Week 1 Term 1 2026
Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,
We hope the holiday break was a time to rest, recharge, and enjoy special moments with family. It has been wonderful to see our tamariki back at school, starting the year showing their “Botany Best”.
A very warm welcome to our new students and families, welcome to the BDS whānau. Term One is always an exciting start, full of opportunities for learning, growth, new experiences, and the strengthening of friendships across our school community.
Our newsletters are sent by email every Tuesday (except for this first newsletter) and are always full of very important information and dates. The team newsletters will also be sent out on this Wednesday and these have specific year-level information.
Our BDS Facebook page is a showcase of our celebrations of learning. Here you can see our amazing BDS tamariki, and their achievements and learning at our kura.
I am looking forward to seeing you at school, at the Whānau Picnic and at the Whānau Conversations – Building Connections.
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Parkins, Principal – Tumuaki (vickip@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Coming Up @ BDS
Wed 4 Feb 2026 – First Day of Term 1
Fri 6 Feb – Waitangi Day (public holiday)
Wed 11 Feb – Whānau Conversations, 3.15pm onwards
Thurs 12 Feb – Whānau Conversations, 3.15pm onwards
Thurs 19 Feb – Whānau Picnic, 5.00-7.00pm
Thurs 19 Feb – Kauri Team Yr 6 Camp Parents Meeting
Mon 2 Mar – Kauri Team Yr 6 Camp (returning Wed 4 Mar)
Thurs 5 Mar – Tōtara Team Yr 5 Camp Parents Meeting
Mon 9 Mar – Tōtara Team Yr 5 Camp (returning Tues 10 Mar)
Mon 23 – Fri 27 Mar – BOOK WEEK
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Teachers and Classes for 2026
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School Communication
- Newsletters are emailed out each Tuesday and uploaded to our website for use with Google Translate.
- Newsletters are uploaded to our school app.
 Download the @School app from your app store. You will receive your personal login details once your child is enrolled. Please contact the office if you need your login information re-sent.
- Year group (Team) newsletters are emailed to you in the first week of each term.
- Reminders will be sent out on our school app.
- The School calendar is on our website and is continually updated.
- WeChat is available for our Mandarin speakers.
- BDS Facebook page for celebrating success.
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Uniform Reminders:
- Hats: Please remember that hats must be worn during Term 1.
- Naming Uniform Items: Ensure all uniform items are clearly named.
- Drink Bottles: Bring a named drink bottle. Please note, we are a water-only school.
- Lost Property: Found items are located outside Room 1.
- Purchasing Uniforms: New uniform items are available at John Russell Schoolwear, 9 Moore Street, Howick.
- Uniform Information: For more details about our school uniform, please visit our website at www.botanydowns.school.nz/uniform.
- Each cyclist must wear a Standards-approved cycle safety helmet and have a roadworthy bicycle.
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Whānau Conversations – Building Connections
February 11 & 12 (Week 2)
In 2026, our focus continues to be on building strong connections and understanding our learners, so we can best support their learning, progress and achievement.
We will be holding our Whānau/Parent Conversations at BDS on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February. Our conversations are guided by a small set of key questions that will be sent home in week one for whānau to complete. These questionnaires, alongside our Whānau Conversations, provide a valuable opportunity for whānau to share insights about their child.
Booking times and instructions on how to book are available below. We will continue with our Student- led Learning Conversations later in the year, at the end of Term 2.
We look forward to connecting with you and working together to support your child’s learning journey.
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Attendance Efforts to Lift Attendance
and Reduce Absence
Regular school attendance is crucial to academic success, and we are committed to lifting attendance across the school. To achieve this, we are actively monitoring attendance patterns and taking steps to address any concerns. We will work closely with families, providing support where needed to ensure students attend school regularly.
Our goal is to create an atmosphere where every student feels supported and motivated to succeed.
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Cellphones and Smart Watches
Botany Downs School does not recommend that students bring personal digital devices to school.
To comply with government regulations, we ensure students do not use cellphones during school hours, including break times.
If a parent or caregiver needs to contact their child during school hours, they should call the office.
Rules about cellphones and other personal digital devices made by the board are a school bylaw. We discuss school rules about personal digital devices at the beginning of the year, and throughout the year as needed.
During school hours, a personal digital device should be kept turned off and out of sight in their school bag. The school does not accept any responsibility for any personal devices.
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Botany Downs School ‘Wheels’ Policy
Besides walking, active transport to and from school includes bicycles and scooters. Students must wear suitable footwear, a Standards-approved helmet, and any necessary safety gear.
- Students using scooters must be considerate, give way to other pedestrians and be aware of sneaky driveways. A sneaky driveway is a driveway that has hedges, trees, or a fence at the end of it that prevents anyone reversing out of the driveway from seeing the footpath.
- Students may not use wheels in the school grounds during school hours, unless it is an organised school event.
- Students must place their cycles and scooters in the cycle stands beside the Year 5 & 6 building.
- Cyclists are expected to observe the road rules – hand signals, looking behind, mounting/dismounting, keeping well left, etc. Cyclists may not “double” other students to school.
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Whānau Picnic – Week 2
Mark your calendars for our annual Whānau Picnic on Thursday, February 19 (Week 3). Bring your picnic blanket and dinner and join us for a fun evening with parents and children from 5:00 to 7:00pm.
The water slide will be in action, so bring your togs! We will also have a tug-o-war, the sand pit, basketball and other games happening on the school field and courts.
LJs will be there selling delicious fish n chips, as well as Scrunchy Millers, selling yummy real fruit ice cream!
It’s a wonderful chance to connect, celebrate, and enjoy time together as a school community. Parents are responsible for their own children at all times, but the class teachers are there to also join in the fun!
The Year 6 camp meeting will also be held on this evening at 6:30pm. More information to come!
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Welcome to Our International Students
We are excited to welcome international students from China and Korea to our school community. This is a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange, where our tamariki can learn from their new friends and share their own experiences in return.
By connecting with students from different backgrounds, we celebrate diversity and gain a greater appreciation of the world around us. We encourage whānau to join us in making these families feel at home during their time at our school.
Nǐ hǎo! 안녕하세요! Welcome to BDS!
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Enrol Now If Your Child Turns 5 in 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)
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Summer Reading
We hope you enjoyed your Summer Reading over the holidays. If you borrowed books from the school library, please remember to return them as soon as possible.
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This fun and engaging programme is designed for both boys and girls who are new to soccer or looking to further develop their existing skills. Our focus is on:
- Recognising and nurturing each child’s individual abilities
- Supporting age-appropriate skill development
- Most importantly, making sure every child enjoys the journey
To Register Click Here *payment plan available “
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