5 April 2024

Kia ora e te whānau; Keeping our young people safe out in the community is always on our minds and there have been a few really concerning incidents in our wider community over the past few weeks. At this time of the year, with daylight savings ending, it’s good to remind our young people about staying safe. The safety messages below are from the NZ Police. While we reinforce these messages at all the schools across our Kōtuitui Kahui Ako, they also provide a really good starting point for a conversation at home, when you think about the different activities or events that happen across the week in your household.

NZ Police safety messages for students include:

• Walk or bike to and from school with a buddy - you are less likely to be approached when in a group.
• Walk or bike along busy routes where other people are present - don't use hidden tracks or areas that cannot be seen from the road.
• Never get in a vehicle or go somewhere with someone you do not know.
• If a person is persistent, follows you, and won't leave you alone scream HELP, HELP, HELP as loudly as you can. Repeat this while getting as far away as possible.
• Ring 111 immediately if you are concerned for your safety or think someone is following you.

With one full week of school remaining before the term break, this is a timely reminder to support each other to keep our community safe.

Fiona Barker PRINCIPAL