Wilson School Newsletter - Term 1
2026
Kia ora koutou,
It has been wonderful welcoming all our students back to school after the break. Everyone has settled quickly back into routines, and it has been lovely to see so many smiles and familiar faces around the school. A very warm welcome to all our new students and whānau - we’re so pleased to have you join our school community.
Our staff team returned on the 29th and 30th of January for professional learning and preparation. This time was used to welcome new staff, take part in Numicon (Numicon is a distinctive multi-sensory approach to children's mathematical learning) training, and allow class teams to plan and prepare for the year ahead.
To support the implementation of the Structured Literacy initiative, the Ministry of Education is providing two staff only days for all special schools this term. These days will support teachers and teacher aides to develop their understanding of the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) and how structured literacy can be implemented in specialist school settings. Following this two day training, staff will also take part in weekly online workshops for the remainder of the term. This represents a significant commitment from our team, and we appreciate your understanding and support. The staff only days will be Thursday 19th and Friday 20th February.
The Kaleidocare after school programme has moved to a new location in Wairau Valley (122 Wairau Road). If you are seeking after school care you can contact them on 09 239 3701 or email bookings@kaleidocare.co.nz.
We will be holding our Whānau BBQ on Tuesday 3rd March; please save the date! This will be held at our base school at 1a St Leonards Road, and we hope to see many of you there.
Have a great term everyone.
Me mahi tahi tātou mō te oranga o te katoa.
Let us work together for the wellbeing of everyone.
Ngā mihi nui,
Anjuman Raza
Toe Toe whānau
Room 2
We had a great start to the year! Our learners settled back into their routines, worked hard in class, and enjoyed some fun activities. We also did some exercises to get our bodies moving and ready for learning. We are proud of how well everyone is adjusting and connecting with each other.
We loved seeing everyone’s creativity shine as we jumped back into literacy and maths, and now we are so excited to become explorers of the Earth and sky. As we learn about the world around us and build our body and senses awareness, we will also continue developing strong social and communication skills as we grow together!
This term our class will explore “Myself and My Senses.” Students will learn to understand themselves, express their feelings, and use their senses through hands-on activities. We will also focus on building connections with peers and adults, practicing communication, sharing, and have some fun trips.
Room 3
Our class has had a positive and smooth start to the term, with students settling back into routines quickly and reconnecting with their peers and teachers. The first week focused on building a calm, supportive classroom environment where everyone felt welcomed and confident to re-engage in learning. Students showed enthusiasm in exploring familiar activities and were eager to share their holiday experiences, helping to strengthen our classroom community.
We are looking forward to an exciting and active term ahead. Planned outings to places such as Bounce, local swimming pools, and playgrounds will support social development, confidence, and physical wellbeing. In the classroom, our learning will centre on sensory-based exploration, with a focus on understanding our senses, body awareness, and emotional expression. Alongside this, students will continue developing literacy and numeracy skills through engaging, hands-on experiences. Creative learning will remain an important part of our programme, including art and crafting, music, cooking, and physical education. Together, these experiences aim to support holistic growth while fostering curiosity, independence, and joy in learning throughout the term.
Room 5
Our first week back was a great success! The students settled back into routines with smiles, confidence, and lots of happy energy. It’s been so lovely reconnecting and jumping back into learning together. This term, we’re excited to explore our unit study all about ourselves and our senses, with plenty of fun, hands-on activities planned including trips to extend our learning beyond the classroom. Thank you to our wonderful parents and whānau for your continued support — it truly makes such a difference for our learners. Looking forward to a great term ahead!
Bayswater 1
Kia ora koutou! We are excited to welcome our new students, Tile, Leo and Kingston to Bayswater 1. The first week was all about settling in, getting to know one another, building routines, and exploring our classroom space.
This term we will be exploring more about “Myself and My Senses”. We will be engaging in a variety of fun and interactive activities that connect to different learning areas and support each student’s IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals. Through these experiences, students will grow in self-awareness, explore the world using their senses, and discover their own preferences and interests.
Bayswater 2
We joyfully celebrated the return of all our students as we kicked off a brand new school year, and we were especially excited to welcome Harrison to our classroom.
Our focus for the first week was settling back into our classroom routines and structure. Students spent time reacquainting themselves with the learning environment—learning where everything belongs, practising signing in, and exploring different spaces around the school. We were also lucky enough to visit the big playground, which was a highlight for many and a wonderful opportunity to build confidence and connections.
The week was filled with fun and meaningful moments as we played, interacted, and got to know one another better. Students enjoyed sharing holiday stories, engaging in creative art activities, learning our new Karakia, and taking part in discussions about our new class rules. These activities helped build a strong sense of belonging and set a positive tone for the year ahead.
