COVID-19 UPDATES

Newsletter – Week 1, Term 2 2024

                                         Week 1, Term 2, 2024 Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,    Welcome back to school for Term 2, and a very warm welcome to our new families that

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Announcement : 

SchooI Board Parent Election 2022 – nominations close on Wednesday 3 August at 12 noon. Election day is Wednesday 7 September. Please follow this link for more information: https://www.botanydowns.school.nz/bot/

Newsletter – Week 7, Term 4, 2022

Kia ora koutou BDS whānau,                                                   Week 7, Term 4, 2022

 

Our Fun Run Day was a huge success. Our tamariki had a huge amount of fun completing the obstacle course and sliding down the bouncy castle slide. Thank you so very, very much for all your wonderful donations. The extra turfed area for playing and the new lines on our playground will be a real improvement for our tamariki. Thank you again from all of us!

We would like to acknowledge the following teachers:

  • Manjinder Kaur will be taking a year’s maternity leave. We thank Mrs Kaur for her passion in teaching the tamariki in her class. We all wish her the best as she begins her new journey as a mother.
  • Joe D’Ambrosio will be visiting the United States of America during 2023 and we wish him all the best and look forward to his return in to us in 2024.  We will still see Mr D’Ambrosio in our kura during Term 1 for relieving, Year 6 camp, and HPPA Sports.
  • Tineke Oed will be not be teaching a class in Year 2 in 2023, but she will be returning to BDS as a reliever. Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm while working with your tamariki in Year 2.
  • Tanya Jacobs, Nardine Andrew and Fiona Blest are finishing their fixed term appointments as our start up Year 0 classes during the year. Thank you so much for giving our new tamariki such a positive, happy start to their schooling at BDS. We look forward to you returning in 2023 to start up our Year 0 classes again, and as part-time teachers and relievers for our kura.
  • Rochelle Carr is leaving teaching to start up a new career path and will not be returning as our Year 4-6 Classroom Release Teacher. Thank you Mrs Carr for the exciting STEAM programme you have provided for our tamariki. We wish you all the best.

We are very pleased to welcome three highly competent, enthusiastic teachers to our kura.  Sophie Kirtlan will be teaching in Room 23 as we will need four Year 4 teachers next year due to roll growth. Samantha Searle will be teaching in Year 3 as Miss Liu is moving to Year 2. Katie Smith has already been a part of our BDS whānau as a relieving teacher and also as the manager of sKids and will be in Year 1. We extend a very warm welcome to our new staff members.

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

Coming up @ BDS…

Thurs 1 Dec – Junior athletics
Wed 7 Dec – Middle prizegiving, 9.15-10.15am
Thurs 8 Dec – Junior prizegiving, 9.30-10.30am
Fri 9 Dec – Senior prizegiving & Yr 6 Graduation, 9-11.30am
Mon 12 Dec – Yr 6 camp departs (return Wed 14)
Tues 13 Dec – Yr 3-4 Big Day In
Wed 14 Dec – Yr 1-2 Big Day In
Thurs 15 Dec – Yr 5 Big Day In
Fri 16 Dec – Last day of 2022 – finishing at 12.00pm

Purchase your 2022 BDS Magazine NOW
Only $20 – Order by 1 December (Thursday)

Payment options include: 

Kindo
BDS bank account number: 12-3089-0059300-00
School office by Eftpos

SCHOOL NEWS

End of Term Certificates

Congratulations to: Riaan Karthick, Roxas Eason, Aaryan Verma, Bruno Hussey, Gabriella Venter, Julie Zhu, Jax Bloem, Whitney Chan, Ariyan Atrushi, Samantha-Nicole Tokai, Wynand Bloem, Harley Tye, Hallie Bredenbeck, Aahana Perera, Saane Fifita, Shivika Narang, Luke Liversage, Keddy Wang, Cindy Zhang, Lily Mai, Maiia Kriukova, Nathan Li, Johiena Malaygay, Amber Belcher & Taytum Goosen.

Certificates will be given out at this week’s assembly.
Assembly begins at 9:10am; please be inside and seated by 9:05am.
This week’s item is from Room 16.

Staffing for 2023

Road Patrol

A big THANK YOU to our Year 6 road patrollers and adult supervisors who have served us well – in the rain and shine – all year.  

We were very lucky to have a dedicated group of parents assisting with keeping us safe every week – Rachel/Zebh, Michelle, Anneliza, Candice, Julie, Natalie, Maria, Nicci, Cameron, and Nancy.

Our new Year 5 road patrollers and adults take over from next week, as the Year 6 children enjoy their last few weeks at our school, and are away at camp. 

Kylee Holmes, Road Patrol Coordinator (kyleeh@botanydowns.school.nz)

Fun Run Success!

What a fantastic day we had on Monday!  It was wonderful to see all the children out enjoying the Fun Run. Thank you to the staff and helpers for all your time and effort.

