Principal's Patch
Kia ora koutou
With this week just gone having being a short week, I postponed the newsletter completion to Saturday when the weather was forecast to be less pleasant and hence find myself now looking out the window at the wet and grey day outside. I hope that many of you managed to enjoy the stunning day yesterday. I tried my hand at surfcasting out at Birdlings Flat - with no success, but enjoyed lots of sun and relaxation in trying!
Progress and Achievement updates - Reports via HERO
As we have previously noted, our move to HERO was to also provide a new, online portal for the ongoing reporting to whānau on your child's progress and achievement. We expect to open this portal to you this coming Friday, 19th November. During the week ahead, we will provide specific information on how to access and read the information in the portal. It will help if you have viewed the report information before you come to Learning Conferences the following week.
In the meantime, if you haven't yet logged onto HERO, please try and do that before Friday 19th.
For information on how to download the app, click here.
For more detailed information on how to log into HERO - click here.
When you log into the app, you will need to select "NEW USER" and use the email address that you have provided to us that we use to email newsletters etc to you for. If we do not hold an email address for you, you will not be able to log into HERO.
If you would like someone to call you to talk you through the process, please email Reihana - reihana.dougherty@beckenham.school.nz
Learning Conferences
Learning Conferences will be happening the week after next, on Tuesday 23rd November and Thursday 25th November. School will finish at 2pm on both days to facilitate these.
Please log onto www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the code wwwsx to book your learning conference with your child's home group teacher.
COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate - update
As I have mentioned in a previous newsletter, the government has mandated that all adults who work and or volunteer to provide any services in schools throughout New Zealand are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We have been working to support our staff and other support providers to ensure that we can meet the requirements of this mandate. The mandate comes into effect at 11:59pm on Monday 15th November. Our Board of Trustees can assure our community that we are ready to be fully compliant with the requirements of this mandate.
These requirements also apply to members of our community who come on site to support our students, including whānau who help with playground duty, trips and learning within the school. Thank you to everyone who has already provided us with the information we requested.
We get there together - to ensure the safest learning environment for our tamariki.
Ngā mihi mahana
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal
Important Dates
Upcoming Events:
Week 5:
Mon 15 Nov - Zone Athletics
Week 6:
Tue 23 Nov - Learning Conferences (2.15 - 7.30pm) SCHOOL FINISHES AT 2pm
Wed 24 Nov - PTA Meeting (7.30 - 9.30pm, all welcome)
Thu 25 Nov - Learning Conferences (2.15 - 7.30pm) SCHOOL FINISHES at 2pm
Fri 26 Nov - Celebration Assembly (12.00 - 12.30pm)
Term Dates
Click here to view 2021 & 2022 term dates.Citizen of the Week
Willow Day - Year 6
Willow, you are such a positive and hard-working student. You put a huge effort into your learning and show great persistence when the learning is challenging. You are an extremely reliable and trustworthy leader, helping to make a difference at our school. Ka pai to mahi, Willow. You are a star!
School Notices
Theatre Sports
Congratulations to our 2 Theatre Sports team who competed on Saturday in The Court Theatre annual competition. They were stars and displayed our school values to a tee! They were up against some tough competition (Year 9's and 10's), but this didn't stop them from 'improv-ing' their hearts out! Well done to: JJ Mathias, Connor Colquhoun, Fergus Macmillan, Emma Reedy, Lachy Mcleod, Zoe Winsor, Luisa Jose, Katya Atlas, Rory Price, Syesha Mee and Oliver Mclachlan.
ESOL over the past few weeks...
Sunflowers have been the theme for our students. They have planted seeds and we are discussing and awaiting germination!
The students learned about the life-cycle of the sunflower plant and associated vocabulary.
Mana Ake Drop Ins
A number of whānau have already made great use of the Mana Ake “drop-ins”. Sessions are now on Tuesdays from 9:30 - 10:30 for parents, starting on November 2nd. 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 yj2ed. Alternatively, you can contact Jacky in the office and she will make a booking for you.
