Happy Holidays

Here we are half way through the year, the last few weeks have zoomed by.

Reports and Conferences: It was wonderful to meet with so many of you for learning conferences this week. If you were unable to make it this week please contact your child's teacher to arrange for your learning conference to happen early next term. Reports will come home today with those children who did not have learning conferences.

Dates for Term 3 so far:
Thurs July 9:15 @ 7:30pm: Year 8 talk in the Hall re Cashmere High School
Wed Aug 8 @ 12 noon - 2:45pm: Winter Sports Tournament
Aug 20 - Sept 7: Spellathon
Sept 20 - 21: Leadership Camp for Year 8

Stationery: Please check with your child that they have still got the following, in working order, at school:

• gluestick
• pencils (3)
• ruler
• rubber
• red pen

If any of these stationery items need replacing, please arrange to do so over the holidays.

Have a safe and enjoyable two weeks. We look forward to seeing our Year 7 and 8s refreshed and keen to learn on Monday July 16.

Cashmere High School Information Evening

On Thursday July 19, Mark Wilson, principal of Cashmere High School will be coming to Beckenham School during the day to talk with our Year 8 students and in the evening from 7:30pm till 8:30pm to talk with Year 8 families. This is a great opportunity to hear about Cashmere first hand and ask any questions you may have about the school.

Key dates in 2012 for Cashmere High School student enrolments for 2013:

• 19 July – 7:30 – 8:30pm information evening at Beckenham School
• 27 July - Year 9 Enrolments close
• 27 July - Closing date for ALL Scholarship Applications (Including Academic)
• 31 July - Year 9 Ballot Held (Out of Zone Students)
• 3 August - Notify Ballot results for Yr 9 Out of Zone Students
• 10 September - Yr 8 Entrant Testing Morning

Week 10 Update

We are looking forward to Friday and a well deserved break for all. A few important messages before then...

By now your learning conference should be booked for Tuesday or Wednesday this week. Please contact the office ASAP if you are yet to book. Make sure you visit the Hall before or after your conference. A huge range of wonderful science and technology will be on display.

If you are yet to return Famine money, please get it to Miss D by Thursday this week at the latest.

Congratulations to the basketballers who played at last week's Primary Schools Basketball Tournament. The boys team were placed 4th and the girls team were very competitive.

This week we will be talking to the children about our plan for arts academies next term. They will be selecting the area of the arts that they would like to focus on.

Leadership Points are being tallied this week. Awards will be presented at the first PRIDE assembly next term.

There is no home learning this week.

Week 9 Update

On Friday we had a special PRIDE assembly to kick off our school wide focus on cultural diversity and the Olympic Games. As part of the festivities, each class drew a country out of a bucket. All of the countries represent nationalities of children at Beckenham School. During the build up to the Games we will be finding out more about and supporting our selected country.
Room 16: Great Britain
Room 17: China
Room 18: Netherlands
Room 19: Japan

Music Groups: Beckenham groups performed superbly on Tuesday and Wednesday evening at the South Music Festival. Both the Band and the Senior Chorale group shone, we were all very proud!

Learning Conferences: If you haven't yet done so, please visit School Links or ring Caroline in the office to book your learning conference on either Tues 26th or Wed 27th of June (2pm finish these days). Reports will be discussed and handed over at conferences. This will also give you a chance to visit the hall and see the Science and Technology Expo.

Cross Country: We were very proud of our children who ran at the Canterbury Primary Schools Cross Country. All came in the top half of their fields. Special congratulations to Emily for her 12th placing in the 11 year old girls race.

Basketball: We have a boys and a girls team entered in the Indoor Tournament on Tuesday. A notice with final reminders has been sent home on Friday.

Hot milo: Please support the Student Council who are selling hot milo on Fridays at morning tea.

Week 8 Update

To say it's been a disruptive week of learning would be a bit of an understatement. Thanks for your understanding and flexibility as we coped with the powers of mother nature. Great to see so many children back on Friday and totally focused on their learning.
Staff are currently writing mid year reports. Please visit School Links or call Caroline to book your learning conference on June 26 or 27. Reports will be discussed and handed out at these conferences.

We are entering two basketball teams (1 boys, 1 girls) in the Primary Schools Indoor Tournament on June 19th. Please return slips ASAP if your child is involved in this tournament.

The Senior Chorale Group and the Band are performing in the South Music Festival at the Aurora Centre on Tues 12 and 13 (band only) of June. Pre-ordered tickets are now available for collection from the office.

Classes are busy working on their special projects about endangered species for display at the Science and Tech Expo in the last week of term. This will be a 'must see' when you come to school for your learning conferences.

The Avonside Open Night has been rescheduled to Monday June 11 from 5pm - 7pm.

Seek peek... Last year the Year 8's thoroughly enjoyed their two day Leadership Camp experience based at the Papanui Youth Centre. Based on it's success we are keen to offer a similar yet different experience this year. We have pencilled in September 20th and 21st for our 2012 Year 8 Leadership Camp. This will be based at school, with marae style sleeping in the hall and hall foyer on the Thursday night. Amongst other activities, we are looking at including a / some motivational guest speaker(s) and a community service component to this camp. We are looking for A) contacts with community groups who would appreciate some support and B) suggestions for inspirational speakers for this age group. Please contact us with any suggestions.

Week 7 Update

Orana Park: We had a fabulous day at Orana Park on Thursday and came home with some key messages about how we can make a difference to species undergoing change.

Student Council: The Student Council have been busy lately. Look out for the flagpole flying flags that represent the diverse nationalities of our Beckenham students. This initiative has been driven and organised by the council. They are also selling milo at morning tea on Fridays.

Reports: Many of you will currently be putting together applications for high schools. These usually request the inclusion of the latest school report. We are about to start writing reports. These will be given out at learning conferences on Tues June 26 and Wed June 27. Those who don't come to learning conferences will get their reports on the last day of term. Information on how to book conferences will be in the next school newsletter.