Kaitoke School began life as a small whare with a dirt floor in 1863.
Since then it has been on four different sites, including the front room of a local farm house! In 2013 we celebrated our 150th birthday.
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Kaitoke School in the Whanganui Community
Kaitoke School's Student Volunteer Army completes homeless project
Kaitoke School students and supporters have made a transitional home more welcoming for a family. Photo / Supplied
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Kaitoke School's Student Volunteer Army completes homeless project
Room 5 of Kaitoke School worked together with the Salvation Army to make a transitional home feel a little more welcome on Monday, November 23. The class has been using a School Kit resource, modelled on the Student Volunteer Army, which was founded by Sam Johnson. The resource was designed to encourage community service through a team structure.
Room 5 started the journey by choosing a project theme of "helping those in need". They also had to identify their strengths to help us form a team where each member had a specific role, ranging from caterer to health and safety officer. Room 5's community liaison officers, Naia Law and Blake Burnette, contacted the Salvation Army to find out if each organisation would support each other with a project. Janine Tipu, from the Salvation Army, reached out regarding a potential project to welcome a family into a transitional home by making the beds and giving it a few final touches.
A house became available so Room 5 jumped into action, mobilising the school community and wider Whanganui community to support through donations.
"It was so powerful to see members of the class on the phone throughout class and break times, calling around local businesses to see how they could help. They were very passionate about the project," Jacoba Glenny, Room 5's teacher, said.
After a week of planning, organising and lots of thoughtfulness, they were ready for the big day. Room 5 was supported by teachers, their principal and parent helpers on the day. Each room started out with basic furnishing and ended with Christmas decorations and touches such as welcome home signs and messages.
With the donations, Room 5 were able to fill the pantry and fridge for the family, while also preparing the gardens with vegetables and a beautiful rose. The boys' and girls' bedrooms were made welcoming with colour, books and toys. The catering team served up a sausage sizzle at lunch to keep the team fed.
Tipu unpacked homelessness further with the class to provide some understanding and empathy. Glenny said the project was "a practical way to give young people an opportunity to see how some small actions can form into large results. This is so important for not only building empathy, which has to be taught, but also to empower students who want to help but feel a little hopeless and are not sure where to begin, particularly in today's climate".
Room 5 reflected on the highlights of the experience the following day. Danica Woods said, "To know that we have changed a family's life and knowing that they now have a roof over their head, it really brightens up your mood knowing that we did something so incredible".
Janine Tipu described the day as "refreshing and so rewarding to see transformation happening before our eyes".
"Room 5 exploded with energy and took on the responsibility of creating a warm and welcoming home. It was an amazing activity. Room 5 achieved their goals with such a positive attitude, conversations filled the rooms on the impact of families facing homelessness. Well done Room 5 for your hard work and effort put into preparing this house for a new family."
Room 5, Kaitoke School and the Salvation Army would like to thank the following for their support of goods towards the project: Springvale Garden Centre, Pakn'Save, Caltex Victoria Avenue, Quality Decorating Ltd, Kaitoke School community, Porse community, Pita Pit, Matthews Roses, Geeta's Spices, Mad Butcher, Protege Hairdressing, Woods family, Bryce Anderson Electrical, Mayo family, Countdown Victoria Avenue, Monaghan's Barbershop, K & A Tree & Garden Maintenance, Auret family, Flooring Xtra.
Kaitoke School students and supporters have made a transitional home more welcoming for a family. Photo / Supplied
Vanessa Duncan, Kaitoke School principal
Wanganui Midweek·
2 Dec, 2020 04:00 AM
Kaitoke School Community History
Cardiac arrest survivor teacher Faye Bullock had her life saved by an AED
Cardiac arrest survivor teacher Faye Bullock with principal of Kaitoke School, Vanessa Duncan, standing next to the AED.
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Cardiac arrest survivor teacher Faye Bullock had her life saved by an AED
Cardiac arrest survivor teacher Faye Bullock had her life saved by an AED.
She easily convinced the Kaitoke School principal of the need to have one at the school.
“I spoke with Vanessa Duncan and suggested maybe we could fundraise to purchase an AED for Kaitoke School,” said Faye.
Vanessa looked on the AED app and found the closest devices were at Durie Hill School or Whanganui Airport.
“It was too far, especially when someone’s life is in danger,” she said.
Vanessa applied to the Lion Foundation after looking at the grants available.
“They gave us the full cost of the AED, $3616, as a grant. That was amazing.
“The idea of the AED is that it’s available 24/7 to the community. It’s mounted on the outside of the building. I think this aspect helped with the grant being successful.
“The school itself paid for the case it is mounted in, it was mounted on the wall by one of the parents, builder David Brown. We get great support from our community at Kaitoke.
“At the end of last year, we got Red Cross out to the school, and everybody in the street to do CPR training. Red Cross talked about AEDs.
“As a school, we are pretty proud to support our local community with our AED available 24/7,” she said.
Kaitoke School children just had training the previous week with St John, which did a session with every class.
“The 5-year-olds did first aid,” said Vanessa. “The older children were taught CPR and how to react, by dialing 111 and running for help.”
Faye thinks CPR and AEDS go together.
“I hope one day it helps to save someone else’s life,” she said. “We all need the knowledge of CPR and the training so that we know how to go about it in an emergency.
“I’d had a refresher course just three months prior to it happening to me. It can happen to anyone of any age. I think AEDs need to be in every school, every sporting facility. Children from a young age need to be learning to do CPR.”
If they’re too young to do CPR, children should know what to do if someone is unconscious on the ground and emergency response for seeking help.
“Even a young person can save a life. The AEDs should be in all schools as of right” Faye said. “People think that having a cardiac arrest is a heart attack. A heart attack is not a cardiac arrest - this is when your heart goes out of rhythm.
“The AED will get it back into a pattern. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest. I never imagined it would happen to me,” Faye said.
Kaitoke School Bus History
Kaitoke Bedford Bus
A Mixture of Kaitoke School Reminiscing
2008 - A year in the life of Wanganui
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