Te Awhi Rito

Kia ora koutou katoa – warm greetings to all our families

Thank you so much for everyone who made a donation for our recent Frozen Friday. We made a profit of $860 which will contribute towards much needed outdoor equipment. Many families donated more than a gold coin and one family even donated $300! We are very grateful for your support.

There are a lot of traffic issues around our Base site and things aren't going to improve in the short term. In particular, Benghazi Road is often blocked with stationary vehicles waiting to drop off and pick up students. Please have patience and allow extra time for this inconvenience.

Unfortunately Kāinga Ora is also about to commence major wastewater upgrades on Tripoli Road which will continue through the remainder of 2026. The work will be completed in sections starting from the Tobruk Road end and slowly work their way down to Stewart Avenue. At times small sections of Tripoli Road will be down to one lane or sometimes completely closed. It's going to be very challenging for CCR vehicles, families and our staff.

We have been very excited about the construction of our new classrooms and hydrotherapy pools which started in November last year. It is expected to be completed by July 2027. We did not anticipate the scale of the project - losing access to the majority of our outdoor spaces and the immense amount of noise, vibrations, dust and visual disruption has been extremely distressing for many of our learners at Base. Our staff are working very diligently to mitigate these issues and help our learners to reduce dysregulation and anxiety. We are working with the Ministry of Education to find solutions such as developing outdoor regulation spaces with large equipment that will be engaging and support regulation. At this stage the Ministry is not willing to commit funds that are already allocated to Sommerville so I may be in touch with you all again soon to ask for your help. We believe outdoor spaces and opportunities to regulate appropriately are not optional - they are essential for safety and participation in learning. Watch this space as the situation develops.

The Ministry of Education, as well as members of the design team and contractors, will be hosting a community information evening about the new school. We are hoping to have LOADS of our families attend the evening so that you can see what is happening at our Base. The facilities will be used by all Sommerville learners - even those in satellites. Please see the flyer below and email office@sommerville.school.nz if you are able to join us. So far we only have four families!!

The Ministry of Education has released an Expanded NZ Curriculum for students with complex needs. This is the first time the Ministry has developed an appropriate curriculum for our learners and we are very excited.

Please note that we have two staff only days for curriculum professional learning and devlopment planned for this year as per Ministry of Education guidelines expectations. The dates are 2 June and 14 September.

Ngā manaakitanga

Belinda

He nui ake tō mātou mana i te kura anahe.

We are more than just a school.

Here is one of our students Helius, along with his mum, starring in The Spinoff.

Term 1, 2026: Tuesday 3 February to Thursday 2 April

Term 2, 2026: Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July

Term 3, 2026: Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September

Term 4, 2026: Monday 12 October to Wednesday 16 December (12.30pm finish)

Term 1

4 March - Evacution drill at base

11 March - Kōtuitui Korero (New Build information evening) at 6.30pm (see flyer above)

12 March - Beyond School parent information evening (welfare guardianship) at 6.00pm

17 March - St Patrick's Day

19 March - New / Prospective Parent Orientation morning at 9.30am

20 March - Frozen Friday (gold coin fundraiser)

21 March - Down Syndrome Awareness Day

24 March - Chilly Tuesday; Whole School Athletics Day at Due Drops Event Centre (see flyer below)

25 March - HPPA Cultural Festival at Sancta Maria College at 6.00pm (see flyer below); Board Meeting at 6.30pm

2 April - World Autism Awareness Day; Term 1 ends

Term 2

20 April - Term 2 begins

21 April - Class photos at Benghazi; Lockdown practice at Stonefields satellite

22 April - Class photos at Tripoli

23 April - Class and ID photos at Te Hapori

27 April - ANZAC Day observed (school closed)

29 April - Board Meeting at 6.30pm

1 May - Principal Appreciation Day (Te Ra o Tumeke Tumuaki)

6 May - Lockdown/evacuation practice at Te Hapori

7 May - New / Prospective Parent Orientation Morning at 9.30am

15 May - Support Staff Day

25 May - Sommerville's 60th Birthday Celebrations

1 June - King's Birthday (school closed)

2 June - Staff Only Day (school closed)

Sommerville is part of the government's donation scheme which means our families do not pay for any stationery, activities or trips, etc! Even our fabulous Senior Balls in 2023 and 2025 were free for all 18-21 year old students and their families.

