Week 9, Term 2 2026
Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,
Ko te pae tawhiti, whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina!
– Seek out distant horizons, cherish those close at hand.
Next week we have our whānau conversations on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th of June. This is an extremely valuable time to discuss your child’s learning progress and next steps. Please book a time following the information further on in the newsletter. If your child attends ESOL classes, there is also an opportunity to book a time to meet with Mrs Keenan to find out about your child’s journey as an English Language Learner.
Best of luck to the 30 students taking part in the upcoming 40 Hour Challenge this weekend. A big thank you for your time and efforts to raise money for World Vision.
A notice will be coming home today with your child explaining the changes to our Mid Year Reports. Please take the time to read through the information as it will help support your understanding of the new report format and how we report to parents.
Mark Insley
Acting Principal/Tumuaki (marki@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Coming Up @ BDS
Wed 17 Jun – PTA Jester’s Pie Day
Fri 19 Jun – Sun 21 Jun – World Vision 40 Hour Challenge
Mon 22 Jun – Pōhutukawa Yr 3 Stardome Trip
Wed 24 Jun – HPPA Soccer Day 1
Wed 24 Jun – Whānau Learning Conversations: 3.20-6.00pm
Thurs 25 Jun – HPPA Soccer Day 2
Thurs 25 Jun – Whānau Learning Conversations: 3.20-6.00pm
Wed 1 Jul – PhotoLife Class and Individual Photos
Thurs 2 Jul – PhotoLife Sibling Photos
Fri 3 Jul – Matariki Morning / LAST DAY OF TERM 2
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Whānau Conversations
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 and will be an opportunity to discuss the child’s report, which will be emailed to whānau on Tuesday 23rd June.
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. When booking more than one appointment, please allow time to move from one part of the school to another.
Our parent- teacher whānau conversations will be held at the following times:
- 3:20- 6:00pm Wednesday 24 June 2026
- 3:20- 6:00pm Thursday 25 June 2026
To book your interviews, go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code in your browser, and enter the event code YK952. Then follow the steps below.
Bookings open Thursday 11 June at 9am.
When you have finished making the booking(s), your interview timetable will be emailed to you. You can return to the site to make any changes, by entering the event code again.
If you do not have any internet access or have difficulty booking, please call the school office (09 534 9848) and an appointment can be made for you.
If you have a child who has started in Year 0 this term, your teacher will be having their ‘Entry to School’ korero with you in recent weeks, and you will therefore not require a separate conference. Please check with the class teacher if you are unsure.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our whānau conversations. Please do reach out if you have any questions.
Rachel Ryan, (rachelr@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Jumping June
This year Botany Downs is taking part in Jumping June. Every student in the school has been given a skipping rope and during our fitness time, we have been out skipping.
On Friday 26th June we will be having a Jumping June afternoon where they will be taking part in a number of different skipping activities. This will also be a house day. Students will be encouraged to come to school in their house colours with a gold coin donation for the Heart Foundation.
If you would like to donate more to the Heart Foundation, you are more than welcome to on our fundraising page: https://www.jumpingjune.org.nz/fundraisers/rachaeljeffs/botany-downs-primary
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2026 International Competitions and
Assessment for Schools (ICAS)
2026 International Competitions and Assessment for Schools (ICAS)
Year 5 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in the 2026 International Competitions and Assessment for Schools (ICAS). ICAS assessments are designed to recognise academic excellence. Students are assessed on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.
It is important to note that these assessments are not related to our New Zealand Curriculum. This means that ICAS results are not taken into consideration when determining progress, when reporting to parents or when selecting academic award recipients for our prize givings.
This year we are offering Year 5 and 6 students the opportunity to participate in English, Science and Maths 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 10th August 9-10.30am
Science: Monday 17th August 9-10.30am
Maths: Monday 24th August 9-10.30am
Each assessment has a cost of $22.95. For payments, we will be using the Parent Payment System so you must make your payments directly to ICAS. All payments must be made by Monday 20th July. We will not be accepting payments at school. See below for payment details.
- Direct login link – This link to log directly into the ICAS shop and start registering:
https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/XNF939
- Log in using the PPS code – Visit the ICAS website shop and use the PPS code to log in: XNF939
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 (marki@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Fun & Learning @ BDS
Specialist: Music Year 2 and 3:
This term, Year 2 students have been learning all about pitch and dynamics in Music. We have been using our voices, songs and instruments to practice different pitches and volumes. Year 3 students have been learning all about the pentatonic (five-note) C scale while using the instrument of the resonator bells. They have learned to play the C scale and some songs, for example, Lavender Blue and Baby Shark. They are now exploring a classical composition of The Animal Carnival by Camille Saint-Saëns. They thought about an animal and what instrument would best represent this animal.
