Building Connections at Our Hawke's Bay Immersion Day School

Every week, our group of 12 amazing Deaf and hard of hearing students, aged between 6-17 years old, come together filled with enthusiasm and excitement. The first thing they do is challenge each other at board games. They have learned many games and enjoy starting with this social element.

Our students love coming together to learn and catch up with each other. They have been actively learning how to communicate in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), practising new vocabulary and learning how to communicate with each other. All of the students love playing NZSL games and are very competitive.

Some highlights of this year include students practising being weather reporters, which encouraged teamwork and creativity as they shared the weather in different but entertaining ways. We also learned about people who support our community, such as the Police and Fire Service; we enjoy it when they come and share. Additionally, we explored places in our community, discussed family, and engaged with Turi TV.

We are proud of our students' achievements and their growth in confidence, communication, and NZSL. Thank you for your ongoing support with transporting students and working with us to ensure students attend our Immersion Day School regularly. The Hawke's Bay teaching team loves being a part of this community and looks forward to 2025.