We are here, for working with and supporting our students and staff across New Zealand to connect and grow together.

What an exciting and forward-moving year we have had in the Early Years 2021. So much hard work has gone in by the teams in a challenging year to keep our teaching and learning focus for our youngest learners.

Christchurch Campus Residential students and staff wish to acknowledge the journey and recent passing of Henry-Tangiwai-Scott

Te Pokoru a Year 9 student, at Tongariro Area School. He had a smile that captured hearts and a real gentlemen in the making.

Weekends in the residence are an opportunity to relax after working hard all week and spend some time hanging with your friends.

Christchurch Campus Residential student and staff activities, outings, sports and achievements for the 2021 school year.

2021 has been a tough (three lockdowns!) yet an amazing year of connections in the Ko Taku Reo Preschool in Auckland.

Tamariki and whanau quickly develop a sense of belonging with each other as they identify similarities between themselves and their peers, while whanau discover shared experiences.

Eleven excited students from all over New Zealand independently fly to Auckland from their hometowns.

Tu Kokiri students have spent the year working hard towards gaining the skills, confidence, attitudes, and independence to enter the adult world.

When you look at 2021, it immediately conjures hardship, lockdown, vaccination, and challenges. However, there were lessons to learn. Kelston Boys’ have managed to excel and do well at school and throughout their online learning.

We were busy this year! We were lucky to have many day trips at the beginning of the year!

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, Engari, he toa hakatini Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.

This year, we had 10 students at our provision. We have had some challenging (but positive) and unusual situations this year - working at home online for a big part of our year, gaining NCEA credits, welcoming new staff, entering the Talent Quest competition - to name but a few. In each case, the students rose to the occasion.

Read on to find out what the OJC Deaf ākonga have been up to in 2021…

All our students enjoyed successfully trying new subjects this year.

The five New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies feature in our local curriculum at Oteha Valley Provision.

The Ormiston Primary School provision has had a busy year with a lot of learning and fun!

Wow! What an amazing year of learning and fun at the Linden Bilingual Primary Provision!

2021 has been a jam packed year at the Hillmorton Provision. Here is snapshot of all the exciting learning and connecting we have done this year!

Rivvohntay came to Ko Taku Reo, Christchurch in term 2 this year. She is enjoying being a boarder at Sumner and making the most of her time at Hagley, gaining credits and making new friends.

Amber-Rose has come from Mairehau High School and this year is her first year being at Ko Taku Reo. Amber-Rose has been attending both mainstream and homeroom classes.

Thomas has expressed some of the many challenges he has experienced throughout 2021.

Ryan shared his journey of the year. He started with a positive journey at the start of the year and then things did not go well for him. He did not give up.

This year has for us and many, been a year of 'CHANGE'. Changing how we think, how we act, how we do our learning and connect with our friends and how people move on and how we look at this change in a positive and encouraging way.

Adam Baillie and Mohi King-Whakaue attended Massey High this year and completed The building Trade Academy Level 3.

What a year 2021 has been! We have been fortunate to have held several fun educational outings to benefit our students in the Bay of Plenty Central area.

Things to do at school.

Getting to visit the Museum was such a fun day for our outreach students.

A visit to the Hamilton zoo for the Waikato Outreach students was a true highlight this year!

What has been happening in the Waikato Outreach Team?

Taranaki Team - Eden, Brianna, Riley, Noah, Mia, Benji, Tom, Thomas, Mackenzie, Kordy, Sadie, Honey, and Aayan are changemakers for the future!

Developing friendships and new learning experiences. We love KIT days!

Understanding the relevance of the three founding documents, He Whakaputanga/Declaration of independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ToW, Women’s Suffrage Petition, to the citizens of Aotearoa NZ today.

Read all about the Wellington KIT days and the successes of some of our students.

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.

Bringing all our learners together to tell their stories using traditional Maori symbols.

Wow, it has been a super busy and successful year for the Southland Team in 2021. We created a one day Southland NZSL Immersion Hub at Wallacetown School which has been very popular. A big thanks to Emma Clarke for taking the lead on this. We have been able to host some events to connect with our learners and whanau. Thrown back into lockdown, our team navigated innovative ways to engage with our students and worked well collaboratively to make things fun for our students. There were competitive streaks coming out between Staff Members too which made for fun times.

How did you find learning during lockdown? Check out what the southland students got up to during lockdown and the online learning fun we had.

Rawiri (age 8 from Hawkes bay), had a competition at his school to design a cover for their 'kapa haka' rakau!

In a year of uncertainty due to Covid, the franklin team made connectivity a prime objective; ensuring there was time to get together, share learning experiences and build friendships.

Three Year 4 students learning how to make their own Dutch chocolate sandwich, with the focus on sharing their ideas about taste and about halves and quarters.

Millie is very passionate about NZSL and would like it to be an optional subject if not a compulsory subject in all schools. Here is her speech.

Northland Teams visit ‘The Parrot Place’, Kerikeri, Term 1!

Whangarei and Mid & Far North learners travelled to Moerewa School to join up for Northland Language Days!

Market themed KIT Day, at Whangarei Sensory Centre, goes viral!

Showing diversity amongst our Learners

During term one of this year the Christchurch students, teachers, and whānau had a very fun outing to Victoria Park for our Kit day.

Favourite Subject Art

What a year we have had here in the Manawatu region. Our students have enjoyed many successes at their schools, kuras and Early Childhood centres.

We have had a fantastic year in the Wellington NZSL Immersion Hub. We love getting together to learn and play.

Every Thursday, students aged 5 years to 12 years come together at the Christchurch NZSL Hub based at Redwood School.

Students enjoyed the different sports for Deaflympics in Term 3.

The local school holds athletics day under a cloudless sky.

So many activities to choose between so Romy chose more than one.

Students take to the pool to learn to swim.

Time for our daily swimming lesson to begin.

A good catch. Mythias catches his first crab in front of a stunning backdrop at his kindy in Oamaru.

A young student in Ashburton shows his athletic ability at local school athletics day.

A young Ashburton student takes big strides in her learning.

This year the Otago Team have offered new learning environments at the Beacon School and Playgroup and continued quality Hub and Outreach Services.

We have been doing lots of learning inside and outside the classroom this year!