Week 3 Update

Athletics: We were very impressed with the fabulous attitude and effort displayed by all of Year 7 & 8 at our Athletic Sports. The staff from Room 20 (the Ferndale unit) commented on how inclusive and positive our children were of the Room 20 students. Many thanks to those of you who helped to run events or supported the children. Next week Bruce Rodger will establish who will be doing what at the Zone Sports, which are on Wednesday Nov. 6th.

Health Topic: We are about to start our Changes at Puberty topic. This is a series of 4 lessons looking at the changes that occur to girls and boys at puberty and the daily routines associated with these. If you would like more information on what we teach, please drop in to see me in Room 19.

Quiz Night: We hope you have got your team together and bought your tickets for Quiz Night on November 2nd. We are still looking for two more adults to help out on the night, please contact nicky.dunlop@beckenham.school.nz if you can help out. We are also looking for a group of Year 7 & 8s to help decorate and set up the Hall on the Saturday afternoon, bonus leadership points will be given for this. If you have not yet sent in your donation for the hampers, a non-perishable grocery item or something for the 'Pamper Pack', please do so ASAP.

Leadership Awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold leadership Awards will be presented at the next PRIDE Assembly on November 1st.

Top Team is coming up on the morning of November 8th. This is a fun packed event that sees the children working through a diverse range of team challenges, several involving water. We need parent help to run this event. This is a great chance to see your children in action, working with others. Please let Tracy know, in Room 17, if you can help out.

Year 8 Leavers' Yearbook: The Year 8s need to get their Yearbook Profile completed and handed in ASAP, it is now overdue. Please remind your child to get this done. It involves asking a teacher to write a memory they have of them, any teacher who is still at Beckenham, as well as asking a friend to write a memory and writing their own.

Dowelling Needed: We are making 14 hobby horses for Ali Baba and need some dowelling for their 'stick bodies'. If you have an old broom stick etc lying around, please sent it to Room 19.

Carisbrook Exchange

We had a fabulous morning of competition against Carisbrook School today. Great skill, great support and a lovely vibe. Beckenham won the football and the netball, and Carisbrook took out the basketball in a very close game. A big well done to all students, you played hard and were very positive in your support of all teams.

Football result was 1:4

While Beckenham had the lead in the first half, the second half of netball was closely fought.

The supporters enjoyed the action from the viewing deck.

Basketball was the closest game with Carisbrook winning 26:28.

We thanked Carisbrook for initiating the first of many exchanges between our schools.

Beckenham takes out the trophy.

Many thanks to Carisbrook for gifting us a lovely elm tree.

Leadership Awards

We will be awarding the following leadership awards at our next PRIDE assembly on November 1st.

Bronze	Silver	Gold
Briearnah  Ryan  Simone  Zhenya  Cougar  Lucy  Dominic  Tahlia  Cameron Finn  Flynn	Abigail  Sam P Alyssa  Isabella  India  Beth Georgia  Melanie  Lily  Keiana	Henry  Niamh  Sabine  Jessica L Andrew Leni

Fabulous effort from all of you. There will be opportunities to earn extra points this term for those Year 8s especially who are striving from Silver or Gold by the end of the year.

A superb day on the snowy slopes of Mt Hutt!

A big thanks to everyone who helped make our ski day possible: the mums and grans who made the arm bands, the people who lent their clothing, the families who let us practice with their gear at school and the parents who guided nervous skiers down the mountain. Despite the weather, we had a fabulous day. Children experiences many emotions during the day, ranging from fear to elation. The smiles on their faces and the stories on the bus were priceless.

Getting the hang of stopping gracefully took a wee while.

Ready to tackle the challenge of the quad chair green run.

Half way down and lots of smiles.

Guidance and advice from the experienced to the newbies.

Satisfaction after a great day on the slopes.

Week 8 Update

Ski day this week! Not many sleeps now until we hit the slopes. Thursday's weather forecast looks good, so we are looking forward to a fabulous day. An important notice regarding this trip went home on Friday, in paper copy and electronically. If you didn't receive this, please contact your child's teacher.

Last home learning for the term is due in this Friday.This can be handed in on Wednesday, so that it is not forgotten after the tiring day on the slopes on Thursday.

Reminders:

• Band Concert this Wednesday 9 - 9:30
• Ski day this Thursday, be at school by 6:45 am
• Kids in Town, drama group Thursday Sept 26 at 12 noon
• Talent Quest finals Friday Sept 27, starting at 1:30. Parents welcome.
• Technology change of day next week, not Tuesday, but Friday instead.

