Kia ora koutou,
It’s been wonderful welcoming all our students back to school after the break, everyone settled back into the routine quickly and there were lots of smiles seeing familiar faces again. A big welcome goes out to all our new students and whānau!
Our staff team were back in school on the 29th, 30th and 31st of January for professional development. The time was used to welcome new staff, provide Team Teach training and to engage in workshops delivered by our Therapy Team.
The Ministry of Education worked with us over the summer break to complete work on our school building. There are historic watertightness issues that are now being worked on. This is linked to the outside of the building, rather than inside. It was pleasing to see the Ministry start this work. They will continue working on the roof and cladding during the term breaks across the year.
To support the implementation of Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, the Ministry of Education is providing two staff-only days for all schools in 2025. This time is to support teachers to understand the changes and for us to interpret the curriculum in appropriate ways for our learners. The two days for Wilson School will be on Friday 30th May 2025 & Friday 8th August (TBC) 2025.
We were pleased to be able to work with Kaleidocare last term to launch an afterschool programme from our base school. A number of parents approached us last year to say this would be supportive. Kaleidocare are very experienced in this field and successfully run a programme in South Auckland. If you are considering using the programme, please contact Kaleidocare on 09-239-3701 or bookings@kaleidocare.co.nz to discuss what they can offer and what funding they are able to use. If your child currently accesses SESTA transport, we can arrange for satellite students to be transported to base school at the end of the day for the programme. If you sign up and would like this please contact our office team to help arrange transport. Parents will need to collect their child from Kaleidocare when the programme finishes at the end of the day.
We will be holding our whānau BBQ on Tuesday 4th March, please save the date. This will be at our base school, I hope to see lots of you there.
Have a great term everyone!
Neil Kefford
Principal
Pohutukawa whānau
Albany Junior 15
Tēnā koutou katoa. Seeing old friends and meeting new classmates in the first week has been buzzing with excitement here at Albany Junior High School 15. We have been getting to know each other through social games, and the favourite so far has been the scavenger hunt! We have created our class treaty and have been busy organising our room to fit our needs. Tuakana-teina relationships have emerged which has been heartwarming to see. We are pumped up to explore what this year brings! He waka eke noa- a canoe which we are all in with no exception.
Albany Junior 16
We are all delighted to be back at school, settling into our routines, and excited to learn new ones. It’s wonderful to see everyone adjusting and embracing the new school year!
We are looking forward to a variety of activities this term, including PE and library sessions with the mainstream classes. Later in the term, we will have the opportunity to participate in a session with the Special Olympics and Bicycle Camp, which will be fantastic experiences for everyone.
Manuka 15
Welcome to School Year 2025! The lovely Ava also recently joined the Manuka 15 class. The first days of school were opportunities for the tamariki to be familiar with the class routines, interact with their peers, school staff and explore their learning environment. During the school tour, we visited the school hall, office, library and of course the playground. Exciting and fun games were also facilitated to establish camaraderie among the Manuka 15 and 16 students along with the staff.
This term, we look forward to learning more about migration which will be integrated into different learning areas primarily in Mathematics, Literacy, Arts and Social Science. Similarly, we look forward to re-connecting with you at the Whānau BBQ in week 5, IEP meetings and other upcoming school activities. To keep the communication lines smoother we started using the home-school communication book. For classroom updates, kindly regularly check Hero. Together with Alex, Shereen and Pavani, we are all excited to support your children and your whānau this year.
Manuka 16
Manuka 16 kicked off the term with fun and engaging activities to help us settle into our school routine. Our first week back was filled with laughter as we enjoyed class games and hands-on sensory art. We also kept the energy high with movement stations during fitness, making sure everyone got up and moving!
We introduced ourselves using our pepeha and made korowais together. This helped us share who we are and helped us bond together as a class while celebrating our differences.
In celebration of Waitangi Day, we learned about the history of the Treaty of Waitangi. We used a diorama with cut-out characters to help us understand what happened at Waitangi. Building on our learning, we created our class treaty, which reminds us about respect and cooperation in class.
This term, our study will focus on the topic of migration. We will explore what migration means and why it happens, looking at different stories and experiences. As we learn, we'll also work on foundational skills like executive skills, attention, and social skills to help our tamariki build confidence, improve academic performance, and interact better with peers in mainstream classes.