We are all feeling excited and motivated as we begin this journey together and can’t wait to see what learning, growth, and adventures this year will bring!
Pohutukawa whānau
Albany Junior 15
The hustle and bustle of learning is already well underway, guided by our theme Identity & Belonging. We are settling into class routines, duties and enjoying time exploring the different areas of our school. We have been actively personalising and organising our classroom, including creating our own class korowai treaty that reflects our shared values and expectations.
There has been plenty of excitement as we reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Along the way, we have been getting to know one another through team-building games, circle time, sensory art, and water play. We have also celebrated a birthday together, adding to the sense of community in our class.
Ko te mutunga oranga, he timatatanga kaha — winning starts with beginning! Bring it on, 2026! 🎉
Albany Junior 16
“A term full of discovery, movement and music”
This coming term in shaping up to be an exciting one for us! We’ll be spending our time exploring the theme “Myself and My Senses”, with lots of hands-on movement based and sensory rich experiences that help us learn about our bodies, our feelings and how we interact with the world around us.
We’re thrilled to welcome Auckland Council Trikes back again! These sessions are always a highlight for our students. Riding the trikes brings so much joy, confidence and independence and having regular sessions means we can keep building those skills while having plenty of fun along the way.
Our connections with the mainstream classes will also continue this term. We’ll keep enjoying shared PE sessions, social games and our much-loved reading buddies, which are a special time to connect, move and learn together.
Music remains a big part of our programme too, with music therapy sessions this term. These sessions support communication, regulation and self-expression and they’re always filled with smiles, rhythm and engagement.
It’s a term packed with movement, connection, creativity and discovery and we’re really looking forward to sharing all these experiences together.
Glenfield College 1
Glenfield College 1 is ready for an exciting year! Starting the new school year with a positive spirit, our class has set the tone for a year of growth, discovery, and success. Micaela, Saskia, Tangaroa, and Bella have truly stepped up as wonderful role models, helping to guide our new students with kindness and good choices. Their leadership, engagement, and participation in team-building activities such as “Hot Potato” and “Trust Fall” and other group tasks in week one showcased their active involvement and dedication to working together toward common goals. Hats off to a great start!
Week one also witnessed how seamlessly our new students—Tai, Lawrence, Natalie, and Chelsea—have settled into the calm and supportive environment of GC Room 51. Our friendly classroom atmosphere motivates everyone to adapt to the college program with ease. The newbies took part in all the collaborative activities, and each student played an important role in our morning meetings—making them entirely student-led and impressive! We all experienced firsthand what it’s like to learn college routines and structure, share responsibilities, build connections, and develop essential skills that will help us thrive throughout the year.
Themed “Me and My Senses”, the school year invites us to discover ourselves and the many changes we experience as blooming adolescents—plus, how our senses uniquely help us explore the world around us. Oh, we’re excited about the adventures ahead, filled with fun learning and milestone moments! Here’s to a fantastic year of growth, friendship, and discovery!
Glenfield College 2
Welcome back everyone! We are so excited to be starting a new year with such an awesome class. We have done lots of team building already, the highlight of which was students and staff taking turns with ‘trustfalls’ where one of us put all our belief in one of our classmates or teachers and fell backwards…waiting to be caught! We are glad to report that we had a 100% success rate and we had lots of fun along the way.
We have also spent time getting used to our new class and the college environment as a whole. Each of us have had input into our Class Treaty to help us along the way in ensuring a great year. We have shared when our birthdays are and checked our corresponding Chinese Zodiac animals.
We are looking forward to spending time with the other College classes, especially during our weekly cooking sessions. We are preparing to show our knowledge in Literacy and Maths and getting ready to consolidate and develop our skills. While we have some fun trips planned such as bowling and a visit to Bounce, student voice came through loud and clear that we need to include more trips, so we have added the Zoo and the Museum to our list of EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) experiences.
We are going to try our best…and have fun along the way!
Nikau whānau
Room 1 has had a positive start to the year! During the first week, we focused on helping students settle back into school through fun, play-based activities that support wellbeing, build relationships, and reinforce familiar routines. We warmly welcome both returning and new students, as well as new staff, to our learning community.
This term, our learning focus is “All About Me.” We are exploring who we are, our body parts, and our feelings, while also developing literacy, numeracy, physical fitness, and fine motor skills. These activities support the key competencies, particularly Managing Self and Relating to Others. Art, movement, play, and outdoor activities play an important role in our learning and engagement.
We are excited to celebrate Chinese New Year, giving us the opportunity to explore culture and belonging. It is wonderful to see everyone settling in so well and enjoying their learning.
We look forward to a fun and engaging Term 1!
Manuka 15
Welcome to another exciting school year! The Manuka 15 class would like to warmly welcome Thinu and Sarah to our learning community. We are so pleased to have you join us.
