Phōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 5 2026

Kia ora e te whānau,

Almost halfway through the term already — unbelievable how fast it’s going! That’s always a great sign that we have happy, engaged kids enjoying their learning.

Angklung Interactive Session (Indonesian instrument)

Last Friday, we were incredibly privileged to host a demonstration and interactive session of the angklung instrument presented by the Indonesian Embassy. The angklung is a traditional musical instrument from West Java, Indonesia. It was a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange and learning. Have a chat at home about this experience. Huge thanks to Lucky for sharing this experience with us! 

Basketball Skills Session: Girls Got Game!

Our girls were very fortunate to have a basketball skills session from the Pioneer Basketball Club. They played some dribbling and passing games. A good time was had by all.

Upcoming Kapa Haka performance

Here we are practising hard for our upcoming Kapa Haka performance. We will proudly perform our waiata at the Celebration Assembly on Friday 5 June, we would love for you to come and support your tamariki if you are available. 

Inquiry Topic

This term, our inquiry topic continues to centre around the school-wide focus of sustainability. Students are working in small collaborative groups to identify a local or global issue and develop innovative, sustainable solutions. It is awesome to see our “We Get There Together,” “We Make a Difference,” and “We Love Challenge” values being brought to life so beautifully. 

"We Love Challenge" The Pōhutukawa Kids trying new things! 

Franklin receiving his "We Love Challenge" award for completing this years Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto Cross Country for the first time! 

Well done Franklin! We are super Proud of you! 

Reminders

School Closed: Please remember Friday 29th May (Week 6) is a Staff Only Day, and the following Monday 1st June (Week 7) is King's Birthday. School will be closed on these days. 

Staying Safe Online: Bullying

One in five young people in New Zealand have been the target of online bullying – it can happen to anyone, and it can be hard for parents and whānau to deal with. Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto takes online bullying seriously and would encourage you to chat to your tamariki’s teacher if you have any concerns about online bullying.

Visit Netsafe’s Online Bullying Advice for Parents to read more.

40 Hour Famine

19–21 June | Be Part of Something Bigger

This year, World Vision are again inviting young people across Aotearoa to make a real impact through the 40 Hour Challenge — raising life-changing funds for children and communities in the Solomon Islands.

Why?
Because right now, many children and families in the Solomon Islands are facing significant challenges due to poverty and the impacts of climate change. Communities rely heavily on farming and fishing, making them especially vulnerable to changing weather patterns and natural disasters. Funds raised through the 40 Hour Challenge help provide practical support and create stronger, more sustainable futures.

Our Year 5–8 students had the opportunity to sign up this week. We would love your support in helping them sign up, choose a challenge, and begin their fundraising journey. Click the link here to join our school's fundraising page. 

Whether students choose to go completely offline for 40 hours or create a challenge of their own, every effort helps make a difference.

Child not taking part in the challenge but would still like to contribute? You can access our school fundraising page here.

That's it for this fortnight see you next time!

Warm regards

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Rae, Chris, Nick, Kate, Chloe and Megan

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 3 2026

 

Kia ora e te whānau,

What an awesome two weeks we have had in the Pōhutukawa Hub! Students have been showing excellent focus across all learning areas and are consistently demonstrating the Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto school values.

As the weather gets cooler, students are asked to keep there muddy footwear outside of the classrooms. If they would like to bring along slippers to wear in class then that is completely fine!

Cross Country

A highlight of the fortnight for many was our annual school Cross Country last Friday. We are so proud of all our Pōhutukawa students who trained hard in the lead-up to the event and gave it 100% on the day. Congratulations to those students who placed in the top 10!

Weekly Winter Sports

On Wednesday, we held our Weekly Winter Sport trials. It was fantastic to see so many students participating and giving their best effort. Teams will be named early next week.

Weekly Winter Sport will begin on Thursday of Week 5 (21st May) and will run for 10 weeks. Please keep an eye on Hero for further information regarding this.

The HDCA for Parents and Whānau

The Harmful Digital Communications Act (or HDCA for short) is an act passed by the Government back in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers anything digital like text, emails or social media content.