Book Character & Rainbow Diversity Day!
Get excited because Student Council and Diversity Group are teaming up to bring you an exciting, new mufti day. Just like we did in term 1 when we did “Purple day and Lots Of Socks day’ we are combining our fundraising efforts to support the Child Cancer Foundation and Qtopia. We are giving you the option of wearing the book character costume that you didn’t get to wear during lockdown, or dressing up in something rainbow coloured to support the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate diversity. It is a fundraiser so it would be greatly appreciated if everyone could bring a gold coin donation. The day that this will be on is Friday the 3rd of December.
-The Student Council and Diversity Group
Sports News
Today we had a fabulous Junior Athletics event on the park with a lot of fun, laughter, and both serious and not-so-serious competition! interrupted momentarily by a false alarm and fire evacuation, and fabulous none-the-less!
PTA News
Weetbix Kids TRYathlon
The Weetbix TRYathlon is on (fingers crossed!) next year, Sunday 6th of March in the morning at Jellie Park. If you have a child aged 6 or older who is keen to get involved you can easily register them online at https://tryathlon.co.nz/locations/christchurch/ and join our school group by searching “Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto”.
There will be a gazebo for the kids to hang out in and a BBQ cooking well deserved sausages on the day.
It’ll be a great day family day out and something to look forward to for next year!
Salami Collection
Please note that pick up is from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto at the following times:
Thursday 9th December 2021- 9.00 - 10.00am
- 2.30 - 3.30pm
- Friday 10th December 2021
- 9.00 - 10.00am
- 2.30 - 3.30pm
Thank you for placing your order, your support is as always really appreciated.
Please make sure you have paid online if that was how you decided to pay, as we cannot place the order if payment has not been received.
Our account is 12-3148-0244558-00.
Keep in touch with the PTA
- 9.00 - 10.00am
- 2.30 - 3.30pm
- Friday 10th December 2021
- 9.00 - 10.00am
- 2.30 - 3.30pm
To stay up to date with the PTA, please check out our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA Facebook page, linked here. Or come along to one of our meetings - all welcome.
Meeting dates can be found in the weekly school newsletter, or on the school calendar - linked here.These meetings are usually held on a Wednesday night 7.30-9.30pm.
To stay up to date with the PTA, please check out our Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA Facebook page, linked here. Or come along to one of our meetings - all welcome.
Meeting dates can be found in the weekly school newsletter, or on the school calendar - linked here.
These meetings are usually held on a Wednesday night 7.30-9.30pm.
BOT Update
Māori Educational Success - Policy Review
From time to time we will be asking you to review one of our policies that come up on our review cycle. The policy for parental review this term is the Māori Educational Success policy.
You will find it on School Docs at this link.
Username: beckenhamPassword: pride
Click on Current Review, and then the Policy name - on the right you will see which Policies are available for review by Parents. Then simply follow the directions to submit feedback.
Feedback is encouraged, and most welcomed.
Username: beckenham
Password: pride
Click on Current Review, and then the Policy name - on the right you will see which Policies are available for review by Parents. Then simply follow the directions to submit feedback.
Feedback is encouraged, and most welcomed.
Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
A Beckenham Kindy Announcement
We are sad to announce that after 23 years at Beckenham Kindy Helen Peters is retiring. Helen’s compassion and wisdom has been an amazing asset to the kindy. She has helped countless kids settle into kindy and find a place of belonging.
Due to alert levels we are unable to give Helen the proper shindig she deserves. Instead we would like to invite all current and former pupils, to come and say Haere ra during Helens last week with us. You are welcome to drop by between 9-230 from Monday 13th dec through to Wednesday 22nd dec.
If you have any stories, pictures or words of thanks for Helen we are going to collate these into a book. Please send these to rach.boulton@gmail.com by the 14 Dec with the childs name and the last year they attended kindy.
We are also collecting a koha to get something special for Helen. If you would like to contribute, drop to George at Kindy or Rachel at 116 Fisher Ave, or contact the email address above.