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

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Principal's Update

Kia ora koutou

What an incredible end to our Colour Run fundraising campaign! Thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of our community, we not only reached our fundraising goal - we exceeded it. Together, we raised over $16,000 to support the new sports turf project. This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the strength of our school whānau.


A huge acknowledgement goes to our amazing PTA, whose organisation, commitment, and energy brought this event to life. From planning and preparation to creating a vibrant and joyful atmosphere on the day, their work ensured the Colour Run was a highlight of the year for our tamariki.


It’s also important to recognise the cultural roots of this celebration. Colour runs around the world draw inspiration from the Indian festival of Holi, a joyful celebration of colour, renewal, and community. At its heart, Holi is about togetherness, and we are grateful for the opportunity to participate in an event inspired by such a rich cultural tradition. Our Colour Run reflected that same spirit - a sense of collective joy, belonging, and celebration.


And of course… reaching the fundraising goal meant I had to uphold my end of the deal! The students were absolutely delighted to see me slimed at Assembly, and I’m not sure who enjoyed it more - the crowd or the students holding the buckets. It was a messy, memorable moment and a fun way to acknowledge the community effort behind the fundraising success.


Thank you once again to everyone who contributed, whether through donations, volunteering, cheering from the sidelines, or helping your children get involved. This was a true community effort, and the positive impact will be felt by our learners for years to come.

Ngā mihi

Cade

Principal / Tumuaki

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto

Important Dates

Upcoming Events - Term 4

WEEK 8 

Wed 26 Nov - PTA Meeting (7:30-9:30pm)

Thu 27 Nov - Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30pm)

Fri 28 Nov - Whānau and Volunteers Thank you (8:15-9:00am)

Fri 28 Nov - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 9

Wed 3 Dec - Kauri Production (1:30-3:00pm Matinee & 4:30-6:30pm Evening)

Thu 4 Dec - Kōwhai Production (11:30-12:30pm)

Fri 5 Dec - Celebration Assembly (10:00-10:30am)


WEEK 10

Mon 8 Dec - Kauri Victoria Park Walk & Waltham Pool Party

Wed 10 Dec - Kauri Cass Bay Trip

Fri 12 Dec - Final Celebration Assembly (9:45am-10:30am)


WEEK 11

Tue 16 Dec - Year 8 Graduation Assembly (11:00-12:00pm, Leavers Lunch: 12:00-1:00pm)

Wed 17 Dec - Last Day of the Year, School finishes at 12:30pm


2026 Term Dates

Citizen of the Week

Thalia - Year 4

Thalia, you are an outstanding role model in the Kōwhai hub. You always work hard on your learning and take pride in producing quality work. You are a kind and caring friend, looking out for others' well-being and showing great empathy. You are also an amazing helper, helping others with their learning and carrying out responsibilities around the hub. You are a star!


Lexi - Year 5

Lexi, you are an absolutely amazing citizen in our team. You are extremely kind, caring, helpful, and positive. You are a hardworking learner and a stunning role model who always demonstrates our school values. Keep up the outstanding work, Lexi!

School Notices

Reminder - Sunhat and Drink Bottles

As we enter into the warmer weather, every child must attend school with a named sunhat and water bottle. Sunhats are compulsory when outside during Terms 1 and 4. Please remember to send your child to school each day with sunscreen applied as well.


Birth Notice - Our School Chickens!

Some wonderful news! Our Chinese Silkie chickens were born last week - we welcomed 19 chicks in total! Their future coop is currently under construction on the school grounds and will be ready for them to move in at the beginning of the new school year - 'egg-citing!'

Whānau & Volunteers Thank You ~ Please RSVP

2026 Team Locations

The Sports Corner

Kia ora koutou,

This section of our newsletter is dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges our students are experiencing in sports outside of school. It’s fantastic to already have three Kauri students sharing how they are embracing We Love Challenge - Nau Mai Te Wero beyond the classroom and pursuing their passions. If your child has had a sporting success that you’d like to share with our community, please email me with a short blurb and photo to: kate.mcgregor@beckenham.school.nz - We’d love to feature it in our next newsletter!


