Our schools: Generous response for Samoan aid

BY GEMMA REDDELL

Children from Orewa North Primary made collections of flour, sugar and rice for victims of the Samoa tsunami.

The school ran a competition for the collection, which was sent over with a container organised by Mark and Martha Farmer of Warkworth.

Principal Bruce Laws says they had a notice in the school newsletter advertising the collection, and the class with the largest collection won an icecream cake,

He says the winning class was Mrs Beet's year 4 class, who collected 19kg of rice, 14kg of sugar and 26kg of flour, a total of 59kg.

The total collected by the school was 236.5kg.

Mr Laws says the school focuses on a value each term, and the focus this term is kindness.

Mr Farmer says they went to the community for donations and had a marvellous response.

"I wasn't suprised really, that's what the community up in Mahurangi is like, they are very generous."

He says the container has 124 bags of cement, about 60 iron sheets, nails, food, bedding, plastic storage conatiners, furniture, a couple of generators, many hand tools because we thought they may not have power, garden tools and much more.

He says it arrived last Saturday, and his wife Martha is currently in Samoa helping sort the content out to the local villages in the south east of Samoa.

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Police Youth Aid officer Lou Unkovich visited Helensville SKYouth to talk about youth offending and peer pressure.

Lou talked about a number of issues relating to police matters and the kids got to try on a police uniform and have a tour of the Helensville police station, says spokesperson Retts van Dam.

The kids got to experience what it's like to be in a police cell, to be handcuffed and have fingerprints taken.

They then enjoyed supper with Lou and he played the blues on the guitar.

"Lou astounded us all with his generous heart, his obvious store of patient and kind understanding of youth and the everyday events of their lives."

"He has a deep afinity with youth and I noticed that youth respond positively to Lou because he truly listens to them and hears what they speak about," says Retts.

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Mahurangi College has postponed the golf day fundraiser on Friday, November 20.

PTA spokeswoman Katie Mitchell says they hope to reschedule the event for March.

The golf day was being organised to raise funds for the fit out of the new auditorium at the college, she says.

The education department has given $1.7 million towards the construction of the building but it has left the college's board, management and community to raise a further $300,000 to fit out the auditorium.

This includes new chairs, up-to-date sound and lighting and props, curtains for the stage, heat pumps, kitchen fittings and honours board, with money also being allocated for acoustics and outside landscaping and carparking access.

The college has raised $137,000 with about $14,000 of that coming from parents and carers of Mahurangi College and local community donations.

"As you can see the building is up and everyone is now busy inside getting the shell ready for us to fit out. It is the intention of the board and PTA to organise an open day before the Christmas break at the auditorium so that the community can see what stage the building is at and what we still need to find funding for."

There will be afternoon tea available and if you make a donation on the day you will be entered into a draw - if you have already donated to the auditorium fund your name will be automatically entered into the draw .

Prizes include vouchers from Sheer Bliss and Kawau Cruises, and women's and men's pamper packs from Trilogy.

The PTA thanks the businesses who have donated prizes or sponsorship.

- © Fairfax NZ News