Summit Point School

No two days at The Summit Academy are ever the same! 🌟

We’re often asked what a typical day looks like here. While we use a structured timetable to support our neurodiverse tamariki and strengthen their executive functioning skills, the learning itself is always dynamic and fresh!

Take last Thursday, for example. In just one day, our students dived into:
𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Exploring how our senses adapt to the world.
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲: Putting their basic facts fluency to the test.
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Building up artistry skills for their personal projects.

At The Summit Academy, we’re all about targeted support, building up each child’s areas of need while letting their unique strengths shine! ✨

Discover how we do school differently: https://www.summitpoint.school.nz

Important Update Regarding Our Scheduled Parent Information Evening.

We wish to advise that the information session scheduled for 18 June at 6:00 PM has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

A new date and time will be confirmed shortly. Once finalised, we will share the updated details here so you can register your interest.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you at the rescheduled session.

Every Student Matters: Finding the Right Educational Pathway ✨

Every child’s learning journey is unique, and finding the environment where they will truly thrive can feel like a big decision. We are here to help you navigate the options.

Join us for an evening of connection and insight as we explore diverse educational pathways across Summit Point School (SPS), Future School (AGE), and Crimson Global Academy.

Learn directly from leading educators and experts:

Rebecca Elias (SPS)

Lisa Squire (Future School)

Pene Barton (CEO, Crimson Global Academy)

Special Guest: Rhian Collings (Registered Psychologist & Director of Blossom Psychology)

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents, get your questions answered, and discuss the important details that matter most for your child's future.

🗓️ When: 18 June 2026 at 6:00 PM
📧 Register your interest: [email protected]
📞 Questions? Call us at 09 973 5354

We can’t wait to welcome you! 🤝💙

Animal Adaptation & Clay Creature Design

Welcome to the world of creature design! 🌍🦖

Our students became evolutionary biologists this week, creating a complete scientific profile for a brand-new animal adapted to a specific, unique environment. Once the theory was down, it was time to bring them to life using clay!

This activity beautifully bridges science and creative writing, while the tactile "heavy work" of moulding clay provides a wonderful grounding proprioceptive input that helps regulate the nervous system. Science has never felt so satisfying!

Maths & Science Integration: Data Collection

When science meets math, amazing things happen! 📈🪶

We took the data from our Darwin’s finch beak experiment and turned it into a real-world math challenge. Students practised data collection by creating tally charts, flexing their number knowledge, and developing calculation strategies. For our learners, seeing math used as a tool to solve a real mystery makes numbers relevant, engaging, and way less intimidating!

Science: Darwin’s Finches Experiment- Why do birds have different beaks?

Our young scientists stepped into Charles Darwin’s shoes this week to find out!
Through a hands-on simulation of Darwin’s finches, students used different "tools" to mimic bird beaks and test how well they could gather food.

This interactive experiment brought the concept of evolutionary adaptation to life, making abstract scientific theories tangible, memorable, and incredibly fun for curious minds.

Multisensory Maths Extravaganza!

Math you can see, touch, and truly understand! 🧱✨

This week, we’ve been tackling multiplication and division using arrays, following the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) framework. By starting with hands-on materials (concrete) before moving to drawings (representational) and symbols (abstract), we give our working memory and processing speeds the perfect scaffolding to succeed. Watching the "aha!" moments light up the room is the absolute best part of our day!

Find out how we can support your child's maths learning at www.summitpoint.school.nz or www.thesummitacademy.co.nz

STEM Challenge: Duct Tape Vessels

The Ultimate STEM Challenge: Can you hold water using only duct tape? 🚰💪

Our innovators put their spatial reasoning and engineering skills to the test to build waterproof vessels. STEM challenges like this are fantastic for building executive functioning, requiring planning, goal-directed persistence, and cognitive flexibility when things don't go right the first time. There’s no single "correct" design, just a room full of brilliant, outside-the-box thinkers testing their limits!