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Kōwhai News Term 4 Week 7

Posted on 2 December, 20222 December, 2022 by Nick Bruce

Kia ora koutou,

This term has been full of excitement! We have recently had a big focus on transitioning in preparation for 2023. The Year 4 children have had a visit to the Pōhutukawa team and the Year 3s have had Discovery with the Year 2s. All the visits have been very successful so far and enjoyed by all!

Playground

Our new junior playground opened recently and is very popular. Here are some photos of the children's favourite playground activities.

Concert

We were privileged to enjoy two fantastic concerts last week which showcased some of our students' musical talent. Thank you to the students who performed. You were outstanding!

Kapa Haka Performance

On Wednesday, the Year 3/4 Kapa Haka group performed 5 songs at the Community Picnic and they were amazing. The children really rose to the occasion and gave it their all. Thank you to all the whānau who came to support them.

Book Return

As the school year draws to a close, we kindly ask that all Pip and Tim books are returned to school by the end of next week.

Have a great weekend!

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 4 Week 7

Posted on 29 November, 202229 November, 2022 by Nicky Dunlop

In this post:

Key dates
Production next Monday and Tuesday
Top Team next Monday
Corsair Bay next Friday
Relationships and Sexuality

The end of the year is racing towards us! Below is a reminder of key dates:

Wednesday, Nov 30: Canterbury athletics
Wednesday, Nov 30: Whānau picnic and Kapa haka concerts. Picnic and games from 5pm. Te Whānau Mahi Tahi perform at 6:30pm.
Monday, Dec 5: Top Team in the afternoon (see below)
Monday, Dec 5: 'A walk through the 80s' opening night (see below)
Tuesday, Dec 6: Last technology session for the year
Tuesday, Dec 6: 'A walk through the 80s' final night
Friday, Dec 9: Final assembly starting at 9:45am.
Friday, Dec 9: Corsair Bay trip (see below)
Tuesday, Dec 13: Year 8 pool party, 4-6pm
Wednesday, Dec 14: Leavers' assembly and lunch, 11am - 1pm (Year 8s finish)
Thursday, Dec 15: Last morning for Year 7

'A Walk Through the 80s' Production, Dec 5th and 6th:

This week we are putting the finishing touches on our production and will be performing for the school on Thursday afternoon. All children performing on stage need their costumes at school by Thursday.

The children are very much looking forward to performing for you next Monday and Tuesday nights, starting at 7pm. Children are to come already in costume and meet in the hub at 6:30pm. Caitlin will send out a separate message about the dancers.

Please encourage family and friends to come along and enjoy an entertaining evening. We will not be selling tickets prior, simply turn up on the night with a gold coin donation. You are welcome to come both evenings if you would like to.

Top Team Monday, Dec 5th:

We are looking forward to an afternoon of fun and fabulous teamwork next Monday. Top Team arrive with all their gear late morning and the fun begins at 1:30. Some of the activities involve water so children need to bring clothes to change into. We suggest a rash top, polypro, house shirt or quick dry t-shirt and quick dry shorts. Sunhats and sunscreen will also be required. Pack a towel too. Many thanks to the adults who have volunteered to help; we will see you on the park at 1:10 for the briefing.

Corsair Bay, Dec 9th:

Next Friday after morning tea we head to Corsair Bay. Swimming, a walk to Cass Bay, games on the beach and chilling with friends will be the activities of the day. Children are to come to school in uniform. It would be best if they had their togs on underneath their uniform. They are to bring:

togs and towel
sunhat
sunscreen
lunch (friends may arrange to bring a shared lunch and this needs to be nut-free)
water bottle
inhaler (if required)
Optional: picnic rug, non-electronic game such as cards, wetsuit, sunglasses

We should be back at school by 3pm.

Relationships and Sexuality:

We are currently looking at the 'growing and changing' section of relationships and sexuality. We have discussed changes at puberty and how to manage these changes. We have learned about the male and female reproductive systems and are moving on to conception and the consequences of sexual activity, which includes talking about contraception.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 25 November 2022

Posted on 25 November, 202225 November, 2022 by Sandy Hastings, Principal, Beckenham School

Principal's Patch

Kia ora koutou

With only two and a half weeks of the school year to go, there is still a lot of learning and celebration to get through!

It was a momentous day on Monday to finally be able to open our new Junior Playground. We are grateful to the Ministry of Education for the funding that made it possible, to Richard Scott from our Board, and Richard Garner (Logic Group - project manager) who over-saw the project, and to PLAYCO for making it all happen!

