fill in the form if you can assist us on this trip.

Cross Country:
Our whole school cross country is coming up next Friday, 1st May. Our year 1 and 2 students will compete from 11:30-12:00. They will run one lap of the park. We are getting out to practice when we can, so please ensure that your child is wearing appropriate footwear (sneakers) to school each day.

Kapa Haka:
We are lucky enough to have Kapa Haka sessions this term and in Term 4 with Whaia Cath, learning new waiata and tikanga. 
Talia and Sarah J homegroups had a session today. Amber and Sarah's home groups will have a session next week.



Koru Team News (24/04/2026) Term 2 Week 1

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Koru Team News - Term 2, Week 1 

Welcome to Term 2!

A warm welcome to the new tamariki and their whānau joining our Koru team this term. It’s wonderful to see our children supporting one another as they learn about school life at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. This reflects our school values of We Get There Together and We Love Challenge.

As we move into the winter months, it’s important that children come to school with a jersey or fleece, a jacket, and a change of clothes in their bags each day. On rainy days, we sometimes stay inside during break times, but whenever possible, children will still head outside to play—even when it’s cold. Please ensure they have warm clothing suitable for these conditions.

If your child would like to bring gumboots or slippers, they are welcome to do so. Please make sure all items are clearly named—we can store them by the classroom doors for easy changing.

Reminders:

  • Literacy folders: These should come to school every day. Please keep the letter cards and heart word cards in their small bags inside the folder.
  • Library folders: Our library day is Friday. Children will need their library folder at school each Friday to exchange their two books.
  • Poetry books: These will come home every Friday. Please return them in time for the new poem the following Friday.

Thank you for your ongoing support.


Whole School Cross Country:
  • Friday 1st May, 12:00 pm (Koru runners)
  • Beckenham Park (the big field next to our school)
  • Wear your House top if you have one (these can be bought at our school office)
  • Remember to wear comfortable shoes for running in
  • Koru children will be going out to the park at 11:45am. Our Koru children will be running around 12:00pm. 
  • Whānau are welcome to come and support our runners! If you can't make it, we will make sure we take lots of photos to share.
Cross Country course for Koru: 500 m

  • Racing will begin at the end of the Norwood Gate entrance to Beckenham Park (the green dot on the map below). 

  • Students will run one lap around Beckenham Park and finish at the red dot.

Maths in Term 2

This term, our Y0-2 ākonga (learners) are using Numicon equipment to support their maths learning. Numicon uses equipment which helps make numbers visible (see) and tactile (touch/use), allowing learners to see how numbers are composed (made up of), how they fit together and how they relate to each other.

The ākonga (learners) have been wonderfully engaged in these Numicon sessions. They have been highly motivated to complete the daily activities, explain their thinking mathematically and use their maths vocabulary.

Below are photos of our learners:






Ngā mihi,
Kendall, Elizabeth, Nicola and Stacey

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Final Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāpare (Thursday) 2nd April 2026

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

As we come to the end of another busy and rewarding term, I would like to take a moment to thank our entire school community for your ongoing support. It has been a term filled with learning, growth, and many opportunities for our students to shine.

Solar Project Update

I wanted to share some good news with you all. Last year, we were approached by a company called COG about the potential for solar arrays to be installed on our school buildings.

The advantages of this include:
  • Reduced carbon emissions
  • The school receives power at a discounted rate
  • Zero upfront or ongoing costs for the school
  • An interface to support students’ learning about sustainability through solar electricity generation
Following a period of consultation, I can confirm that the Board has passed a motion to proceed with this initiative. Below is an indicative image showing the proposed locations of the arrays around the school.

COG will now work with the Ministry of Education to complete all required documentation. If everything proceeds as expected, installation will take place next term.

Community Update

You may be aware of the damage to our school that occurred late last week. This has been disappointing for our community, and we are continuing to work through the situation.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support, offers of assistance, and information to help resolve the matter. We really appreciate the strong sense of care and pride our community has in our school.

We are continuing to follow this up and will work with the appropriate agencies to bring the matter to a resolution.

Looking Ahead 

Next term brings new opportunities for learning and involvement. We will share key dates and upcoming events early in the term so you can plan ahead. We look forward to continuing to build strong connections with our community.

Thank You

Thank you again for your support throughout the term, whether that’s helping with learning at home, attending events, or simply encouraging your child each day. It makes a real difference.

We hope you all enjoy a safe and relaxing break and look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed for the start of next term.