We began the year by establishing class routines and supporting students to become familiar with the physical environment, including their desks, chairs, bag hooks, toilets, kitchen, and outside play areas. A key focus has been building confidence and a sense of belonging. Students are becoming more comfortable in their learning environment and are confidently using verbal and non‑verbal ways to communicate their needs.
Our first day was extra special with an energetic Playball session with Coach Phil, and the students clearly enjoyed being active together. Another highlight of our four-day week was our school tour. Students had the opportunity to visit the school hall, explore the admin office, and spend quiet time in the school library. We also enjoyed time at the playground, where the famous pirate ship was a definite favourite!
We also had meaningful discussions about Waitangi Day and worked together to create our class treaty. This treaty is a special pact that reflects our shared values and the expectations we agree to follow in Manuka 15, promoting respect, kindness, and cooperation.
We are looking forward to a happy and successful year learning together.
Manuka 16
Our school year kicked off with an exciting start to fun activities! We began with energizing movement activities in Playball with Coach Phil, which will continue every Monday morning this term. The kids loved engaging in creative play while moving their bodies and interacting with one another.
In the classroom, we actively participated in get-to-know-you activities. We played social games and crafted our Pepeha to acknowledge and connect with each other. We also started exploring patterns in Maths using Numicon to develop an understanding of repeating shapes and sequences with manipulatives. We believe that learning is more meaningful and fun when we build strong relationships and when we use hands-on approach.
We also learned the significance of Waitangi day through lively role playing and shared reading. To apply our learning, we created our classroom treaty and used our handprints as a symbol of agreement and unity.
This is just the beginning of a fun-filled term- what else can we look forward to? We’re eagerly anticipating Music classes every Friday with Chris, going on EOTC (Education Outside The Classroom) trips, incorporating Science and Technology classes, and joining exciting mainstream activities such as the Cultural Parade and the Colour Fun Run. The adventure has only just begun!
Windy Ridge 1
Our class spent the first week getting to know one another. We began by introducing ourselves and discovering all the wonderful ways we are similar and different. The children have enjoyed making new friends, sharing about their families, and learning what makes each of us unique.
This term, our learning focus is “Our Body and Our Senses.” We’ll be exploring how our bodies work and using our senses to investigate the world around us. The children will take part in lots of fun, hands-on sensory activities that encourage curiosity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of themselves and their interests.
There will be a lot of exciting learning ahead!
Windy Ridge 2
We had a fantastic first week of 2026 at Windy Ridge! Our students jumped straight into the fun, especially with the exciting addition of our brand-new ball pit, which has quickly become a favourite space for movement, play, and exercise.
For our letter work activity, students created beautiful personalised name bracelets and independently selected their favourite colours using their AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices. They showed wonderful confidence and excellent choice-making skills, and we loved seeing their creativity shine.
We also enjoyed making the most of the sunny weather by heading outside for exploration time and a relaxing walk around Windy Ridge. Sensory play was another highlight of the week, filled with laughter, curiosity, and lots of joyful moments. What a great start to the year, we can’t wait for all the learning and fun still to come!
Karaka whānau
Room 4
Room 4 is off to a wonderful start this year. We have been enjoying writing in our new recount books and sharing stories about our holidays. The photos sent from home have been a fantastic support and students have been inspired to use their AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices to describe their family adventures.
Our transition students have also begun their various EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) programmes, and they are settling into their routines beautifully.
This term, our learning focus is Our Body and Ourselves. As part of this, we will be making homemade soap during craft time, which will lead into discussions about personal care and hygiene. We will also explore healthy eating by preparing smoothies, parfaits, and even vegan sushi together.
IEP meetings are coming up soon, and we look forward to meeting with each whānau to develop this year’s goals collaboratively.
We are excited for all the learning and growth ahead and look forward to a wonderful year together.
Room 6
A very warm welcome to our new students and welcome back to our returning tamariki. We have started the year with lots of energy, enjoying exciting EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) experiences, and creating plenty of colourful artwork. Our class loved reconnecting, getting to know one another, and sharing stories after the summer break. It has been wonderful to hear about all the fun adventures and special moments everyone enjoyed over the holidays. We are looking forward to a year filled with learning, laughter, and making many new and exciting memories together.
Wilson Tech 1 & 2
Welcome back to a new school year! Our first week back was a busy one, as we spent time getting to know each other and showing off our creativity through a range of art projects, including working with clay. We also had class photos, a visit to the park, cooking, and everyone enjoyed the weekly BBQ. It is shaping up to be a packed term ahead with lots of exciting opportunities, including various work experience placements including Rosedale and Shakespear Regional Park. We will also be working on important life skills, by planning a movie night, shopping, and preparing for the BBQ. We had a lovely first week back, and we’re excited to see what the term brings.
