Newsletter – Week 1, Term 2 2023 – Botany Downs Primary School

Kia ora koutou BDS whānau, Week 1, Term 2, 2023

Welcome back to school for Term 2, and a very warm welcome to our new families that have joined our BDS community. We hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

We are pleased to be able to welcome back Mrs Tanya Jacobs who will be teaching our new five-year-olds in Room 6.

Please ensure that you look out for communications from us as we have a busy term ahead.

Newsletters are emailed out each Tuesday
Newsletters are uploaded to our website each Tuesday with Google Translate
Newsletters are uploaded to our school app (see below)
Team newsletters are emailed to you in the first week back
Reminders will be sent out on our school app
The school calendar on our website is continually updated
PTA newsletters are emailed to you
PTA reminders will be sent out on our school app

I look forward to connecting with you all at the various events that we are planning for the term.

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

Coming up @ BDS…

Wed 26 Apr – First day of Term 2
Week 2 – Book Week
Fri 5 May – Book Character Dress-up Day & Parade
Wed 10 May – School Board meeting
Wed 10 May – PTA Jester’s Pie Day / Photolife Class & Individual photos
Tues 16 May – Yr 3 MOTAT trip
Wed 17 May – Non-uniform day
Tues 23 May – Yr 2 MOTAT trip
Thurs 1 June – Yr 4&5 MOTAT trip
Mon 5 June – King’s Birthday (public holiday)
Tues 6 June – PTA meeting

BDS App – KSConnect

This is a free app and well worth downloading onto your phone as it also has all our communications that we send out. It is available from either from the App Store or Google Play – download, install and search for Botany Downs

Absent From School…

If your child is absent please notify the school office by emailing: absences@botanydowns.school.nz, or phone 09 534 9848, or use our school app before or on the day of the absence.

This email, phone number, and the school app are available for messages outside of school hours. Please state your name, your child’s name, room number, and the reason for their absence.

School Winter Uniform

Our winter term has arrived and it is time to wear the BDS winter uniform. We are all very proud of our uniform and show our Botany Best by wearing it with pride.

Please ensure you name all clothing and shoes with your child’s first and last names. This way, if it is left in the playground, our Lost Property Monitors will deliver it to the classroom. Our lost property is located outside Room 1.

Message from John Russell Schoolwear: The countdown is on for the new bottle green full elastic trousers to arrive in stock!

Unfortunately the manufacturers positioned the logo incorrectly on the first batch. A new lot are underway, and we’re expecting them to arrive early May, ready for the cooler weather.

If you like, please leave your name and number, and preferred size, with our team, and we can text you directly when the trousers arrive.

Kind regards,
Nick Thompson, John Russell Schoolwear

9 Moore St, Auckland 2014 / Phone: 09-534 9373
info@johnrussellschoolwear.co.nz

SCHOOL NEWS

Lunchtime Activities

This term we have a number of winter sports running: Soccer, Rugby, Hockey, Basketball, and Netball. Gymnastics is also starting up this term.

We have also chosen our dance groups for the dance festival later this term and they will be training for this.

Students who are interested in any of these need to listen out to the notices each morning for training times and make sure they commit to turning up and doing their best.

BDS Values

Our focus Value for Term 2, Weeks 1-5….

Our BDS shared expectations …

Show courtesy and manners
Demonstrate cultural awareness and understanding
Include and accept everyone
Cooperate and collaborate

Year 6 Camp

The last week of Term 1 saw the Year 6 team go to camp at Chosen Valley. We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather and an awesome group of parents to help us out. The students had an amazing time kayaking, team building, bush walking, raft building, and toasting marshmallows by the fire. It was a great way to end a busy term. A huge thankyou again to the parents who gave up their time to come and make this camp so wonderful.

Rachael Jeffs, Year 6 Classroom Teacher (rachaelj@botanydowns.school.nz)

ANZAC Assembly

Our Anzac Service last term was to honour and remember all the service people who have served our country. Our tamariki showed that they understood the importance of this by showing respect during the service. I would also like to thank Jack Styles from Howick College for his speech and his Social Science teacher Mrs Katerine Mitchell, and Mr Hughson for playing The Last Post and The Rouse.

Sharmila Raj, Inquiry Leader (sharmilar@botanydowns.school.nz)

Book Week – NEXT WEEK!

Find your taonga – books are the treasure!

Book Fair Store in the library:
Monday-Friday morning: 8.30-9.00am
Monday-Thursday afternoon: 2.30-3.30pm
** Cash or EFTPOS/Credit Card
** Every purchase goes into a LUCKY PRIZE DRAW!

Whānau – come and read to your tamariki’s classroom – Tuesday 2 May, 2.30pm
Please email your tamariki’s teacher to arrange coming in to read to the class.

Bring a soft toy to read to – Wednesday 3 May
Your tamariki is welcome to bring their soft toy friend to school to read to.

Competitions…
X-Marks the Spot – guess where the treasure is hidden on the map.
Who is behind the book? – guess the teacher reading.

Special Book Week Exhibition…
Create your very own Potato Book Character! Make it at home and bring it to the library next week to go on display. Who or what will you create? Get thinking, get creative! Here is Mrs H’s Potato character as an example:

A Lion in the Meadow, by Margaret Mahy

Character Dress-up Day – Friday 5 May, 9.30am…
Whanau are welcome to come along to watch the parade.
Who will you be? Check out these websites for some inspiration:
30 Last Minute Costumes
109 Easy Last Minute Costume Ideas
32 Best Book Character Costumes
75 Simple Book Costume Ideas

Learning and Fun @ BDS

Year 3, Room 24 – Room 24 has looked at the life of the artist of ‘Tim Burton’. We focused on how his art is drawn. His characters have long necks and big eyes. We had a lot of fun completing our art work.

Year 5, Room 27 – Room 27 had a blast in Term 1! Our tamariki enjoyed swimming on Fridays, created a beautiful visual Pepeha representing who they are, they had a “marballous” time with Mrs Richards, made an abundance of poppies for our ANZAC wreath, challenged themselves at camp, learned how to be safe in tricky situations with Constable Darren, and had a positive learning experience with St Johns. Here are some pictures: