Pōhutukawa News Term 3 Week 4 2025

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all,

Read on for news and information about some exciting upcoming events. 2 more weeks of Winter Sports! Have a great weekend everyone, kia pai ngā rā whakata.

Year 5/6 Pōhutukawa Team Flag football GOLD Team

(Left to Right) Hugo Maier, Isabelle Gale, Archie Gardener, Hamish McCrae and Ruby Grice

Spring is in the Air

It's starting to feel more and more like spring, and as is always the case at this time of the year we have had a fair bit of sickness throughout the team. Thank you for your vigilance around keeping children at home if they are unwell. Also, with the variable weather at this time of the year, it's a good time to remind everyone about the importance of noticing when it gets warm that we need to look after ourselves by drinking lots of water, and taking a layer off...(and then looking after polar fleeces!), particularly in the afternoons. As always, there are many learning opportunities about managing ourselves and looking after ourselves. Thank you for your support around this, mā tātou kātoa te waka e hoe, we're all in the waka together. 

2025 Keeping Ourselves Safe

From Tuesday 19th August until Friday 29th August,  the New Entrant to Year 8 teams will be teaching the personal safety programme by New Zealand Police - Keeping Ourselves Safe. We cover this programme every two years as part of our Health curriculum. 

What will children and young people learn?

They will learn:

• to work out when their safety is at risk

• how to keep safe when they meet and mix with other people

• who and how to ask for help if they, or someone they know, is being abused

• to go on asking for help until someone does something to stop the abuse

• that it is important to make and follow personal, family and school safety rules

They will know:

• that abuse is never okay

• that abuse is never their fault

What part do parents, caregivers and whānau play?

Parents and whānau are strongly encouraged to support Keeping Ourselves Safe.

You can:

• 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

• frequently asked questions - click here

Keeping Ourselves Safe will be taught by your child’s Home Group teacher, with support from

Constable Meg Moynihan, our local Police School Community Officer, as required. The lessons are age appropriate in content and delivery.

To be successful, Keeping Ourselves Safe needs your help and support. It is important that you

participate as much as possible and talk to your child about what they have been learning. This will

reinforce the messages the school is giving, and help your child to use their skills with confidence.

If you require more information about the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme or wish to discuss the

learning, please speak with your child’s Home Group teacher in the first instance.

Calendar Art

The tamariki have been busy producing their Matariki-themed Calendar Art for the PTA fundraiser this year. The art is inspired by the Pinot & Picasso Art Studio here in Christchurch and their Matraiki art prints. https://www.pinotandpicasso.nz/

Keep an eye out for order forms coming your way soon.

Working hard in Mathematics in the Pathway

Cyber Safety

Gaming

Eighty percent of tamariki in New Zealand aged 8-17 have played games online. Games can have many benefits: entertainment, social opportunities, coordination development, problem-solving and multitasking skills. But, most of all, gaming is popular because it’s fun. But games can be tough for parents and whānau to navigate. How much gaming is too much? How do I make sure my tamariki aren’t seeing inappropriate content or chatting in-game with strangers?

Today we’re sharing Netsafe’s Online Gaming Whānau Toolkit so you have all the resources you need to keep your kids safe. 

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/rPN_ev1RSDQ

This weeks Pōhutukawa Team Hui Certificate recipients

Back Row: Ada, Sanvi, Finn, Shannon, Alazaya

Front Row: Moana, Vivienne, Haydn, Harvey, Henry, Rosi

Well done everyone we are so proud of you! 

Snapchat

Snapchat is a popular messaging app that lets users exchange pictures and videos (snaps) that are meant to disappear after they’re viewed. Many young people love Snapchat but it’s important that they understand how to protect their privacy on the app.

Check out Netsafe’s Privacy on Snapchat page for some helpful information on Snapchat’s features. You can also find out more information about privacy, security and safety on Snapchat’s help centre.

Ngā mihi nui. Kia Kaha.

