Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Newsletter Rāmere (Friday) 8 July 2022

I write you this final message for the term from home, as I have been in isolation this week due to having caught Covid. Unfortunately, it was from a social situation outside of school where no masks were being worn and those kinds of situations continue to be our biggest challenge in keeping Covid numbers down. I have been fortunate to have had a relatively mild dose, however, anything that keeps you away from work is disruptive to life in general and adds to the workload of colleagues and general pressure in the workplace. With Jacky also having been away for the past two weeks, I would like to particularly thank our two Deputy Principals - Jo and Sue, and our two office staff, Reihana and Rachel, for the extra load they have carried in our absence.

I believe that we have done the best job we can at school of trying to keep everyone safe from Covid and general illness, and the continued practice of wearing masks and staying away when symptomatic of any illness is keeping our attendance pretty high under the circumstances. We will continue with mask-wearing until further notice, in a continued effort to keep everyone well.

You can see our current Covid numbers in the graph below. We had a spike in Weeks 8 and 9, however, numbers are currently tracking down again. We do hope that you are all able to stay Covid-free during the holidays. If any students do test positive during the holidays, PLEASE continue to let us know, either by texting me on 021 899 429 or by emailing principal@beckenham.school.nz

We are still reporting daily case numbers to the Ministry of Education. At this point in time, 37% of our students have reported having Covid, along with 43% of our staff.

Thank you to everyone who attended learning conferences this week. I know that it was a huge week for our teachers with two very long days on Monday and Wednesday and that they really appreciated the time to meet with you, one on one. I want to thank them all for the professional and tireless way that they undertake these conferences and the commitment that they have put in, this week in particular. For those of you who missed a conference on Wednesday due to the teacher being away, please keep an eye out in your email for a new booking option for early next term.

I wish you all a safe and healthy two weeks of school holidays. I know that our staff are very much looking forward to a break to relax and rest, and I hope that you are able to get some time as a family to do the same.

Ngā mihi nui

Sandy Hastings - Tumuaki

We have a wonderful group of parents who support active supervision in the junior playground each day during lunch play. If you are interested in being added to the roster for this, please email katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

Over the next 2 - 3 years we will be working on the next part of our Strategic Plan around our inclusive practices - diverse learners and specifically focussing on our gifted learners.

It is widely accepted that gifted education is not just for students who need academic extension in the traditional areas of Reading, Writing and Maths. 

Tracy Riley, a leading scholar in Gifted Education from Massey University and an advocate for gifted learners, and her colleagues identified the following 6 areas of gifted learning:

Different cultures have different understandings of what it means to be a gifted learner. Māori believe that there is an inherent expectation that a person’s gifts and talents will be used to benefit others. 

In the next newsletter, we will share an overview of the different characteristics that a gifted learner may present with.

The ocean has become a tumbling commotion,

Our land has become a bland brand.

Our planet is shifting into a gadget too fragile to lose.

There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean.

Don’t just sit there, help!

Last year, it was reported that 60 percent of Aotearoa New Zealand's rivers carry pollution above acceptable levels.

Don’t just sit there, help!

Don’t just sit there watching the news believing things are getting better.

Because they’re not. But they can.

In 2020, volunteers removed more than 2381 tonnes of plastic from beaches around the world in a single day.

Don't just sit there, help!

If all 8 billion of us picked up at least 10 pieces of rubbish a day

Then 80 billion pieces of rubbish would be gone just like that.

Is 10 pieces of rubbish really that hard to pick up?

Don't just sit there help.

Last week, when I walked my dog

I picked up a whole bag of rubbish in 25 minutes.

Don't Just sit there, help!

Don't just say I’ll start tomorrow.

Don’t just sit there watching that wrapper float away.

Don't just walk past that used face mask.

Don't just think ‘Someone else will deal with it.’

Don’t just sit there, help!

Do start today.

Do pick up that piece of rubbish.

Do pick up that used face mask.

Do be that person to deal with it.

Please. Don't just sit there, help!

Last Monday, tamariki from our kura represented us at the South Zone Swimming Sports. Our zone is known for being a competitive one, especially when it comes to swimming. Our tamariki absolutely held their own in the water against the strong competition. For many, this is a testament to the mahi put in outside of school at swimming schools and clubs. 

The award that I personally hold most dear, is the unofficial one of Most Enthusiastic Supporters! I'm always impressed at how loudly and enthusiastically our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto tamariki cheer on their fellow competitors, and this year was no exception. There may have been a few lost voices that afternoon as a result!  

A huge congratulations to everyone who participated. 

Last Wednesday, a group of runners represented our kura at Canterbury Cross Country, held at Ngā Puna Wai. 

Congratulations to all our runners who qualified for this event. 

Lily Millar placed 10th in Year 5 Girls

Jack Sayer placed 3rd in Year 6 Boys

Cross Country Challenge Y0/4

On Tuesday the tamariki who placed within the top 6 of our school cross country event had the opportunity to participate in the cross country challenge at Hillview, involving many other neighboring kura. The children all put every effort into doing their best and were a credit to the school for their efforts and good sportsmanship.

Top 5 results:

Year 0/1 Boys
5th place - Hunter Olykan 

Our kura will be undertaking a parent election for 3 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15th July 2022. 

We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instruction on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database.

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. 

We look forward to your participation in this process. If you are considering applying yourself, and have any questions or wonderings, please feel free to email our Board Secretary, Reihana, at pa@beckenham.school.nz with any queries you may have!

From Bellies, Babies to Tweens market is for families to buy and sell pre-loved maternity, baby, kids & tweens (up to 13yrs) items all in one place. Families coming to buy can score huge savings on items needed for growing babies and kids, while families selling can earn a bit of extra cash. Families buying or selling are also doing their bit for the environment by recycling these items rather than letting them go to landfill.

Market Day: Sunday 24th July, 9am-12noon at Pioneer Stadium.

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram or email fbbtmarket@gmail.com