To wrap up our study on migration, we will have an exciting trip to the Auckland Museum, where we can see and learn more about migration through interesting displays and activities. It will be a great experience and we look forward to a wonderful term ahead!
Nikau whānau
Base Room 1
We are thrilled to embark on our new year journey in Room 1 with a blend of fun-filled learning experiences and a warm welcome to our new friends, Jasmine, Thinu, and Fatemeh. It’s wonderful to see everyone settling in well and building connections quickly, both our old and new Tamariki and Kaiako. In the upcoming weeks, we will focus on an inquiry into “Migration of People and Animals in NZ.” This will help us explore our cultural identities and understand who we are and where we come from. We’ll delve into how and why people, birds, and animals migrate to Aotearoa through art, music and watching National Geographic channels. We are also excited about our weekly circability sessions, and we look forward to meeting and chatting with our whānau at our BBQ night. While we enjoy these activities, we will continue to enhance our knowledge and strengths in literacy, numeracy, communication, and physical fitness by working our best. Each of us will set individual goals and strive to reach them.
We wish everyone a prosperous and enriching new year of learning!
Bayswater 1
We are excited to announce that our new school year has begun positively! The first week flew by, and our students quickly settled into their routines. It has been a joy to reconnect with friends and our dedicated teaching assistants, all of whom have contributed to creating a welcoming and engaging environment for our learners.
This week, we introduced a variety of hands-on activities to stimulate our students' creativity. One of the highlights was our messy play sessions, where students made playdough and experimented with mixing bubble solutions, water, and flowers. The bubbly water led to a spontaneous and delightful "bath" moment filled with laughter and excitement. It was a fantastic opportunity to encourage sensory exploration and teach the importance of taking turns.
We have also been fortunate to have beautiful weather, allowing our students to enjoy the Bayswater School outdoor playground, which features a pirate ship and a sandpit. The children explored and played, soaking up the fresh air and sunshine. Our fitness activities included jumping, balancing, and rolling on large balls. Watching the students engage in outdoor play and develop new friendships has been wonderful.
We are excited to see what the coming weeks will bring, filled with creativity, exploration, and joy. We look forward to continuing to foster a positive and enriching learning environment for all our students.
Bayswater 2
Our first week was so much fun, welcoming everyone back and seeing how all the students have grown over the holidays. We also welcomed three new students to the class: Andy, Lukas and Noah.
Over the first few days we got to know each other through play and interaction in class, learning about each other and sharing common interests. We had so much fun with art, waterplay, dancing, yoga, music and playing on the pirate ship on the playground.
All of us are so excited to start this school year and can’t wait to see what we will be learning about next. Our topic of the term is migration with the key focus on literacy, numeracy and communication along with each student’s individual goals.
Windy Ridge 1
Windy Ridge 1 is buzzing as the new term begins, with students meeting new friends and getting to know each other through fun activities. The classroom is filled with wonder as children share photos about their holidays and learn about each other’s backgrounds. This term, the focus is on the fascinating topic of migration, which resonates with some families who have experienced moving to a new country. The students will learn about the New Zealand Shining Cuckoo and its remarkable migration behaviors. To bring this topic to life, the class is planning an exciting trip to Western Springs Lake for bird watching, where they hope to observe various migratory birds in their natural habitat.
The summer sunshine adds an extra layer of joy to the start of the school year, as students relish the warm weather while engaging in outdoor activities. The trip to Western Springs Lake or a nearby bird garden promises to be a highlight, offering a hands-on learning experience about the different kinds of birds that migrate. The children are enthusiastic about the opportunity to see these birds up close and learn more about their journeys. This immersive experience not only enhances their understanding of migration but also strengthens the bonds between new friends as they explore and discover together!
Windy Ridge 2
Welcome back to a fantastic new term in Windy Ridge 2! We've had an amazing first week, settling in and creating beautiful artwork to celebrate Waitangi Day. The students showed incredible creativity and effort in their pieces!
We also had a special visit from the Windy Ridge mainstream school during one of our educational sessions, which was an exciting opportunity to connect and learn together. Plus, we enjoyed a fun and engaging music session, filling our classroom with rhythm and joy!