The most useful thing for parents to understand about the HDCA is the way the 10 communication principles define what is good or bad behaviour online.

If you’re ever concerned about your young person (or you just want to brush up on your knowledge!) visit Netsafe’s Guide to the HDCA. 

We hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Ngā mihi,

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Kate, Chloe, Rae and Nick

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 2 Week 1 2026

Ngā mihi e te whānau,

It has been fantastic to see so many smiling faces back in the Pōhutukawa hubs as we kick off Week 1 of the new term! There is always such a great buzz in the air as students reconnect with friends and settle back into their school routines. We have spent the last few days sharing holiday stories and setting our intentions for the exciting learning ahead.

Please read on for some important updates and a look at what we have been learning over the past few days.

ANZAC Biscuits

Throughout the week, our spaces have been filled with the delicious, buttery aroma of ANZAC biscuits! As part of our wider learning about the significance of ANZAC Day and the history of our servicemen and women, homegroups have rolled up their sleeves to try their hand at this traditional recipe. It has been a wonderful way to blend practical kitchen skills with a bit of history, as the tamariki learned why these sturdy treats were so important back then.

We have included some photos below of some of our flour-dusted chefs in action.

Random Chat Online

How do random chat websites work? And what are the risks for tamariki using them?

Random chat websites, like Chatroulette, pair users randomly through text or webcam conversations. The appeal is getting to talk to someone new that the user would never meet. But these websites are designed for adults and often allow nudity and other inappropriate content from users.

If you’re concerned that your young person might be exposed to these sites or you want to introduce parental controls, you can find out more on Netsafe’s Random Chat Websites page.

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

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, and Chloe.

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 8 2026

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

A wet end to the week, with quite a number of tamariki absent due to illness. With coughs and colds, as well as of course Covid, doing the rounds, we are being extra vigilant with our ventilation practices in the team, and giving lots of reminders to cough into elbows, wash hands regularly, and be aware of personal space. We hope you all have a happy, healthy weekend. Please read on for some updates and reminders.

Canterbury Hockey Sessions

This week we were lucky enough to have Canterbury Hockey come into Beckenham and run some sessions with us in preparation for Winter Sport. It was great to "have a go" for those who would not normally pick hockey as a go to sport! Thankfully the weather played ball too and we had a great time with the very knowledgeable instructors! Thanks Kate McG for organising these for us! 

Winter Sports Starts Next Term

Our Winter Sports programme starts next Term and will take place on Thursday afternoons. The tamariki will be either participating in competitive hockey, netball, NFL flag football or football. More information will be coming up soon so keep an eye out on the BTKOP SPORTS Google Classroom and the Daily Daily Notices. 

Muddy Months

As we head into the more winter like months 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 our beloved Beckenham Park. In Term 2 we will be asking students to take off muddy shoes before entering the Hub and lining them up neatly outside the door. 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.

Citizen of the Week: Stella

Kete Award Recipients Term 1 Week 8

Jessica and Ivy

Cultural Presentation: Sri Lanka / Madeev

Beckenham te Kura o Pūroto Student Council 2026

 Staying Safe Online: Online Grooming 

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.

Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone

who isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and

what whānau can do to educate kids.

Check out the link here.

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

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, and Chloe.

Pōhutukawa Team News Term 1 Week 6 2026

 

Ngā mihi e te whānau,

Warm greetings to you all. We have had a wonderful 2 weeks in Pōhutukawa. The weather has been mostly welcoming, apart from the wet blast last week, and the students in great spirits!  Please read on for some news from the team, and some updates on the term. Have a great weekend everyone, kia pai ngā rā whakata.

School arrival times

We have begun to notice more and more students arriving at school before 8 am and lingering around either in the park or outside the school gates. A reminder that students should not be at school before 8am, or alternative supervision is to be sought. Thanks for your help with this.

Working Hard throughout the week in the hub! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Online 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

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

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Nick, Kate, Rae, and Chloe.