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Gayle, Nick, Megan, Rae, Georgie, Viv, Stacy and Laura

Pōhutukawa News Term 3 Week 2 2025

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

We trust everyone was able to make the most of the extra time with family over the holiday break. Winter is certainly making its presence felt this week with some cold starts in the hubs! We hope you're all keeping safe, dry, and warm. Please read on for some information about the beginning of the term.

PB4L

Our PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) focus for the start of the term is “being an up-stander”. We have been discussing how we can show the values ‘We Make a Difference’ and ‘We Care’ by being up-standers. We have discussed with the students the different actions we can take to be an up-stander (as opposed to a bystander) if we see someone being mistreated. We have linked the Slideshow ‘How to be an Up-stander’ here, and encourage you to take a look so that you can continue these very important conversations at home, too. You could also read Oat the Goat (bilingual interactive online storybook), which teaches how to show acceptance, empathy, and tolerance by being an up-stander. Mā tātou kātoa, te waka e hoe, we are all in the waka together.

Cross ("Cool") Curriculum Classes

CCC classes continue with some changes for Term 3. Chris is continuing to teach the Arts this term this term Visual Arts and a focus on Calendar Art: Matariki Art. Rae is covering Digital Technology and continuing with Coding. Gayle is teaching DNA and Genetics, and Megan is teaching Drama, Nick will continue with Digital Technologies: Voxel Art. There is always a lot of learning happening over the term in CCC, so we encourage you to keep chatting about what we are covering in these courses with your tamariki. He taonga te ako, the treasure is learning.

South Zone Basketball Tournament 

On Wednesday 23rd July the Year 5/6 Boys basketball team competed at the South Zone Basketball Tournament. We had an awesome day out and the boys were simply amazing! They represented their school with pride, being positive and showing a fantastic sense of sportsmanship. Results below

Game 1: WIN V Steiner School 14-0

Game 2: WIN V St Martins Red 6-4

Game 3: LOSS V Hillview 10-0

Play Off for 5th and 6th Position V St. Peters WIN 13-0

A massive thank you to all the supportive parents that came along to watch! We look forward to the next time we can get out to play basketball and show off Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto's fine sporting talent! 

Cycle Safe

During weeks 6 and 7 of Term 3 our Year 6, students will be involved in the Cycle Safe Programme provided by the Christchurch City Council. 

Cycle Safe is a cycle skills education programme for schools.  Students learn the benefits of cycling and how to ride with confidence and be road-wise.

The programme includes:

• Cycle maintenance and helmet fitting

• Basic cycling skills

• Road rules

• On-road cycling

Please fill in the permission slip and send it back to school by Thursday, 31st July.

Cyber Safety

Parent/Caregiver Evening: Behind the Screens – Internet Safety Tips for Home

Raising kids in the digital age isn’t easy and you’re not alone. Should your child have Discord? What are V-Bucks? Is it safe to let them keep their phone overnight? Join us for a practical, entertaining evening hosted by Attitude that will help you feel more confident about parenting in the online world.

You’ll leave with smart tips, tools you can use straight away, and a better understanding of how to guide your child through the digital space without panic or overreaction. Come find out if you're a Firewall Parent, an Open Source Parent, or a Bluetooth Parent—and why it matters.

When: 7–8pm, Wednesday 30th July 2025.

Where: Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Hall.

Who: This event is for parents/caregivers only.

Cost: Free to attend. A small koha (donation) is appreciated to help support the cost of this event.

Please complete this form to let us know if you are attending.

Stay safe, stay warm,

Kia Kaha

The Pōhutukawa Team

Chris, Gayle, Nick, Megan, Rae, Georgie, Viv, Stacy and Laura

Pōhutukawa News Term 2 Week 8 2025

 

Ngā mihi e te whānau,

It was fantastic to see so many of you at our Learning Conferences last week, we really appreciate the whanaungatanga that comes as a result of these conversations. If you were unable to make it, we urge yout to touch base with your child's homeroom teacher for a quick update on learning. Mā tātou te katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing the waka together.