It’s been a wonderful start to the term, and we can't wait for all the learning, fun, and adventures ahead!
Karaka whānau
Glenfield College 1
Glenfield College 1 has learnt about college goals. These goals can be dubbed The Three H’s (Head, Heart, and Hands). The first H, Head, means being able to think independently and fend for oneself. The second H, Heart, is more related to mental health and emotion management. Lastly, the Hands means working and learning new skills. We have also discussed social skills such as kindness, and usage of verbal communication to express feelings. The rest of the term will be about teaching the minds, touching the hearts, and training the hands of our young people to gain independence. (Written by Nick Shepherd, Year 11 Student of Glenfield College 1).
Glenfield College 2
Glenfield College 2 has had a positive start to 2025! We have bonded as a group and enjoyed some team-building activities such as ‘trust-falls’ with each other.
We have done a lot even though we have been back at school for just a week. We have visited the mobile library, done circuit training, trained for the Glenfield College Athletics Day, had sessions with external agencies for Playball and Music and had lots of fun!
We are getting to grips with our structured Literacy and Maths, while ensuring that we enjoy our journey with some class games. We have drawn up our Class Treaty and have committed to some amazing values such as kindness, respect, following rules, listening, having fun and looking out for each other. We also promised to always try our best during the year, which will be an amazing one!
Wilson Tech 1 & 2
We are working together at WilsonTech unit to customise our space for the new year art work.
Our focus this term is getting to know our new classmates and devoping our shared spaces with Wairau School so we have fun indoor social areas. We have already started our weekly BBQ and are looking forward to starting our trips out to places like the gym soon.
Base Room 6
We are excited to be back at school after a summer break. We have been enjoying cooking, art and catching up with our friends and teachers. This term we have loved welcoming Shahista as a new teacher in Room 6 as we get ready for Bridie to go on maternity leave. Our older students will be off soon to their community outings and visits to the gym. Juniors can look forward to circability coming in on Wednesdays to showcase some amazing circus skills!
Toe Toe whānau
Base Room 2
It has been a lovely first week back, with both students and staff settling back into the routine. We have welcomed three new students into Room 2, as well as two new members of staff and have been having fun getting to know each other. Our ongoing Flag art project – All about me, has provided a fun way to learn random facts about each other. We also created a Class Treaty together, with everyone sharing what they would like the class to look like this year. There were some fantastic suggestions, such as being kind and having fun, both very important aspects of being at school! We have also been playing lots of games indoors and outdoors and trying to keep cool in the heat. The topic for this term is migration and we will be looking at the different cultures we have in the classroom, as well as exploring our local area.
Base Room 3
Students have settled in the classroom very well. The students have been actively engaging in activities. So far, we have carried out multiple classroom projects, including learning letters and words for literacy, making korowai cloaks for Waitangi Day as part of our art program, and pizza making. For fitness, we have been for walks around the Wilson Trust grounds, and taken part in PMP exercise for the student’s well-being. By participating in these activities, students are warming up the relationships with each other, and the staff too, including with the new teacher Shawn. Students are also learning the environment around them and gaining self-helping skills and developing their language. This term, we will have a focus on fostering students’ social skill, physical well-being and literacy and numeracy learning. The Topic of this term will be migration.
Base Room 4
We had a great first week back at school. It was wonderful to see our friends again and welcome our new friend Eternity to room 4. Our week was busy with lots of fun activities. We went on a walk through the sensory garden to the summer house, where we ate our morning tea and enjoyed the sea views. We celebrated Waitangi by decorating feathers to make a Korowai (Māori Cloak). On Friday we used musical instruments to follow a beat and splashed in water during outdoor water play. We also made fruit smoothies using a switch to activate the blender.
Base Room 5
Our first week back to school has been fantastic! It's heartwarming to see old students return and to welcome new members into our R5 family. We've spent the week reacquainting ourselves with each other, enjoying some art activities, encouraging social interaction through play, and also going through the students physio programme. This term, our unit focus is on animal migration in Aotearoa, which is sure to be exciting. We look forward to learning about various animals and possibly taking trips to see our local wildlife!
