Week 10, Term 3, 2025
Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,
What a fabulous disco we had on Friday night. A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA (Parents and Teachers Association) for organising such a successful event. The hall looked stunning with its decorations, and it was clear that everyone had a fantastic time.
On Friday, we will farewell Wayne, the manager of SKIDS. We thank him for his ten years of dedication and the many contributions he has made to our school community. Wayne’s energy, personality, and commitment, including through the swimming lessons that so many of our students have benefited from, will be remembered. We wish him every success in his new business venture.
We are so proud of our Year 2 Kōwhai team, who recently visited the Howick Historical Village. The organisers said this may have been the best group they have had all year. A huge thank you to our wonderful teachers, students and adult helpers, whose enthusiasm and teamwork made the day such an exciting and memorable experience for everyone.
Last Friday, our kura officially signed up to become an Enviroschool. Enviroschools is a nationwide programme that helps schools weave sustainability into everyday learning and practices. It empowers tamariki to take action for a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable future.
We are excited to begin this journey and look forward to the positive impact it will bring to our kura and community.
Ngā mihi nui,
Vicki Parkins, Principal – Tumuaki (vickip@botanydowns.school.nz)
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Coming Up @ BDS
Thurs 18 Sept – HPPA Chinese Speech Competition
Thurs 18 Sept – Visual Arts Evening
Fri 19 Sept – Last Day of Term 3
Mon 6 Oct – First Day of Term 4
Fri 17 Oct – No Uniform Day
Wed 22 Oct – PTA Jester’s Pie Day / School Board Meeting, 6.00pm
Thurs 23 Oct – Senior School Athletics Day
Fri 24 Oct – Teacher Only Day
Mon 27 Oct – Labour Day (public holiday)
Wed 5 Nov – Kauri Team: Orientation Visit to
Howick Intermediate (morning)
Thurs 6 Nov – Kauri Team: Orientation Visit to
Somerville Intermediate (afternoon)
Wed 19 Nov – School Board Meeting, 6:00 pm
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School and Office Hours
School closes on the last day of Term 3 on Friday 19th September 2025,
and will reopen for Term 4 on Monday 6th October 2025.
During the holidays the office will be open for new enrolments on the following days, from 9.00am until 12.00pm, or please email office@botanydowns.school.nz for an appointment or enrolment pack.
Thursday 2nd October 2025, 9.00am – 12.00pm
Friday 3rd October 2025, 9.00am – 12.00pm
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Howick Intermediate Year 7 2026
Student Orientation Day:
Wednesday 5 November
9:30am – 10:30am
New Parent Information Evening:
Wednesday 5 November – 7:00pm in their school hall
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Year 2 Kōwhai Team
Howick Historical Village Trip
Last Thursday, the Year 2 Kōwhai team visited the Howick Historical Village as part of our Inquiry learning – Understanding how the past is important to people.
We would like to thank the wonderful teaching staff at the village. We all had a fantastic time and participated in many fun experiences such as learning old nursery rhymes, playing outdoor games and experiencing a school lesson.
This trip would not have been possible without the support of our fantastic parent helpers and dedicated teachers.
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Weetbix TRY-athlon
The Weetbix TRY-athlon is on again this year. It is being held on Tuesday 25th November at Mountfort Park in Manurewa.
If your child is aged 6 to 11 and is interested in taking part in this event, registrations are now open.
You can join our school team by clicking on the link below. Last year we had a great group of kids take part. You need to be able to take your own child out to Mountfort Park with their bike for them to compete.
We will be having training sessions after school next term. Days for training will be confirmed next term. If you can not make the training, you can still take part in the TRY-athlon on the day.
If you would like to register please fill in the form as an individual, then when it asks for a school add Botany Downs.
Here is the link: BDS TRY-athlon team
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me: Rachael Jeffs: rachaelj@botanydowns.school.nz
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PTA (Parents and Teachers Association) Notices
Dollar for Schools Lunch Orders for Next Term:
The PTA are excited to announce that Dollar for Schools lunch orders will now be available on Thursdays with Subway, starting next term!
Our lunch options will now be:
Wednesdays – St. Pierre’s Sushi
Thursdays – Subway
Fridays – Domino’s Pizza
For every lunch purchased, $1 goes directly to our school.
Thanks to your support, in Term 2 we raised an amazing $630 through this programme.
Attention: Parents/Caregivers of BDS!
If you didn’t already know, the PTA has our very own Facebook page!
We appreciate all the love and support we receive from you to make our events a success, which helps to support our school.
So, click the link to follow the page, as we’ll be keeping you up to date there, on all things PTA: Botany Downs School PTA
We will post all our fun stuff and reminders for events such as: disco, bake sales, no uniform days, 2nd hand uniform sales, and the summer favourite – Fruju Fridays!
Do you have a PTA related question? Flick us a message through the page or email: pta@botanydowns.school.nz
The team thanks you for your support!
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School Assembly
We invite you to attend our school assembly on Friday at 9:10am. We will be presenting our End of Term 3 Principal’s Awards. Congratulations to all of these students who have continually shown their Botany Best this term!
End of Term Certificates
Congratulations to the following tamariki: Remi Atrushi, Baghel Singh, Abby Bi, Aiden Piladuwa Madduma Bogahawattage, Hayley Bauer, Grace Marshall, Zelda Brockwell-Gounder, Cooper Jack, Elaina Su’a, Lillias Fisher, Wynand Bloem, Kacey Wang, Chloe Jack, Grant Leslie, Violet Liu, Lieol Strickland, Kruz Oti, Autumn Jacobs, Caleb Moukarzel, Samantha Tokai, Tiana Parsons, Elliot Cheng, Yasmine Alsharefi, Kylo Chad & Zachary Bradbury.
Winning House for Term 3
Congratulations to Hillary House for winning this term. You will get to wear your house colours on Friday 19th as a reward.
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Enrol Now if Your Child Turns 5 Before April 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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Thrive at Botany Downs:
Term 4 Enrolments Open!
Give your child the gift of confidence and communication skills that will last a lifetime!
Thrive classes are fun and interactive speech and drama sessions designed to help children grow in confidence, creativity and communication. Each week, students take part in activities such as drama games, storytelling, improvisation, public speaking and performance work.
Classes are small, with only 4–6 students in each 30-minute session, so every child has the chance to shine. The focus is on building vital life skills like clear communication, teamwork, courtesy, creative thinking and self-expression, all in a supportive and encouraging environment.
When: Tuesdays after school
Starts: Week 1, Term 4
Ages: All welcome
Lesson Length: 30 minutes
Group Size: 4–6 students per class
Cost: $220 per 8-week term
Where: Room 11 Botany Downs School
Spaces are limited – we’d love to see your child in class!
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