Also thanks to the families that came along to watch. We are amazed to see our fundraising total continue to grow. There is still time to sign up and share your page to gather donations from friends and family.  Please click on the link below before Wednesday if you haven’t already. We look forward to handing out the major prizes at assembly on Friday.  Thanks again!

Donate here: https://botanydownsschoolfunrun.raiseit.nz/hub

Room 4 enjoying the Fun Run 

The fun run was amazing. I had a great time with my friends and my buddy reader. My favourite part on the course was the slide and the tunnel. I think I went 4 times before we had to go. I also helped out with the Year 1/0 classes. I think it was the best fun run I have been to. I think all my friends liked it.
By Niamh

 

Kate Keenan, Fun Run Coordinator (katek@botanydowns.school.nz)

Junior School Athletics (Age 5-7 years)

Date: Thursday 1 December

Saving Day: Tuesday 6  December

Venue: Botany Downs School 

A reminder our Junior Athletics Day is this Thursday 1st December (Save Day Tuesday 8 December).  All students aged 5-7 years old will be participating in sprints and tabloid rotations. 

The day will start at approximately 9:10am and subsequent activities will begin on completion of the previous one. 

If you have any old children’s gumboots that you are wanting to throw away, could we please have them for one of our rotation activities? 

We are still wanting some parent helpers for our 5 year old girls and boys, 6 year old girls and 7 year old girls and boys. 

If you can be of help on the day, or have some old gumboots to throw away, please email Jacquie O’Driscoll  jacquieo@botanydowns.school.nz

Fingers crossed for a sunny day!

Jacquie O’Driscoll, Junior Sports Coordinator (jacquieo@botanydowns.school.nz)

BDS Learning and Fun

Year 1, Room 9 – We have been learning about the stories of our land – Aotearoa. Recently, we read ‘Tamure and the Taniwha’. We enjoyed writing detailed descriptions about the Taniwha and then drew our own Taniwha using vivid and dye.

The Taniwha has a green body. He can eat all of the fish. The Taniwha has yellow eyes. He has sharp fangs. The Taniwha has swirling patterns. He likes to swim and splash in the awa. He breaks the canoes. Sometimes the Taniwha chases people!
By Curtis Li

The Taniwha has a wobbly body. He has yellow eyes. The Taniwha eats the canoe and the people.
By Whitney Chan

The Taniwha has a wiggly body. He has sharp teeth and yellow eyes. He has twirly patterns. He has a blue body. The Taniwha looks scary. He chases people. He breaks the boat and eats lots of fish. He likes to splash and swim in the deep sea.
By Ava Tang

Year 3, Room 13 – This term we have been looking at poetry. Here are some haiku poems we wrote:

Flowers
Blooming blue flowers, 
Beautiful, pretty daisies,
Ruby red roses
Isabella L 

Kiwi Holiday
Playground, flying fox, 
Camping in my caravan,
The best holiday!
Cameron E 

Spring
Playing with my ball, 
Flying my kite in the wind,
I love the springtime. 
Jasmine Wu

Visual Pepeha – Room 13 has also been busy creating their own visual pepeha. A visual pepeha is a representation of you, in visual form. Their visual pepeha includes their mountain (maunga), river (awa), whare, name and national flower. 

Children Turning Five 

If your child is turning five in the next six (6) months please ensure you enrol them as soon as possible. Our roll is steadily growing and we need to plan for classes and teachers during the year. Please collect your enrolment pack from the office, or email office@botanydowns.school.nz 

Joanne Hughson DP/SENCo – Year 0-3 (joanneh@botanydowns.school.nz)

LIBRARY NEWS

Summer Reading Opportunity!

Why read over summer?  Research shows that reading ability can decline during the summer break. In order to help prevent this we are encouraging students to borrow school library books over the summer holidays. This opportunity is open to students currently in Years 0/1-5.

Parents/caregivers: if you would like your child to take advantage of this opportunity, please complete and submit the following form: Summer Reading Permission form

Summer Reading:

  • for Yr 0/1-5 students who are returning to BDS in 2023 and have no current overdue library books
  • students will be able to borrow up to 10 books in Weeks 8&9 to read over the summer holidays (borrowing of library books will close in Week 7 unless a form has been received)
  • books borrowed must be returned in Week 1 of 2023
  • by submitting a form, parents/caregivers agree to take responsibility for all books borrowed
  • a list of books that your child has borrowed will be given to help you keep track of the books

Remember to visit the BDS eLibrary for a great selection of ebooks!
More information on the school website: BDS Library

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Holiday Soccer Development Camps
 
We are excited to announce that registration is now open for the HJ Elite Academy Holiday Soccer Development Camps, taking place at Baverstock Oaks School from December 21st to 23rd 2022  and January 9th to 26th 2023. 
 
This is an opportunity for your child/children to develop and learn new soccer skills over the holiday break while meeting and having fun with both old and new friends.
To register click here.

For more details see the flier below or visit our website: https://hjeliteacademy.co.nz
We look forward to working with your children to maximise their full potential both on and off the pitch!
 

 

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

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