Te Awhi Rito

Kia ora koutou katoa – warm greetings to all our families

Our sincere gratitude to all our Sommerville families for supporting the recent NZEI strike day for our teachers, support staff and therapists. We know the day would have been very disruptive and possibly stressful which is why we appreciate your support so much. We are hopeful the government will listen to our voices and come to the negotiating table with a fair offer for our valued staff.

It is with much sadness I inform you that one of our learners, Mariam Obeidat in Benghazi 9, passed away recently. Mariam had been unwell and not attending school for a while. Our staff have visited Mariam's family and we are supporting them as best we can. Mariam's family gave consent for us to share the news with our community and we know you will join us in sending aroha to them all.

You may be surprised to hear that the rebuild of our Base site is finally starting this month! Contractors will be onsite shortly and they will begin by creating an entrance for construction vehicles at our Benghazi Road site exit. Unfortunately this will cause some temporary disruption at drop off and pickups but please be patient. Later this term the main carpark at our Tripoli Road site will be closed so parking will become even more difficult than usual. We are encouraging our staff and visitors to park in the surrounding streets where possible. Drop off parks at the Tripoli office and around the back will still be available but will be in high demand. The school rebuild will take approximately 18 months but it will be worth all the disruption when we move into the amazing new learning environments that have been 20+ years in the making!

If you haven't already done so, please mark our assembly and special event dates shown below into your calendars. This is a fabulous time of year where we get to celebrate our learners and their accomplishments. Please come along to join in the fun!

Ngā manaakitanga

Belinda

He nui ake tō mātou mana i te kura anahe.

We are more than just a school.

Strength in Our Shared Purpose
Kia ora e te whānau,

As we begin our new three-year board term, I would like to acknowledge and thank our departing members, Megan Biddick and Michéle Theron-Jansen. Their experience, dedication and strong advocacy for Sommerville have made a meaningful and lasting contribution. We are sincerely grateful for their mahi and service to our school community.

I am pleased to introduce your new school board:

• Paul Vickery
• Drew Hutchinson
• Tokanga Makaola
• Peter Parsons
• Ban Al Gailani
• Angela Crang-Hood (co-opted)
• Kitty Ling (co-opted)
• Corey Busfield (staff rep)

As a team, we bring a wide range of strengths, perspectives and lived experiences — all united in our commitment to ensuring Sommerville continues to provide a nurturing and empowering learning environment for every student. You may wonder, what does the Board actually do? In short, we provide governance and strategic leadership. This includes supporting the Principal, Belinda Johnston, and school leadership; overseeing finance, property, employment and policy; ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all learners; and representing whānau voice in key decision-making. Ultimately, our focus is to help build the best possible future for our learners.

It's finally here! Our new school build is officially underway, and a group of us recently attended a dawn karakia led by Ngāti Pāoa. It was a beautiful, symbolic blessing that set the tone for a future built on care, collaboration and optimism for our tamariki and rangatahi.

We look forward to working alongside you throughout the term ahead. If you have questions, ideas or feedback — please reach out. We are always happy to connect.

Ngā mihi maioha,
Paul Vickery - Presiding Member

Our outgoing Board - from L to R: Corey Busfield (Staff Rep), Paul Vickery (Presiding Member), Michéle Theron-Jansen, Megan Biddick, Angela Crang-Hood, Belinda Johnston (Principal), Drew Hutchinson

Term 4, 2025: Monday 6 October to Friday 19 December (12.30pm finish)

Term 1, 2026: Tuesday 3 February (Wānanga Day) 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)

Monday 1 December - Ahurei EOY Assembly (Edgewater College; Glendowie College; Howick College; Te Hapori; Tripoli 7/8/9)

Tuesday 2 December - Atawhai EOY Assembly (Anchorage Park 1/2; Kahurangi Tahi/Rua/Toru; Owairoa; Tripoli 1/2/3/4/10/11/12)

Wednesday 3 December - Tupuranga EOY Assembly (Howick Intermediate; Pakuranga Intermediate; Stonefields)

Thursday 4 December - Puāwaitangi EOY Assembly (Benghazi 5/6/8/9/10/11; Glendowie Primary; Panmure District 1/2; Sylvia Park 1/2; Tripoli 5)

Friday 5 December - Kākano EOY Assembly (Benghazi 1/2/3/4/7/12; Riverhills 1/2; Riverina 1/2; Tāmaki Primary 1/2; Te Kōhanga 1/2)

Tuesday 9 December - Graduation Assembly

All assemblies will be held at the Tripoli Hall (80a Tripoli Road) and will start at 10.30am.

Term 4 2025

Tuesday 28 October - Friday 7 November - Life Education at Sommerville

Monday 3 - Friday 7 November - Book Week

Wednesday 12 November - Manaiakalani Film Festival

Tuesday 18 November - Sommerville Movie Day at Tripoli

Thursday 20 November - Children's Day

Wednesday 26 November - Athletics (Tāmaki Cluster); Board Meeting at 6.30pm

Monday 1 - Friday 5 December - EOY Assemblies at Tripoli (see above for class dates)

Friday 12 December - Christmas Fun Day

Saturday 13 December - Special Children's Christmas Party at The ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane

Friday 19 December - Term 4 ends at 12.30pm

Term 1 2026

Tuesday 3 February - Wānanga Day

Wednesday 4 February - School starts as normal

Friday 6 February - Waitangi Day (school closed)

Thursday 12 February - Sommerville Taniwha Street Opening 1966

Tuesday 17 February - Random Acts of Kindness Day

Recent measles cases linked to overseas travel have been reported in Te Tai Tokerau and Queenstown. Cases were active in the community while infectious and there is a risk of measles circulating there, and more widely in Aotearoa.
Important Points:

• Measles is very contagious and can make people of any age very sick.
• Watch for measles symptoms – fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes and a blotchy rash.

