Sommerville Happenings

Graduation Night and the Senior Dance

2011-12-09T12:25:00.001+13:00

Our Graduates this year had a great night as they accepted their graduation books and certificates in front of family and friends. We are really proud of all they achieved during their time with us at Sommerville and wish them all the very best in the future.

We hope they will visit us again soon.

After the Graduation ceremony we had a wonderful time dancing the night away at our annual Senior Dance. It was great to see some of our past students there for the fun! check out the photos from our 'photo booth' during the dance.

Thanks needs to go to the students from St Kent's. You have all been real friends to the school and it was great to have you there to hang out with us and help with he music!

Thanks too to all the staff who helped out organising and on the night.

East and South Auckland Special Support Group

2011-11-24T10:25:00.001+13:00

Newsletter Term Four 2011

Please Diarize the following two dates as very important., and then diarize other things as you want to.

Christmas dinner at Lonestar Manukau branch Great South Road, we have booked for 15 but need to know exact numbers before hand, the date for this is Friday 18^th November at 7.30pm.

Tuesday the 13^th December our last coffee and dessert evening for the year will be at Sharon King's 22 Bronte Place Meadowlands 7.30pm, please bring a plate of Christmassy food to share and a secret santa gift to the value of 10 dollars

Coffee morning on the 15^th November at the Papatoetoe Adolescent Christian Trust 311 Great South Road Papatoetoe last coffee morning for the year is the 6^th of December

Other Information

Basketball for kids/adults on the ASD spectrum

At Papatoetoe on Sundays

For more information email maryhenderson2@me.com

Wednesday 2^nd November 6pm to 8.30pm

Parent Respite and Disablity forum

Tomorrow night

14 Erson Ave Royal Oak

CCS Disability Action Seminar room

JANET MCVEAGH RECREATION LTD

Upcoming events

Fri 4^th November

Halloween Guy Fawkes Sleepover and Disco all ages Icon Trampoline Club Buckland Road Mangere drop off 6pm to 9pm

Fri 11^th to Sun 13^th November

18+ City Slickers weekend in Hamilton

Fri 18^th to 20^th November

Orewa all ages camp

Friday 25^th to Sun 27^th November

Whangetau Weekend Matakana all ages

DECEMBER

Fri 2^nd to 4^th December

Christmas camp venue to be confirmed

Mon 12^th to Fri 16^th

Adult and school leavers holiday programme

Monday 19^th – Thurs 22^nd December

Christmas Holiday programme

Recreate Auckland Trust Programmes

Urban Youth Group events

Mission Bay Night out

Sat 5^th November dinner out at Otto Woo 6pm-9pm meeting at the fountain

Fri 18^th November

Twilight Movie Night at Sylvia Park 7-10.30pm

Meeting outside Borders bookshop

Recreates Xmas Party

3^rd December at Horse and Trap Mt Eden 6pm-9pm

Devenport Night Out

11^th Feb 6pm-9pm meeting at downtown ferry terminal

Parnell La Porchetta 24^th Feb

6.30pm-9.30pm meeting at Cathedral Parnell

Open air movies and summer dinner

BBQ march date and details TBC

Auckland Youth Camps ages 15-24

Summer Youth Camp

Waiheke Island 24^th- 27^th Janurary

Summer Beach Series 1

Waipu Caves camp

11^th-13^th November

Summer Beach Series 2

2^nd-4^th March

Whangamata Camp

Young adults 21+

Summer beach series 3

Mangawhai 17^th to 19^th Feb

5 day getaway summer beach series 4

5^th 9^th December for youth and young adults

Whangarei and Bay of Islands

Junior Adventure Camps ages 9-14

Merc Long Bay 4^th to 6^th November

Kiwanis Lodge

16^th to 18^th March

Extreme Water Adventure day

Sat 17^th March

Extreme Water adventure weekend 23^rd-25^th March

Mothers Weekend Vaughan park

18^th November $50 deposit and $200

This is all for now

Please remember to diarise the dates and please let me know re Christmas dinner

Disability Rec programmes will be added to this later in the week but I thought I would get this sent out now

