Week 5, Term 3 2026
Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,
Our Best, Always – Strong Partnerships:
Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to complete our survey that was sent out last week. We would love to hear from even more of our BDS whānau, so if you haven’t had a chance yet, here is another opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback with us.
Your voice and feedback are incredibly valuable and help us continue to strengthen our school community.
Our Survey Link
Cross Country:
What an exciting day we had at the HPPA Cross Country last week. It was wonderful to see so many of our tamariki showing determination, perseverance and enthusiasm as they made their way around the course and crossed the finish line.
A special thank you to Mrs Jeffs for her organisation and Mrs Stewart, who came along to help and support our tamariki on the day. We also really appreciated the support of our wonderful parents and whānau who came along to cheer everyone on.
I was fortunate to be indentifying place winners at the finish line, and it was so exciting to see the incredible determination as our tamariki crossed the line. Ka pai, everyone. We are very proud of you all.
Farewell to Vanessa Hatley-Owen our Librarian:
On 4 September (the end of week 7) we say farewell to Vanessa as she begins an exciting new chapter in her career as Research and Reading Specialist Librarian at St Cuthbert’s College.
Vanessa has been an amazing librarian for eight years at our kura and has made a wonderful contribution to our school. She has created a library that our tamariki love to visit; welcoming, organised and full of wonderful books and resources.
Her passion for reading, knowledge of our children, and support for staff have been greatly valued. We have also loved her creativity and enthusiasm for initiatives such as Book Week and the Lit Quiz.
Thank you, Vanessa, for the care, passion and energy you have brought to our library and our school. You will certainly be missed. We wish you every happiness and success in your new position and all the very best for your next adventure.
Netsafety Week 2026: Online Safety is a Team Sport – Play Your Part:
Netsafety Week is taking place from 17 to 23 August 2026. This year’s theme, “Online Safety is a Team Sport – Play Your Part,” serves as a timely reminder that protecting our digital spaces takes all of us working together—whether you’re a parent, educator, student, or community member.
From navigating AI and social media to avoiding scams and supporting young people online, everyone has a role to play. Netsafe is hosting a range of free public webinars throughout the week featuring local and international experts. (See below).
Vicki Parkins
Principal/Tumuaki (vickip@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Coming Up @ BDS
Wed 19 Aug – HPPA Gymnastics
Thurs 20 Aug – HPPA Gymnastics
Fri 21 Aug – HPPA Gymnastics
Mon 24 Aug – ICAS Maths
Tues 25 Aug – Netball Fun Day
Wed 26 Aug – PTA Jester’s Pie Day
Fri 28 Aug – Daffodil Day
Fri 4 Sept – PTA Fathers’ Day Morning
Fri 4 Sept – HPPA Lit Quiz / Junior Cross Country
Mon 7 Sept – PTA Meeting
Wed 9 Sept – HPPA Netball Day / School Board Meeting
Fri 11 Sept – PTA School Disco
Week 9 – Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Tues 15 Sept – HPPA Mathex
Wed 16 Sept – PTA Jester’s Pie Day
Thurs 17 Sept – HPPA Mandarin Speech Competition
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The Digital Guardian Guide is here to support you and your whānau to have safe, confident and positive online experiences.
From setting boundaries and managing devices, to preparing for digital milestones and handling online challenges. Use this guide to learn, to connect, and to have the conversations that matter in your whānau.
Parents Digital Safety Guide
Get involved and explore the free webinar schedule: netsafe.org.nz/netsafety-week-2026
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HPPA Cross Country Results
Last Tuesday, the 11th of August, Mrs Jeffs and Mrs Stewart took our top 46 runners from Year 4-6 to the HPPA Cross Country. They all ran their best races and we had some amazing results.
Year 5 Boys 1st Place Vito Feng
Year 6 Boys 2nd Place Logan Hunter, 3rd Place Charlie Pirie
Year 6 Girls 2nd Place BDS Team
Top 10 finishes:
Year 4 Boys Gabe Jacobs (5th)
Year 4 Girls Rylee Thompson (9th)
Year 5 Boys Vito Feng (1st)
Year 5 Girls Violet Liu (4th)
Year 6 Boys Logan Hunter (2nd), Charlie Pirie (3rd)
Year 6 Girls Ashley Cajayon (7th)
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Junior Cross Country (Year 0-3)
On Friday 4 September, we will be hosting the Junior Cross Country on our school field. All Year 0-3 students will be participating.
