Year 7 & 8 Team @ Beckenham: July 2026

Kauri News - Term 2, Week 11

Kia ora koutou,

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the end of another busy term in Kauri! The last two weeks have been packed with learning, activities, and plenty of opportunities for our students to challenge themselves and celebrate their successes. We are incredibly proud of all the effort, resilience, and enthusiasm shown throughout the term.

As we head into the holidays, we wish all our Kauri whānau a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable break.

Mānawatia a Matariki - may Matariki bring you time for reflection, connection, and celebration with whānau and friends.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for another exciting term ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,

Hugo, Kate McG, Megan C, Sarah A, Megan H & Nicky

Upcoming Dates for Term 3:

Week 1: Matariki Whānau Evening (Wednesday 22 July), South Zone Basketball Tournament (Wednesday 22 July), Winter Sport restarts (Thursday 23 July)
Week 4: Primary Sports Canterbury Volleyball Tournament (Wednesday 12 August)
Week 6: Beckenham Te Kura Duathlon Event (Wednesday 26 August), Winter Sport finishes (Thursday 27 August)
Week 7: Court Theatre Performance (Monday 31 August), Kauri Ski Trip (Thursday 3 September), Staff Only Day (Friday 4 September)
Week 8: Life Education Bus (W8-W9), Primary Sports Canterbury Duathlon Event (Monday 7 September)
Week 10: Koru Games (Tuesday 22 September - Thursday 24 September)

Matariki Evening - Wednesday 22 July

Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

We would like to invite you to our school’s Matariki celebration evening on the first Wednesday (22nd July) back of Term Three!

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 Wednesday the 22nd of July from 5:30 pm. The PTA will be having a Sausage Sizzle on the night for a small koha (donation).

Outline of the night:

5:30 pm - Welcome & Performance in Māpuna, the Hall - Te Whānau Mahi Tahi
5:50 pm - Matariki activities begin in Hubs.
6:40 pm - Matariki activities finish in Hubs, whānau to head back to the hall.
6:45 pm - Performance in Māpuna, the Hall - Pōhutukawa.

Nau mai, haere mai! We hope to see you there!

Passions: Imagination Station - Build On Ice Competition

This term, Kate’s Passions Group has been taking part in the Imagination Station Build on Ice Competition. Working in teams, students have spent time designing, creating, testing, and refining their ideas, showing fantastic creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills along the way.

Every group did an incredible job, demonstrating perseverance, innovation, and teamwork throughout the process. It has been wonderful to see students bringing their ideas to life and supporting one another as they tackled the challenge.

We are incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm shown by all students. Check out the photos at the bottom of the blog post to see some of the amazing creations and the hard work that went into them! The full projects were shared to the whānau of these students via Hero.

Kete Blogs:
We have been incredibly impressed by the number of students participating in and completing their Kete Blogs throughout Term 2. The effort, creativity, and consistency shown has been fantastic. An outstanding 117 Kete Blog badges were earned and presented this term—a brilliant achievement! Ka pai to everyone who took the time to share their learning and experiences. Keep up the great work!

Science Badges:
Congratulations to Pippa on earning two Science Badges and to Shaan on earning one Science Badge this term! These badges reflect the extra effort they've been putting in at home to explore, investigate, and extend their scientific learning beyond the classroom. We are incredibly proud of their curiosity, commitment, and enthusiasm—well done to you both! 🧪🌟

Inquiry Presentations:
Our Inquiry presentations to wrap up our Sustainability unit were nothing short of incredible. Students showcased the knowledge they had developed throughout the term with confidence, creativity, and passion. From innovative ideas to thoughtful solutions for real-world environmental challenges, it was fantastic to see the depth of learning and the pride they took in sharing their work. Ka pai to all of our presenters for an outstanding effort! 🌱🌏

Canterbury Softball Sessions:

Our students have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in softball sessions led by the fantastic team from Canterbury Softball this term. They have been learning and developing key skills such as throwing, catching, batting, and teamwork through fun, engaging activities. It has been wonderful to see students grow in confidence while giving a new sport a go. A huge thank you to Canterbury Softball for sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with our ākonga! 🥎