Ngā mihi nui,
Cade

Principal / Tumuaki

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

2026 Term Dates - Linked Here

Upcoming EventsTerm 1
Fri 3 AprGood Friday - School Closed
Upcoming EventsTerm 2
Mon 20 AprFirst Day of Term 2
Wed 22 AprNgā Puna Wai Tournament (Yr 5-8)
Fri 24 AprWelcome Assembly (Hall 9:10am - 9:30am)
Mon 27 AprANZAC Day - School Closed
Wed 29 AprPSC Aqua-thon Event (Swim & Run)
Wed 29 AprWorld Vision Junior Youth Conference
Fri 1 MaySchool Cross Country Event
Wed 6 MayPTA Meeting (7:30- 9:30pm, Staff Room)
Thu 7 MayRugby Fun Day (Yr 4-5, Burnside Park)
Thu 7 MayU11 NFL Tournament (Yr 4-6)
Wed 13 MayGirls Got Game - Basketball Programme
Fri 15 MayCelebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, Hall)
Wed 20 MayBoard of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Wed 27 MaySouth Zone Cross Country Event (Yr 5-8)
Fri 29 MayStaff Only Day - School Closed
Mon 1 JuneKing's Birthday - School Closed

Citizen of the Week

Mason - Year 8

Mason, you are a dedicated and skilled student who is showing a strong commitment to your learning. You help create an inclusive and welcoming classroom by sharing your social skills and building positive connections with others. Your sense of fun and great humour bring energy and positivity to our class each day. Thank you for the way you contribute to our learning environment.

Oscar - Year 5

Oscar, you are a fantastic role model in our hub. You give everything your best effort, and your focus and self-management make you a star learner. You are a kind, supportive friend and a respectful member of our class. Keep up the great work!

School Notices

Viewing our School Calendar in Hero

Any events added to our school calendar will now sync to the calendar in the Hero Family app. When logged into Hero, caregivers can view this by going to Events from the Hero landing page or in the menu on the left side of their Hero app.

Dungeons and Dragons Club!

Are you someone who has an interest in Dungeons and Dragons?
Do you know someone who has an interest in Dungeons and Dragons?

We want to begin a Dungeons and Dragons Club at school. We have some keen players - can you help us?

Please get in touch with Sue Leadbetter at: sue.leadbetter@beckenham.school.nz

Our Weet-Bix TRYathlon Tamariki

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 are 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!

Mauria te ponoBelieve in yourself and give it a go!
Whakataukī:Whaowhia te kete mātaurangaThis means to fill the basket with knowledge!
Whakataukī:He waka eke noaWe are all in this together!
Kīwaha:Kia Tau!This means relax, or settle petal!
Kīwaha:Kei runga noa atu koe!This means you're awesome!
Kupu:NgahuruThis means Autumn.
Kupu:HarareiThis means to go on holiday.

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

Some of our tamariki visited Ferndale this week to speak with the children about chickens and take them on a visit to the garden area and to see the chickens in their home.  

We would like to share the slideshow the children made to share with our Ferndale Hub Friends.

Potato (the chicken) loves to sit on Seth's knee every time he visits!

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

Canterbury Swimming Championships

We are incredibly proud of our students who represented our school at the Canterbury Swimming Championships. They showed determination, sportsmanship, and excellent effort in the pool, achieving some fantastic results against strong competition from across the region. We had 14 students competing over the two days.

Sailing Success for Samson

We would also like to celebrate Samson, who achieved an outstanding result at the Canterbury Optimist Championships over the weekend, placing 3rd overall. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work and dedication he has put into his sailing. We are very proud of his success!

South Island Schools Mountain Biking Championships

Our students also achieved fantastic results at the South Island Schools Mountain Biking Championships. In the Cross Country race, Zach placed 1st, Daniel 6th, and Ben 11th. The boys also teamed up for the Year 7/8 Cross Country Relay, taking out 1st place. In the Enduro event, Zach finished 9th and Ben 21st. Unfortunately, Sedas was unwell and unable to race. We are incredibly proud of the effort and determination shown by all of our riders. Thank you to Malcolm Stoney for the incredible photos of our riders.

Huxster Mountain Biking - 2026 Success

Well done to all of our students who participated in the Huxster Mountain Bike Event. It was another great couple of days of racing with plenty of whānau support on the sidelines. The results below highlight some particularly commendable performances.

In the Year 5/6 division, Lexi and Laurien placed 1st in the Girls Team event. In the Year 7/8 category, Zach took 1st place in the Boys race and recorded the fastest overall time across both days of the event. Laura and Ben also placed 1st in the Open Teams, while Jayme and Mietta finished 4th in the Girls Teams.

PTA News

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Easter raffle in any way, by donating grocery items for the hamper or selling raffle tickets. Every little bit helps, and together we raised almost $5000 for new shade sails over the junior playground!! 
Congratulations to our Easter Raffle winners, who all take home Easter hampers, and we hope you all got a look at Cade dressed up in his Easter Bunny outfit in support of our fundraising. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone! 

BOT Update

Term 1 Policy Review Closing Soon - SchoolDocs

  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, 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.)

Canterbury Rams Vs Wellington Saints - Ticket Discount

We would like to offer your school & community an exclusive 10% discount on tickets for the Canterbury Rams vs Wellington Saints home opening game at Parakiore on the 19th April.

