It has been an exciting year full of many opportunities to belong, grow, choose, and excel for our students at Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka - Hillmorton High School Provision.

At the beginning of the year we welcomed eight new students from around New Zealand, bringing our total to 20. Our students attend classes in a wide range of subjects, both in our Provision and in mainstream classes at Hillmorton.

We have many talented students who enjoy classes which develop their artistic and creative skills. This includes creating a table in Wood Technology, a delicious food selection in Food and Nutrition and Culinary Arts, a robot in Digital Technology and some fantastic artwork in Art classes.

Some students have been working hard to achieve credits in their NCEA subjects, including NZSL and Deaf Studies. In Deaf Studies they learn about Deafhood and connect online with students in one of our Auckland Provisions. The Visual Vernacular videos created were a real highlight. Visual Vernacular is a unique physical theatre technique with elements of poetry and mime. This powerful storytelling style combines strong movement, iconic signs, with gestures and facial expressions, to capture the world in all its visual complexity.

Students studying Tourism attended a two-day course at the New Zealand School of Tourism. They greatly enjoyed this experience, asking lots of questions and learning a lot about possible career opportunities in the Hospitality Industry. They even earned some NCEA Credits along the way! Our Senior students also made the most of a chance to attend the Open Day at The New Zealand School of Tourism where they participated in different activities and learned about all the courses available.

Our students are able to participate in the Wednesday sports options that are available at Hillmorton, including tennis, volleyball, and basketball. Regular basketball practice and skill development has meant that two of our students have been selected for the New Zealand Deaf Basketball Team!

Our students have lead the way in promoting NZSL at Hillmorton, including teaching NZSL to different whānau groups. One of our students received a full scholarship through Hillmorton High School to attend an Outward Bound Course in Anakiwa and thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic experience. Two of our Year 12 students were awarded Hillmorton Leadership Blazers - recognition which has given them confidence in growing their leadership skills.

Throughout the year, we've all enjoyed opportunities to connect with other students and staff at Ko Taku Reo by attending the quarterly National Huis, the Matariki event and The Arts Showcase.

Our year finished on a high with lots of exciting events in Term 4, including a trip to The Antarctic Centre, a Year 9 camp to Orton Bradley Park, The Amazing Race for our Year 10 students and a trip to Willowbank. These events are always a great way to make lasting memories and have fun while learning outside of our usual environment.