Newsletter – Week 9, Term 2 2025

                                         Week 9, Term 2, 2025

Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,

Last week, we celebrated Matariki with a beautiful performance by our kapa haka group. The hall was filled with tamariki, whānau and staff: a special way to start the day. Afterwards, whānau explored classrooms showcasing vibrant learning and creative mahi inspired by te ao Māori. We sang waiata and shared kai together. A big thank you to our wonderful staff, our whānau for joining us, and to Mrs Takaiti for her organisation and leadership of our kapa haka.

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori; we hope you enjoyed the long weekend reflecting, celebrating, and spending time with loved ones.

On Wednesday or Thursday your child will lead a learning conversation to share their progress in reading, writing, and maths. It’s a chance to celebrate learning and set goals together. Please note: if you have other concerns, book a separate time with the teacher. If your child attends ESOL, you can book a second time with Mrs Keenan.

We look forward to seeing you there.

What to expect:

• Your child confidently leading the conversation
• Sharing what they are learning and why
  
• Evidence of progress and next steps
  
• A shared discussion between student, teacher, and whānau

Term 2 has been a busy and rewarding one, filled with great learning and happy moments. We wish all our BDS whānau a safe, restful, and happy holiday break.

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

Coming Up @ BDS

Wed 25 Jun – PTA Jester’s Pie day
Wed 25 June – Whānau Learning Conversations, 3.20 – 6.00 p.m
Thurs 26 June – Whānau Learning Conversations, 3.20 – 6.00 p.m
Fri 27 Jun – Last day Term 2
Mon 14 July – First day Term 3
Wed 16 July – Boys Soccer day / Howick Intermediate visiting Yr 6
Thurs 17 July – Boys Soccer day
Mon 21 July – Somerville Intermediate visiting Yr 6
Thurs 24 July – Senior Cross-country
Fri 25 July – No Uniform day
Wed 30 July – PTA Jester’s Pie day / School Board meeting, 6.00 p.m

School and Office Hours

The last day of school for Term 2 is Friday 27^th June 2025
and we will reopen for Term 3 on  Monday 14^th July 2025

During the holidays the office will be open for new enrolments 
from 9.00 a.m until 12.00 p.m on the following days:  

Thursday 10^th July 2025
Friday 11^th July 2025

Alternatively, email office@botanydowns.school.nz for an
appointment or enrolment pack.  

Whānau Conversations

Wednesday 25 June, 3.20 – 6.00 p.m
Thursday 26 June, 3.20 – 6.00 p.m

At BDS, we believe in honest, positive communication and strong partnerships between teachers, students, and whānau. Our learners are always at the heart of what we do.

Whānau Learning Conversations give tamariki the chance to share their progress, celebrate successes, and talk about next steps. They also help whānau better understand their child’s learning.

If your child attends ESOL, you’re welcome to book two appointments – one with the classroom teacher and one with Mrs Keenan, our ESOL teacher.

Bookings are now open, please follow the below instructions:

SCHOOL NEWS

Reminder – PhotoLife Orders

PhotoLife – Class & Individual orders close off on Sunday 29 June 2025. Remember to use your Access Keycode to order your photos before the closing date.

Football Fun Day

On Tuesday 17th June, 42 Year 5 and 6 students took part in the Football Fun Day at Meadowlands Reserve. The students all tried their best, showed great sportsmanship and represented the school with pride. 

Road Patrol Supervision 

We are extremely short of parent/whānau help to supervise road patrol in the mornings and afternoons. Morning patrol is 8:25 a.m – 8:55 a.m and afternoon patrol is 2:55 p.m – 3:15 p.m. 

If you or a family member would like to be a supervisor please contact Miss Smith via email katies@botanydowns.school.nz or see her in Room 8.

PTA Notices

Second-Hand Uniform Sale:
We will be holding a second-hand uniform sale under the junior canopy on Wednesday and Thursday this week, from 3:00–4:30 p.m, to coincide with Whānau Conversations. These sales are only possible thanks to the generous donations from our school community. If you have any preloved uniforms to contribute, please drop them into the pink box at the office by 9.00 a.m tomorrow (Wednesday 25th). Thank you for your support.

Women’s Self Defence Workshop:
We’re excited to partner with Rida Vivier to offer a Women’s Self-Defence Workshop right here at school. Rida is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-Do and is passionate about equipping women with practical self-defence skills—not just for safety, but to build confidence and awareness of human behaviour.

The workshop will run over two consecutive Saturdays: 19 and 26 July, from 10:30 a.m-12:00 p.m in the school hall. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get settled. Spaces are limited, and a $30 fee is required to secure your place in the two-session workshop. Bookings can be made via your child’s KINDO account. 

