Newsletter – Week 9, Term 4 2023

Kia ora koutou BDS whānau,                                                                  Week 9, Term 4, 2023

As we are coming to the end of the year it is time to farewell valued staff members, acknowledge our returning staff members, and provide updates on our exciting staffing developments for 2024 with our new Specialist Teachers.

We farewell Mr Tom Huskinson who has been at Botany Downs School for the past nine years.  Mr Huskinson started at BDS as a beginning teacher. He has shown dedication, enthusiasm and passion for teaching during this time and is highly regarded both by staff and our community. Mr Huskinson progressed into a team leader role and his work in our gardens and with our Eco Warriors has been highly valued. We wish Mr Huskinson all the very best in his new school. 

Miss Sophie Kirtlan has decided to move to Australia to continue her teaching career. Thank you Miss Kirtlan for your passion and dedication as a teacher while you have been at our kura. We wish you all the very best in Australia.

We would like to welcome back from maternity leave Mrs Manjinder Kaur and Mr Joe D’Ambrosio from his family leave. Thank you to our dedicated and passionate Year 6 teachers, Mrs Anna Marck and Mrs Vanessa Childs, who have worked in a fixed-term capacity for Mr D’Ambrosio while he was on leave. Our tamariki have been very fortunate to be taught by two such capable teachers during 2023.

We are pleased to welcome a highly competent, enthusiastic teacher to our kura and we extend a very warm welcome to Mrs Sian Lee. Mrs Lee will be teaching in Room 11 with our Year 0/1  tamariki.

Mrs Anna Marck and Mrs Tanya Jacobs will be our specialist teachers next year for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), Physical Education and Music, and the Performing Arts. We are very fortunate to be able to staff our school with such high quality specialist teachers next year. 

Mrs Nardine Andrew and Mrs Lynette Radue are finishing their fixed term appointments as teachers of our start up Year 0 class 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 2024 to start up our Year 0 classes again, and as part-time teachers and relievers for our kura.

Class Teachers for 2024:

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

Coming up @ BDS…

Fri 8 Dec – No Uniform Day
Wed 13 Dec – School Board meeting
** click here to view more of the school calendar **

End-of-Year Dates

Wed 6 Dec – Yr 3/4 Big Day In
Thurs 7 Dec – Yr 0/1/2 Prizegiving 9.15-10.30am
Fri 8 Dec – Yr 0/1/2 Big Day In
Tues 12 Dec – Yr 3/4 Prizegiving 9.00-10.30am *note time change
Wed 13 Dec – Yr 5/6 Prizegiving & Yr 6 Graduation 9.15-11.30am
Thurs 14 Dec – Yr 5/6 Big Day In
Fri 15 Dec – Last day of 2023 – school closes at 12 noon

Dates for 2024

Term 1: Thursday 1 February – Friday 12 April
Waitangi Day – Tuesday 6 February (public holiday)
Good Friday – Friday 29 March (public holiday)
Easter Monday – Monday 1 April (public holiday)
Easter Tuesday – Tuesday 2 April (school holiday)
ANZAC Day – Thursday 25 April (public holiday during term holiday)

Term 2: Monday 29 April – Friday 5 July
TEACHER ONLY DAY – Friday 31 May
King’s Birthday – Monday 3 June (public holiday)
Matariki Holiday – Friday 28 June (public holiday)

Term 3: Monday 22 July – Friday 27 September

Term 4: Monday 14 October – Tuesday 17 December
TEACHER ONLY DAY – Friday 25 October
Labour Day – Monday 28 October (public holiday)

SCHOOL NEWS

Final School Assembly

We invite you to attend our final whole school assembly for 2024 on Friday at 9.10 am. We will be presenting our End of Term Botany Best Certificates and our Junior School sprint certificates.

Congratulations to our following tamariki who have shown their Botany Best in Term 4 by displaying our Values and Capabilities: Jacob Dai, Alice Wang, Curtis Li, Ekko Wong, Navya Kumar, William Faletau, Tavis Lee, Darcey McCrindle, Saane Fafita, Kourtney Chan, Emma Kamakorewa, Alofa Vaolele, Suzanne Kamakorewa, Tanique Bischoff, Nicholas Luo, Cleo Walker, Summer Chai, Teagan Andrew, Jasmine Wu, Charlie Carson, Caleb Moukarzel, Luke Buckley, Greta Xie, Gemma Yee & Mia Swartz.