I will also endeavour to keep people informed about such things as the farmers Christmas parade and the special xmas party for those that have children of an eligible age and the Koru care trip for end of year

Cheers Sue McGehan

Soccer Trip

2011-11-16T12:00:00.001+13:00

Dillion from Tamaki Intermediate and two of his soccer team mates travelled
to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. Dillion's coach Mike took the boys as a
reward for training hard and having a positive attitude. Dillion got to go
on a plane for the first time and drove up the beach on a bus. It was cool!

Respite and Disability Support Services Parents Forum

2011-10-25T11:59:00.001+13:00

The Parent & Family Resource Centre (PFRC) is facilitating a Parents’ Forum on Respite care and other Disability Support Services. In September PFRC distributed a survey regarding respite care for the autistic community. We have been inundated with responses ranging from complete lack of knowledge of respite services, through to heartbreaking stories of a lack of support.

Disability Support Services, including Respite care, are Ministry of Health funded supports allocated according the eligibility. We have been told by many families that a lack of adequate support in raising a child with a disability will often result in: family breakdown ill health the inability to continue caring for a young person with high and complex needs
The Families Commission and Autism NZ Inc. support this forum and will attend to hear and address some of the issues. Ministry of Health officials and Taikura Trust (needs assessment agency) representatives will also be in attendance to listen to families’ stories, concerns and answer questions.
PFRC realizes this issue of support affects many types of disability including intellectual, physical, sensory and mental health disabilities. This forum is open to the public, individuals with a disability, parents, families, whanau, aiga, siblings and related professionals.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions and provide written feedback on specific issues. PFRC will collate the data and stories collected to assist our drive for increased supports for this vulnerable group of families.
Agenda

5.00 pm Registration; Tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival
6.00 pm Opening address – Colleen Brown, Board Chair, Parent & Family Resource Centre
6.15 pm Alison Molloy, CEO Autism New Zealand Inc. “Inadequacies of Current Supports”
6.45 pm Charlie Moore, Chief Advisor, Families Commission “The Role of the Families Commission”
7.00pm Open floor to comments/questions
8.00pm Opportunity for written feedback, comments and questions
8.30 pm Summary and Close

To register your interest or for further information please contact Lisa at the Parent & Family Resource Centre on 09 636-0351 or lisa@pfrc.org.nz

Education Minister visits Tamaki Intermediate

2011-09-21T15:24:00.001+12:00

The Hon. Ann Tolley, Minister of Education visited the Tamaki Intermediate Satellite class today. Photo of Emma greeting the Minister and Principal Mr Tony Horan, by Patrick Rm 2 Tamaki Intermediate.

Cupcake Day 2011

2011-09-16T09:36:00.002+12:00

East and South Auckland Special Support Group

2011-09-05T12:11:00.001+12:00

East and South Auckland Special Support Group
Newsletter Term Three 2011

Coffee Mornings and coffee and dessert evenings

Coffee Morning Tues 20^th September at Papatoetoe Adolescent Christian Trust 311 Great South Road Papatoetoe, for Mums of preschoolers and others who have free time during the day

Coffee Morning Tuesday 4^th October at PACT 311 Great South Road Papatotoe

Thursday 8^th September coffee and dessert evening at Quirk Desserts top of Picton street in Howick 7.30 pm

Friday 23^rd September coffee and dessert evening at McCafe Lunn Ave Mt Wellington

Thursday 6^th October at Tracy Neary's 35 Te Koa Road Panmure 7.30 pm

Other News

Understanding Autism workshop two workshops on 20^th September one in the morning and one in the evening at St Davids Church Kyber Pass Road, free parking in the Church grounds

Janet McVeagh Recreation Camps and term three Holiday Programme, through to December, please put in your diaries

