489 days ago

Have you heard of The Head Office??

Wendy Richards from Volunteering New Plymouth

The Taranaki Gifted Community (TGC) Trust is a registered charity, established in 2014, by a group of principals, teachers and parents who shared concern and passion for the learning needs of exceptional children.
It is their vision to enable neurodiverse potential.

It is their mission to be a community of people that holistically nurtures neurodiverse children and their whanau, so they grow to be well balanced adults empowered by their potential.

From very humble beginnings in 2014, with only a handful of students and a half-day programme, they teamed up with the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education (NZCGE) a year later. This partnership allowed them to offer the nationwide MindPlus programme in our region. More importantly they established strong ties with local primary and intermediate schools to ensure the best possible support for the students, consistent cooperation and flow of information.

In 2020 they decided to develop their own curriculum and programme - The Head Office. It is tailored towards the needs of our Taranaki community, giving the flexibility to respond to student interests, needs and local requirements even more.
The aim is to deliver in-depth intellectual and creative learning so that our students flourish as well-balanced individuals. Students come together, with a specialized teacher, one day a week in small classes.

In 2022 they took up the challenge to expand their services to support students with dyslexia. They ran a Pilot Programme for 6 months with a group of selected students and after its successful completion they now offer Project D to Taranaki students. Project D is a strength-based programme supporting the well-being and creative thinking of learners with dyslexia to increase academic engagement and success.

Where can you learn more?
If you are interested to learn more about the work of The Head Office programme, listen to Volly Voices on Access Radio 104.4fm on Sunday August 4th, at 2pm or Sunday August 11th at 2pm when Katja chats about what is happening on their programmes and how they support the school communities throughout Taranaki, and these young people to thrive and what is involved and where their programme locations are.

This can also be listened to from Monday August 5th on:
Spotify open.spotify.com...
Apple Podcast podcasts.apple.com...
Access Radio website www.accessradiotaranaki.com...
Volunteering New Plymouth website www.volunteeringnewplymouth.org.nz...

Who can you contact?
If you curious to learn more about The Head Office and /or you are interested in becoming a volunteer with this great programme, please contact Wendy at Volunteering New Plymouth on Ph: 06 758 8986; E: admin@vnp.nz or Ph / Text: 022 571 4228 to take the next step

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More messages from your neighbours
6 days ago

Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.

We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?

Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.

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Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
  • 53.1% Yes
    53.1% Complete
  • 46.9% No
    46.9% Complete
1876 votes
1 day ago

‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...

The Team from New Zealand Police

As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.

Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.

There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”

A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105

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1 day ago

Silent Auction

Jeni Kaerns from Red Cross Shop New Plymouth

Red Cross New Plymouth 18 Gover st have amazing items in our silent auction a PlayStation One, antique vase, clock, model helicopter that flies, mahjong set, pink impression glass bowls put your best bid in. Closes Saturday 13th December at 3.00pm. We are open 7 days

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