Kauri Whānau Update

 

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3, Week 4

 

IN THIS POST:

• Maths Parent Evening
• Staff only day
• Open Night
• Cantamath
• Speech Writing
• Hear This

Maths Parent Evening:

A reminder that we are hosting a Maths whānau evening at school on August 28th 5:30-7:30pm.

Staff only day:

Shool will be closed on Monday 26th August for a staff only day.

Open Night:

This week we held our Open Night for Year 6 whānau. The Year 8 students who were our ambassadors on this evening did a fabulous job. We were so proud of each and every one of them. We got this feedback from a parent today: 'I was amazed by how capable, confident and articulate the kids were. They really gave me hope for stepping into life with teenager's as they were such great kids.' 

Cantamath:

On Monday we enjoyed a great competition for 9 teams from our hub along with teams from 7 other schools in our area. This was the first time this event had been run and it will become an annual event.

We are needing one more parent who can help with transporting some of our amazing projects to Wolfbrooke Arena on Tuesday 20th morning please. If you can help please email nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz

We wish our teams all the best for the Cantamath problem-solving competition next Wednesday. 

We also wish the 35 people whose Cantamath projects are going through to the projects competition the best of luck. If you would like to view the projects or see the teams in action, come along to the Wolfbrook Arena on Wednesday between 3 and 6pm.

Speech Writing:

All students will be well underway writing and practising their persuasive speeches this week. For those who would like, we will have in class presentations, followed by a school Speech Competition. Two students, one Y7 and one Y8 will then be chosen to go to the Inter school competition held at St Martins School later on in the term.

Hear this:

We had Jane in to run the hear this programme with our students last week. We learnt all about our ears, safe levels of sound and how we can protect our hearing. It was eye opening and very informative!

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3, Week 2

 

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 3, Week 2

 

IN THIS POST:

• Passions
• Parent survey
• Maths evening
• Ski Day
• Cantamath Projects

Passions:

Passions have kicked off to a flying start this term with an array of choices, something for everyone.

The debaters are having a blast, lots of laughs as we learn the art of debating. We have been learning about the structure of a debate (who speaks when), ettiquette (not talking over one another) and have debated some light hearted topics as a starting point. On Friday we ran two debates: the first was Cats vs dogs, the second Beckenham Te Kura needs longer break times. The affirmative teams took out the win both times. As we progress we will tackle some more serious topics and learn how to research and present our arguments more confidently. I can see there are some budding politicians and lawyers in our midst already!

Parent Survey:

Thanks to the parents who have filled this in already. If you have a chance to, we would love some feedback. Click HERE to share your ideas around learning in the Kauri hub!

Maths Parent Evening:

We are hosting a Maths workshop for all parents of Y1-8 at kura on Thursday, 29th August (5:30 pm – 7:30 pm).

Ski Trip:

Our Mount Hutt ski day is fast approaching!

Please fill in THIS form, so that we can ensure all children are adequately prepared for a great day up the mountain. Our schools package with Mt Hutt includes a 90 minute lesson (at the child's level), lift pass, ski, boot, pole and helmet hire.  Many thanks to the PTA for covering the cost of the buses. The rest of the costs of this trip are covered by your school donation and our cheese roll fundraising. Most of our children will be skiing. Only those who have snowboarded for several days can snowboard. This is because it takes several days to get going on a snowboard, whereas significant progress can be made with skiing in one day.  

Cantamath Projects:

These should be well underway, these are home based projects. We have heard of many great ideas and there is a buzz of excitement around this. Please email your childs' homegroup teacher if you have any questions.

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2 Week 8

 In this post:

• Best of luck for ShowQuest!
• Cyber-safey
• Opera
• Young Writers
• Hagley College Year 9 enrolment

ShowQuest:

Jenny and our ShowQuest team have put in countless hours to prepare for tonight's performance. Their 8-minute dance delves into our obsession with phones and cleverly communicates some thought-provoking messages. We wish them all the best!

Cyber-Safety: Awareness of Online Harm:

Many parents didn’t grow up with the internet, so it can be hard to imagine how tamariki may use it. But these days, digital technology is a key part of our young people’s lives. They use it for learning, communicating and entertainment.

Netsafe has released research that looked into parental awareness of children’s experiences of online risks and harm. The research found a mismatch between parents’ awareness and their children’s experiences of upsetting online content.

To check out the research, and other Netsafe resources, visit this link.  

Opera:

Our tamariki responded enthusiastically to the NZ Opera in Schools performance of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love last Thursday. It was a great introduction to opera: not too long, cheeky appealing characters and a story that was easy to follow. Their parting advice for anyone interested in singing performance was to join a choir.

Young Writers:

 See below for great opportunities from the School of Young Writers for the upcoming holidays and term 3.

We have a fabulous lineup of masterclasses for your Year 7 - 13 young writers in the July school holidays and  on Fridays in Term 3

• Term 3 Masterclasses for Years 7-13 ( click this link for more details including links to our July holiday Midwinter Masterclasses)

 

Don't delay in signing up as places are strictly limited. 

Due to popular demand, we have increased initial school bookings to allow up to 6 students per school. Please note that the podcasting classes are for a group of 4-6 students. 

