July Adventures

 Well, well, well… the biggest excitement this month has been getting my long-awaited new motorised chair! I have spent the last week learning all the twists and turns of the Arohanui corridors, and I absolutely love it. It feels so fancy and has really warmed my heart.

The ball at the end of last month was so beautiful. I loved all the decorations, the amazing costumes, the music, and the dancing. The food was also so beautifully colour coordinated, which made it even more special.

I have been having lots of fun spending time with my friends from Te Puke. We have played the Human Challenge and have been talking about the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

In my woodwork sessions, I have started making a Scottish Terrier dog. I can’t wait to see how cool it looks when it’s finished.

I have also started doing photography again, and I’m really excited about the book we are creating. We have just finished designing the cover.

One of my favourite art projects this month was painting rocks in an Aboriginal-inspired style. I used a white base with pink, purple, and blue patterns, and I loved how they turned out.

Something else that has made me so happy this month is our new kitten at home. It has been such a wonderful addition to the family and has brought me lots of joy.

AN 

June Adventures

 This month has been a great month at Arohanui.

We are all getting very excited for the upcoming Ball. We have been busy making masks and learning about dance etiquette to help us prepare for the special day. I am so excited about it! Even though it is in the afternoon, I am planning to stay and be part of all the fun.

In computers, I have been working on an autobiography about my life and my family. It has been really interesting to reflect on my experiences and write about the people who are important to me.

In literacy and numeracy, I have been working towards my goal of counting back money, giving change, and practising my addition and subtraction skills.

I have also been feeling very helpful in sewing. We made some armrests for Murray’s wheelchair, and it was lovely to see the smile on his face when he received them. Knowing that something I helped make could make a difference really made my heart feel full. We also made a cool headscarf, which was lots of fun.

Gardening with Bex continues to be one of my favourite activities. I enjoy helping to decide what is a weed and what is a plant, and I love being able to contribute and be helpful in the garden.

One of the biggest highlights of the month was getting a new basketball hoop. Now I can practise shooting hoops and feel like I am truly part of the team.

In art, we played a fun game called Copycat Watercolour, and I created a gorgeous lavender field that now has a special place on my wall at home.

It has been a wonderful month filled with learning, creativity, helping others, and lots of excitement for the Ball ahead.

AN 

May

 We started the month with me feeling so happy to be back at Arohanui and spending time with my friends again. Unfortunately, I have had another setback and have spent most of the month in hospital. Even though it has been a difficult time, I know I will continue to get stronger and will be back with my friends again soon.

In the first few days of the month, I got stuck into some really fun sewing projects. We have been making a bag out of old jeans, and I got to carefully unpick the pocket to use in the design. I’m becoming quite skilled at sewing projects and have really been enjoying the creative process of putting this one together.

I also learned how to play a new game, UNO, which was so much fun — especially because I managed to beat my friends a few times. Alongside all of this, I have continued working towards my goal of learning more about money and practising how to count back change, and I’m getting more confident every time I practise.

AN

Literacy and Numeracy - Money

 

Today we identified the money notes and coins, then counted money and gave change. EB

Activies

 Today was great I got to watch my friends sing and learn a new card game uno, I won 🙌 TA

Sewing

pick pick pick with my quick unpick, I was removing a pocket from some old jeans so I can reuse the denim for my project 😄 TA

Quirks Cafe work

Today I worked in Quirks cafe. I helped fold napkins for all the plates and prepped all the forks. I got to work with Jacob.C who made me a hot chocolate. He's a cool dude.

-N.O.

 

Sports fun

Fun sports morning with my mates. 

-N.O.

 

Art

 

The preparation has begun, I have made a start on the wall decorations for our masquerade ball.TA

Girls group

 

I loved girls’ group today—we had a dress-up session, a tea party, and finished with a lovely hand massage. It was such a beautiful time. Gv

Lifeskills

 

Today I was going old school and hand writing a letter to my friend, next time I will check out my typing skills.TA

Sewing

 Today was fun and very productive,I got to start the prep work for my retro upcycle project. TA

Literacy and Numeracy

 

Today we counted balls balls of wool and then used counters to work on our addition and multiplication. EB

Art abd craft

 

 I had alot of fun ripping little pieces of paper and gluing, I created a really funky giraffe 🦒 and so did my friend.TA

Soccer antics

Busy morning of an intense soccer game. I was the referee. The winning team by only one point was The Cowboys! Go Cowboys!-N.O.

 

Numeracy and Literacy

 

Today we counted money and practiced giving the correct change. EB

Visiting time

 

Today my friends from Arohanui visited me. We talked and laughed with each other. I hope to be able to come back to the centre soon. DG

Massage and well-being

 

I had a lovely afternoon. Getting hand massages, my cuticles sorted and nail polish removed. It was a hand focused day.

-NJ

Cooking

 

I love baked beans so I knew I was going to enjoy baked bean nachos. We added lots and lots of yummy spices to make the beans tasty. I learnt a trick of sprinkling cheese on my nacho chips and microwaving it for some yummy melted cheese

KB

Keys master

 

I got to practice my Mary Had A Little Lamb on the piano today. It was so good and I was able to play it without any mistakes!!

-NJ