Last month we hosted our Taranaki Kit day at Merrilands School. Kit days are a great opportunity to build a sense of belonging and well-being around identity while embracing being part of the wider community It was wonderful to watch the children, whanau and kaiako reconnect with one another, play some games, learn some sign language and sing some sign songs. We welcomed new families from the region and from ASSIST.

We invited Deaf Aotearoa and Jackie from Palmerston North. Jackie role modelled the elephant game which created much laughter and excitement for everyone. We played the fruit salad game in NZSL which encouraged attentively listening and good observation skills.

We had a shared lunch then enjoyed a taster class from Deaf Aotearoa which gave us all a chance to contribute and share our various NZSL knowledge. Thanks to the Taranaki team, tamariki and whanau for making this a fun interactive day and to Jackie and Deaf Aotearoa. It was a memorable experience.