Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Schoolwide Newsletter, Rāmere (Friday) 21 March 2025

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to our week 8 Newsletter. It is hard to believe we are coming towards the end of Term 1.

Building a Strong Sense of Community and Service

At our school, we believe that community and service are essential to shaping compassionate, responsible individuals. Giving back and practicing reciprocal kindness helps us care for others, and in turn, care for ourselves. When we extend a hand to help someone, we not only improve their lives but also enrich our own, fostering a sense of connection and well-being.

Caring for others is a valuable life skill we encourage in our students. Whether supporting a classmate or volunteering in the community, kindness helps build a more compassionate world. We also emphasise the importance of caring for our environment. Teaching our students to be stewards (kaitiaki) of the planet ensures a sustainable future for everyone.

By nurturing these values, we are preparing our students for a lifetime of compassionate living, where caring for others and the world around them is just as important as caring for themselves.

At last week's celebration assembly, we acknowledged the service of our road patrollers and the contribution they make to keeping our school safe. We also thanked a group of Year 1 students who have taken it upon themselves to be responsible for rubbish collection around the school. Additionally, we recognized the large group of students from across the school who participated in the Weetbix Tryathlon under our school name. These are all great examples of students supporting a strong sense of community at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto.


Celebration of Culture Day 

As you will have seen through a HERO community post, next Friday will be a Celebration of Culture Day at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. 

Students are invited to wear clothing that represents their cultural heritage on this day, whether it's a traditional outfit, something symbolic, or an item that has cultural significance. We want to embrace and honour the many cultures within our school community.

Throughout the day, teachers will provide opportunities for students to share about their culture, fostering an environment of learning, understanding, and appreciation for one another’s backgrounds.

We are really looking forward to this day of celebration, where the diversity within our community will be showcased and celebrated.

Have a great weekend.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Cade Englefield 

Important Dates

Upcoming Events

Wed 26 Mar - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)
Fri 28 Mar - Celebration of Culture Day
Fri 28 Mar - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, in the Hall)
Wed 2 Apr - Fri 4 Apr - Living Springs Camp - Pōhutukawa (Y5/6)
Thu 3 Apr Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 11 Apr - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am, in the Hall)
Fri 11 Apr - Last Day of Term 1
Mon 28 Apr - First Day of Term 2
Fri 23 May - School Cross Country
Wed 28 May - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)
Thu 29 May - Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Fri 30 May - Staff Only Day (School Closed)
Mon 2 Jun - Public Holiday, School Closed (King's Birthday)
Wed 25 Jun -  Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm, Staff Room)
Wed 25 Jun - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)
Fri 27 Jun - Last Day of Term 2
Mon 14 Jul - First Day of Term 3

Citizen of the Week

Walter Stallworthy - Year 6

Walter, you are a calming and positive influence on those around you. You consistently demonstrate what it means to be an upstander, living out our values of We Care and We Make a Difference every day. Your dedication and determination to always do your best make you a truly diligent student. Ka pai tō mahi, Walter!

Zakhar Voinov - Year 8

For demonstrating outstanding kindness, respect and responsibility within our Kura. Zakhar, you lead by example, treat everyone with fairness and compassion, and embody the values we hold dear at Beckenham. Thank you for being a role model and an exceptional member of our community!

School Notices

Absence Text Line

Thank you for your patience this term while our text line has not been working. We appreciate you adjusting to emailing or phoning the office about any absences during this time.

We are happy to let you know that our text line is now working again!

Please contact the school office if your child will be absent from school. When contacting us please remember to include; your name, your child's name, the reason for their absence and how long you expect your child will be away from school.

If you do not provide a reason for your child's absence, we are required to mark this as an unjustified absence on their attendance report.

Phone: (03) 337-1404
(Press 1 to leave an absence message)
Email: office@beckenham.school.nz
Text: 02102794107

Cultural Diversity

On Wednesday, the student council organized a whole-school chalk project to advocate for cultural diversity. Years from 1-8 were invited to come and add symbols from their culture. The result is a beautiful mural, just inside the school gates. 

Unity Week: 15th - 21st of March

Launched in 2022, award-winning Unity Week NZ holds a special place in our hearts as we come together to reflect on the lessons of the 15 March mosque attacks and renew our commitment to strengthening our connections with one another.

