Newsletter – Week 5, Term 4, 2022 – Botany Downs Primary School

Kia ora koutou BDS whānau, Week 5, Term 4, 2022

Thank you so much for your support for our Fun Run. Our total is continuing to grow as more and more of our BDS whānau are signing up and sharing their personally created website. The money raised will make such a difference to our tamariki as we will have more shade for eating, assemblies, and another area for handball. The new lines in our playgrounds will really support both our sports and learning. Please read below for more information.

On Friday afternoon (18 November), our teachers will be attending a Paid Union Meeting to discuss the progress of their negotiation for their collective employment agreements. During this meeting, our staff are able to supervise your tamariki at school. Students will stay together in their normal year levels and will follow an alternative programme for the afternoon.

If you are collecting your tamariki from school on Friday at 3 pm please meet them:

Year 0-1 dismissed from their classrooms as normal
Year 2 under the Senior canopy outside Room 3
Year 3 from the Room 12 and 13 deck.
Year 4, 5, and 6 dismissed from their classrooms as normal

This week has been busy for our Year 6 students with visits to Howick Intermediate and Somerville Intermediate and their continued very successful trip to Lloyd Elsmore Pool for swimming lessons. We have been very proud of our Year 6 students as they have showcased our BDS values at all times.

On Friday I attended the Principals’ Conference for our Kahui Ako. This was a very valuable day led by our new Kahui Ako Lead Principal Mark Keenan. We have strategically planned moving forward with our Achievement Challenges. We have a very comprehensive website if you would like to understand further about our Kahui Ako: https://howickcoastkahuiako.co.nz/

Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Parkins, Principal (vickip@botanydowns.school.nz)

Coming up @ BDS…

Wed 16 Nov – BOT meeting, 6pm
Fri 25 Nov – BDS Fun Run
Thurs 1 Dec – Junior athletics
Thurs 8 Dec – Junior prizegiving, 9.30-10.30am
Fri 9 Dec – Senior prizegiving & Yr 6 Graduation, 9-11.30am
Mon 12 Dec – Yr 6 camp departs (return Wed 14)
Tues 13 Dec – Middle Big Day In
Wed 14 Dec – Yr 1-2 Big Day In
Thurs 15 Dec – Yr 5 Big Day In
Fri 16 Dec – Last day of 2022

Purchase Your 2022
Botany Downs School Magazine NOW!

Deadline December 1 – Order now!

Pay via Kindo OR BDS bank account number 12-3089-0059300-00
OR pay at the school office by eftpos

School Magazine – $20 per copy

At BDS we celebrate the year at our kura with photos and stories in our school magazine. This is a wonderful summary of the school year and we know many of our whānau treasure this magazine.

Over the years and particularly this year, the costs have greatly increased and we now need to ask for a contribution towards the printing of the magazine. This will ensure the cost of the school magazine will not be impacting on our students’ learning activities and resources. To make this a viable option we need to charge $20 for each school magazine. The school will still be subsidising most of the cost of the magazine.

SCHOOL NEWS

Botany BEST & Values Awards

Botany BEST: Chevy Davis, Isher Singh, Arlie Clements-Goh, Liam Cho, Harlen Hadrup, Ilaisaane Faletau, Jas Kaur, Leo Tong, Neil Olarte, Lycan McCord, Gloria Wang, Damian Roberts, Rosie Roberts, Alfred Wang, Chloe Zhi, Tai Smith, Ryan Baker, Cartyr Clifton, Oliver Rayson, Payton Weyers, Felix Cao, Owen Thornton & Jay Kim.

Values – Determination: Adam Hamayun, Rex Zhao, Abdullah Muhammad, Rowena Luo, Nikita Winterstein, Eyas Abou Hassan, Hannah Jung, Ava Tang, Wianru Botha, Skyla Stanley-Hunt, Ire Olajide, Kayden Gillespie, Caroline Animu, Ruby Chen, Riley Archer, Cael Mose, Aris Ezra Fesolai, Rishaan Kumar, Lauren Hayes, Mengxi Lu & Tyler Bernard.

** Please be seated by 9.05am

2023 Year 6 Camp – Correction of Dates

Last week a newsletter went home to Year 5 students asking for parent help with the 2023 Year 6 camp. Unfortunately, the dates were incorrect.

Please note that the correct dates for the 2023 Year 6 camp are
Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th April 2023.

Joe D’Ambrosio, Year 6 Camp Co-ordinator (joed@botanydowns.school.nz)

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

In 2023, Year 5 and Year 6 students may bring their own devices to school each day. Students who do not bring their own devices will continue to have access to school owned devices.

Please visit the following link for more information on recommended devices your child could bring: www.pbtech.co.nz/education/byod/botany-downs-school

If you do decide that your Year 5 or 6 child will bring their own device in 2023, BYOD agreement forms will be sent home at the beginning of the 2023 school year. Students are unable to bring their device until a completed form is returned to school.

For any enquiries please email Mr Yoon: sojungy@botanydowns.school.nz

BDS Fun Run

We are half way through our fundraising campaign and have so far raised over $15,000! It is fantastic to see so many donations coming in supporting our students to participate in the upcoming Fun Run. There is still time to sign your child up by clicking on this link https://botanydownsschoolfunrun.raiseit.nz/hub.

A big thank you to the parents who have already done this and have asked friends and family to make a donation. We are raising funds to enhance the school’s outdoor spaces and have plenty of amazing prizes on offer. Today we handed out another 12 spot prizes to randomly selected students who have set up their fundraising page.

Congratulations to Room 4, Room 3, and Room 8 who have each raised over $1000 as a class! All students from these rooms will be given a free ice block this week as a reward. There are several other classes who are very close to reaching this $1000 combined target.

We are very excited for all students to take part in the Fun Run event to be held on Friday 25 November. In order for this day to be a success, we are seeking parent support around the obstacle course on this day. Please see the below timetable and email Kate Keenan if you can help for one or more blocks. Thank you for your support!

Kate Keenan, Fun Run Coordinator (katek@botanydowns.school.nz)

BDS Learning and Fun

Year 1, Room 7 – The Year 1s in Room 7 had fun welcoming the summer season by creating these ‘Suns’. We even enjoyed giving our Sun Arts names and personalities.

‘This is smiley the Sun. He is a boy and he is a great yellow sun. I made it from a white plate then I painted with some yellow paint. I feel so proud. When it dried I drew some eyes and mouth and spikes. It sleeps all night and it lives in space. It shines all mornings and it can warm the Earth.’ Jacob.

‘My Sun’s name is Princess. She is beautiful. She is a girl. She is bright, She is cute. I painted her yellow then put sunrays on the sides. I put crepe paper that was colourful to make a rainbow under the sun. Princess is confident. She loves flowers and butterflies. She is a little funny.’ Azalea.

Year 3, Room 12 – We have been focusing on writing open-ended questions and using appropriate resources to research our answers. We learned skills like skimming and scanning, note-taking and using ICT to present our work.

Year 5, Room 17 – Room 17 loves reading and working with our buddy class, Room 2. This is us in our cultural clothes.

Children Turning Five

If your child is turning five in the next six (6) months please ensure you enrol them as soon as possible. Our roll is steadily growing and we need to plan for classes and teachers during the year. Please collect your enrolment pack from the office, or email office@botanydowns.school.nz