However, we do still welcome donations if anyone chooses to do so! Please contact the office if you are interested in making a donation to Sommerville and be part of making our school even more fabulous!

Kia ora koutou,

Approximately two years ago a small number of parent representatives formed a group to advocate on behalf of specialist schools. These parents/caregivers/whānau volunteer their time to represent the importance of parents, caregivers and whānau having the choice to send their child or young person to a specialist school. The name of this group is PASE (Parent Advocacy for Specialist Education).

Late last year PASE set up a Facebook page so they can share with whānau and a wider audience the great things that are happening in and for specialist schools.

PASE would really appreciate if parents/caregivers and whānau with children or young people in specialist schools join the PASE Facebook page.

To go to the PASE Parent Advocacy for Specialist Education Facebook page just click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/700138383012610/

Have you changed your contact details? Address, telephone, email, emergency contact, student allergies? It is very important that we have up to date details on file for you. Please send any updates to office@sommerville.school.nz. This information will remain confidential.

Sommerville policies and procedures are now in the cloud. You can access them by going here.

The username and password are both "sommerville".

Sommerville Parents Group on Facebook

(Specialist Therapy Team)

Speech & Language Therapists

The Speech & Language Therapy team have been reinforced this year with an additional therapist. We look forward to being able to support our learners with their communication needs.

(Benghazi 1/2/3/4/7/12, Riverhills, Riverina, Tāmaki Primary, Te Kōhanga)

A wonderful start to the term in our pathway!

This term, we warmly welcome 11 new students across our Kākano classes. It has been fantastic to see new friendships forming and students settling into their routines. There are many engaging learning activities already happening, with students building friendships, developing independence, and exploring new opportunities. It’s wonderful to see such positive energy!

Benghazi 1

New year, new friends to make and lots of new and exciting learning opportunities.

Benghazi 7

Benghazi 7 has been enjoying sensory play! This play helps us to learn that school is fun, a place where we explore new things and helps us to settle back into our routines. This week we enjoyed exploring with foam, and yes we all explored and had great fun!

Riverhills

Learners are enjoying time in the Riverhills School library, one of their favourite places in the school. The space is alive with learners reading books that spark their interest and wonder. Others are building puzzles together, which encourages teamwork and shared problem-solving. The library gives learners the space to explore, learn, and follow their own interests.

Riverhills had our first P.E. session together! We focused on balancing and coordination skills through fun movement activities. The students were engaged and really enjoyed their time outdoors.

Riverina

A great start to the year 2026 at Riverina satellite! This classroom is a buzzing place all the time, filled with lots of fun and meaningful learning throughout the day. Play is at the centre of our learning opportunities, and all learners are thriving in this engaging environment.

Te Kōhanga

It’s been a busy and exciting start to Term 1 for our Te Kōhanga little learners as they began gymnastics, confidently exploring the new space and enjoying every moment. They were also very brave during a special visit to our new school construction site, where they watched the excavator in action and even got a closer look. We’re so proud of their curiosity, confidence, and enthusiasm for new experiences!

(Outreach Team, Glenbrae, Howick Intermediate, Owairoa Pakūranga Intermediate, Stonefields)

Outreach Team

Here is Insha, one of our Outreach Team teachers, exploring language through colourful semantics ....building brighter sentences together!

Glenbrae School

Tupuranga are so pleased to have a brand new satellite join their pathway. Jocelyn and her team, along with six learners, have begun 2026 in their new classroom at Glenbrae School. The school has been welcoming towards everyone. The learners are busy exploring their new learning environment - so courageous!

Howick Intermediate

The learners at Howick Intermediate satellite have enjoyed being back in the Pascoe area with four new learners in the hub! There have been lots of exciting learning opportunities so far.

Owairoa

The boys at Owairoa satellite are busy learning all about shapes. They are learning to match and name common 2D shapes. They did this so well, even when more 2D shapes were introduced. So good to see the great learning happening at Owairoa - ka pai.

Pakūranga Intermediate

What a fabulous start the learners at Pakūranga Intermediate have had! They have started the topic of Kiwiana by tasting lots of different foods that are unique to NZ - mixed reviews on the marmite and pineapple lumps!! The learners also made some cookies for the host school staff and used different shaped cutters as shape is our maths strand for this term.