We were grateful for sunny weather for the opening, after a very wet spell over the weekend, and our newest 5-year-old, who had only started school on the 1st of November, had the honour of cutting the ribbon and declaring - 'This playground is now OPEN"

All of the children have been getting plenty of opportunities for exploring the playground and are practicing skills of turn-taking, patience, and of supporting and encouraging one another as they use the different pieces of equipment.

Whānau Picnic and Kapa Haka Concerts - this Wed 30 Nov

The student council are holding an event on the 30th of November, the Whānau Rōpū Picnic

event from 5:00 - 7:00.We will have mini-games and prizes up for grabs. You can bring your own picnic. Our Kowhai, Pohutukawa and Kauri Kapa Haka groups will be performing at the following times:

Year 3-4 - 5:30
Year 5-6 - 6:00
Te Whānau Mahi Tahi - 6:30

We will also play music and hope students can bring families to the community event.

- From the Student Council

Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki (Principal)

Important Dates

Wed 30 Nov - Whānau Rōpū Picnic and Kapa Haka performances (see below for more info)

Fri 2 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10 - 10.30am)

Thu 8 Dec - BOT Meeting (5.30 - 7.50pm - Rūma Kaimahi/Staffroom)

Fri 9 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9.45-10.30am)

Wed 14 Dec - Year 8 Leavers Graduation - 11am - 12noon, followed by Leavers' Lunch

Thu 15 Dec - Last day of Term 4 - School closes at 12:30pm

Term Dates

Click here to view the 2022 & 2023 term dates.

Citizen of the Week

Clarel Caen - Year 4

Clarel, you are a hardworking and motivated learner and always try to do your best. You consistently demonstrate a positive attitude and are a great friend to others. You have wonderful self-management skills and are an excellent role model. You are extremely reliable and make a positive difference in our hub. Well done, Clarel!

School Notices

Whānau Survey - please contribute your perspective...

Over the next 2 to 3 years we will be further developing our understanding of gifted learners and how we meet their needs at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. This survey is part of the initial process and helps us with our planning and direction. We encourage all whānau to complete this survey which will be open until Monday 28th November.

Christchurch School of Music

Your child can learn to play a string instrument at school with the CSM Outreach Strings Programme. Children who learn music build confidence, increase their learning abilities, sharpen organisational skills and gain valuable social, physical and academic skills. Most importantly learning an instrument in the Outreach Strings Programme is fun. In the strings programme we teach violin, viola and cello.

Students receive a lesson each week (either individual or in a group of two) and will also have time in a small ensemble. Lessons and the ensemble happen during school time.

Your child will play in concerts at their school and in concerts organised by the Christchurch School of Music with other orchestras, ensembles and groups. The Outreach programme works closely with the CSM Junior Symphony Orchestra (JSO) and all Outreach strings participants are invited to attend the JSO camp each year.
What will it cost?
We teach in your child’s school for 32 sessions throughout the year. Each term can have a different number of lessons depending on the other activities happening at the school and children’s timetables. The cost for the Outreach Strings Programme is $572.00 per year. This is invoiced by term ($143.00). We can also arrange a weekly payment plan if that suits better. If you have a community services card you may be eligible for a 50% discount on the base fee. This is dependent on the availability of grant monies.

Hiring an Instrument
You can hire an instrument from CSM. The cost for a violin is $140 per year ($35.00 per term) and a cello is $240 per year ($60 per term). You can also hire instruments from Sedley Wells and KBB Music. Your school may also have instruments available.

Enrolling
Go to www.csm.org.nz/enrol and choose the Outreach Strings Programme.

Christchurch School of Music
60 Ferry Road
T: (03) 3661 711
E: office@csm.org.nz
or the Outreach Strings Coordinator Anne Robinson at annejohnrobinson@gmail.com

Issue 8 of Book Club is here!

This exciting Issue of Book Club has all the best books to get festive for the holidays and to be ready for summer holiday reading!

It's the last issue for the year, so make sure you place your orders on time to ensure you have books for Christmas gifting and school holiday reading.

Issue 8

Opens - Monday 14 Nov

Closes - Monday 12 Dec

Click this link to shop - https://www.scholastic.co.nz/parents/lucky-book-club/

Lost Property

All items in the Lost Property need to be claimed before the end of term. This also a reminder to name all items coming to school with your tamariki. Any items clearly named (first and last) are returned to the child's teacher directly.

Congratulations to...

Congratulations to our two Theatre Sports teams for their competitions on Saturday 5th November at Rangi Ruru Girls High School. Zoe Winsor, Ashlyn Taffs, Cleo Hopkinson, Oliver Mclachlan and Lachy Mcleod were amazing with their wit and working together to create great improv. Emma Reedy, Stella English, Haile Harmer-Campbell, Reagan Maule, and Katya Atlas were humorous and provided great entertainment while on stage. They were runner-ups in their heat. Both teams worked from the beginning of Term 2 to perfect their skills. Well done to you all!

