T4 W7 in the Pōhutukawa Team

Sexuality Road

On Tuesday we will be starting our Sexuality Road topic as part of the Health curriculum. 

We will be teaching the unit in pairs. Tracy and Katie will be taking the Year 6 students, while Gayle and Nick will be taking the Y5 students.

The Y4 students will be joining in with Kōwhai for the afternoons we have Health.

As discussed at the parent meeting at the beginning of the term, we will be covering the following topics:

 

	Year 5	Year 6
Changing bodies and feelings	Puberty - exploring changes Identifying external body parts Being unique	Puberty - exploring changes Identifying external body parts Reproductive systems Hygiene
Relationships	Friendships Respect and tolerance Personal opinions	Gender stereotypes - impact on relationships, roles and behaviours Defining relationships
Communication & decision making	Decision making - demands, practise, thinking ahead about possible consequences	Media - remaining unique and individual Passive, assertive, aggressive communication
Reproduction	Conception Eggs and sperm	Explain conception and stages of pregnancy
Where can I go	Support networks	Support networks

We will be encouraging the students to talk about their learning at home with whānau.

Staff Only Day on Monday 26 November

Tomorrow school will be closed due to a staff only day.

Camp helpers' reflections

Many thanks again to our fabulous camp helpers. Your assistance on camp was invaluable. If you have completed the reflection sent home with your poppet, it would be great to have that returned to Tracy at school. Thank you to the four parents who have already returned theirs. It is really helpful to have different perspectives on how the camp went.

Waltham Pool trip

We now have enough support for our trip to Waltham pool in the last week of school. Thank you so much to the volunteers!

Lost property from camp

We would love to reunite this property with owners!! Numerous socks, a single, blue, fitted sheet and a sleeping bag cover.

Beach Education trips cancelled

Unfortunately, due to not having enough adult supervision for both days of our surf safety trips, we have had to cancel.

Thank you so much to the adults who offered to help.

It will be school as normal, after the staff only day on Monday 26 November, on both Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 November.

Urgent request for adult helpers

Urgent request for adult helpers

We urgently require adult helpers for our Beach Education surf safety trips next week, on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 November.

At this stage we only have one volunteer, so need 19 more, 10 adults per day! If we don't have the required number of adults to support us on these trips will have to cancel, costing us over $800.

Please contact Tracy if you are able to help to make this learning possible for our students. Helpers will be required to stand in the water to ensure the safety of the children.

tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz

Parent Help for Waltham Pool Trip

Tena koutou,

We will be going on a trip to Waltham Pool on Tuesday 18th December. We will be leaving school at 11:00 and returning at 3:00.

This is to celebrate a very successful year in the Pohutukawa team.

We require eight parent helpers to walk with us there and back and to help supervise children. Please email your child's home room teacher if you are able to help.

Kind regards,

The Pohutukawa teaching team

tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz

gayle.mcnaughton@beckenham.school.nz

nick.bruce@beckenham.school.nz

katie.mcfarlane@beckenham.school.nz

T4 W6 in Pōhutukawa Whānau

Adult helpers required on Beach Education trip - Tuesday 27 Nov. and Wednesday 28 Nov.

As mentioned previously (via paper newsletter and a blog post) we have planned to undertake a Beach Education surf safety course on the above dates (week 7). This will involve all of our Year 4, 5 and 6 students (only the Y4 students from Pōhutukawa are involved).

To ensure the safety of our students we require adults to help with supervision. We require 10 adults for each day. As yet, we do not have enough volunteers to make this opportunity viable. Please consider your availability to help us out on one or both of these days and email Tracy if you are able to help.
tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz

We will be travelling to South Brighton over two days, splitting our children into two groups. The Year 6 students and those students competing in the Canterbury Triathlon will be going on Tuesday. The Year 5 and 4 students will be going on Wednesday.