Fri 16^th to Sun 18^th September

All ages camp at Orewa

Drop off at Onehunga Community House 6.30pm

Pick up at Onehunga Community House at 5.00pm

Staying at Hendry House Orewa

Programme

Fri dinner at Bk, set up and board games

Sat ten pin bowling and movies at Whangaparoa

Sun shopping and lunch at Albany mall

ATTENTION

JANET MCVEAGH RECREATION OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FROM MON 19^TH TO Sun 25^th September

Fri 30^th – Sun 2^nd October

City Slickers weekend in the CBD for 18+

Staying at the Base

Drop off Fri 7.30pm Pick up Sun 2.00pm

Programme clubbing, dinner out , shopping in the city and movies

TERM 3 2011 HOLIDAYS

Week 1

Have a go camp at Otimai all ages

Mon 10^th – Fri 14^th October

Drop off Mon 10am Pick up Fri 12pm

Programme

Mon Clowning around workshop, face painting, juggling, special guests etc

Tues Food workshop day, cooking with Lisa and food expiriments

Wed Art workshop day, Halloween art day and pimp my ride, wheelchair design

Thurs acting workshop day, create and perform assignment, Rugby groups for performance night, acting and dance

Fri prize giving, goodie bags surprise Top etc

Night programme

Big Screen DVD night, stars in your eyes performances, karaoke and Disco Rugby World theme

Week 2

Mon 17^th to Fri 21^st October

All ages

Mon, Wed, and Fri 8.30-4.30

Tues and Thurs 8.30 to 4.00

Mon :

Pins( ten pin bowling and mini golf) at West Auckland

Tues :new train line from Onehunga to Auckland and sky tower

Wed :Auckland zoo( explore the new Te Wao Nui)

Six new habitats, The coast, Islands, Night,

Forest, Wet lands and the High country of New Zealand

Thursday: Movies and shopping in Newmarket

Fri: Action world West Auckland all outdoors ( Trapeeze, crazy ladder, Battle zone gladiators, Jungle swings, Circus high wire, jump and slide, trampolines, and bouncy castles giant size

Rain day option will be Mount Albert wave pools for Auckland Zoo and Action world

TERM FOUR ALL CLASSES AND PROGRAMMES START BACK Tues 25^th October

Sat 29^th October

Halloween ultimate safari night, sleep over at the zoo and boo in the zoo event combined all ages

Sat 29^th October 4.30pm to Sun 30^th October pick up time to be advised

Pick up and drop off Front entrance of the zoo

NOVEMBER 2011

Fri 4^th November

Halloween/Guy Fawkes Disco and sleepover at the Trampoline Club Mangere all ages

Fri 11^th to Sun 13^th November, City slickers weekend at Waihi

Fri 18^th- Sun 20^th November all ages camp at Orewa

Fri 25^th – Sun 27^th camp all ages at Whangeteau

(Matakana)

DECEMBER 2011

Fri 2^nd- Sun 4^th December Christmas camp weekend, all ages, venue to be advised

Mon 12^th to Fri 16^th December

Adult and school leavers holiday programme

Saturday 17^th December JANET MCVEAGH RECRETION CHRISTMAS PARTY

Mon 19^th to Thurs 22^nd Dec schools out holiday programme four day only

Recreate Auckland Trust up coming camps

And events

Urban youth outing Fri 16^th September to Wok-n Noodle 61 Normanby Road Mt Eden 6.30pm-9.30pm

Youth Camp Auckland youth camp Kiwanis Lodge Huia for ages 15 to 24

Weekend getaways

Waihi youth getaway 9^th -11^th September

For ages 15 to 24

Rotorua Junior getaway 23^rd to 25^th September for ages 9 to 14

Mt Manganui Young Adult getaway 30^th September to Sun 2^nd October for ages 21 plus

4 day Mystery getaway 11^th-14^th October 2011

This is all the news for now, please do remember to diarize coffee mornings, and coffee and dessert evenings and up and coming camps and holiday programmes

Cheerio until term four

Sue McGehan

Sommerville TV

2011-06-13T11:08:00.001+12:00

Check out our new Sommerville TV blog! Our Tamaki Satellite students and others have been busy making lots of videos so we thought we would put them all in one place. You can find the link in the menus on the left.

