The NCEA examinations have kept our senior students very busy. Students strive to get their certificate endorsed with Excellence and Merit and I am sure that mos t s tudents f ind these questions challenging as they involve problem solving and critical thinking at a high level. The College is continually…
All students should be focussing on their upcoming examinations. It is important that students are doing at least 2-3 hours each evening. Revising is best done in a quiet environment where notes or work is summarised and can be reflected upon. To study effectively one needs to be eating the right…
What a student brings to the classroom is very much related to their achievement. Each student’s belief about the value and worth of investing in learning and the manner in which they learn so that they can build a sense of self from this engagement is important. Success in education comes from…
The Benefits of Parent Involvement in their child’s education (From The Victorian Parents Council – Education Horizons)
When families are involved in their children’s education in positive ways, children can achieve higher grades, have bette r attendance at school, complete more homework,…
John Hattie’s book “Visible Learning” is a valuable resource to understand how learning takes place. The contributions the s tudent brings to his or her learning include:
Prior knowledge of learning; Expectations; Degree of openness to experiences; Emerging beliefs about the value and…
The College welcomes 4 new teachers this term: Gordon Howard, Art; Ben Howard-Clarke, ESOL; Jennifer Marillier, Mathematics; Bronwyn Waterhouse, Business Studies.
We also welcome the following to our Associate Staff:
Rachel Crewe, Library Manager
Sharmaine Hare, International…
Since the last newsletter, once again our students have been out there working hard and reaping the benefits of doing so. The College community has a wealth of talented students who excel in the academic, sporting and cultural arenas. Congratulations to the following students on their personal achievements.......…
As I wrote in the last newsletter, Term 2 is an extremely busy term for both students and staff. Staff are currently writing senior reports which will be issued to students week 8 (17th June) of this term. I encourage parents and students to attend the senior student-parent interviews scheduled for…
Term 2 is action packed with opportunities for students to get involved whether it be participating in one of the many winter sports that are underway, or supporting a
school team from the side lines. Last week we hosted the choir of 65 s tudents and 14 staff members from our sister school,…
BDSC NCEA results show that students in each level are 10-15% above the National Decile 10 average. It is clear to me that we have great teachers who work really hard to make sure each student achieves the very best they can. These teachers challenge, motivate and support their students to achieve.…
Schools cannot excel alone but need communities and society to work with them.
Thank you to all the parents who have supported the College over the last few weeks with Friends & Family, Athletics, Swimming, Year 9 Camps, NCEA Parents Evening and the ERO visit.
Athletics Champs results....…
...On Tuesday 17 March we are holding a Parents Information evening on NCEA – the National Certificate of Educational Achievement. NCEA is the New Zealand qualification and as such is recognised by all universities in New Zealand for entry into all courses…
I would like to congratulate the students who have achieved excellent results in the external qualifica tions. We had 22 Scholarships awarded. In every level our results were at least 15% higher than the National Decile 10 Average. This is a fantastic outcome for the College.
Botany Downs Secondary College welcomes back to school all students especially those who are new to the area. If students are to achieve their potential this year it is important that students, parents and teachers are continually communicating about learning and achievement. Absence from the classroom…
The Botany Downs Secondary College Staff would like to wish everyone a very pleasant holiday period. It is important that the College and parents work together to ensure each student achieves at their highest level. 2008 has been an extremely successful year for the College and I congratulate the…