Dates:  Tuesday 27th November & Wednesday 28th November
Time:  Leaving school at 9:00 am, returning to school at 3:00 pm both days.
Location:   South Brighton Surf Club

Training for some Year 5 students for 2019 road patrol with Constable Ross

On Tuesday Constable Ross will be training a group of Year 5 students who have volunteered to become part of the road patrol team for next year. Constable Ross takes a whiteboard session for an hour and then takes the students out to the school crossing so that can put what they have learned into practise.
We appreciate the students who take on this very important job of keeping our community safe in the mornings and afternoons of school days.


Last day on camp

As it did every day, the sun shone on us as we packed and cleaned on Thursday. After a delicious morning tea we headed off on a bush walk down to the farm park. Upon our arrival we were split into two groups. One group went horse riding and had a ride on a wagon pulled by a tractor, while the other group learnt about milking a cow and fed the farm animals. Once both groups had completed all activities we had a scrumptious BBQ lunch, followed by watching sheep shearing. After thanking our fabulous adult helpers we hopped on the bus for the ride back to school. There were a lot of tired children who headed home for a long weekend!
We do have a container of lost property if you would like to search for missing items. We also have a container of medication to be returned to owners.
We hope your children returned to you happy, tired and full of many stories. We had an amazing time!
Here are some photos from the final day on camp:

Living Springs Camp tomorrow

Camp tomorrow! We can't wait! Here are a few reminders:

• All children are to arrive at school tomorrow at the normal time, in mufti, with their back pack and one gear bag.
• Everyone is required to bring morning tea and lunch for Tuesday.
• Every child must have a water bottle and a brimmed hat.
• Please check that all gear on the list has been packed and named.
• Any medication that your child will require (such as inhalers, antihistamine cream, hydrocortisone cream etc) is to be in a zip locked bag, along with a medical form, and handed to Katie upon arrival at school.

We have a group of parents organised to come out to camp to support our whānau. Some are full-time and others will be part-time. We will be well supported and thank the rest of you for not visiting during the three days. Part of the purpose of camp is for your children to develop independence.

If you should need to contact us in an emergency, please use Tracy's cellphone which is  

027 363 0220 or the camp number which is 03 02998788 and after hours 0800 462732.

We will see you Thursday afternoon. Keep an eye out for updates on the school Facebook page to check out our adventures!

T4 W4 in Pōhutukawa

Living Springs Camp 11-13 November (next week!)

Excitement is mounting as camp is next week. Here are a few reminders:

• The children are to be at school on Tuesday morning at the normal time, in mufti, with their big bag and their back pack. We will stack their luggage in the pathway of our hub. 
• Living Springs have notified us of the importance of bringing a single bottom sheet, due to having new mattress protectors
• In their back pack the children will need their morning tea and lunch in a lunch box, a water bottle, their wide brimmed sun hat, sunscreen, a waterproof jacket and any medication (such as inhaler or travel sickness medication)
• Other medication is to be in a ziplock bag with the medicine authority form filled in (sent home already) and handed to Katie.
• The following items should not be brought to camp: money, electronic devices, torches, cell phones, cameras, toys. 
• Please label all clothing and items being brought to camp.
• When we return on Thursday, the children will need to be picked up from our hub so we can sign them off. They will be very tired and may need help with their luggage. We estimate we will be back at school from 2:30-3pm. If your child will be going to Bosco upon their return, could you please inform us.

Long jump at Hillview Christian School

Unfortunately due to the rain and weather forecast, this even has been cancelled.

Canterbury Triathlon

If your child would like to enter the Canterbury Triathlon. Please, use this form to enter your child for the Canterbury Triathlon. 

This event is being held at Pegasus on the 28th of November. A good level of fitness is required as this is a tough endurance event. This is a perfect event for those children who really love a challenge. The children who have enter previously have loved this event and the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing the course. 

The race is as follows:

Year 5/6: 75 m swim, 4.5 km bike, 2.5 km run

Year 7/8: 100 m swim, 10.8 km bike, 2.5 km run

The swim takes place in the lake and there will be times when the children will not be able to touch the bottom. There are no lanes. While the children race in heats, there are still quite a few competitors starting at once, which the children should be prepared for. 

