Principal's Patch
Kia ora koutou
Three weeks of the 2020 school year done already, and it is lovely to see all of our students, new and old, settling into the daily routines of learning in their hubs. We have already had 35 new children start this year, including 19 who have come into the area from other schools. We hope that our new families are feeling welcomed and getting to know other families in the area.
Staffing news
It is with mixed emotions that I have to advise our community that Nigel Easson, Deputy Principal, tendered his resignation from our school today, effective at the end of Term 1. Nigel has won a new position as the principal of Sheffield School, near Darfield and he will start there in Term 2.I know you will join me in wishing Nigel and his family all the best for their new challenge.
Zone Amendment Consultation
As emailed out to you last week, our Board is currently working with the Ministry to consult with you regarding the proposed amendments to our school enrolment zone. These amendments are detailed on our school website and, if adopted, will likely come into effect from the start of the 2021 school year. The consultation closes on April 4th so do ensure that you have read the documents and had your chance to provide feedback.
Outdoor Spaces update
As you will see when you visit school, the work on our new outdoor play space is really going well. The shape of the different areas that are being developed are starting to take shape and we can all start to imagine what the finished area might look like. Thank you all for your patience with the contractors and for letting them get along with their work whilst we run the school around them!Ngā mihi nui
Sandy and the team
Important Dates
Upcoming Events
Sat 23 Feb - Weetbix Tryathlon, thank you to the PTA for supporting our students with this!Wed 26 Feb - PTA Meeting. 7:30 - 9:30pm
Thu 27 Feb - Years 5 - 8 School Swimming Event at Wharenui Swimming Pool. 12 - 3pm
Thu 27 Feb - Board of Trustees meeting 5:30 - 7:30pm
Fri 28 Feb - Celebration Assembly, 11- 11:30am in the hall. All welcome.
Sun 1 Mar - Beckenham Outdoor Spaces Working Bee. 8:30am - 1:00pm
Wed 11 Mar - Zone Swimming Sports - qualifiers only - more details to come
Fri 13 Mar - Celebration Assembly, 11 - 11:30am in the hall. All Welcome
Fri 13 Mar - School Duathlon (Y5-8) Beckenham Park - 1:15-3pm
Fri 20 Mar - TWILIGHT FAIR! from 4:30pm
Mon 23 Mar - Canterbury Primary School's Duathlon, qualifiers only. 9:00am - 1:30pm. Ruapuna speedway
Fri 27 Mar - Celebration Assembly, 11 - 11:30am. All Welcome
Term Dates
Click here to view 2020 term dates.Citizen of the Week
Niamh Wolt - Year 6
Niamh, you bring a real spark to our team. Your enthusiasm knows no bounds and you are always willing to show that you care by offering your help to others. You use initiative in your learning and you are a fantastic communicator. Tino pai to mahi, Niamh.School Notices
Using our drop-off and pick-up zone safely
Please can we remind all families that our 3minute drop off zone on Sandwich Road is for just 3minutes. This really does mean that you don't have time to get out of your vehicle and take your child into school - if you want to do that, please park elsewhere. The purpose of the drop-off zone is to simply drop off or pick up and when everyone does this, all parents who want to use this space can easily move through and queues don't build up. This helps to keep everyone safer.
Tennyson St crossing point
As you may be aware, there have been two incidents of people being knocked over on or near the crossing point on the corner of Tennyson St and Norwood St in the past two weeks. This is an area that has had community action since at least 2015 and in 2017 a group of local families presented at the Community Board about the issue. Ester, our Board Chair, has this week shared again with the community board the survey that she and others presented in 2017 including stories of people’s experiences, concerns and requests for changes.
Ester has also written to the Community Board again this week, asking for a response from them about their plans to make this area safer.
The Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board have asked if anyone from the community wanted to go present to the Community board. If anybody is interested, please contact Faye Collins at the Council office from the Beckenham library to make a time, and, you can go without booking to talk for five minutes before each Community Board meeting. If anybody goes to present and wants a copy of the full results of the survey, do get in touch with Ester, via the school office. The next Community Board meeting is advertised as:
Ordinary Meeting - Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board
Start: Tuesday, 3 March 2020 5:00 p.m.
Expected End: Tuesday, 3 March 2020 7:00 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room, Cashmere Presbyterian Church
Public Meeting: Yes
After school today I also had a visit from Ken Bye, Chairman of the Christchurch South Community Patrol Inc, to discuss the Tennyson St crossing. He and his colleague Annette spent some time on ‘patrol’ there this week and were surprised at how busy, and unsafe for children, it was. They have committed to having a patrol there, from Tuesday next week, from 3:05-3:25pm to support children of the community to cross there. They will also add their perspective to the Community Board on this issue. I know you will show your appreciation to them for this, and the other wonderful work they do to support our community to be a safe place.
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| Ray and Annette from the Christchurch South Community Patrol team |
Canterbury District Health Board Te Poari Hauora ō Waitaha Community Dental Service
Free Dental Care for Children - including special information regarding Year 8 students.One of our Community Dental Service vans will be making a visit to your school soon.
Only the children who currently require a check-up will be seen at this visit.
Please do not be concerned if your child is not called for a check-up this time.
The dental therapist will provide a regular check-up and preventative care which may include:
- Cleaning/Scaling (to remove plaque from teeth)
- Dental x-rays (to check for decay in teeth, or presence and position of teeth)
- Fluoride Varnish (painted on teeth to help prevent decay)
- Fissure Sealants (coating put on teeth to prevent decay) if required
what dental care and appointment times are required.
When you receive the ‘Care Plan’ please contact our Call Centre as soon as possible as you will
need to arrange a time to bring your child to one of our Community Clinics for this dental care.
Please contact our Call Centre if you want further information on the Community Dental Service, to enrol your child or if you have any specific questions about your child’s dental care (a dental
therapist will call you back)
Year 8 students: all year 8 students enrolled with the Community Dental Service are transferred
from the Community Dental Service to a FREE private dentist from year 9 until their 18th birthday.
To help with this transition please ensure you have informed your child of their family dentist (not
orthodontist). This will enable us to transfer your child onto the correct dentist for year 9 onwards.
More information will be sent home after their year 8 check-up.
To contact our Call Centre: phone 0800 846 983 / email: commdental@cdhb.health.nz
Allergy Guidelines
Our full allergy policy and guidelines are available on the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto website under Policies and then search ‘allergy’.Mana Ake “Drop-Ins” are continuing…
We welcome our new Mana Ake kaimahi to our kura. Leanne will be running our drop in sessions and acting as a liaison for our school. A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins” that are available on alternate Wednesday mornings 4 March 2020 from 8:30 – 9:10am. These drop-in sessions are here to provide parents with an opportunity to have a private, informal conversation around the well being of their child with one of our Mana Ake workers (kaimahi). If you feel like you would like to attend a drop-in session, please book in a time via the link here: Mana Ake booking The code to use is 88t39. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.
LunchOnline - change of delivery days
Please note that LunchOnline will only be available on Wednesdays (Subway) and Fridays (Sushi Factory) this year as Pita Pit are no longer part of the scheme.
Sports News
Parent Help
Please, follow this link to indicate if you are able to help out with sport this term.Extra-Curricular Sports - Mountain Biking
There are two mountain biking relays that have been very popular in previous years. While these events are promoted by Beckenham te Kura O Pūroto and we are proud for the children to represent our kura, the responsibility of the transport and supervision of children at both events is with the caregiver. Entry for both of these events is done by the caregiver on the event’s website. Follow the link below. Please contact Jenny if you have any questions about either of these events. Email confirmation of your entry to Jenny.Huxster Mountain Bike Relay - 4th March
Held at Mclean’s Island, this event is a super fun event where children strive to complete as many laps of the course as they can in the time, (1.5 hours for Year 5/6 and 3 hours for Year 7/8). Year 5/6 children must compete in a team of two, while Year 7/8 have the option of doing the event as an individual or in a pair. Children should be confident controlling the speed and direction of their bike on beginner level singletrack.Note: This event is much earlier in the term than it previously has been.