Some creative Year 3s animal worksheets
Specialist: Music Year 4, 5 and 6:
Year 4 students have been learning to pronounce and understand Māori words by learning some poems about Whakarongo (listening), with this they used a variety of instruments to create a sound scape that added depth to the poems. They then learned all about Rain Dancing and had to create one with a group and perform it in the class. They are now looking at the classical composition of The Sourcer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas.
Year 5 students learned about the difference between beat and rhythm, using drumsticks. They learned the five basic beats that drummers used and then learned to play a variety of songs in each session. The classical composition piece that they are looking at is Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner.
Finally our Year 6 students have been learning about dynamics, notes and their values and using the chromatic C scale on the xylophone. They have been taking great pleasure in learning to use sheet music by playing the songs Hedwig’s Theme and Star Wars Theme Song. As the school inquiry theme is Planet Earth and Beyond, we will be enjoying the classical composition by Gustav Holst’s The Planets.
Room 18 performing ‘Whakarongo’, by Iwa Toia
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PTA Notice…
Sushi and Pizza lunch orders available every week –
St Pierres Sushi is available every Wednesday and Domino’s Pizza every Friday.
Remember: $1 from every order goes directly to our school!
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School Assembly
This Friday is a whole school assembly at 2.10pm in the school hall. We will be handing out Botany Best awards, and Values Bookmarks to the following students. This week’s assembly item is a repeat performance for the whole school by Kōwhai Room 3. All whānau are welcome to attend.
Our BDS Capabilities
Congratulations to our following tamariki who have shown their Botany Best by displaying our Capabilities: Annabelle Firouzi, Bianca Zhang, Aahana Perera, Rylee Thompson, Veilomani Eliesa, Ethan Manu Lambai, Tristin Van Rooyen, Madison Else, Micaiah Rouhbakhsh, Shangyuan Cao, Willow Cox, Yuexi Wang, Vindi Alpenerislage, Bruno Hussey, Gus McCrindle, Lianie Vorster, Lui Uiese, Liam Cho, Leo Chen, Tauaana Anthony, Austin McNeill, Benie Kazaroho, Tomaki McCleary, Kaisley Zhang, Zach Claasen, Timothy Parsons, Alisa Yang, Courtney Chi, Rajveer Chaudhary, Emily Kim, Charlotte Else, Cayden Chan, Aiden Piladuwa Madduma Bogahawattage, William McClintock, Landon Broodryk, Xiai Maiava, Yifan Zhang, Rubleen Kaur, April Adams, Perry Wang & Jayson Holmes.
Our BDS Values
Congratulations to the following tamariki who have displayed our Value of Resilience / Manawanui: Zemira Manu, Tavis Lee, Cayde Limu, Jordan Claasen, Jayden Coetzee, Ava Tang, Hannah Jung, Finlay Mackay, Yunyi Yan, Steiny Morunga, Xiyue Wang, Stark Zhang, Vion Lee, Carter Limu, Cordelia Prentice, Agam Pavida, Allen Wang, Amisha Clarke, Lily Mcivor, Evan Guo, Emma Xie, Emma Zeng, Micah Thomas, Luna Hunter, Nathan Binning, Ovia Pirapakaran, Morne Stoltz, Halle Moir, Isabelle Tynan, Chris Wong, Julius Eramiha, Vincent Wang, Isabella Hudson, Ivy Chen, Grace Marshall, Majeztic Tumanako-Tauhinu, Jenuki Perera, Luna Arthur, Olivia Walsh, Leon Vatuvei, Keren Muruganathan & Hazel McNeill.
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Enrol Now If Your Child Turns 5 in 2026!
We are currently planning classes and staffing for the remainder of 2026, and having accurate numbers of new entrants — even those starting later in the 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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New Zealand Book Awards for
Children & Young Adults
We are excited to see this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adult finalists. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, translators and publishers – and a huge thankyou for creating these wondrful books for our tamariki and rangatahi.
If you are wondering what great books your children may enjoy reading – awards lists like these are the prefect place to start. Find out about the awards finalists here!
The winners of each category will be announced on Wednesday 19 August – good luck to all the finalists!
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 Courtesy of Scholastic Inc
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 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 with HJ Elite Academy!
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