PTA Update

Help needed please!

Our Uniform room is open this year on Mondays and Fridays after school for 20 minutes or so.

We are in danger of having to close it as our wonderful Jaana who has volunteered for many years is off on a new adventure!

We are looking for a kind person to take on a shift once a week. It does not have to be a certain day and could even be in the morning before school. It's very easy and a great way to get to know lots of people in the school community.

It's a great service for the school, so please do email us at pta@beckenham.school.nz or message us on Facebook.

Ngā mihi

The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Community Notices

Community Helpline

1737 - free text and phone counseling 24/7

Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234

Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202

Anxiety New Zealand - 0800 269 4389

What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18-year-olds).

thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

Koru Team News, Term 4 Week 5

Posted on 20 November, 202220 November, 2022 by Georgia

Kia ora, e te whānau,

It has been a busy first 5 weeks of Term 4, a term which is flying by incredibly quickly! These five weeks have been filled with so much fun, novel experiences, and new learning. We experienced our first house games which were so exciting, and we also spent time using a 'House of Science' kit, during which we investigated many aspects of recycling. Photos from this investigation can be found in the previous Koru Team news post.

Bug Hotels

During Week 4, we looked into the making of 'bug hotels', and discussed just how useful these can be for insects in the environment around us, the types of materials we might need to make these, and how we might use our school value, 'We Get There Together', by working with others to make our 'bug hotels'. Below are some photos of the awesome process our tamariki went through to produce these mini environments for some of the bugs close to our learning spaces!

Making Boats

During this week, we have been engaging in water play, and conducting experiments to see if we can make boats that actually do float. Our tamariki have loved creating their boats! Below are photos of our children showing 'We Get There Together', 'We Love Challenge', and 'We Love Learning', by working together in groups to make the best boats they can, with the ultimate goal of the boats being able to float. We will be testing the children's boats this coming week (Week 6).

Kapa Haka Performance

During Week 3, we had the amazing opportunity to perform our Kapa Haka waiata at our Celebration hui. Below are the links to our performances. Our tamariki did such an awesome job and we are all so proud of them! Ka pai, koutou.

This is their performance of 'Motoka'...

...and this is their performance of 'A E I O U'

Reminders:

We would like to thank you for your ongoing support as your children learn and continue to practise being able to independently unpack their bags and complete their morning routines.

Just a reminder that Literacy folders need to come back each day, because we use what is sent home in our sessions during school time
Library day is on Fridays, so thank you for reminding your child to bring their Library folders in either during the week or on Friday to change their books
Your child needs a named hat at school each day
When arriving and leaving school each day, we ask that you do not walk your child through the car park area. Many thanks for your support with this
Please send your child to school with sunscreen on, and we will help the children to reapply more sunscreen before their big playtime
In Week 7, we will be having a trip to the Art Gallery. Information about this can be found on Hero from a post sent out on Tuesday. Further information about this outing will be coming out later in the week ahead
The children have been enjoying using the very cool water pump in our sandpit, especially in this beautiful weather we have been having. Having a change of clothes in their bags would be useful for those days when the water is flowing!

We hope you have had a safe and happy weekend, and we can't wait to see your tamariki back at school tomorrow for another awesome week!!

Ngā mihi mahana,

Georgia, Elizabeth, Nicola, Tracey and Stacey

Kahikatea News – Term 4 Week 5

Posted on 19 November, 202219 November, 2022 by Krystal Hunt

Kia ora e te whānau,

Week 5 already, what fantastic fun we are having!

Word of the week

Our word of the week is kindness.

Kindness is "the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate" (Oxford Dictionary)

Te Reo Focus

This week, our Te Reo Maori focus has been how to ask someone what their name is and how to tell someone your name. The following video has been helping our tamariki learn this knowledge:

Art Lessons

Over the next few weeks, our tamariki will be participating in a sustainable art rotation of 8 different lessons. These lessons cover all four art strands of the curriculum (visual art, drama, dance and music)

They had their first two lessons this week.

Reading Books

Please ensure all Little Learners Love Literacy books are returned to school by the end of week 6. This will allow us to do a stocktake and work out what new resources we need to purchase to support literacy learning next year.

Toys

We ask that our students leave their toys at home when they come to school. We have plenty of fun activities and things for them to play with whilst at school. When toys from home come to school they can get lost or broken. We know how special our toys are, and the best way to keep them safe is to keep them at home.