Transportation and supervision for this event must be organised by individual families. We are also required, as a school to provide one adult helper to assist with set up or pack down, and have marshaling duties. This adult must be free from responsibility for any competitor. Please let me know if you are able to fulfil this role. 

Zone athletics sports on Monday 12 November

Congratulations to those students who have qualified to represent our school at the zones. This will be held at Hansens Park. Children who are competing on Monday are to meet in the Kauri hub at 8:20am. They are to be wearing sports shorts and a Beckenham sports top. With them they should have their school bag with a big lunch, water bottle and their school hat. If they do not have a school hat they will not be allowed to compete.

School hats

In terms one and four, a red wide brimmed/bucket hat is a compulsory part of our school uniform. It is important that we promote being sunsmart at school. Every student must wear their hat at break times and during any learning times outside, including PE and sports. It would be very helpful if you checked that your child/ren has a named hat at school.

Stationery

At this time of the year we often find that a number of children have run out of essential stationery items. Not having the correct equipment at school becomes a barrier for learning, and is frustrating for all concerned. To be ready for learning every child should have a pencil, pen, eraser, glue stick, ruler and pencil sharpener. We would very much appreciate your support for ensuring your child is prepared for the school day.

Beach Education opportunity

We are pleased to be able to offer your child/ren the opportunity to attend a full day Beach Ed programme, at the South Brighton Surf Club. Beach Ed is a full day surf safety course delivered at the beach by surf lifeguards, and is age-appropriate learning for our year 4-6 students. Beach Ed also covers module 8 of Swimming NZ Kiwi Swim Safe Program. 

Activities on the day may vary depending on conditions but will cover the following:

• A tour of the South Brighton Surf Club.
• Teaching of surf safety rules.
• Identification of and how to escape a rip current.
• Beach games - relating to a skill to stay safe on the beach including a sand sculpture of a rip current.
• How to set up a beach patrol, reinforcing safety messages.
• Water activities. This may include mock rescues, using bodyboards, channel/hole identification, and survival using a flotation device.
• Lifeguard in a rip.
• Sun smart tips.

We will be travelling to South Brighton over two days, splitting our children into two groups. The Year 6 students and those students competing in the Canterbury Triathlon will be going on Tuesday. The Year 5 and 4 students will be going on Wednesday.

Dates: Tuesday 27th November & Wednesday 28th November

Time: Leaving school at 9:00 am, returning to school at 3:00 pm both days.

Location:   South Brighton Surf Club (cnr Bridge Street & Marine Parade, South New     

                        Brighton. 

Cost: It will cost the school $13.50 per child to carry out/run this activity/trip. A  

                       request for your contribution to support this additional activity will be added to  

                       your child's next account.

The PTA have kindly donated $1000.00 towards transport costs for this trip, for which we are very grateful.

In order to make this fantastic, educational day a success, parents and teachers must participate in both water and beach activities. We require a minimum of one adult for every five students in the water. It is essential that parents and teachers bring their togs and be prepared to get wet. We are unable to take Preschoolers on this trip.

To this end, we are asking for 10 parent helpers per day, 20 in total. 

This will be fantastic opportunity for your child. Without you we cannot run this event.

Please contact us ASAP if you are keen to come and help out on one or both of the Beach Ed days.

We are sending home a paper copy of this information today.

Long jump at Hillview Christian School on Friday 9 November

Long Jump for Athletics

On Friday 9 November those children who have elected to participate in the long jump event for athletics will be walking to Hillview Christian School (on Wilsons Rd).

They will be leaving school at 12:40pm, taking with them their bag/lunch. Once they get to Hillview they will be able to eat their lunch in between jumping and waiting for others to have their turn.

Once all children have had sufficient jumps, they will be walking back to school. We imagine they will be back in time for assembly at 2:20pm.

To ensure the safety of our students we require 2 - 3 adults to accompany our long jumpers on the walk to Hillview Christian School. If you have a free afternoon on Friday, and would like to help us out, as well as cheer on our enthusiastic long jumpers, please email Tracy by Wednesday.

Many thanks

tracy.inwood@beckenham.school.nz