Mānawatia a Matariki

It was rawe, awesome, to see so many whānau at our Matariki celebration last week, and to see the kapa haka rōpu up on stage doing their thing. Matariki is an opportunity to reflect on the past 4 seasons, celebrate the present with whanau, and look forward to what is to come as the days get longer... if not warmer quite yet! We have been learning all about Matariki over the past few weeks. Of the 9 stars we acknowledge, 2 are associated with the natural elements of wind and rain. We certainly had those elements in play over the last few weeks and a lot of learning also came with them. It would be wonderful to reflect on this learning with your tamariki over the holidays. He taonga te ako, the treasure is learning.

Shoes/ Ngā hū

It has been really great to see the students 'stepping up' to show We Care for our school environment by removing their shoes during this wet and muddy season.  We are lucky to have wonderful underfloor heating in the classrooms, so feet stay nice and warm, and as an added benefit our carpet stays mud-free! In addition to this, we suggest that if your child is coming home with very muddy clothes, please consider supplying them with a spare pair of school shorts and a spare school top for them to change into once they finish their games. 

 BYOD/ Cyber Safety

We are so lucky to have such a huge uptake of whānau signing up their children to bring their own devices to school. We'd like to ask these whānau to please remind your children to bring their devices to school, and fully charged. This enables the school Chromebooks to be used by those students who do not bring their own devices to school. Learning online continues to be a vital part of our learning at school, and the cyber safety of our tamariki is always at the forefront of what we do. At the beginning of the year, we held workshops on how to be cyber safe, and also expectations around using devices. We have recently been revisiting some of these ideas, and reminding our students that their school accounts are for learning purposes only. Mā tātou te katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing the waka together.

Winter Sports/ Hākinakina

Our Winter Sports programme is also now full steam ahead, with all of our students getting some amazing netball, football and hockey coaching and tautoko, support from our Year 8 student leaders on Wednesday afternoons. Our competitive teams are enjoying themselves in the South Zone competition and representing Beckenham admirably. A huge mihi, thanks to the parents who are helping out on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. We simply couldn't do it without your help and support.

Stationery

As we are at the halfway point in the year, we'd really appreciate it if you could check with your tamariki about their stationery and what they need. Essential and consumable items that all students require are: HB pencils, an eraser, glue sticks, a highlighter, and a blue pen. We have gone through the students' remaining stationery , and they will be able to tell you what they need. Thanks for your support with this, mā tātou kātoa te waka e hoe.

Lost and Found

These items have been handed into the office lately. If you recognise anything as yours please go and see the lovely ladies in Admin to claim them! 

Pōhutukawa News Term 2 Week 6 2025

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all.

Week 6 was another busy week in the Pōhutukawa Team, here are some of the highlights!

Learning Conferences Next Week.

We are looking forward to meeting with you and your child(ren) next week during their Term 2 Learning Conference. 

School will finish at 1:00pm on both days, Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June.

To support the availability of staff for these conferences we ask for children to please be collected from school on both days at 1.00pm. Supervision will be available until 3pm for a small group of children who are unable to be collected at 1pm.

 

We need EVERY FAMILY to fill in this form (click here) to let us know your plans for your child(ren) on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June. This includes letting us know if you need your child supervised at school on one or both of the Learning Conference days from 1:00-3pm.

Children will not be able to leave the school grounds to walk/bike home at 1:00pm if we have not been advised by you that you want them to do that.

 

Please contact the school office if you need any support with the form or if you have any questions.

 

We thank you for your support on these days.

 

Ngā mihi nui

The Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto team

 

Matariki Evening

Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

We would like to invite you to our Matariki Whānau Rōpū hui.

Matariki is the start of the Māori new year and a time of reflection, connection and planning for the year ahead. We would like to celebrate with you and your whānau on Tuesday the 17th of June from 5:00 pm. The PTA will be having a Sausage Sizzle on the night for a small koha (donation). We will also be having performances form our Year 3-8 Kapa Haka groups, and each hub will be providing different activities to do with Matariki. There will be more details to come soon. 

