Newsletter – Week 10, Term 2 2026

                                   Week 10, Term 2 2026   

Kia ora koutou Parents and BDS Whānau,

Mā te pā te tamaiti e whakatipu – It takes a village to raise a child.

How good was it to be back in the school hall for a whole school assembly last Friday! All weather tight, newly painted and clean. This was polished off with an awesome class presentation from Room 3 and their rendition of “Assembly Song” – very impressive!

Today, School Reports will be emailed home to you. Please take the time to read through these as they provide essential information on your child’s progress at school, which will be discussed at whānau conversations this week.

This week and next, classes have been completing activities about Matariki and we welcome our community on Friday 3rd July to celebrate with us. Please see information further on in the newsletter for details. Matariki is much more than a physical cluster of stars; it is a foundational pillar of Māori cosmology and a time for deep community connection. The concept of Matariki revolves around three major principles:

• Remembrance (Matariki Hunga Nui): Honoring those who have passed away since the star cluster last rose.
• Celebrating the Present (Matariki Ahunga Nui): Gathering together with family and friends, feasting, and giving thanks for the harvest.
• Looking to the Future (Matariki Manako Nui): Reflecting, setting intentions, and planning for the year ahead.

Mark Insley
Acting Principal/Tumuaki (marki@botanydowns.school.nz)

Coming Up @ BDS

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
Thurs 25 June – Non Uniform Day for Winning House- Hillary
Wed 1 Jul – PhotoLife Class and Individual Photos
Thurs 2 Jul – PhotoLife Sibling Photos
Fri 3 Jul – Matariki Morning / LAST DAY OF TERM 2

Mon 20 Jul – FIRST DAY OF TERM 3
Tues 21 Jul – Kōwhai Yr 2 Stardome Trip
Wed 22 Jul – Howick Intermediate Visiting Kauri Yr 6
Mon 27 Jul – Somerville Intermediate Visiting Kauri Yr 6
Wed 29 Jul – HPPA Dance Festival
Thurs 30 Jul – Senior School Cross Country
Mon 3 Aug – PTA Meeting
Tues 4 Aug – Senior Speech Competition
Wed 5 Aug – School Board Meeting / PTA Jester’s Pie Day
Mon 10 Aug ICAS English

SCHOOL NEWS

HPPA Soccer Funday

Last Tuesday 16th June, when the skies looked clear but the clouds were grey, 60 students from Year 5 and 6, Mrs Else, Mrs Jeffs and several brave parents headed out the gates and towards Meadowland Reserve to participate in the 2026 soccer funday.

When we arrived the clouds were thicker and dark, but we powered on. Our Year 6 teams played first in what turned out to be a downpour of rain. While we all got soaked, the Year 6 teams did our school proud and mustered on to complete one full game each. We hunkered under shelter until the rain passed.

The Year 5 teams were able to also play one game, in the wet muddy conditions before unfortunately after becoming wet and cold the funday was cancelled, leading to us walking back to school.

Despite the conditions all the students were well behaved, kept calm during the rain and showed our School Values. Well done to all that came along and to the students for persevering.

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.  

Practice papers for ICAS will be available to borrow from the beginning of Term 3.

Mark Insley, (marki@botanydowns.school.nz)

Jumping June – This Friday Afternoon

Please remember to bring a gold coin donation to the hall before school to give to your house leader. We want to fill the letters ‘JUMP’. Make sure you also have your P.E gear to change into and show your house pride. Please come to school in your school uniform.

https://www.jumpingjune.org.nz/fundraisers/rachaeljeffs/botany-downs-primary

World Vision – 40 Hour Challenge Success!

From 19th to 21st June, a number of our students took part in the 40 Hour Challenge to raise money for World Vision. These students were able to raise $1,491, which is a FANTASTIC achievement! Chloe Jack from Room 21 did such an awesome job, she won a t-shirt and disposable camera. Ka pai tō mahi Chloe!

Fun & Learning @ BDS

Pōhutukawa Year 3 Stardome Trip:
The Pōhutukawa Year 3 classes travelled to the Stardome on Monday to dive deeper into their Sun, Moon, and Earth Inquiry topic. They even got to visit the planetarium and experience what it feels like to travel through space. Some of our favourite memories were:

Jason Van Wyk, Room 28
“I liked exploring the Stardome and seeing the Sun and the eight planets.”

Otto Ward, Room 29
“I enjoyed going into the planetarium and watching the screen.”

Jayson Holmes, Room 30
“I really liked looking at the space rover!”

PTA Notice…

School Assembly – End of Term Certificates

This Friday is a whole school assembly at 9.00am in the school hall. We will be presenting our End of Term Principal Certificates. All whānau are welcome to attend. 

Principal Certificates: Max Wang, Ava Shahsavari, Lloyd Singh, Hosanna John, Nirvana Winterstein, Laura D’Ambrosio, Amalia Mahabeer, Mackenzie Joll, Archer Pitcaithly, Mingyou Wang, Anna Yu, Ariel Wang, Emma Hughes, Max Han, Mira Ong, Finn Roosenbrand, Christian Perry, Kyle Forrest, Whitney Chan, Sophie Klee, Ansh Patel, Zerahiah Turner, Lucius Huang, Angela Cajayon, & Chloe Simpson. 

The winning house this term is Hillary. Congratulations to all the students in this house. For your amazing efforts this term you get to wear your house colours for the day on Thursday this week. We look forward to seeing you all in yellow for the day.

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)

LIBRARY NEWS

Courtesy of Scholastic Inc

COMMUNITY NOTICES

We’re excited to announce that HJ Elite Academy’s After School Soccer Development Programme is back for Term 3!

This fun and engaging programme is designed for both boys and girls who are new to soccer or looking to further develop their existing skills. Our focus is on:

• Recognising and nurturing each child’s individual abilities
• Supporting age-appropriate skill development
• Most importantly, making sure every child enjoys the journey

To register: click here  *payment plan available ” 

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