Due to its popularity, this event is now being held over two days. Children from Beckenham should enter the South and Mid Canterbury zoned event on the 4th of March.
Hanmer 4 Hour Mountain Bike Relay - 21st March
This event features a variety of options for many age groups. The Super Juniors (6 to 11 years) do a very friendly course through the Heritage Forest. This incorporates a green level single track. Every child must have their own tail end charlie, (an adult riding with them) on every lap. This is a fantastic entry into mountain bike racing for those children who are comfortable controlling their speed and direction on trails similar to those at McLean’s Island and Bottle Lake. Children aged 11 years plus ride the same course as the adults, (and at the same time). This course has more climbing and more technical riding, (think Loess Rider or an easy blue level trail). Children should be confident mountain bikers on easy blue trails. Children compete in a team of up to 4 children.PTA News
First PTA Meeting in 2020
If you would like to join the PTA or just offer some help with events when you can, please come along to our first meeting of the year - Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA Meeting on Wednesday 26th February at 7.30 pm in the school Staff room or take a moment to fill in the PTA Survey. Supporting your school's parent teacher association need not be a chore. Get involved, help out at a school fundraiser and have some fun!. You do not have to be a PTA member to attend and there is no pressure to feel like you need to join just because you attend a meeting (There is often good food and always good chat!).Twilight Fair Headquarters
The countdown to the Twilight Fair is well underway! Fair HQ will Open on Monday 24th February. Located in the Green room, just besides Hall foyer, we will open every morning before school & every afternoon after school leading up to the Fair.This will be your opportunity to sign up to help on the day, donate quality second hand clothes, books & toys (we set up cut off date to a week before the Fair), drop off prizes/vouchers & sign up for the various competitions on offer. Please NO White Elephant!
Fair Organising Committee is currently running with a small group of dedicated people, but to be able to continue with enough sleep and organise a great Fair we require your support & help. If you can commit to be there during time when HQ is opened, on the day of the Fair or in another way please register @Fair Helpers or email us at pta@beckenham.school.nz.
Looking forward to meeting you all down at HQ next Monday!
Twilight Fair Newsletter #Four weeks
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Kids Connect
KidsConnect is an exciting and inspiring programme for students aged between 9 - 13 years who want to be the best versions of themselves. We incorporate a variety of play-based and creative art techniques to facilitate engaging groups that teach children how to have confidence in themselves and how to get along with and enjoy others. Within our groups we promote opportunities for building friendships and developing a growth mindset, as well as developing skills for co-operative play and conflict resolution. To maximise each student’s learning potential and opportunity to engage, we run small groups (six students per group). We will be running the Air/Hau group in Beckenham (please visit our website for more information). All groups are facilitated by a Registered Child & Family Psychologist.The Term 1 group will start on Monday 2nd March, and will run each Monday for the rest of the Term in the Green Room (attached to the school hall). The group time is 3:10pm – 4pm. Depending on numbers, we may be able to offer other groups on different days after school. The cost of the programme is $25 per student, per week ($150 in total for six weeks during Term 1). Please register your interest for the Term 1 groups by Friday 28th February by emailing us at info@positiverelationships.co.nz
Lee & Corina Hooper
Sunday 8th March - Run to Remember
The 10km course was originally chosen in 2012 for the opportunity it extends to all ages and abilities to run, walk and remember. Following an initial ascent from Victoria Park, the course meanders along the scenic Summit Road, concluding with a descent down Rapaki Track and ending in the event village at Hansen Park. We encourage participants to commit to the event several months in advance, to allow time to get accustomed to the Port Hills terrain.
Sign up by clicking on this link.