Please note: This is an adults-only event, aimed at women — children cannot attend

2025 ICAS Assessments

This year we are offering Year 5 and 6 students the opportunity to participate in English, Science and Maths ICAS assessments. All assessments are supervised at school and completed online. You will be notified of your child’s results when they are ready and they will also receive a certificate. Top performers will be eligible for medals and special ceremonies to recognise their academic excellence from ICAS assessments.

Dates of assessments:

English: Monday 11th August 9.00 -10.30 a.m

Science: Thursday 21st August 9.00 -10.30 a.m

Maths: Monday 25th August 9.00 -10.30 a.m

Each assessment has a cost of $22.50. For payments this year, we will be using the Parent Payment System so you must make your payments directly to ICAS. See below for payment details. All payments must be made by Monday 14th July. We will not be accepting payments at school. To find out about ICAS, enter your child and make payments. Please see the instructions below.

1. Read about  ICAS subjects and prices here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/)  
2. Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf) 
3. Go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here: (shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps)  
4. Enter our school’s access code:

Parent Page Link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/XNF939

Parent Code: XNF939

1. Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.  

Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.  After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email. Please keep this for your records.  

Mark Insley, Deputy Principal, ICAS Coordinator (marki@botanydowns.school.nz)

School Assembly

We invite you to attend our final school assembly for the term, on Friday at 9.10 am. We will be presenting our End of Term Certificates, and farewelling Miss Sophie Hill. This week’s item is from our wonderful Dance Group.

End of Term Certificates

Congratulations to the following students: Ethan Pope, Luna Lopez Woo, Lucius Huang, Charlotte Koka, Megna Swaraj, Daniel Hollins, Kade Hubbard, Amalia Mahabeer, Zerahiah Turner, Flynn Hodgson, Willow Cox, Matthew Samuriwo, Lily Hodgson, Jennifer Wu, Angela Chen, Chloe Morgan, Sophie Chen, Mika Nel, Jaspreet Kaur, Ryu Strydom, Vincent Liu, Hugo Liang, Emma Hughes, Tyler Bernard & Luka Takaiti-Kerr.

Winning House for Term 2

Congratulations to Sheppard House for winning this term. You will get to wear your house colours on Friday 27th as a reward.

More Talented Students…

Enrol Now if Your Child Turns 5 Before April 2026

We are currently planning classes and staffing for 2026, and having accurate numbers of new entrants — even those starting mid-year — greatly helps us with this process. Thank you for your support.

Enrolment packs are available from the school office, or you can request one via email: office@botanydowns.school.nz 

Rachel Ryan, DP/SENCo – Year 0-3 (rachelr@botanydowns.school.nz)

LIBRARY NEWS

Dorothy Butler Bookshop Competition

Design a bookmark with the theme of Mythical Creatures to be the official shop bookmark for 2025!

Be in to win!

• a $50 Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop Voucher
• 50 of your bookmarks printed by us to give to your family, friends and classmates
• two curiously good books from Gecko Press

Three age groups – Years 1-3, Years 4-6 and Years 7-8

An entry form is attached below – or you can download it from the shop website or grab one in store and get designing. 

Entries must be drawn by hand. One entry per person. 

Please deliver or send your entry to the Dorothy Butler Bookshop at 1 Jervois Road, Ponsonby. They need the original artwork for their judging and printing but if you can’t get it to them in time, you can scan the artwork and email to shop@dorothybutler.co.nz before sending the original copy in. 

Entries close Sunday 27th July. Good luck!

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Registrations for our Term 3, After School Soccer Development Programme are now open! 
To register: click here 

THRIVE – Real-Life Confidence, Not Screen Time!
NEW CLASSES FOR TERM 3 – LIMITED SPACES!

Let’s get kids off screens and into the real world of confidence, communication, and creativity!
Thrive classes are fun, lively, and help children learn how to express themselves, speak clearly, and build the social skills they need to thrive at school and beyond.

• Build real-world confidence
• Speak clearly and express ideas
•  Develop life skills for friendships, learning, and the future
• Held at Botany Downs School
• Tuesdays during school hours 30-minute lessons
• Small group classes (4–6 students)
• 8-week term
• $220 per term

These fun and engaging classes are perfect for children who love to perform – or need a little help finding their voice. No screens, just real skills, real confidence, and lots of fun!

Enrol now at: https://wkf.ms/3AZWDEx  www.thrivespeechanddrama.co.nz
Questions? Email Kelly at: kelly@thrivespeechanddrama.co.nz

Pay the kindo way: https://botanydowns.school.nz/kindo/