Newsletter – Week 7, Term 4 2025

                                         Week 7, Term 4, 2025

Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,

As we begin planning class placements for 2026, we welcome whānau to share any significant information that may support us in making the best decisions for your child. This is not an opportunity to request a specific teacher, but rather a chance to communicate any factors, circumstances, or insights you feel we should be aware of when considering your child’s class for next year.

Please make sure to send a new email for 2026, even if you have submitted a request in previous years. We do not use previous requests as these can change over time.

While we strive to accommodate all requests, please understand that we may not be able to meet every request. Rest assured, we carefully consider all details provided, along with feedback from teachers and students, to make the best placement decisions for your child.

All requests should be submitted by Monday 24 November to the following Deputy Principals:

• 2025 Year 1–3: Rachel Ryan rachelr@botanydowns.school.nz
• 2025 Year 4–6: Mark Insley marki@botanydowns.school.nz

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

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

Coming Up @ BDS

Wed 19 Nov – School Board Meeting, 6:00 pm
Fri 21 Nov – HPPA Athletics
Wed 26 Nov – Junior Athletics Day
Fri 28 Nov – No Uniform Day – Festive Fun Theme
Mon 1 Dec – Whānau Helpers Morning Tea
Wed 3 Dec – PTA Jester’s Pie Day

End Of Year Important Dates

Thurs 4 Dec  – Rimu Team Year 0/1 Celebration
Mon 8 Dec – Rimu Team Year 0/1 Big Day In
Tues 9 Dec – Kōwhai Team Year 2 & Pōhutukawa Team Year 3 Prizegiving
Wed 10 Dec – Kōwhai Team Year 2 Big Day In
Wed 10 Dec – Tītoki Team Year 4 & Tōtara Team Year 5 Prizegiving
Thurs 11 Dec – Pōhutukawa Team Year 3 & Tītoki Team Year 4 Big Day In
Fri 12 Dec – Kauri Team Year 6 Prizegiving / Graduation
Mon 15 Dec – Kauri Team Year 6 Big Day In
Tues 16 Dec – Tōtara Team Year 5 Big Day In

Students Who Arrive Early To School
– Before 8.30am

Due to the renovations being undertaken to our school hall,
the hall deck is out of bounds.

If your child arrives early to school (before 8.30am)
they must now go and sit on the green netball court
under the canopy in between
Year 4 (Tītoki) and Room 3. Thank you.

Yearbook / School Magazine 2025!  

This year’s yearbook planning is well underway and we are super excited to announce it will be even bigger and better than previous years. Full colour memories! It’s a FABULOUS memory of the year and your child will love reading it and looking at pictures in years to come.

Purchase TODAY via Kindo or eftpos at the office.
Only $20 for a new and improved 2025 yearbook!

Please pay by Wednesday 26th November.

SCHOOL NEWS

Senior Athletics Results

Our Senior Athletics day was full of sunshine, fun sporting activity, and students giving their Botany Best. Well done to everyone, and a big thank you to Rachael Jeffs for organising, and all staff who helped to make it a great day. Thanks also to all the whānau who came along to watch and cheer – it’s always great to see you!

Congratulations to these students:

Tītoki Team Year 4

Tōtara Team Year 5

Kauri Team Year 6

ESOL and International Visitors

It was a privilege to have Dr Rae Si’ilata and her team from Va’atele Education Consulting visit our school last Wednesday. They presented a workshop that was attended by over 30 members of the East Auckland ESOL Cluster group and were supported by our Ministry of Education Senior Advisor (ESOL, Migrant & Refugee Education).

Thank you also to the New Zealand China Education Development Association for visiting our school last Thursday with 15 teachers from China. They enjoyed hearing about and observing how we teach in New Zealand and shared interesting information about where they come from.

Kate Keenan, International Director / ESOL Teacher

Walking School Bus

Thank you Mrs Marston for running our wonderful Walking School Bus. Here are our tamariki who are a part of our Walking School Bus. Ka pai!

BDS Little Library Box Reminder

Our amazing Botany Downs School Little Library box is located just outside the school gates.

Children can donate, take or swap a book. Only children’s books from home can be used in this box please. 

Please also ensure no school library books are placed in it.

ICAS Results

Congratulations to all the Year 5 and 6 students who took part in the ICAS Assessment exams this year for English, Maths and Science. We now have the results and certificates. These certificates will be handed out at the Year 5 and 6 team assemblies. Please see below for students who achieved excellent results.

Year 5 Science:
Merit (top 44% of participants): Umama Adil, Ali Alshareefi, Sarah Shawani
Credit (top 22% of participants): Adam Shawani, Quintus Wang
Distinction (top 2% of participants): Evan Guo, Alexander Ong, Henil Tailor, Sebastian Zuo

Year 6 Science:
Merit (top 44% of participants): Mason Huang, Memphis Kwok, Oscar Wong, Shane Hwang
Credit (top 22% of participants): Emma Lee, Lisa Huang, Nora Khong, Ron Du
Distinction (top 2% of participants): Rafa Zhao

Year 5 Maths:
Credit (top 22% of participants): Adam Shawani, Allen Wang, Evan Guo, Henil Tailor, Jia Zhang, Quintus Wang, Sebastian Zuo, Rex Zhao
Distinction (top 2% of participants): Oliver Wu, Umama Adil
High Distinction (top 1% of participants): Alexander Ong

Year 6 Maths:
Merit (top 44% of participants): Cameron Ellis, Jasper Gu, Mason Huang, Shane Hwang
Credit (top 22% of participants): Charlie Gao, Emma Lee, Lisa Huang, Memphis Kwok, Oscar Wong, Ron Du
High Distinction (top 1% of participants): Rafa Zhao

Year 5 English:
Merit (top 44% of participants): Quintus Wang, Umama Adil
Credit (top 22% of participants): Oliver Wu, Sebastian Zuo
Distinction (top 2% of participants): Alexander Ong, Henil Tailor

Year 6 English:
Merit (top 44% of participants): Emma Lee
Credit (top 22% of participants): Nora Khong, Rafa Zhao, Ron Du, Shane Hwang, Wynand Bloem
Distinction (top 2% of participants): Lisa Huang

Summer Reading – Registrations OPEN NOW!