Stonefields 1 and 2

We have already done so much learning and we have only been in school for a few weeks!! Every week we join together to do some learning with Arahi. He is supporting us with Te Reo Māori. We are practicing counting to 20, and naming objects around the classroom in Te Reo. Thank you Arahi, you are awesome!

Stonefields 1 and 2 are very lucky because each week we go together to visit the school library. Esther is the Librarian. Each week she has a live feed of something. She is great and reads us a story before we get to choose our own library books for the week. What an awesome way to be connected to the host school!

(Benghazi 5/6/8/9/10/11, Tripoli 5, Glendowie School, Panmure District, Sylvia Park)

Glendowie School

Students at our Glendowie School satellite class are delighted to be back together and excited to be joining more mainstream activities. This term we have students attending PE classes, Kapa Haka, therapy dog sessions, learning to help with road patrol and we will be planning some activities with our Glendowie buddy class.

Panmure District

Panmure District 1 and 2 have begun an exciting drama class. During the lesson, the teacher introduced the title of the book they will be exploring and introduced the main character, Te Wheke (the octopus).They also learned how to make the sign for “octopus.” The students had fun and were actively engaged in the activity.

(Anchorage Park, Tripoli 1/2/3/4/7/8/9/10/11/12)

Tripoli 4

In Tripoli 4 we have been learning about 'Our World'. We have created a giant world and created all of our flags to go with it to celebrate all of our different cultures. We have loved looking and learning about all of our different flags!

Tripoli 1

Tripoli 1 have been loving their time in our new Magic Movement Room, as well as the gym.

Tripoli 2

Big Wins at the Hairdresser!

Our learners did a fantastic job during their haircut sessions!

They stayed focused and showed great resilience, even when things felt a bit tricky.

Students practised sitting still and managing the different sensory sounds and feelings.

Well done tamarki for showcasing resilience in the Styling Chair!

Tripoli 10

Our learners were fully engaged and joyfully immersed in a session of symmetrical

painting, thoughtfully connecting their creativity to important life skills. Through this hands-on

experience, they explored concepts such as balance, patience, focus, and following

step-by-step instructions in a supportive and nurturing environment.

It was incredibly rewarding to witness the pride and excitement on each learner’s face as

their unique designs came to life. With gentle adult guidance and encouragement, every

learner was able to complete their painting, celebrating both their artistic expression and

their growing independence.

Tripoli 11

Learners are building positive connections with each other while developing important life skills. They

are actively engaged in classroom learning as well as during EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) activities. Through these experiences, students are strengthening their social skills, teamwork, communication, and independence in a variety of settings.

(Edgewater College, Glendowie College, Howick College, Kahurangi Tahi/Rua/Toru, Te Hapori)

Howick College

We have had a fantastic start to Term 1 in our Howick College satellite classes. It has been a busy and positive first few weeks, with a strong focus on reconnecting and rebuilding relationships. It has been wonderful to see our returning students warmly welcoming new students, strengthening our sense of belonging. You can really see our older students stepping up and making those positive connections, supporting others as they settle in.

This term, our Modules are Self Advocacy and Connections. In Connections, we are currently focusing on how we greet people we know and those who are not known to us, and understanding that different situations require us to greet others differently, considering familiarity and personal space.

In Self Advocacy, students are reflecting on what they are good at, what they would like to improve on, and how to respond respectfully when they disagree with someone else’s point of view. We are encouraging students to use their voice in a calm and confident way.

We were also incredibly proud of our learners during our recent practice lockdown, where they remained calm and knew exactly what to do.

Kahurangi Rua

Kahurangi Rua has had a fantastic start as we settle back into school! We’ve been enjoying a variety of engaging activities that support both learning and wellbeing. Ākonga have explored their creativity through art, and expressed themselves during music time. Our singing sessions have been full of joy and connection. We’ve loved heading out on nature walks to explore our environment, as well as taking part in daily dancing and exercise to keep our bodies moving and our energy regulated. It’s been a fun, active, and positive start to the term!

There are often times when you need to ask questions or share information with your child's teacher. We kindly request that, instead of using a teacher's personal mobile phone number, that you communicate via email, Seesaw, communication book or by calling the school office (09) 5709787 please. We have desktop phones in every class, including satellites, so if you call the office with urgent information we are able to contact all classes immediately.

Here is the link to join this group's Facebook page.