Unity Week NZ comes to life through a series of impactful events, made possible by the collaborative efforts of Unity Week NZ champions in Christchurch and across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The message of Unity Week NZ is simple: See the humanity in one another, honour the ties that bind us, and respect our differences.

Unity Week NZ embodies the values of Understanding, Nationhood, Integrity, Trust and You. We call on you to commit to building a future where the lessons of 15 March are not only remembered and where unity, compassion, and respect are not just ideals, but actively woven into the lived experiences for everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.

See more here: https://www.unityweek.co.nz/ideas


Reo Māori o te Wīki

This is our Whakataukī (phrase), Kīwaha (saying), and Kupu (word) from last week. Give it a go! Remember, He taonga te ako, We Love Learning!!

Whakataukī: Mauria te pono - this means to Believe in Yourself!

Kīwaha: He reka! - this means Yummm!

Kupu: Wero -  this means challenge

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.

Scooters

Please ensure you are taking your child's scooter home at the end of each school day. There have been a growing number of incidents where scooters are being left at school overnight or over the weekend and are not there on return to school the following week, or morning. This does take a lot of time and resources to investigate each incident so if whānau could please be diligent about ensuring the collection of scooters at the end of each school day, it would be greatly appreciated. Our bike and scooter areas are locked from 9.15-2.45 each school day.

Thanks Qizzle - a new vegepod!

We have been incredibly fortunate to win a new Vegepod and stand from Qizzle following their Back to School 2025 competition! We can't wait to put this to good use and see what wonderful kai our keen Garden Club tamariki can grow with the help of our incredible Teaching Assistant, and garden whizz Lucy! Qizzle is where our stationery packs can be ordered from - https://qizzle.co.nz/

South Zones Swimming

We had our swimming sports earlier in the month at Wharenui pool and selected students then participated in the South Zones last week on Thursday the 13th of March. Our students represented our school amazingly. A special shoutout to the sportsmanlike conduct displayed at the pool, and to Hugo for supporting this endeavour. Congratulations to all the students who took part in both days, and please see below the placement results from South Zones.

South Zone Swimming Results 2025

50m Freestyle

Year 8 Boys 
2nd Place - Kawariki Taylor

Year 7 Girls 
2nd Place - Sarah Welch

Year 6 Boys 
3rd Place - Haydn O'Connor

50m Backstroke

Year 8 Boys 
1st Place - Zakhar Voinov
2nd Place - Kawariki Taylor

Year 8 Girls 
3rd Place - Imogen Orchard
4th Place - Emeline Henderson

Year 7 Boys
3rd Place - Sebastian Blane
4th Place - Samson Nutall

Year 7 Girls
3rd Place - Sarah Welch

Year 6 Boys
2nd Place - Haydn O'Connor
4th Place - Jack Hurst

Year 5 Girls
1st Place - Chloe Sayer
3rd Place - Cora Nuttall

50m Breaststroke

Year 8 Boys
2nd Place - Kawariki Taylor

Year 7 Boys
4th Place - Sebastian Blane

Year 6 Boys
4th Place - Jack Hurst

Year 5 Girls
4th Place - Chloe Sayer

50m Butterfly

Boys Open
2nd Place - Archie Chapman

Girls Open
1st Place - Tish Gillman
2nd Place - Sarah Welch

Celebration of Culture Day

We are excited to announce that our Student Council is leading a Celebration of Culture Day on Friday, 28 March. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and celebrate the rich diversity that makes Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto such a special place.

Students are invited to wear clothing that represents their cultural heritage on this day, whether it's a traditional outfit, something symbolic, or an item that has cultural significance. We want to embrace and honour the many cultures within our school community.

Throughout the day, teachers will provide opportunities for students to share about their culture, fostering an environment of learning, understanding, and appreciation for one another’s backgrounds.

This event aligns with our school values:

We Love Learning (He taonga te ako) – We celebrate learning about the unique cultures that make our community strong.

We Love Challenge (Nau mai te wero) – We encourage students to explore new perspectives and challenge their thinking.

We Care (Arohaina te tāngata me te taiao) – We show care and respect for each other’s cultures and traditions.

We Get There Together (Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe) – We work as a community to create an inclusive and supportive environment.

We Make a Difference (Nā mātou he rerekē te ao) – Together, we make the world a better place by celebrating and valuing the differences that make us unique.

