Newsletter Week 1 Term 4, 2026 – Botany Downs Primary School

Week 1, Term 4 2026

Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau

We hope you all enjoyed a restful and refreshing break. A very warm welcome to the new families who have joined our Botany Downs School community.

This term is set to be both busy and exciting, with plenty of engaging learning opportunities and special events ahead. Please keep an eye on our weekly newsletter, sent every Tuesday for all important updates and reminders.

You will receive your year-group newsletter via email this week from your child’s team leader. It contains important timetable information, key dates for the term, and a look ahead at what your child will be learning in class specific to your year group.

Wishing everyone a wonderful start to Term 4.

Ngā mihi nui

Vicki Parkins

Principal/Tumuaki (vickip@botanydowns.school.nz)

Coming Up @ BDS

Week 1

Fri 16th Oct – School Assembly Pasifika Au Siva performing

Mon 19th Oct – Bake Sale Thurs 22nd Oct – Senior Athletics Fri 23 Oct – Teacher Only Day

Mon 26 Oct – Labour Day (public holiday)

Wed 16 Dec – Last Day of School Term 4. School finishes at 2pm.

SCHOOL NEWS

Mathex

After many weeks of practice, four students were selected from our Year 6 Extension Maths group to compete in the 2026 Mathex at Sunnyhills School at the end of Term 3. Furthermore, by way of much excitement and nervous energy, our team was able to calculate the answers to many difficult maths problem solving questions finishing a very creditable 13th. Many thanks to Mr D’Ambrosio for providing transport, supervision, marking skills and wisdom for the event.

http://raceroster.com/events/2026/139448/south-auckland-weet-bix-kids-tryathlon-2026/register?team=1050966

Important Dates to Remember

Teacher Only Day – Friday, 23 October: School will be closed for students on Friday, 23 October. This day is provided by the Ministry of Education to give our staff valuable professional development time to focus on curriculum changes and assessment. We appreciate your support in making alternative care arrangements for your children on this day.

End of Term Dismissal – Wednesday, 16 December: School will finish at 2:00pm on Wednesday, 16 December. (Please note this updated time—school will conclude at 2:00pm instead of 12:00pm due to the new Ministry of Education requirements).

School Assembly

We invite you to attend the our whole school assembly on Friday at 2:10pm in the school hall.

Please note as it is Week 1 there are no certificates, however our fantastic Pasifika Au Siva group will be performing and you are welcome to come along and watch.

Secondhand Uniform email address

Due to popular demand we have now set up a second hand uniform email address.
We only have limited stock and sizes available. If you require any second hand items please use
this email address: secondhanduniform@botanydowns.school.nz and put your child’s name,

room number, their size and the items you are looking for.

Enrol Now If Your Child Turns 5 in 2026!

We are currently planning classes and staffing for 2027. To ensure we have accurate numbers of our Year 0 and Year 1 learners, we ask you to please contact the school office for enrolment information.

Thank you for your support in ensuring we can have a smooth transition to BDS!

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

Storylines Story Sparks Writing and Illustration Workshops are happening in Ellerslie on Saturday 31 October as part of the Storylines Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland Story Tour.

These fun, hands-on workshops give young writers and illustrators the opportunity to explore their creativity, develop new skills and learn from talented authors and illustrators from Aotearoa New Zealand. Choose from four creative workshops below.

????️ Places are limited, and bookings are essential.