Central Plateau Enrichment Academy t/as ADDI

ADDI (Advocating for Diversity, Difference and Inclusion) ADDI is a NZ Charity (CC53930). ADDI uses a holistic approach, and through their personalised programmes children gain the necessary social, emotional, behavioral and academic skills required to access the New Zealand Curriculum and move forward on their journey as successful New Zealand citizens.

We run a Private School, which enables children who for whatever reasons are unable to attend mainstream schooling an option to attend here five days a week. We also offer tutoring, One Day Schools for Autism, Dyslexia and Gifted & Talented children.

We are looking for caring people wanting to offer them the opportunity to be involved with a charity that is all about helping vulnerable children.

We have 9 amazing children attending our Private School at the moment, and having just had a glowing Education Review Office visit we are now wanting to extend our numbers to our cap of 32 children.

Although we have registration with Ministry of Education, as a Private School we do not receive any MOE funding so our families need to pay $250 a week ($10,000.00 a year) for their children to attend. We are inundated with families in need, but heartbreakingly many are unable to afford to pay.

We are not in competition with schools, our role is to help the students in our care work through any social, emotional, behavioral or academic issues they may have and have them reach a place where they can again re-join the mainstream school system. Often a "GAP Year" or a "GAP Term" is all that is required.

Donations will go towards making it possible for more children to attend. Two examples of children desperate to come to ADDI are below - there are lots!

TL

Current Age 13 years

Reading Age 7.5 years to 8.5 years

Spelling Age 8.5

TL presents with the highest level of vulnerability and is now of an age where extra support in a holistic environment is essential. TL suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from her early year’s right through to the present. This affects her ability to function in mainstream schooling. With the difficulties she has the learning gap has extended to a point where she now needs a one on one teaching environment.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE CHILD’S BACKGROUND FROM HER GRANDMOTHER

TL has had a hard start to life. TL was witness to a lot of domestic violence towards her mother from very young and her mother (my daughter) died when she was 7 years old.

T has been bought up by me since then. She has no contact or financial assistance from her father whatsoever.

TL has ADHD and ASD, she hates school and has undergone bullying and teasing, especially last year which was just awful for all of us.

TL started attending ADDI on Wednesdays. This has been amazing. TL looks forward to her Wednesdays and it makes such a difference to all our family knowing that one day a week she is so happy. It breaks my heart that she says “I wish I could be there every day – I feel safer there”. I believe that when she is at ADDI all the other pressures are not there, meaning she is relaxed and able to learn.

WHAT DIFFEREENCE WOULD SPONSORSHIP MAKE FROM HER GRANDMOTHER

This would make all the difference to my family, and very definitely T. I wish so much that I could afford to send her five days a week to ADDI. I just know that this would be the best thing for her now and will help so much in molding her future. I worry about her future constantly.

TJ

Current Age 9.5 years

Reading Age 6 – 7 years

Spelling Age 8 years

TJ would benefit significantly from a GAP year with the ADDI Enrichment Academy to place him in a position of being able to access the curriculum once he returns to main stream schooling. Accessing the curriculum means – he is in a Year 4 Class. The school work at that level is too difficult. During the time he has been at ADDI Enrichment Academy One Day School (ODS) he has made significant progress and has reduced his stress measurably, due to the low teacher student ratio. The teacher has a lot more time to spend with the student.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE CHILD’S BACKGROUND FROM MUM

TJ has significant needs (diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, motor & vocal tics, social anxiety, academic & educational problems) is extremely behind at school and needs one on one help to learn but does not get any extra funding for help at his current school.

T hates school and it is a huge struggle to get him there every day. It seems the school is viewing T’s challenges as being naughty and defiant. Potentially, because of T’s disengagement if could be the end of his schooling career at the age of 9.

If left without help there is uncertainty how he will cope living independently as an adult and how he will function in the workforce.

I am a solo mum, I know ADDI can help him but I am not in a financial position to pay for this.

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL SPONSORSHIP MAKE FROM MUM

ADDI work with other children with needs like T, they provide children like T a place where they feel accepted and I know if he feels happier he will do better. I know they will help him gain the necessary social, emotional, behavioral and academic skills required to get him back to a place where he can again join mainstream school. I worry what T’s future will be if he does not get a lot of help as soon as possible and really believe that having one year with ADDI will be of huge benefit to my son.

And CJ - one of our current students:

CJ’s ADDI Journey –

My son came to ADDI from a main stream school.

I was having major problems getting him to his main stream school, along with some treatment issues, security issues and education issues.

He hardly talked, made no eye contact and most of the time did not respond to his own name or realize when we was being talked to.

Since starting at ADDI in term 2 of 2017 I saw a change within the first day - he was excited to go to school.

Now he is not a security risk and his vocab has improved beyond my dreams.

He now greets everyone he sees and acknowledges them by name when he gets to school and when he leaves.

He also sits down and does his school work now, to the point he is actually being tested with worksheets which was not even close to possible at the beginning of last year after 2 full years of main stream.

ADDI Enrichment Academy has changed my son’s life and I now am able to see a future for him that I believed wasn’t possible before.

Jo – CJ’s Mum

Any contribution at all for these children would be extremely appreciated.