We look forward to celebrating this special day with our students and whānau.

Congratulations Ivy!

2nd place at her Karate Club Championships!

CSM Outreach Recorder Lessons

Join us every Wednesday morning for our engaging recorder lessons, a fantastic way to introduce your child to the world of music! Not only is the recorder a fun and accessible instrument for kids, but it also lays a solid foundation for learning more complex woodwind instruments like the saxophone, flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon.

Exciting Performance Opportunity: Strum Strike Blow
Our recorder students will have the thrilling chance to participate in the Strum Strike Blow festival in September, where they'll perform alongside hundreds of other young musicians playing ukuleles and marimbas. This event is always a hit!

Enrolment Details:
Cost: $97.50 per term
Enrolment: Visit the Christchurch School of Music website to enrol online. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page to secure your child's spot in our outreach recorder programme.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity!

BOT Update

Policy Review

From time to time we ask you to review one of our policies that come up on our review cycle. A policy for whānau review is the Recording and Reporting Accidents, Injuries, and Illness policy. You will find it on School Docs at this link. Click on current review, start review and follow the directions. 

Username: beckenham
Password: pride

Instructions for reviewers
  1. Follow the link to the policy.
  2. Read the policy.
  3. Click the "Start Review" icon at the right-hand top corner of the page. A new screen will appear.
  4. Select your role (board member, staff member, student, whānau or other) from the drop-down list.
  5. Enter your name (optional).
  6. Submit your ratings and comments.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can easily provide you with printed copies of the policy and the review form.

BOSCO - April School Holiday Programme

BOSCO April school holiday Programme is open for bookings
Head to bosco.aimyplus.com to register and book
For any further information please contact Harriet
027 645 6632
office@bosco.org.nz

Community Notices

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

Art Competition: Design a frame for one of the city’s favourite paintings!

Ākonga from Years 3–8 are invited to enter a competition to design an imaginative frame for one of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū’s most treasured paintings, Burial in the Winter on the Island of Marken (also known as The Dutch Funeral).

Ākonga from Years 3–8 are invited to enter. One winner will be selected from Years 3–4, Years 5–6 and Years 7–8.

Prize winners must be able to be at Christchurch Art Gallery on Thursday 17 April (during the school holidays), from 10am until midday, and have parent or guardian consent for a photograph of the children to be made available to media for publication. Full details will be provided to the winning entries.

How to enter

1. Download and print the entry form, linked here. Entry forms are also available from the Gallery foyer.

2. Design a frame using any materials – and plenty of imagination! All entries must be on the official entry form.

3. Drop completed entries in the drop-box in the Gallery foyer or hand them to the front counter by Wednesday 9 April. Please get in touch if we can help you by collecting entry forms.

Winning entries will be announced on Friday 11 April.

Entries that do not win a prize can be collected from the Gallery until 1 May. (Entries not collected after this date will be disposed of.)

Any questions? 
Email emma@christchurchartgallery.org.nz.

Pōhutukawa News Term 1 Week 7 2025

 Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all


As the term races on it's time to catch up on what we've been up to in Pōhutukawa, and also let you know some information about a couple of upcoming events. Please read on!

CCC: "Cool Curriculum Areas" have been running all term and we are string to see some fantastic outcomes from these classes! The students skills in coding and technology are super impressive and it is awesome to see how enthusiastic they are to be heading to these classes, not that we thought they wouldn't be popular! Mindfulness, PE and visual art in full swim and the routines have been flawless. We are really impressed with how well things have been ticking over. Kai pai all! 

Mathematics and Literacy is taking off and the real mahi is beginning to show as well. We encourage your child to show you around our learning sites and all the awesome support activities they have at the fingertips for you to be able to engage in your child's learning. Ask for a tour today! 

Living Springs Camp 2025 planning is well underway, keep an eye out on HERO for the upcoming parent evening. Only three weeks to go! Very exciting! 

STOMP Percussion has been a hit! Literally. There has been some very noisy afternoons in the Pōhutukawa hub, so much we have had to move most lessons outside in order to cope! Students have been very inventive with their instruments and their sounds. The toughest challenge is to try to record them! Multiple sessions have been required but we are slowly getting there and they sound amazing! An update on this will be coming up!