A Message from Hagley College:

Enrolment applications for Hagley College Year 9 2025 are closing soon, on Thursday 27 June at midday – ahead of the long Matariki weekend.

Our close-off date is firm and we will not be able to receive any new applications after this date. We are aware that our closing date is a little earlier than for many of the other high schools, so I am just hoping to avoid anyone missing out.

 

If any of your students and their whānau are keen but haven't put an application in yet, they need to go to https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ and click the button to start a new application as soon as possible.

Any questions can be directed to me any time at the below number or email address. I do also have paper copies of the enrolment form here for families who are unable to apply online (though we may be cutting it a little fine to rely on physical post at this point).

lisa.amer@staff.hagley.school.nz 

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 6

 

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 6

 

IN THIS POST:

• Reports
• Learning Conferences
• Online Safety 
• Disco

Reports:

Student school reports went live on Friday and we hope you have all had a chance to read and look through. There has been a lot of hard work and progress made by our Senior students in the first half of the year and the school reports reflect and celebrate this. If you have any questions don't hestitate to ask your childs' homegroup teacher at our learning conferences.

Learning Conferences:

These are happening this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Appointments are 15mins long and can be made online. You will meet with your child's homegroup teacher, this will include a discussion of the school, any questions you may have and a general check in. We look forward to seeing you!

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

Disco:

What a great night we had on Friday at the Senior disco! Everyone looked stunning and there were some extraordinary dance moves!

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 4

In This Post

• Wellbeing Week
• Cyber Safety: TikTok
• Cross Country
• Getting Winter Ready: Ski Sale

Wellbeing Week: A Focus on Emotional Literacy and Social Skills

We're excited to announce our upcoming Wellbeing Week, dedicated to enhancing our students' emotional literacy, social coaching, collaborative problem-solving, and overall sense of connection.

Throughout the week, we will:

• Emphasize Emotional Literacy: Helping children understand and express their emotions effectively.
• Provide Social Coaching: Guiding students in building strong, positive relationships with their peers.
• Encourage Collaborative Problem Solving: Teaching children to work together to find solutions and overcome challenges.
• Reinforce Connection: Strengthening the bonds within our school community.

Additionally, we will review our routines and expectations to ensure a smooth and supportive environment in the hub.

If you have any questions about this, please contact your child's homegroup teacher in the first instance.

Cyber Safety: All You Need to Know About TikTok

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media apps. It’s a platform for creating, sharing and discovering short videos – and many young people love it! From new dance crazes to funny clips to animal videos, TikTok can inspire creativity and bring joy.

But it’s important that parents and whānau help their tamariki navigate TikTok safely. Today we’re sharing the Netsafe Tiktok Family Safety Toolkit so you can help guide your whānau to a fun and safe digital experience.

Cross Country

On Tuesday afternoon last week we had our school cross country. Unlike last year, it was a lovely clear day, perfect for running. All of the Kauri students did well on the day, running hard and supporting others in turn.

On Wednesday, some students from both Kauri and Pohutukawa teams went to Zones at Hansen's Park. We will have a record number of students representing our kura at the Canterbury finals.

A massive thank you to Jenny for organising the school Cross Country and setting our students up for success at Zones.

Getting Winter Ready: Ski Sale

The following was spotted on Facebook in the last week and was passed on to us to share, as it would be great with the cold winter and our Ski Day coming up next term:

City Mission Op Shop

We’ve just received a huge donation of second hand ski gear from NZSki just in time for winter!

Jacket, pants & overalls in a range of sizes are just $5 each!

It’s chilly out there but thanks to NZSki we can keep you warm!

Available at of our City Mission Op Shops.

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 2, Week 2

 

IN THIS POST:

• Hagley College
• Quiz Night
• Uniform
• Cross Country
• Pics from EOTC last term

Info from Hagley College:

We have an Open Evening coming up on Wednesday 29 May, starting in the Auripo Auditorium with presentations at 4.30 pm, 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm. Each presentation will contain the same information and will be followed by a chance to look around the College and meet some of our staff and students. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL – interested parents/whānau should head to https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/ to book their seats if they wish to attend one of the presentation sessions.

Applications for Year 9 2025 will open online from 20 May, and close at midday on 27 June. Important information for students and whānau is available here: https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment/year-9-enrolment/.

 

Our 2025 Junior College Lookbook is available to download here: https://www.hagley.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2025_Junior_Prospectus-web.pdf

Quiz Night:

A huge thanks to Nicky for the amazing organisation of the school quiz night which was held last night. Such a great event and I am sure we raised a lot of much needed $$$ to go towards the Kauri ski trip in Term 3. 

Uniform:

 A reminder of correct school uniform, we are monortoring this closely as a team. As the weather is getting colder we are seeing many non uniform hoodies and jackets creeping in. Support from home is much appreciated. LINK to uniform outline on our website.

Cross Country:

Jenny has been busy organising this whole school event for Tuesday 14th May, we have been busy training! Nothing better than a jog on a crisp winter morning. We encourage students' to wear house colour T-Shirts on Tuesday.

Photo Dump-Term 1 EOTC:Waka on Avon, Rutherfords' Den, Adrenaline Forest!