Ngā mihi nui,

Kate McGregor

Sports Coordinator


Violet & Harper - Boulder Bay Classic

Violet and Harper (Year 3, Kōwhai) took on the 1km kids’ dash at the Boulder Bay Classic on Sunday, 2nd November. After cheering on their Mum’s race, the twins decided to enter on the spot - and what a decision! The off-road course started on the sand at Taylor’s Mistake Beach and wound through gravel tracks and grassy areas. In true twin fashion, Violet and Harper crossed the finish line together, claiming joint 1st place for the girls!


Matthew - Tennis Success!

Congratulations to Matthew (Year 5, Pōhutukawa), who placed runner-up in the Primary Boys Singles at the Canterbury Primary and Intermediate School Tennis Championships over the weekend. He was also the top-performing Year 5 boy in the competition. Matthew has now qualified for the South Island Championships in Timaru next week - we look forward to sharing how he gets on!


Outstanding Results at the Huxster Mountain Bike Race!

The Huxster Mountain Bike Race is a fun and challenging off-road event designed to encourage young riders to give mountain biking a go. Students raced in teams or as individuals over a mix of trails, grass, and gravel - testing their stamina, skill, and teamwork.


Our Year 5–6 students did incredibly well, with Mietta and Jayme, and Lexi and Laurien placing 2nd and 3rd in the female team race. Maximus and Lucas also rode strongly, finishing 3rd in the open team category.



In the Year 7–8 category, Ben and Zach took out 1st place in the open team event, while Laura claimed 1st place in the solo female race. Abigail followed closely behind in 2nd, and Daniel placed 3rd in the solo male division. Congratulations also to Archie and Alex, who achieved an impressive 8th place in the Year 7–8 open team category, rounding out a fantastic day for our riders.


It was a fantastic day celebrating the skill, determination, and teamwork of all our riders - an achievement to be proud of!

Celebrating Our School Athletics Champions!
In-House School Athletics - Overall Champions and Commendable Runner-Ups
It was a fantastic day of skill, determination, and sportsmanship at our School Athletics Day! Students gave their best in every event, showing great teamwork, perseverance, and school spirit. We are thrilled to celebrate our in-school champions and runners-up - a huge congratulations to all who competed and made the day so memorable.

Here are this year’s results:

  • Year 5 Girls Overall Champions: Cora & Ruby

    • Year 5 Girls Overall Runner-Up: Laurien

  • Year 5 Open Overall Champions: Laurence & Simon

    • Year 5 Open Overall Runner-Up: Matthew

  • Year 6 Girls Overall Champion: Clara

    • Year 6 Girls Overall Runner-Up: Isabelle

  • Year 6 Open  Overall Champion: Maximus

    • Year 6 Open Overall Runner-Up: Jack

  • Year 7 Girls Overall Champion: Laura

    • Year 7 Girls Overall Runner-Up: Zaria

  • Year 7 Open Champion: Zach

    • Year 7 Open Overall Runner-Up: Daniel

  • Year 8 Girls Overall Champion: Lily

    • Year 8 Girls Overall Runner-Up: Hanna

  • Year 8 Open Overall Champion: Kawariki

    • Year 8 Open Overall Runner-Up: Oscar

Winning House: Waimea

South Zones Athletics Success!
Our students had an incredible day at the South Zones Athletics event, giving their best in every race and field event. We are excited to share that the top two finishers in solo events and the winning team from each relay will go on to represent the South Zone at the Canterbury Athletics Championships. Congratulations to all our students for their hard work, determination, and school spirit!

