The Johnson Trust has assisted with the funding for a "sensory room" for Anchorage Park School and recently members of the Trust attended the grand opening.
This will be a new concept to most readers. The rooms are set up so that children that find the high levels of stimulation in the brightly lit, colourful classrooms and often happy noise classrooms, have a place they can go for some time out. These children who may be feeling sad and anxious or confused and angry are always accompanied by an adult and visits are the frequency and reasons for any visits to the room are carefully monitored.
Primary school can be a wonderful and happy place for most children but for a small group it is a challenging environment and in order to ensure that those children develop and learn, schools are increasingly looking for ways to better meet their needs.
Members of the Johnson Trust were welcomed to the opening of the room by a enthusiastically sung waiata, "E Minaka Ana" with all the children from the latest new entrants through to the Year 6 students mastering both the words and the actions.
The ribbon was then cut by a young student and Vonney Johnston, daughter of Rae and Ernie Johnson.