Principal's Patch
Kia ora koutou
With Week 2 now finished, Term 3 is well underway!Thank you all for your patience with the muddy and wet state of our front entrance area on Sandwich Road. We have been in urgent communication with the council about the leak that has sprung up once again next to the crossing, and I see that yesterday the area was fenced off, so hopefully they have managed to sort that issue.
Richard Scott (Board of Trustees) and I recently met with representatives from the City Council to discuss options at our front entrance to extend the bike storage area and to make improvements to the 'grass' that is currently 'mud' at the main entrance. These conversations have proved to be very positive so far, so we are hoping to be able to get permission to make some positive changes here in the very near future.
Readathon
Hopefully everyone is well underway with their reading and their collecting of sponsorship. There are two more weeks of the Readathon, culminating in Book Character Day on Friday 11th August where children (and adults) can come to school dressed as their favourite book character. The PTA and the school appreciate your support of this fundraiser as it is a major part of the PTA's annual fundraising, and all PTA funds are used to support the school in a range of different ways.
Ngā mihi nui
Sandy Hastings
Tumuaki - Principal
Important Dates
NB You can find our Community Calendar on our school website. You can choose to embed this calendar into your own digital calendar and stay up-to-date with events and information.
Tue 1 Aug - 7:00 - 8:00pm - Year 7/8 Open Evening
Wed 2 Aug - Keeping Ourselves Safe - Parent information session 2-3pm Staffroom
Fri 4 Aug- PTA Discos - see below for details
Fri 11 Aug - Book Character Day - final day of Readathon
Fri 11 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 18 Aug - School Closed - Staff Only Day
Wed 23 Aug - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Wed 23 Aug - 7:30pm - PTA meeting - Staffroom
Fri 25 Aug - Final day for returning Readathon Money
Fri 25 Aug - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 8 Sep - 10 am Celebration Assembly
Thu 14 Sep - am - Year 8 entrance testing at Cashmere High
Fri 15 Sep - School Photos
Wed 20 Sep - 5:30pm - BOT Meeting - Staffroom
Fri 22 Sep - 10am Celebration Assembly
Fri 22 Sep - final day of Term 3
Term Dates: Click here to view 2023 & 2024 term dates
Citizen of the Week
Maya Pauley - Year 7
Maya, you are such a bouncy and enthusiastic ray of sunshine in the Kauri Hub. You love to embrace challenge and ask questions to ensure your success across the curriculum. Thank you for being such a kind and caring individual who looks out for others and makes a difference. Tino pai Maya!
School Notices
Keeping Ourselves Safe programme and Parent Information Session
From 7th August the New Entrant to Year 6 teams will be teaching the personal safety programme by New Zealand Police - Keeping Ourselves Safe. Years 7/8 will be doing a combination of the 'Keeping Ourselves Safe' and Choices' programmes. We cover this programme every two years as part of our Health curriculum.
Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe.
You can:
- attend a meeting at school to find out more about Keeping Ourselves Safe on Wednesday 2 August at 2.15 pm in the staffroom
- find out about abuse and what to do if you think a child you know is being abused
- talk to your child about what they have learnt in Keeping Ourselves Safe.
- set safety guidelines with your family
- help young children with the Keeping Ourselves Safe activities they bring home
- give the same safety messages as the school is giving
- look at the whānau section of NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe for more information and frequently asked questions
More information about the programme can be found on our school website
Help Needed
Are You a Welder?
We have a basketball hoop outside Koru that needs to be modified so our students can use it.
If you have welding skills that you are able to offer us we would love to hear from you. A small piece of metal will be required to make the modification - we are happy to pay for this.
Please contact Tony Lee, our caretaker, or Jacky in the office.
Flag Fixer - sewer needed
As you will be aware we fly a flag every school day as part of our acknowledgement of the different nationalities and cultures represented within our school.
Some of these flags (14 in total) are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, specifically around the holes where the flagpole string goes.
We are looking for someone who is able and keen to sew a small patch over the holes that no longer have an eylet / metal ring on them. This will enable another sewer, who has already volunteered, to put a buttonhole in this area and thus extend the life of the flag.
Please contact the office if you are able to offer your help with this flag fix-up! office@beckenham.school.nz, or 3371404.
Staff Profiles
At the end of Term 2, we welcomed Denise Colville to our staff, working as a Teaching Assistant in the Koru, New Entrant Team. Denise is a trained teacher from Germany and we are delighted to have her skills in our team, as she waits for her New Zealand teacher registration to be confirmed.
Student Council News
This term the Student Council are running "Kete Value Fridays". Each Friday there will be activities for the students to take part in.
- Last week we made Thank You cards and bird feeders to show We Care
- This Friday the activity that we are running is an obstacle course on the left side of the hall presuming the weather is suitable. This will represent We Love Challenge.
- Next week (Week 3) is going to be We Love Learning, and we will teach origami.
- We won't run an activity in Week 4 because of Book Character Day.
- Week 5 will be We Make a Difference, the activity we will run is a school rubbish raid.
- In Week 6, for We Get There Together, we will run a doodle wall.
PTA News
It's Disco Time!
Get your dancing shoes on, as the PTA Disco will be happening next Friday, 4th August.
Entry by Gold coin donation.
NE/Y1/2 children will each be given a scoop of popcorn and there will be no other snack sales available.
Y3-8 Discos will have the option of purchasing popcorn or chips, priced between 50c and $2
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Community Notices
(Notices placed here are contingent on space and do not reflect the views or opinions of the school.)
Information regarding new Metro bus fares.
On 1 July the fares on Greater Christchurch public transport, buses and ferry, changed. The 50% fare discount funded by the government has now ceased. Environment Canterbury have now implemented a new fare structure with some exciting changes.
Single zone – all metro buses are a single zone. The same fare is now charged wherever you board or disembark in Greater Christchurch.
Cash fares are $4/adult and $2/child (under 19)
Metrocard bus concessions are $1. These apply for people under 25yrs as well as people with a Community Services card, a Total Mobility card or who attended a partnering Tertiary provider. For more information see - https://www.metroinfo.co.nz/travel-and-fares-info/new-fares-from-1-july-2023/
What do your students need to know?
Your date of birth on your Metrocard activates the ‘Under 25’ concession. If a student paid child fares on their Metrocard pre-July , they will receive this concession automatically.
All other Metrocard benefits such as free transfers and capping remain
What about free fares for under 13 yrs that the Government announced?
Canterbury has not yet implemented free fares for under 13yrs. We will be providing an update of the timing of this when details are confirmed.
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