Waianiwa School
Our school is located in the village of Waianiwa,15 mins from Invercargill city. The original school was established in May 1863. We have 5 teachers at the school.
The school is located on a busy road with a 70 km zone past the school. In recent years we have noticed an increase in milk tankers and other rural road users.
A train track is100 m away from the school. We have two buses, and most us travel each day on them. We believe in being safe and responsible on or near the roads.
We are also proud to be an EnviroSchool, and having won a silver award, we are very aware of trying to be sustainable.
Last year we formed a Road Safety Council-the BEE SAFE team. 7 students meet to discuss any road safety issues, and report at assemblies. We encourage and practise being safe and responsible pedestrians, riders and passengers. We present certificates rewarding safe practices. Sometimes we put on little plays or quizzes that help the school to learn road safety.
Last year one of our integrated learning units was called-Pathways. We wanted to understand how pathways affect our communities, and also investigate our own personal pathway.Our pathways learning was displayed. We investigated the importance of roads especially in our community and involved technology learning.The whole school bused to Invercargill for a big day out!
We based ourselves at the museum where a number of experts shared their knowledge with us. A Southland District roading engineer showed us how roads are made, and Mr Esler led us around the inner city so we could explore the importance and impact roads and pathways have on shaping Invercargill. While in town, we practised our safe and responsible walking with Constable Blair from NZ Police, and Mrs Deuchrass from RoadSense. Crossing inner city roads with traffic lights and without them was a challenge! The traffic is quite different from our small area.
Our high viz vests were kindly donated to us by the Community Trust of Southland, with the support of the Makarewa Lions Club. We use them to and from school, as well as for walking within the community. We understand that a reflective vest helps us to be seen, especially in these dark winter months!
As a result of our Pathways learning and understandings, we felt that our path in front of the school was very unsafe. It was badly cracked, narrow and had no kerbing.
The Board of Trustees supported us when we wrote to them about the path’s condition. They had a meeting with the District Council, who funded our new path! SUCCESS! During the Christmas holidays the new path was laid and the kerbing added. The Board also looked at the parking and this is now angle parking, which we believe is safer.
The Board of Trustees is also supporting our concerns about our 70 kph zone, and the lack of signage for motorists passed the school. The Southland District Council is looking into it and we hope to get flashing lights installed.
To continue our RoadSense learning in 2009 we have had just held a ‘Be Sure Be Safe” unit. Visual language, especially Road Signs has been a focus of learning in English and Technology. To celebrate our learning, the school held a Community safety day. Displays and powerpoints by Civil Defence, NZ Police, RoadSense, Road Safety Southland, Rural Women, ACC, Plunket car seats, the Seat Belt machine, and Police speed camera all helped the day to be very exciting and awesome.
At Waianiwa School we take lots of opportunities to practise being safe and responsible. We practise being safe on or near the road, following the simple steps of STOP LOOK LISTEN and DECIDE
We also practise how to be safe and responsible as a rider by having our helmets and bikes checked. We know to fit our helmet 2-4-1. We also love when Constable Corlett and Mrs D run cycle skills workshops.
Last year our cycling skills improved soooo much that we won the Southland title and trophy for Top Bike. The team of 6 needed excellent control and bike skills to achieve and win the award. Parents played a big part in helping manage and train the biking team.
Because most of the students come by bus we have also practised how to be safe and responsible on and off the bus.
Each year the world famous Tour of Southland cycle race comes right passed our school! We often win the award for the noisiest school, as all the students take a musical instrument out to cheer on the riders. Last year we won the banner competition.
As part of encouraging those students in the village to walk to school, a walking bus was formed. For one week the bus bused around the community picking up everyone! The students loved the walking bus.
Thankyou for letting us share how RoadSense has impacted on, not only our learning, but also on our behaviours as we build in lots of opportunities to be safe and responsible as pedestrians, passengers and riders.