Speech Competition:

Due to illness, Leni Frampton stepped in to represent us at the South Speech Competition last Thursday evening. She delivered a very well presented speech on 'opinions'and came 4th in the competition. Well done Leni, you were brilliant!

And they're off! A small but dedicated team competed at the School's Orienteering Festival on Saturday. We are awaiting results.

Week 7 Update

Camp Fundraising: It was all go at the Spring Fair on Saturday. Well done to all stall holders, you did a superb job. Those who raised money need to take this to the school office in a named envelope, labelled with 'Spring Fair, Dunedin Camp' and the amount raised. This will be credited towards individual camp accounts. 

We are still selling cookies. Pop in to Room 19, before or after school to replenish supplies.

Bacon order forms will be sent out later this week. This fundraiser is going out school-wide with funds raised going into the general camp fundraising pool. 

If you have prizes to donate to the Quiz night, or you are prepared to help out on the night, please let your child's teacher know. The Quiz night in on Saturday November 2nd.

Speech Success: A huge well done to our 16 speech finalists who presented their speeches to a large audience on Friday afternoon. The standard of both content and presentation was very high. Good luck to Andrew and Ryan who will be taking part in the South Christchurch speech competition on Thursday at 6:30pm at St Martins School. Anyone is welcome to attend this evening, Andrew and Ryan would love your support. 

Drama Group: The drama group will be performing their 'Night at the Museum' piece at the Restart Mall or Canterbury Museum (depending on weather) on Thursday September 26th at 12 noon. If you are in town, they would love your support. 

Ski Countdown: Fingers and toes are crossed for fine and calm weather next Thursday for our ski day. Teachers are matching children up with clothing this week. If this hasn't been sorted for your child by Friday, it would pay to visit Mcewings Snowsports on Yaldhurst road in the weekend, to arrange clothing hire. Their rates are reasonable. Thursday Sept 19 will be a long day, with children at school by 6:45am and returning between 5:30 and 6:00pm. 

Spellathon: Cards should be back at school by now. Testing is on Friday.

Cashmere High Testing is this Thursday. Year 8s need to attend in school uniform. They are to make their own way to and from Cashmere and should return to school during lunchtime.

Whanau Hui: This Thursday from 5:30 - 7:00. Sausage sizzle and movie for the kids, while parents meet.

Disco this Friday: Year 7 & 8 disco goes from 7:30 until 8:30. Please collect your child from inside the hall at the end of the evening.

Technology: In the last week of term 3 technology will be on Friday morning, instead of the usual Tuesday.

Week 5 Update...

Congratulations to Sabine Grey who has won the Year 9 Music Scholarship at Cashmere High School for 2014.

Ski Day: Thanks to all who have filled in the form about ski experience and gear (clothing). Half the team have done this, we need the rest ASAP. If you haven't filled in this form, please do it today. There are a lot of people who need to borrow ski pants and goggles (remember sunglasses are fine). We will be able to match some people up with gear, but not all.

McEwings, 200 Yalhurst Rd Christchurch, do special rental deals for schools:

• Ski jacket $10
• Ski pants $10
• Ski goggles $5

If you are able to hire gear from here please let me know and we will take you off the 'need to borrow' list.

We have heard back from Mt Hutt. Children with own gear, pay the same as those who need to rent. The good news is that helmets are included in ski rental.

Dunedin Camp Fundraising: 

• Thanks to those who supported Room 17s cupcake sale last week. A few children still owe Tracy money.
• This coming week Room 19 are selling jelly and ice-cream on Wednesday for $2. Purchase tickets before school. This is for Year 5 -8, we will do Year 1-4 the following week. 
• Cookies are selling really well! With the cookie fundraiser, what you sell goes directly to your own camp fee. Once you have sold your first bag and handed the money into the office (in a named envelope labelled with 'cookies'), you can get more bags to sell. Come to Room 19 before or after school to restock. Every bag sold is $8 towards your camp fee.

Speeches: our team speech competition is on Friday Sept 6th. There will be two Year 7 and two Year 8 speeches from each class in the final. Children have one week to finish writing and practising their speeches. Support from home would be appreciated.

Good luck to our Year 7 & 8 rugby team who will be competing at the Canterbury Winter Tournament on Thursday.

Learning Conferences are coming up soon on September 4th and 5th.