Feel free to leave any comments on the videos.

Well done guys!

The Morning Rush

2011-04-05T11:15:00.005+12:00

The Tamaki Satellite students made this fantastic timelapse film of the how the morning begins here at Sommerville.

St Patricks Day

2011-03-21T10:27:00.001+13:00

Rooms 1 ,2 9, 10 , 11 and Tamaki had a fun day together playing games with a green theme.

Tamaki Satelitle class where great helping out the students in Room one and two.

We loved playing together and dressing up in green for the day.

MOTAT

2011-03-16T09:09:00.001+13:00

Room 9 and 10 went to Motat on Wednesday last week. We are learning about old and new things. We had a fabulous time dressing up, doing hand washing, carrying buckets of water, and looking through the old school and cottages.

Glendowie, back in action!

2011-02-15T10:20:00.001+13:00

Glendowie is back to work after the fire!

We love our new classroom and want to thank all those people who helped us.

Welcome Back for 2011

2011-01-30T12:48:00.001+13:00

Hope everyone has had a good start to the year.
Sommerville opens for students on Thursday the 3rd of February.

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for a Great Year

2010-12-17T14:54:00.001+13:00

iPads and Special Needs

2010-11-17T09:52:00.001+13:00

Many of our parents are beginning to look at the iPads as ways of motivating, teaching and giving access to their children. We have purchased some iPads here at school and are trialling them out in different classes.
To support this idea we have created a blog to show reviews of what apps we are using and to share with our community ideas on how to use this new technology.

Check it out from the link in the menu on our main website. Feel free to offer suggestions or start a discussion.

Principal for a Day

2010-11-09T13:40:00.003+13:00

Our School enjoys being a part of the Principal for a day programme, where senior business people from the local community get to spend the day in our school and see what is happening.
Here is a short film about the programme running in Manukau.
Keep an eye out for our Principal Diane!

Sommerville Festival 2010

2010-11-04T11:41:00.001+13:00

Last Saturday staff, students and families converged on the school to help celebrate at the Sommerville Festival. It was a fantastic day with great cultural food, painting activities, art auctions, dance performances, music workshops, produce to buy and a cafe to relax in.

What a great day!

Class of the Week!

2010-10-04T19:05:00.000+13:00

Senior Dance 2010

2010-09-24T14:15:00.002+12:00

Everyone turned out for our Senior School Dance last week and had an awesome time dancing the night away. We have been practicing our dancing all year with Allie (our dance teacher) and it really paid off. A big thanks to students from St Kents for their great DJ skills and help with the lighting and to all the staff and parents for their help organising and getting involved.

What a great night!!!

Special Olympics Soccer Ribbon Day

2010-06-25T11:23:00.001+12:00

All Whites inspire the Sommerville United to win the Top Division in the Special Olympics Central Zone Soccer Ribbon Day.

Some Shane Smeltz like striking from Bevun Hunn top scored for the team while Luke Tepaki worked tirelessly to deny opposition strikers with superb saves just like Mark Paston. Siaosi played like Simon Elliot and provided with set piece plays,while Stephanie worked on the defence. Daniel and Ngametua used their height and pace advantage to provide with aerial attacks. A great team with awesome result.

Our key to success was pure determination!

A Fantastic Donation!

2010-06-10T11:45:00.001+12:00

When the school's portable projection screen fell to pieces last week during a presentation evening we realised it was time to start looking for a new one.

This week we got in touch with a company called Tasman Screens from Henderson to get a quote to replace the screen and were blown away when Roald, the managing director, told us he was happy to gift it to the school.