The order of races are as follows,
- Year 0 Boys & Girls – 1:30pm
- Year 1 Boys
- Year 1 Girls
- Year 2 Boys
- Year 2 Girls
- Year 3 Boys
- Year 3 Girls
Please note the first race will begin at 1:30pm and subsequent races will begin on completion of the previous race. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Students who place 1st, 2nd or 3rd will be announced in the newsletter following the event, along with the date of the assembly where they will receive their certificates.
Saving Day: Thursday 10 September
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PTA Notices…
Father’s Day Morning – Friday 4th September:
Celebrating the Special Men in Our School Community | 8:00–9:00am | Under the Junior Canopy
We would love to invite the special men in our school community to join us for a relaxed morning together. Come along and enjoy a hot drink and a bite to eat while catching up with other dads, fathers, grandads and male caregivers. To make the morning extra special, everyone who attends will go into the draw to win one of two $50 Bunnings vouchers, generously provided by the PTA.
Please note: Food and drinks will be provided for fathers and male caregivers.
PTA School Disco – Welcome to the Jungle!
It’s time to get wild! Our Botany Downs School PTA Disco is back on Friday 11th September, and this year we’re heading into the jungle. Get ready for an evening of music, dancing, fun and plenty of jungle-inspired excitement.
Years 0–3: 5.30–6.30pm
Years 4–6: 7.00–8.30pm
Tickets: $6 per student via Kindo, or $7 at the door on the night
Make things easy by purchasing prepaid vouchers through Kindo, available in $4, $6, $8 and $10 amounts. Vouchers can be used to purchase food, drinks and treats during the disco for just $2 per item. Additional vouchers can also be purchased on the night, however, there will be no cash sales inside the hall.
Kindo sales close Monday 7th September, so make sure you get your child’s tickets and vouchers sorted before then.
Dollar for Schools:
Order delicious fresh lunches for your child delivered directly to their classroom from St Pierre’s Sushi (Wednesdays) and Domino’s Pizza (Fridays) $1 from every order goes to our school. Register and order at www.dollarforschools.co.nz. Order online by 9am same day delivery.
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School Assembly
We invite you to attend our school assembly on Friday at 2.10pm. We will be presenting our Botany Best Certificates and Values Bookmarks. This week’s items will be from Tōtara Year 5 Room 22, and a Tongan Language Week performance. All whānau are welcome to attend.
Our BDS Capabilities
Congratulations to our following tamariki who have shown their Botany Best by displaying our Capabilities: Zachary Bradbury, MacKenzie Kim, Yugo Tsuchiya, Billie Turner, William Hong, Nicholas Botha, Lucy Mcintosh, Braxton Sills, Cherry Nguyen, Ali Alsharefi, Tina Tian, Andrew Uiese, Victoria Gakhovich, Rumi Knight, Morne Stoltz, Chris Wong, Kotone Hou, Cheng Lin Hong, Xena-Leigh Hamilton, Titus Parsons, Amber Ren, Jason Van Wyk, Leon Vatuvei & Chloe Simpson.
Our BDS Values
Congratulations to the following tamariki who have displayed our Value of Relationships – Whanaungatanga: Kylo Chad, Navya Kumar, Christopher Kim, Minnie Zhao, Alice Chen, Miles Maceachen, Tushita Arun Kumar, Ariyan Atrushi, Yamina Maiava, Mae Yumul, Odette Apperley, Yara El Chami, Mingyou Wang, Mila Blake, Zach Claasen, Amalia Mahabeer, Rajveer Chaudhary, Issa Khan, Ellie Guo, Timi Yu, Coco Hussey, Siva Ramachandran, Grace Zhao, Atarah Dizon & Yixua Zhang.
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Enrol Now If Your Child Turns 5 in 2026!
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We are currently planning classes and staffing for the remainder of 2026. To ensure we have accurate numbers of our new entrants— even those starting in 2027— we ask you to please contact the school office for enrolment information. 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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BDS Has Chosen!
Over the last few weeks, we have been reading the five finalist picture books in the library and students have ‘thought like a book awards judge’. The votes have been counted and Pūkeko Who-keko, by Toby Morris has emerged as the favourite in our school!
The winner of the Best Picture Book for 2026 will be announced on Wednesday evening, along with the winners of the Junior Fiction, Non-fiction, YA, Te Reo Māori, First Book, and Illustrated book categories.
Best of luck to all the talented finalist authors, illustrators and publishers!
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Read NZ Children’s Book Week!
We are celebrating the amazing books created for our tamariki and rangatahi this week! There are loads of events happening around the motu, including a fun, nation wide read-along yesterday, and the annual New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults on Wednesday evening in Wellington.
Want to join the celebrations? To find the best books in the library – look for the Silver Fern Spine label!
Find our more here: Read NZ Children’s Book Week
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