Mānawatia a Matariki!

Working in and around the hub for CCC!

Citizen of The Week: Cora Nuttall

Congratulations Cora on receiving Citizen of the Week! We are super proud of you! 

Only 1 day to go until our Book and Clothing Sale. Doors open at 8am Saturday!

Thanks for all your donations, we are really impressed with the quality of books and clothing we have received, and we know you will be too.

We have been busy getting it all sorted into book genres and clothing sizes to make your shopping easier and all at amazingly low prices, so come take it off our hands.

Entry to the hall will be through the side doors off the playground with paying and exiting through the hall foyer. We will have signage out.

We will have 1 Eftpos checkout and hopefully 3 Cash checkouts if it gets a bit busy.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Back by popular demand. The PTA are selling CookieTime Rookie Cookies. Look for an order form in your child’s bag or Online Order Here. Extra forms are available at the office.

This CookieTime Fundraiser features the 25g Rookie Size version of the famous Original Chocolate Chunk Cookie. Made with real Chocolate and real ingredients, this size is ideal for lunchboxes, handbags and coat pockets. 
 
$20 per bag for 20 Individually wrapped delicious cookies.
 
Orders close Thursday 26th June 2025
Collection will be the 1st week of next term at the School Hall. Date to be confirmed and advised.

This year the PTA is working to fundraise towards the school bus trips, more sports uniforms and replacing the broken projector and blinds in the hall. We thank you all for supporting us as we try to reach this goal.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto PTA

Have a great weekend everybody, stay warm! kia pai ngā rā whakatā!

The Pōhutukawa Team

Chris, Gayle, Nick, Megan, Rae, Georgie and Viv.

Pōhutukawa News Term 2 Week 4 2025

Kia ora all, 

For the last fortnight the focus certainly has been on whats happening outside of the classroom rather than whats happening in it! Winter Sport has had the children pumped up and ready to go and throw the school Cross country on top of that they have been about ready to explode! The news this week is a lot of sport and some colder weather notices to keep things ticking over. 

Winter Sports

Our first outing yesterday for Winter Sport and it was awesome to see all of the students heading out in their Beckenham colours to represent the school! We had a great time and are looking forward to getting 10 weeks of solid sport in on a Thursday afternoon. We have scheduled in practice times for Wednesday afternoons so please remind students the will need their winter sport equipment on both of those days. 

For those who do not head off site for sport, there are plenty of options at school in the non competitive sports. We had Jump Jam, Dance, Skipping, Korfball, Table Tennis and Badminton on the go! Again, just fantastic to see everyone trying something new or giving something a go, getting active and blowing out the cob webs from being inside on some of these wet  days! 

Cross Country

We were blessed with beautiful sunny, but chilly! weather for this year's Cross Country, and it was so great to see the students out there giving it heaps!  A huge congratulations to all of our students who embraced the opportunity to push themselves and got stuck into the event, it is such a great opportunity to live our value "We Love Challenge". Results of the Cross country will be posted soon to Hero, fingers crossed we could have some amazing representatives form the Pōhutukawa Team heading to Zones! 

Muddy Months

As we head into winter we are noticing the inevitable increase of muddy shoes and clothes as students come back from play and lunch, having played sports and games on the Park. We will be asking students to take off muddy shoes before entering the Hub and lining them up neatly outside the door. Slippers are most welcome to be worn inside only as well. We are noticing many students wearing very little in the cold mornings as well. Can you please remind them to be wearing their school polar fleece to keep warm! 

In addition to this, we suggest that if your child is coming home with very muddy clothes, please consider supplying them with a spare pair of school shorts and a spare school top for them to change into once they finish their games. We appreciate your support with this.

Have a great weekend everyone, whatever you get up to. Kia pai tō rā whakatā.

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Rae, Nick, Gayle, Megan and Georgie