When we got out there to pick it up both Roald and his son Peter were fantastic. Thank you both for your amazing generosity.

The school was using it for another presentation within a couple of hours of it being in the school.

Special Olympics Tenpin Bowling Ribbon Day Champions!

2010-06-10T10:53:00.001+12:00

Peni, Jordon, Robi and Sherry Lee outplayed all other teams in Division 2. Great Achievement ! Peni mentioned that it was pure determination from the team which won them the trophy.

Hair Styles

2010-05-10T16:21:00.002+12:00

We are room 10 from Sylvia Park. We are investigating hair styles. We are learning how to describe different hair styles and how to take care of our own hair and make it look cool. Last Wednesday we went to Neway Barbers in Mt Wellington. We met Lenny and Jo who gave Nathan, Keenen and Michael cool new hair cuts. Thanks Lenny and Jo!!! We had a great time at the Barbers.

Special Olympics Ribbon Day

2010-04-22T09:03:00.001+12:00

The Year of the Tiger

2010-02-24T10:10:00.002+13:00

What a great start to the new year!

The Senior School celebrated the Chinese New Year in style. The staff re-enacted the origins of the tradition and then we had a visit from a Lion dancing group. The students got to taste some special Chinese treats too! Thanks to all the staff for co-ordinating and participating in such a fantastic event!

Paikea and the Whale

2009-12-14T11:40:00.002+13:00

A Starry Night

2009-11-22T09:56:00.006+13:00

Check out the unveiling of this great piece of artwork by the Edgewater Jnr team. Awesome work guys!

Salads and other vegetables will be in abundance for Room 26. Thanks to St Kentigern College

2009-11-19T09:35:00.002+13:00

St Kentigern College supporting Sommerville classes,House and Room 26 during a gardening programme. Mark Robinson delivered a number of seedlings ready to be planted for the class gardens.

Kay Scott, Room 26 class teacher, expressed that she would like to produce enough for her class cooking sessions. Salads and other vegetables will be in abundance this time she reckons!

Students and teachers prepared the garden bed and planted their choice of plants.

Sir Murray Halberg visits Sommerville

2009-11-18T12:12:00.001+13:00

Sir Murray Halberg ,Steve Hall ,newly appointed CEO for the Halberg Trust, together with Stacey Roach, Sports Opportunity Adviser Counties Manukau visited us on the 9^th of November.

We are working in partnership with the Halberg Trust to promote Sports Ability games in our school. Sports Ability games include polybat, table cricket, goal ball, boccia and sitting volleyball.

A group of students are also training hard to compete in the 2009 Sports ability Games on the 27th November 2009 which is our final competition of our sports calendar.

Pink Day at Sommerville

2009-11-02T21:07:00.002+13:00

What a great day we all had recently when we dressed in pink to raise money for breast cancer. The staff and students all got into it with pink costumes, pink food, singing and dancing and general frivolity. We raised over $700 too! A big thank you to everyone who got involved and organised this great day!

Mooncake Festival

2009-10-28T14:24:00.002+13:00

The Edgewater Jnr class has created this great video about the Chinese Mooncake Festival. Awesome job guys!

St Kents Partnership is Champs!

2009-10-25T13:32:00.001+13:00

All year a group of students from St Kentigerns have been coming to Sommerville once a week to help out in the classrooms and work with some of our students.It has been a great experience for all of us. They have also been helping out with different projects around our school and most recently have donated 10 computers for use in the classroom.What a tremendous thing to do! Thanks to everyone involved from St Kents for what has become a great parnership.

Eastern & Bays Courier feature Sommerville students!

2009-10-15T14:03:00.002+13:00

Photo: AMELIA JACOBSEN

FUN TIMES: Sommerville Special School students really got into the hip hop day. From left: Nathan Keu, 12, Keenan Rasmussen, 11, partly obscured: Kaimoana Vaitohi, 14, Chance Te Whare, 14, Celene Thompson, 14, Monica Manawatu, 9. Front: Zinmar Hla, 12.

