Newsletter – Week 5, Term 2, 2022 – Botany Downs Primary School

Kia ora koutou BDS whānau, Week 5, Term 2, 2022

Last Friday our Pōwhiri for whānau joining our BDS community was incredibly special and it was awesome to see so many of our new whānau attending. Thank you to Mrs Michelle Takaiti and our Kapa Haka group for your enthusiasm and expertise. Ka pai.

On our Teacher Only Day on Friday 3 June, the focus is developing our BDS Local Curriculum to support our tamariki with their learning. As we develop our local curriculum we would like the input of our community at regular intervals so we will be sending out short surveys. Please do take the time to fill these in as we really do value your input. We will use these responses on our TOD and to inform other surveys. Thank you.

Link to our Survey: Survey

What is a local curriculum?

The New Zealand Curriculum is a clear statement of what we deem important in education. It takes as its starting point a vision of our young people as lifelong learners who are confident, creative, connected, and actively involved, and includes a clear set of principles on which to base curriculum decision making.

Our local curriculum is the way we bring the New Zealand Curriculum to life in our school.

be responsive to the needs, identities, languages, cultures, interests, strengths, and aspirations of your learners and their families
have a clear focus on what supports the progress of all learners • help students understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi – its past, present, and future (you will also be planning learning that helps students live the Treaty as citizens of Aotearoa)
help learners engage with the knowledge, values, and key competencies, so they can go on to be confident and connected lifelong learners.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vicki Parkins Principal vickip@botanydowns.school.nz

Coming up @ BDS…

Fri 3 June – Teacher Only Day
Mon 6 June – Queen’s Birthday (public holiday)
Fri 24 June – Matariki Holiday (public holiday)
Mon 27 June – Teacher Only Day
Week 10 – BOOK WEEK
Wed 6 July – Parent/teacher interviews, 3.20-5.10pm
Thurs 7 July – Parent/teacher interviews, 3.20-7.40pm
Fri 8 July – Book Character Parade / Last Day of Term

Reminder – School Closed this Friday

Teacher Only Day Friday 3 June

This day was negotiated by the NZEI (teachers’ union) in the last round of contract negotiations and is our second to last teacher only day for 2022.

Lost Property

The lost property is located by Room 1, next to the office. There are always lots of lost jumpers and shoes at the end of every day. Please encourage your child to have a look for their lost belongings or have a look yourself before or after school.

SCHOOL NEWS

Botany BEST & Values

Botany BEST: Jackson Meng, Dongju Lee, Zoey Van Wyk, Micah Harrison, Elliot Cheng, Kudrat Kaur, Julie Zhu, Jax Bloem, Hoor Laghari, Carolyn Xu, Nora Khong, Carter Kenny, Angelia Qiao, Ella Mitchell, Nicole Chen, Sienna Tye, Nicholas Luo, Koki Yamagata, Jesse Elliott, Mia El Chami, Tanya Kumar, Ofa Fifita, Wesley Yang, and Wiandre Nel.

Values: Riaan Karthick, Aryan Karthick, Gus McCrindle, Lucas Pope, Kacey Wang, Gabriella Venter, Oscar Cao, Jas Kaur, Sophia Cheah, Nella Ranchhod, Rehoboth John, Huntr Bishton, Jasmine Wu, Courtney Kretzmann, William Goosen, Evelyn Xu, Yi Sen Qi, Jamie Bruwer, Sklyar Li, Mandy Belding, Avril An, and Owen Huang.

Changes to ERO

The Education Review Office (ERO) has shifted to a more developmental approach to evaluation that supports each school’s improvement over time. Key features of the new approach, Te Ara Huarau, are that ERO will:

→ work with all schools in an ongoing way rather than as a one-off event

→ connect with each school’s strategic planning and reporting cycle as part of their improvement journey

→ work in partnership with schools, collaborating in support of equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners

As a result, each school will:

→ have a dedicated ERO Evaluation Partner who works alongside the school

→ have a different experience depending on needs, strengths, and their school’s specific evaluation focus

→ be on a three-year evaluation cycle

What will public reporting on ERO’s website look like?

As schools’ transition into the approach, ERO will work with schools to publish a one-off Profile Report. This will focus on the strategic goals schools have in place to improve learner outcomes and what the school is seeking to achieve through the evaluation.

Within a three year cycle all schools will then have a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report. This report includes information about the school’s improvement journey, what the school has achieved for learners and their future priorities.

All schools will receive a Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report about their board’s attestation to meeting those requirements. Provision for International Students and Hostel Reports will be published where applicable.

Other reporting

Progress Reports – These reports are not published on ERO’s website. Progress reports will provide specific information for specific audiences such as your board, the community or the Ministry of Education.

BDS Learning and Fun

ESOL: In our ESOL classes this term, we read Nanny Mihi and the Rainbow. Then students wrote poems using simile, metaphor and personification to create meaning and effect.

Gloria, Year 3

Jay, Year 4

Chante, Year 5

Year 1, Room 7 – We have been learning about Autumn (for instance, what it feels like, looks like, what the trees do, and what we like to do in Autumn). One exciting thing we did in Room 7, was that we went to the big tree at the front of the school and played with the fallen leaves. It was so much fun. We then collected the leaves and wrote about them. We also made our own little Autumn Trees with it.

Year 3, Room 12 – We have been learning to introduce ourselves in Te Reo. We can greet each other, tell someone our name, where we are from and how old we are.

Year 5 – Room 17 – We went for a walk along our neighbouring streets admiring the different autumn trees. It inspired us to write some poems and create our own “Poet Tree”

Children Turning Five

If your child is turnng five in the next 12 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