Measles: Locations of interest in Aotearoa New Zealand – Health New Zealand

• If anyone in your whānau has measles symptoms keep them home and contact a doctor or Healthline urgently on 0800 611 116.
• Vaccination is the best protection from measles. Check all whānau are immunised.

Measles immunity – Health New Zealand
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine – Health New Zealand

• Anyone closely exposed to measles who has not received two MMR vaccinations cannot attend their school | kura for at least eight days.

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 Ball last year was 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!

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)

Occupational Therapists

The Occupational Therapy team welcomed our new member, Tokuko at the end of Term 3. The Occupational Therapy team has been running a variety of regulation groups throughout the school, and implementing a variety of different equipment to assist our learners' regulation strategies. These included using swings in the classrooms or the swings in the Benghazi atrium or completing our GO ZONE groups in the classrooms, where students are exposed to a variety of movements, which includes movement over swizz balls.

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

It’s been a busy and exciting term with so much to celebrate! Our Diwali celebrations were a huge success – a big thank you to our amazing teachers for their fantastic organisation and creativity. Now we’re gearing up for some Halloween fun this Friday, 31 October – costumes, activities, and plenty of spooky smiles ahead! Lots to take part in, lots to learn, and lots to enjoy together- check out the Kākano highlights to see how much our students have been enjoying themselves!

Benghazi 1

This term Benghazi 1 have been attending weekly woodwork sessions. We are learning new skills and will have a product at the end to take home for Christmas.

Benghazi 7

Benghazi 7 students have been having a fantastic time during their swimming sessions! It’s been wonderful to see their progress and how much fun they’re having while developing important water skills!

Benghazi 12

We had a lovely session in the Life Education Van with Benghazi 1 where the students learned about treating each other nicely and keeping themselves safe.

(Outreach Team, Howick Intermediate, Pakuranga Intermediate, Stonefields)

Pakuranga Intermediate, Howick Intermediate and Stonefields learners all got together to start their learning about capacity. They made potions, jelly and juice ! It was a great day learning together!

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

Benghazi 6

The learners took part in drama lessons based on the book Row, Row, Row Your Waka. They enjoyed walking, singing and rowing to reach Aotearoa.

Panmure District 1 & 2 - We had FUN at MOTAT!

The trip started with an educational tour that offered hands-on experience on various communication devices and sensory activities. Our tamariki then explored different types of vehicles from the past, present, and future. They got to see massive engines and ride on cool vintage cars! The trip concluded with an exciting tram ride that made our tamariki thrilled and happy!

(Anchorage Park, Kahurangi Tahi/Rua/Toru, Tripoli 1/2/3/4/10/11/12, Owairoa)

Tripoli 12

Tripoli 12 are having a wonderful Term 4 filled with learning, creativity, and fun. Learners are exploring the Connections and Community theme through art, cooking, life skills, and outdoor activities. They have enjoyed EOTC trips, gym sessions, and sensory walks that have supported their fitness and wellbeing. The class has also celebrated cultural events and earned PB4L tokens for positive behaviour and effort. It’s been a joyful and productive term for all!

Tripoli 1

Fun in the community! - Tripoli 1 learner enjoyed nature and fresh air on Ambury Farm. They learned about the life cycle of animals and their habits.

During our trip to The Winter Gardens we experienced and engaged in a Sensory and educational environment.

Tripoli 11

Learners in Tripoli 11 have been actively engaged in a range of exciting activities, showcasing their creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm. These hands-on experiences help build confidence and strengthen their social and learning skills.

(Edgewater College, Glendowie College, Howick College, Kahurangi Tahi/Rua/Toru, Tripoli 7/8/9, Te Hapori)

Edgewater College

It was a busy and fun-filled Term 3 in our class! Each week we’ve been heading out on trips to the supermarket as part of our functional numeracy programme, where students work together to plan a meal, calculate costs, and shop for ingredients to cook later in the week. It was a real team effort as we prepared delicious treats for the Cultural Festival - fry bread, coconut scones, and bliss balls were definite favourites! Students are becoming more confident and independent in the kitchen, which is great to see. We also loved celebrating Fijian and Cook Islands Language Weeks, and went all in for the special 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, practising new kupu throughout the week. To top it all off, we had a wonderful visit to MOTAT. All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic term - bring on Term 4!

Tripoli 7, 8 & 9

This term, each week, Tripoli 7, 8 and 9 are collaborating for a variety of things: cultural singing and the Arts: music and dance. Together we are learning the school waiata along with other Te Reo Maori songs that have actions and NZSL.

During music and dance we are learning songs that also have actions and NZSL as well along with using ribbons and scarves.

It is a great opportunity for the learners to get together to build relationships with each other and all the adults in the 3 classes along with building their knowledge around Te Reo Maori and The Arts.

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.