One of the most exciting endeavors in Southland for 2021 was the development of our Southland NZSL immersion hub. Creating a hub was something that we in Southland had been hoping and planning for many years. Through the support of the Ministry of Education and Ko Taku Reo we have been able to make it a reality.

It has been exciting to have the opportunity to be part of something special and to see it develop strength to strength. We have 18 children from around Southland attend our hub on Wednesdays at Wallacetown Primary School. We aim to provide a safe learning space that supports the educational goals of our learners while providing an environment that nurture’s their culture and identity. We are a bilingual learning space where learners are immersed in NZSL and provided with authentic learning opportunities to develop NZSL.

We have enjoyed the opportunity to engage in a variety of learning experiences. These learning experiences are focused on the development of literacy and language. We also provide our learners with experiences for ‘what’s on top’, this supports their understanding of events happening around the world.

A huge thank you to Wallacetown Primary School who have welcomed us into their learning community and also to our learners and their families who have embraced this exciting new venture.

We are excited to continue our hub for 2022 to create some more memorable experiences for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners.