Message from the Principal

Rob Rush —

Kia ora Parents / Caregivers / Whanau

We Remember

Image by: Rob Rush

Last Saturday marked 9 years since the devastating February 22 Christchurch Earthquake.  We remember all those who lost their lives - may they rest in peace.   I would also like to acknowledge all of you who were affected by the quakes during this time.  No doubt it was a tough and unsettling time for you and your family. Aroha nui kia koutou katoa.


Road Safety

It seems to be on a weekly basis that our staff (usually office staff) are approached by parents or members of the community and informed about incidents where children are nearly hit by vehicles on their way to or from school.  This could be for a variety of reasons.   We often make a plea to motorists to take care on the roads when driving around our school community, to watch out for children and to keep their speeds down when driving past schools.  

We are very lucky to have wide, smooth foot and bicycle paths around the streets of Rolleston for us all to use and enjoy.  The health (and environmental) benefits of actively getting to school by walking, biking, scootering or skating are plentiful and these modes of transport are encouraged. Just look at the number of bikes and scooters we have parked in our stands on a daily basis.  It's fantastic to see!

Image by: Rob Rush

As they say, "health and safety is everyone's responsibility"-  we all need to play our part.  It's not just the drivers of the vehicles that need to be vigilant, but our children do too. Parents need to be having conversations with their children on a regular basis and as a school, we must do what we can to help educate our students about road safety as well.  

To help get the conversation started, here is a link to a handbook for parents (produced by the NZ Police) to help educate children about being safe on the roads.  This publication is well worth reading.  They point out children are not "mini-adults".

  • They do not see and hear things in the same way adults do. 
  • Their eyesight is not well developed, especially their peripheral vision. 
  • They are easily distracted by noises or things such as animals. 
  • They are short in stature and so can’t see over or around things easily. 
  • They can’t judge safe distances easily and so may make poor decisions about crossing the road. 
  • They may forget road safety rules if something unexpected happens, such as their ball bouncing out onto the road. 

(page 4, Helping Hands Booklet - helping to keep children safe on the road)

Many thanks for your support with this - I'm sure we can all combine to ensure our precious tamariki are kept safe on the roads.

Weetbix Triathlon

Image by: Rob Rush

(Photo: Patrick and Zavier lighting it up on the run)

Congratulations to all of our students who competed at the Weetbix Triathlon last Sunday.  By all accounts, there were lots of Clearview families there cheering on our young athletes as they swam, cycled and ran their way around the course at Jelly Park.  Completing a triathlon is hard work and a fantastic achievement. On Monday, I had the pleasure of catching up with many children who competed and they eagerly showed me their finishers medal - they were so proud of themselves and rightly so.  Well done to everyone who gave it a go. 

Enjoy the rest of your week and have a great weekend.

Ngā mihi nui

Rob Rush

Principal / Tumuaki