10% Discount – Canterbury Rams vs Wellington Saints - https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/events/RAMSSAI26/venues/CPR/performances/ECPR0000026RA/tickets

We would also like to offer your school community a 25% off to attend the upcoming Canterbury Rams holiday camps & game day clinics for boys & girls. 
25% discount Referral Code on Checkout - TAKEOFF25
 
Canterbury Rams Holiday Camps & Game Day Clinics - Camps & Schools - Canterbury Rams

Table Tennis Canterbury - Free Event

This free event will be held on Sunday, 12th of April at Table Tennis Canterbury Stadium from 9.30am - 12.30pm. Registrations can be made by following the link here.

From Bellies, Babies to Tweens Market - SUNDAY 12 APRIL

Looking to save on quality baby, kids and tween items – or keen to turn your own pre-loved gear into cash?
Come along to the From Bellies, Babies to Tweens Market – a community focused buy/sell market dedicated to all things maternity, baby, kids and tweens. You’ll find a wide range of new and gently used items at affordable prices – all in one convenient location.
Sunday 12 April
9:00am – 12noon
Halswell Rugby League Club, Halswell Domain
It’s the perfect opportunity to shop sustainably, support local whānau and snap up a bargain. Bring your friends, spread the word and mark your calendar! Free entry for shoppers.
To book a stall or find out more, email: fbbtmarket@gmail.com

2026 Koru Team News – Term 1, Week 8

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Koru Team News - Term 1, Week 8 

Kia Ora E Te Whānau, 

We have almost come to the end of our first term together. Your tamariki have come so far and learnt so much in such a short space of time. Learning a new routine and becoming settled in the school day timetable is a big transition, and they have all done this so confidently. 

Below you will find some more insights into our school day, some important dates for Term 2 and a few links at the end you may like to use during the holidays with your child. 

Kapa Haka

Whāea Cath is coming to visit us every other Friday for Kapa Haka. Last week, we learnt a new karakia and the actions that go with it. Then we sang some songs while Cath played her guitar. These were old favourites for some of us and brand new for others. Cath brought her little kiwi friend to meet us while we sang a song about kiwis. 



Maths

Our focus this week has been on measurement. We have used Gingerbread People to help use mathematical vocabulary and skills such as compare, taller, longer and shorter. We also ordered objects by their length using the vocabulary shortest and tallest. 






Inquiry - Kotahitanga

We have focused on how we use and show our school value 'we care' for the last two weeks. One of our favourite activities was musical hoops. As Kendall and Nicola took away more hoops, we had to think about how we could show 'we care' to make sure no one was left out when there weren't enough for us to have our own. 







Student Teacher 

Mitchell Ackland will be joining Koru for the last week of Term 1 and the first 6 weeks of Term 2. In-class placements are a hugely valuable part of teacher training and we know our school and our hub will be a lovely place for Mitchell to learn and grow in his journey to becoming a teacher. 



Holiday Links 







As this is our last blog post for the term, we would like to thank you all for a wonderful first term. We have loved getting to know you and your children. 


Ngā Mihi, 

Nicola, Elizabeth and Kendall

Kahikitea Blog – Term 1, Week 8

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 Kia ora e te whānau,

We are fast approaching the end of Term 1 and what a wonderful term it has been! It has been wonderful seeing the tamariki reconnect with friends from last year and in some cases make some new friends too!

The tamariki have settled well into our daily routines and weekly activities and we look forward to seeing them to continue to thrive and learn in the coming terms ahead.

Literacy

The tamariki have settled well into their literacy groups and have a good understanding of how the process works during the week. They are keen to learn and especially excited when they get to take a new book home on a Thursday. A small reminder that Thursday is literacy book swap day when they can return their previous book to their teacher and receive their new one to share with you at home.

Maths


Our focus this week has been concepts of subtraction and the tamariki have really enjoyed working with their Math buddy's in their home groups to solve some tricky questions and share their ideas.

Inquiry – Sustainability: Healthy Bodies and Minds

We have continued to focus on our healthy bodies and minds inquiry this week by looking at extending the tamariki's vocabulary regarding words around food choices. We established what a carbohydrate is and what it does for our bodies, additionally we talked about protein and the vegetarian/ alternative options available to fuel our bodies. This inquiry has provided some wonderful conversations and engagement in the classes.  

Learning Through Play


Our LTP sessions in Kahikatea are always hugely enjoyed by our tamariki, and they get the opportunity to engage in a wide range of learning opportunities, including art, science and construction. They are also given the opportunity to play sport outside and build their social skills through shared activities with their friends. This week we enjoyed a fabulous balloon art activity with lots of open-ended learning outcomes.  

Tuakana- Teina


We have continued to support our younger tamariki to make connections with our older students at the school and it has been absolutely wonderful watching these reciprocal relationships grow. Our homegroup children are always excited to see their "big buddies" arrive to play games, draw, build or organize sports activities outside. 

Little Kickers

The last two Wednesday's have been a fabulous opportunity for the tamariki to engage in some football games and learn some new skills. Every class has had its own 30-minute session to receive some ball skills training and play some fun games with two great coaches. 




Nga mihi nui

Sarah J, Amber, Talia and Sarah S