Year 7 Overview
We hope that your time with us brings much satisfaction and to fill your days, we aim to provide a rich smorgasbord of interesting and varied learning experiences that will challenge, engage and inspire you to be the best you can be!
The first term starts with finding out about life at Somerville and all the varied programmes that are available. The students are offered a wide variety of opportunities to get involved in wider school life, whether it be in sports, dance, drama, Kapa Haka, choir, orchestra, service, or leadership, there are a host of areas to choose from.
In Term 1, each whānau introduces their own Inquiry. An Inquiry provides opportunities for students to be involved in real-life learning, and this learning is created around a ‘universal concept’ such as power, change, structure and conflict.
Students then explore this concept from deeply and critically and from multiple perspectives. This learning is integrated across the curriculum using a transdisciplinary approach that enables students to see connections between subjects.
Students are also introduced to the Specialist subjects:
These are:
Materials and Processing Technology
TWO Specialist Science programmes
Digital, Design & Communications
Food Technology
Visual Art
Music
Dance & Drama
Annual Highlights
A huge highlight is the annual Year 7 camp where each whanau gets to go away to Motutapu Island camp for four days of team building and outdoor activities. We are totally convinced it is the best camp in the world! Students come back from Motutapu buzzing from their experiences, the deeper connections they have made with their peers, as well as the challenges they have overcome. A lifetime memory for sure!
Visit our >> camp page
During Term 1 we also have our school swimming sports day and St Johns visits the school to orientate students around basic but important first-aid practices.
Students participate in School swimming sports day and school athletics day. Both these days are used not only to celebrate and challenge our young athletes but are also a lot of FUN! Our students have the opportunity to receive specialist physical education lessons as we are fortunate to have a physical education specialist teacher. We also include lessons from outside experts. These include table tennis, rowing, badminton, squash and many others.
Our students benefit from interesting and unique visitors. This connection with other outside groups and community programmes helps our students see the greater world around them, Some examples are groups such as the “Attitude” group, New Zealand writer/authors even the National Army Museum visits the school in Term 2 to present a range of interactive experiences aimed at building an understanding of life during WW1.
Term 3 sees students delivering speeches with school winners competing in the South Eastern Zone finals. Students are able to choose between traditional speeches, spoken word (poetry), rap and a flash talk (using images to complement oral communication).
This year we will be having an Arts and Cultural Evening where different performing arts and cultural groups will be on show. There will also be a further opportunity for the kapa haka group to perform at a local hui.
Term 4 always has an air of excitement as each whanau busily prepares for their end of year celebration evenings. Here students showcase all the wonderful learning and experiences that have gone on during the year. This is also the term we have our school athletics day, end of year prize giving ceremonies and the Year 7 Big Day In.