The students weren't the only ones who got into the spirit of Sommerville Special School's second hip hop day – the teachers also dressed up, and danced the day away.

More than 50 students travelled to Tamaki Recreation Centre last month to enjoy a day full of dancing, music, competitions and most of all fun.

Physical education and sports co-ordinator Ashwin Prasad says he had never seen some of the students move in the way they did.

"To see them expressing themselves though dance is just amazing," he says.

"They're really into it – music just makes them move."

There were freestyling, rapping and krumping competitions, and everyone was treated to a performance by the Bring it On – All Stars high school dance group.

Mr Prasad says these opportunities have to be created for the students so they have a way of expressing themselves, "because they don't often get the chance".

A group of five sports management students from Unitec had invited the school to participate.

The planning, preparation and delivery of the three and a half hour event was part of their event management paper.

Unitec student Gemma Delia was in awe of the students' stamina.

"I didn't expect them to be so in to it but they've been going hard since the word go," she says

Riverhills got Mail!

2009-09-28T15:03:00.001+13:00

Thank you all so very much. We had 544 postcards by the end. What an amazing achievement for just 11 people. Please pass on our thanks to your friends and families from around the world who sent mail to us.

We received cards from all over Europe, the Middle East, China, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Great Britain, Australia, Taiwan, Japan. Not to mention incredible coverage of New Zealand.

The students have written wonderful stories about their mail and learnt a lot about how emails, mail and phones can be used.

The next door class conceded defeat having failed to reach 200!!

Thank you very much

Shelley and her very happy class

Click Special Ed Website

2009-09-22T12:17:00.001+12:00

The launch of the much anticipated "Click Special Ed" website has arrived. Visit the site at http://clickspecialednz.com/ or through the weblinks tab. This will be a great resource for us all. Awesome work from all those involved.

Romeo and Juliet

2009-08-27T15:17:00.010+12:00

The Edgewater Satellite class has been studying Romeo and Juliet and have created their own radio play based on it. Click on the play button below to hear it. Great job guys!

Work Experience

2009-07-29T15:52:00.004+12:00

Here are some of our Senior students working hard during their work experience programmes. We are very thankful to many places in the community who help us with their support. Here you can see students working at King's Plant Barn, Bunnings and Woolworths.

New Classroom Construction

2009-06-19T14:32:00.003+12:00

We are very excited that building has started on our new Senior Cluster classrooms. Check out the school photos to see the progress over the next few months.

Tree Planting

2009-06-04T12:50:00.003+12:00

What a great day the House group and Edgewater Snrs had in Mangere helping out planting trees. Everyone got stuck in and by the end of the day had planted a small forests worth!
Good job guys!

Our New Bike Track

2009-03-31T14:10:00.008+13:00

A BIG thankyou to Ted from A1 School Linemarking 2005 Ltd and Clay for coming out on Friday to paint a bike track in our senior playground. Ted and Clay generously donated their time to give us the new bike track, complete with pedestrian crossings and a give way intersection. This bike track can be used for bike training and steering skills, understanding road rules and safety, role playing and many other activities. The students have already started using it and love it. Thanks guys!

Soap Box Derby

2009-03-31T12:08:00.009+13:00

On Sunday 22nd March, we had a team of young drivers competing in the All American Soap Box Derby regional competition, held near the Mt Wellington quarry. Jordan Middlemiss came third and will be competing in the National competition on Saturday 4th April in Glenfield.

Shining Stars

2009-03-26T14:45:00.000+13:00

Sommerville is proud to host "Shining Stars", a support group for parents with pre-school children with special needs. Come and meet other parents and take advantage of specialist child care for an hour.
This group meets every Tuesday during term times, 9.30 -11am
Call Sommerville for more information on 09 570 9787