Important Notice…

If your Year 0-5 child will not be returning to BDS in 2024, please ensure you contact our school
office to let them know. Please email to: office@botanydowns.school.nz

Back to School Stationery – Order Now!

We’ve teamed up with OfficeMax to your back to school shop super easy,

Your child’s class list is already loaded. Just go to myschool.co.nz/botanydowns. Simply add your details, check that you want everything on the list, then click and confirm — and OfficeMax will get your delivery underway with free delivery on orders over $70^.

You can pay by internet banking, credit card or debit card. Laybuy* is also available, so you can pay in 6 weekly, interest-free payments and still get your order right away. Plus you’ll be helping our school earn school rewards* that we use to purchase much needed extra resources for our school.

We encourage you to order early to ensure your child has all their stationery requirements ready to go in plenty of time for the start of Term 1.

So go ahead and beat the back to school rush, order today and give them the best start possible.

*Terms and Conditions apply, see myschool.co.nz/laybuy for details. ^Exclusions apply, see myschool.co.nz/delivery for details

Second Hand Uniforms Needed

If you are leaving our school, or have grown out of some of your uniform we would love you to consider donating it to the PTA to sell on to our community – at very reasonable prices!

We have a barrel in the front office foyer – feel free to drop them off any time during school hours. Thank you in advance! 

We will be having a second hand uniform sale on Wednesday 24 January 1-3pm
in the staffroom. Eftpos payment available.

Junior Athletics

We had a great day for our Junior Athletics,  the weather was awesome, there were lots of happy children and lots of fun activities. Thank you to everyone who helped out on the day! We really appreciated all our BDS whānau support to make it such a fabulous day for our 5-7 year olds!

Miss O’Driscoll, Junior Athletics Coordinator (jacquieo@botanydowns.school.nz)

Road Patrollers go to Rainbows End

Yesterday our Road Patrollers visited Rainbows End after all of their hard work keeping our road crossing safe before and after school this year. They had a great time. Thank you very much Road Patrollers of 2023!

Road Patrol Supervisors Urgently Needed for 2024

Do you come to school in the morning to drop off your children? Do you come to school in the afternoon to pick up your children? Do you have a spare 30mins (or so) to help supervise the school road patrol?

We are looking for adult supervisors to help Monday morning or afternoon, Tuesday morning or afternoon, and Thursday morning.  We go out on patrol at 8.20am-9am and  2.50-3.15pm.

Please contact Kylee Holmes kyleeh@botanydowns.school.nz if you may be able to commit to one of these days and times for Term 1 2024.  Thank you in advance for your assistance!

PTA Reminders

No Uniform Day, Charity Food Drive – Friday 8th December
The PTA would like to thank you in advance for your kind support of All Saints Church in Howick.  We are asking for a donation of non-perishable food items in exchange for a No Uniform day this Friday 8th December (Year 1 and 2 can wear no uniform or PE gear for their Big Day In).

Fruju Sales – 
With just two weeks of the school year remaining Fruju Friday’s are coming to an end.  During the last week of term Frujus will be sold on Thursday 14th instead of the final day of term.

$2 Frujus and $1 ice pops will be available as well as surplus disco lolly bags for $1.

Pay via Kindo or cash by the staff room after school.  Kindo payments must be received by midnight the day prior.

Student Success…

Children Turning Five – Enrolment 

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 2023 – Register Now!

After a successful Summer Reading programme last year, we are excited to offer this opportunity once again for our students. 

• For BDS students in Years 0/1-5 only. Students must be returning to BDS in 2024.
• By giving permission to take part, parents agree to ensure books are cared for and returned in the first week of Term 1 2024.
• Parents/caregivers also agree to reimburse the school for any lost or damaged books.
• Only students who have had a form signed are able to borrow books. Borrowing will be available in Weeks 9 & 10.
• Registered students will be able to borrow up to 10 library books for the summer.

Why sign up for Summer Reading? The best way to improve literacy skills is to keep practising them. This is particularly important over the long summer holidays, and it helps to keep students reading levels up. Plus, it is a fun thing to do!

If you would like your child to borrow school library books over the summer, please complete and submit this form: Sign up for Summer Reading

COMMUNITY NOTICES

A variety of different sports each week!

Thursdays after school. Get your kids into Active!
Click here for more information and to book in: Botany sKids Active

Soccer Holiday Camp & Term 1 2024

Register here: Holiday Soccer Camp 

Register here: After School Soccer Term 1 2024 

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