We look forward to yet another great fortnight ahead and hoping for some settled warm weather of course. Thank you for all your support and aroha. 

Warm regards
The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team
Chris, Rae, Gayle, Megan, Nick, Georgie, Stacy and Laura

Koru Team Blog Term 1 Week 7 (14/03/2025)

 Kia ora, e te whānau,

Welcome to this fortnight's blog post! We are so impressed with the tamariki - they have been making amazing progress in their learning since starting school. This, of course, includes their academic learning, as well as their emotional learning and their social learning. 

Our blog post today contains information about:

  • the Koru team's class contract
  • a typical day in the Koru team
  • Structured Literacy in the Koru team
  • Online Safety information
  • and finally, some beautiful photos of the tamariki during the past fortnight.

He Waka Eke Noa:

We are all in this waka together!

As a team, we have discussed the meaning of this whakataukī and also the meaning of the word 'contract'. The tamariki together came up with some guidelines which we've all agreed to follow:

  • We show 'We Care'
  • We are kind to each other
  • We use gentle hands and gentle feet
  • We speak kindly to each other
  • We look after our things, like our hats and our drink bottles
  • We take care of our spaces and help at tidy up time
  • We take care of the games and toys
  • We are helpful
  • We use good manners, like 'please' and 'thank you'
  • We look after each other.
These guidelines were the children's ideas and we revisit them regularly, just as a reminder, and also so that our new children are familiar with them too. 

Other routines, which the children have embraced, include: 

  • unpacking their bags when they arrive at school in the morning, including putting their Literacy folder in the right container; 
  • remembering their poetry books and library folders on Friday; 
  • lining up after break times; 
  • 'showing five' whenever they are sitting on the mat; 
  • and following the expectations in their small Literacy group lessons (sitting up, chair pulled in, focusing on the learning, and 'whiteboards are for writing, not drawing').

We thank you all for your continued support with the start and end of day routines!

A typical Day in the Koru team:


We also fit into our days: interoception (short little activities with a focus on breathing and noticing how our bodies are feeling), music and movement, and of course aspects of both Literacy and Maths are incorporated into Learning Through Play. 

A fun focus during Learning Through Play at the moment is the theme of 'Shops and Shopping'. The original shop set up included a children's library beside the shop as well as roles such as the delivery person, two shopkeepers and visitors to the shop and the library. Elizabeth was included in the play (the Mum) as well as Katie (the Dad). Other children have been involved making signs, labels, money and purses/bags.

The children have been learning new songs and actions at our Music and Movement times, and they agreed that they would like two of these shared with you so that they can teach you at home. We know you'll love them! The expressions and actions that we see while the children are singing are absolutely adorable. See if your children will sing to you now (a great opportunity for 'the child to be the teacher').

Have fun at home with these songs!

Structured Literacy:

Our Structured Literacy groups are up and running, with the children learning the routines and expectations very quickly, and partcipating and contributing beautifully at these times. 
This link takes you to our school website which contains some background information for families about The Science of Reading
Your child will be bringing their Literacy folder home from Monday to Thursday, after school, and it's crucial that this folder is returned to school and unpacked from children's bags, every morning. Teachers will be topping up the letter and heart word packs regularly.
A big focus, when the children first start bringing folders home, is learning the letter sounds and the heart words to a fluent (or automatic) level, so practising using these as flash cards is incredibly helpful. This is explained for you very clearly in the second two links below.
Once the children recognise each letter and can make the sound, and recognise and read each heart word, they are then able to practise writing these at home with you. Letter cards can be joined together and read as words, for example, words with two sounds to start with (/a/, /t/ and /i/, /t/, and so on), then words with three sounds (/m/, /a/, /t/ and /f/, /i/, /t/, plus so many more). 
Have fun with this learning at home, and please remember it does need to be fun, so if your child is feeling tired, wait for a time when they have more energy and are better able to focus.
We hope that you find these links helpful:

Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.

Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.

To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link

And now for some photos of your wee ones from over the past fortnight:

Wow, what a wonderfully creative model!

...and a bird's eye view.

Creating a 4 element pattern with the penguins.

Five friends working together with the Mobilo.

Showing 'We Care' to ensure that the Mobilo is fairly shared.

"Here you are. You're welcome to use these pieces of Mobilo in your construction."

Collaborating on a Lego construction.

Putting in best effort and focus to produce top quality work.

Counting large numbers using the abacus.

"How many beads have been pushed across and how many are left?"

Collaborating to solve a problem using the abacus.

Working with a big buddy to count the beads on the abacus.

Showing 'We Care' by sweeping up small bits of rubbish with the brush and shovel.

Also showing 'We Care' by looking after our learning spaces. Thank you!!

What a kind thing to do for everyone, including our cleaner.

How many different ways can we make the number 5?

Working together to play the 'Shops' game.

Ensuring that the Children's Library, situated beside the shop, has enough chairs and books for visitors.

"Here you are, Batty... a book for you."

"Is everyone who is visiting the library feeling happy and comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you. It's lovely here!"

Beautiful dance moves...

...getting some practice in before the next disco?

So much energy and so many fabulous moves!

We hope that you're all thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having this weekend. We look forward to seeing those bright, happy smiles back at school tomorrow.
All best for the week ahead!

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Katie, Stacey and Elizabeth

katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz
stacey.mclachlan@beckenham.school.nz
elizabeth.drummond@beckenham.school.nz


Team Kauri Week 7, Term 1 2025

Team Kauri have had a busy couple of weeks since we got back from camp. We have held our swimming sports at Wharenui pool and selected students then participated in the South Zones on Thursday March 13th. Our students represented our school amazingly. A special shoutout to our sportsmanlike conduct at the pool.

We have also hosted a number of speakers this week who have spoken to us about Leadership. On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hosting: Gen Macky (Olympic ambassador), Cameron Snell (Coach and Kickboxer) and Adam Whitelock (former NZ rugby player) who shared their stories and the challenges they have had to overcome. This has given the students in Team Kauri valuable insight into what qualities we need to be leaders, role-models and high performing individuals. 

Students are settling into the routines of the Kauri space and loving especially our Passion friday activities. Cooking is an absolute favourite and for those who haven't had the opportunity to cook or make something ourselves have been enjoying the delicious aroma's wafting from the kitchen.

The next couple of weeks will see students completing more outcomes for their Passion projects and preparing inquiry presentations focusing on how we can be effective leaders in our school.

Some of our Team Kauri boys with Cameron Snell.
Some Staff who are obvious fans of Adam Whitelock.

Our Olympic Ambassador guest Gen Macky with some our Kauri students.

Farewell Mikyla

This coming week we will farewell Mikyla who has been an amazing asset to the Kauri staff. We wish Mikyla well as she prepares for her new baby. Thank you so much for all your awesome mahi Mikyla! Good luck and don't forget to come visit with bubba when she arrives.

Online Safety: Gaming

Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it’s fun. 


But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren’t seeing inappropriate content or chatting in-game with strangers?


Today we’re sharing Netsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe. 


YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/rPN_ev1RSDQ




Kōwhai News Term 1 Week 7

Kia ora e te Whānau, 

Welcome to the Week 7 Kōwhai blog. 

Top Team 

Last Friday, Top Team came to Beckenham, and the Kōwhai children had a great time trying lots of different team building activities out on the park. They worked in teams of 6-8, competing against other teams as they rotated around a variety of tasks. They showed amazing co-operative skills and really embraced the school values 'Nau mai te wero - We Love Challenge' and 'Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe - We Get There Together'. It really was wonderful to see, and we are so grateful that the weather turned out so well for us. Have a look at the photos below:

















Science 

This term, our inquiry focuses on science, specifically understanding chemical and physical changes. Students have been exploring this concept through hands-on experiments. So far, they have investigated the reaction between Mentos and Coke, and some classes have done a fruity-sweet colour-mixing experiment. Throughout this inquiry process, students will be developing their scientific thinking by forming hypotheses, making observations, recording results, and reflecting on their findings. We look forward to continuing to explore this topic.






NO Nuts Reminder

This is a reminder that the Kōwhai Hub is nut-free this year, so please ensure your child has NO nut products in their packed lunch. Thank you for your support with this.

Online Safety: Gaming

Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it’s fun. 


But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren’t seeing inappropriate content or chatting in-game with strangers?


Today we’re sharing Netsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe. 


YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/rPN_ev1RSDQ


We hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Ngā mihi nui,
The Kōwhai team