Here are our students' results from the South Zone event, and those in bold will be representing the South Zone at the Canterbury Event on Wednesday, 26th November:

  • Long Jump:

    • Year 7 Open: Zach (2nd)

    • Year 5 Girls: Florence (3rd)

    • Year 7 Girls: Laura (2nd)

  • High Jump:

    • Year 7 Open: Zach (3rd)

    • Year 5 Girls: Laurien (2nd)

    • Year 6 Girls: Isabelle (2nd)

    • Year 8 Girls: Lena (2nd) & Abigail (3rd)

  • Discus:

    • Year 5 Open: Simon (1st)

    • Year 6 Open: Hamish (2nd)

    • Year 8 Girls: Tilly (2nd)

  • Shot Put:

    • Year 6 Open: Harvey (3rd)

    • Year 8 Girls: Lily (2nd)

  • 800 m:

    • Year 6 Open: Haydn (2nd) & Maximus (3rd)

    • Year 6 Girls: Jayme (2nd)

  • 1500 m:

    • Year 7 Open: Zach (1st)

    • Year 7 Girls: Laura (1st)

  • 60 m Sprint:

    • Year 7 Open: Jensen (1st)

    • Year 8 Open: Oscar (3rd)

    • Year 5 Girls: Ruby (1st)

    • Year 6 Girls: Isabelle (2nd)

  • 80 m Sprint:

    • Year 6 Open: Emerson (1st)

    • Year 5 Girls: Cora (2nd)

  • 100 m Sprint:

    • Year 7 Girls: Laura (1st)

  • 4 x 100 Relay:

    • Year 6 Boys: Cormac, Jack & Maximus (2nd)

    • Year 7 Boys: Dylan, Jensen, Tom & Zach (2nd)

    • Year 5 Girls: Chloe, Cora, Mia & Ruby (2nd)

    • Year 6 Girls: Clara, Isabelle, Jayme & Pippa (3rd)

    • Year 8 Girls: Abigail, Hanna, Lily & Lottie (3rd)

PTA News

HELP NEEDED - Year 8 Leavers' Lunch!

Each year, the PTA puts on a lunch for all of our lovely Year 8s and their caregivers, to help give them a great send-off from Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. This is usually highly anticipated by the senior students!

We need your help (provided you are not a parent/caregiver of a Year 8 student!) to prepare the lunch (just a bit of chopping) and serve the lunch (plating up, heating savouries, and helping with clearing up).

Lunch will be served after the Leavers' Assembly, in the late morning, on Tuesday, 16th December.

If you can and would like to help anytime on Tuesday morning, please complete this form.
Your support is really appreciated!

BOT Update

Term 4 Policy Review - SchoolDocs

    1. Visit the website linked here.

    2. Enter the username (beckenham) and password (pride).

    3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.

    4. Read the policy.

    5. Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.

    6. Select the reviewer type.

    7. Enter your name (optional).

    8. Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.

    9. Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.

    (If you don't have internet access, the school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form).

Community Notices

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

Luminaires Summer Theatre Camp!

For Ages 10-15

Auditions November 29th & 30th

Rehearsals December 7th & 14th

Camp Dates January 12th -17th

Successful participants will stay at a local camp venue for a week, during which they will sing, dance, act, create props, design costumes, and apply makeup, among other activities. 

Culminating in public performances of ZOOM! By Craig Hawes

Follow the link here for more information and to sign up!

general@luminairescharitabletrust.org




Win the Ultimate Australian Open Experience!

Your child could win the tennis trip of a lifetime with Tennis Hot Shots and Tennis New Zealand, plus win tennis equipment for our school!

The prize includes:

  • Return flights from your nearest international airport to Melbourne for one child and one adult

  • Australian Open tickets

  • Two nights’ accommodation

  • The chance to perform the official coin toss before a big match on Rod Laver Arena and grab a photo with the star players

  • A $500 tennis equipment pack for the winner’s school

The competition is open to all children aged 8-13 across New Zealand — no tennis experience required!

Enter now at: www.tennis.kiwi/win

Entries close 8th December!

Posted in Weekly Newsletters.