FREE TUESDAY OCTOBER 4 2016 379 7100 Pegasus Post Proudly locally owned and published by Star Media Award winning publishing group Linwood, Avonside, Richmond, Shirley, Burwood, Dallington, Wainoni, Bromley, Aranui, Avondale, Bexley, New Brighton, Northshore, Queenspark, Parklands, South Brighton School staffing concerns • By Fraser Walker-Pearce ARANUI PRIMARY School has lost 60 per cent of its full-time staff in the last two terms in the lead up to the opening of Haeata Community Campus. This brings the total loss of teachers for the year to 11 at a school that only employs 10 fulltime staff. Relieving teachers have been brought in. At the end of the school year Aranui High, along with Aranui, Avondale and Wainoni primary schools will be closed and superschool Haeata opened on the Aranui High site. Principal Mike Allen (right) said some pupils have had three teachers this year, creating uncertainty in an already worried school community. “It’s not good. They were worried about who would be looking after them, and their parents were worried too. Once that gets sorted out then it’s fine but until then it’s hard for them,” he said. Six of the school’s 10 full-time staff members have resigned in the last two terms and been recruited by Haeata, with a seventh set to follow next month. Canterbury Primary Principals’ Association president Jeanette Shearer said the high staff turnover rate would be “unsettling” for pupils, and the main task for the four closing schools would be to give their families a sense of continuity. “Other schools have helped out by loaning a teacher for a while until the end of a term and things like that. It is a difficult time for all of those schools during the transition,” she said. The school is now operating largely on relief and cover staff for its final term. Mr Allen said the loss of staff had been a headache, but not one the school wasn’t prepared for. “It’s quite a big bite [of our staff] and it’s been a headache but it’s been well handled, and the appointment process that Haeata went through gave us plenty of warning for that,” he said. Ministry of Education sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the ministry is aware that as closures approach there is the risk of “higher than normal” staff turnover. “We are in close regular contact with the four schools and will respond to their needs as they arise,” she said. Haeata principal Andy Kai Fong, Avondale and Wainoni primary schools and Aranui High did not respond to calls from Pegasus Post. •Haeata’s new uniform, p4 Exciting time for gardeners Why are Wainoni Avonside Community Services Trust co-ordinator Betty Chapman (right) and gardening writer Rachel Vogan out and about in the garden? •Find out on page three Spring Stock Arrived Parklands Lotto, Post & Kiwibank Animal Planters $49.99 Solar Little Girl & Boy Garden Ornament $69.99 60 Queenspark Drive, Parklands Shopping Centre Ph 383 0303 Late Nights: Wednesdays & Saturdays BLINDS...Cleaned, Repaired & Restored... Restore your oiled CEDAR BLINDS with our re-oiling service. Rejuvenate your lacquered CEDAR BLINDS High-tech Cleaning We clean and repair all types of blinds – Venetians, Cedar, Verticals, Roller, Hollands, Romans and Pleated – with environmentally friendly cleaning products. Temperature Controlled Drying Re-oiling & Rejuvenating Fabric Blinds - such as Austrian and Roman Same Day Pick Up & Drop Off We offer a same-day, pick up and drop off service for most types of blinds. Bookings are required. Convenient Location Drop blinds into us by 9am, at 330 Cashel Street (near the Fitzgerald end), and collect them at the end of the day. New Blind Sales Priced from $30 www.blindcare.co.nz Roller Blinds cleaned from as little as $20 per blind Ph 377 0770, 330 Cashel St, Christchurch SCAN QR code for Info > WE ARE OPEN Mon - Fri 7.30am to 5.00pm
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