After a successful Summer Reading programme last year, we are excited to offer this opportunity once again for our students. 

• For BDS students in Years 0/1-5 only. Students must be returning to BDS in 2026.
• By giving permission to take part, parents agree to ensure books are cared for and returned in the first week of Term 1 2026.
• Parents/caregivers also agree to reimburse the school for any lost or damaged books.
• Only students who have had a form signed are able to borrow books. Borrowing will be available in Weeks 9 & 10.
• Registered students will be able to borrow up to 10 library books for the summer.

Why sign up for Summer Reading? The best way to improve literacy skills is to keep practising them. This is particularly important over the long summer holidays and helps keep students reading levels up. Plus, it is a fun thing to do!

Developing a love of reading for pleasure helps to improve wellbeing, develops empathy, builds focus and stamina, builds vocabulary and general knowledge, and encourages curiosity and imagination (key factors in innovation and problem-solving skills). 

If you would like your child to borrow school library books over the summer, please complete and submit this form:

Summer Reading – Register Here!

Fun & Learning @ BDS

Rimu Team Year 1: This term Room 4 has created Spring art using pastels and water painting techniques. They have loved drawing a happy cloudy sky with raindrops. These examples were created by: Lennon Wallace, Ranaya Galahitiyawa, Titus Parsons, and Scarlett Blanco Zijp.

Tōtara Team Year 5: Room 23: As the year ends, we’ve been thinking about all the fun and exciting things we did in Year 5 – 2025 has been full of great memories!

School Assembly

Our school assemblies will now be held under the canopy by our Year 4 Tītoki team, as the hall is currently unavailable while works are being completed.

We invite you to attend our school assembly on Friday at 9.10 am. We will be presenting our Botany Best Certificates and Values Bookmarks.

Our BDS Capabilities

Congratulations to our following tamariki who have shown their Botany Best by displaying our Capabilities:  Axander Pauli Sosi, Luna Lopez Woo, Yixuan Zhang, Ranaya Galahitiyawa, Tasha Lee, Cohen Saio, Patrick Sun, Dina Shahamiri, Adriaan Van Niekerk, Averia Reid, Mario Ma, Azhaan Laghari, Alexander Ong, Damian Odendaal, Gabriella Venter, Scarlet Chen, Vito Feng, Leo Tong, Xavier Marck, Devansh Manseta, Minsung Kim, Benjamin Duckworth, Christian Ilalio, Kirianne Parado, Athena-Rose Hamilton, Fedya Chibel, Ayran Karthick, Laurayne Soafa, Lycan McCord, Kate Henry, Bill Liu, Levi Perry, Cynthia Liang, Neville Arora, Nathan Hurter, Lachlan Marck, Olivia Leaumoana, JB Fajardo & Jiale Yu.

Our BDS Values

Congratulations to the following tamariki who have displayed our Value of Resilience – Manawanui:  Zane Bshennaty, Thea Moir, Daniel Turner, Alana Sahni, Kaeson Moodley, Chenuthi Konara Mudiyanselage, Anaisha Sharma, Bridie Bird, Marcus Botha, Athena Manuela, Francis Sekona, Movindu Konara Mudiyanselage, Stevie Lawrenson, Lucas Chen, Jon Wu, Si Fan Zhu, Wianru Botha, Terry Sui, Eric Li, Warren-Leigh Paul, Paige Monsanto, Wickus Botha, Anthony Song, Chaz Griselle, Mene Nel, Helaina Jamalidogaheh, Henil Tailor, Liam Cho, Nature Parsons, Zayne Van Niekerk, Oscar Wong,Yongha Kim, Kaylin Walker, Dara Inventor, Brody Tynan, Daniel He, Nelson Wang, Amy Meile & Annabelle Firouzi.

PTA Notices…

Calendar Art Orders Close Tomorrow! 
This is a reminder that orders for Calendar Art close tomorrow.

Each product is made from your own child’s art, or a photo of your choice. These make unique Christmas gifts for family and friends and are perfect for posting overseas.

Follow these instructions to place your order online:

1. Go to www.kidsartworks.com
2. Use the Entrance Code: K791
3. Enter your child’s room & name

Orders can be placed until 11.59pm Wednesday 19 November. 

Payment can be made over the website via credit card or account2account.

If you have any questions please contact the PTA at pta@botanydowns.school.nz

 

 

 

Fruju Fridays – kindly supported by Pak’nSave Highland Park!

Fruju Fridays are up and running every Friday until the end of term! Come and buy your Fruju $2 or icepop $1 outside the staffroom from 3pm.  Pay in cash or via Kindo.

 

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

Please Note…

COMMUNITY NOTICES

HJ Elite Academy –
Holiday Soccer Development Programme

 Registration is now open! 

Looking for a fun and active way to keep the kids engaged, entertained, and learning during the school holidays? Join our Holiday Soccer Development Programme!

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