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PEGASUS POST Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Thursday <strong>April</strong> <strong>29</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 5<br />
and a challenge<br />
Said Atkins: “When you’re a<br />
teacher you don’t get time to do<br />
that; I didn’t get a behind-thescenes<br />
look. You don’t know<br />
about their family life, about<br />
the problems they’re having.<br />
Whereas at Kimihia, they each<br />
have an individual programme.<br />
With these girls, the whole picture<br />
comes through.”<br />
Although Kimihia only took on<br />
young mothers, as they were often<br />
primary caregivers, the door<br />
never closed on teen dads.<br />
“If there was a father who<br />
was the main caregiver, then he<br />
would be allowed to come. It’s<br />
just that they’re not there – mums<br />
are the ones who come in when<br />
they’re pregnant.”<br />
Atkins commended the fact<br />
that the students were still coming<br />
to school in spite of the challenges<br />
before them.<br />
The young mothers still did<br />
their best, even when they turned<br />
up exhausted each day following<br />
a sleepless night, due to either<br />
their pregnancies or tending to<br />
crying babies.<br />
A common barrier behind teen<br />
parents missing school was if<br />
they or their child got sick, or if<br />
they needed to attend appointments.<br />
It was why Kimihia introduced<br />
a van service that took students<br />
to and from school, and to any<br />
appointments throughout the<br />
day.<br />
It enabled them to miss part<br />
of the day, rather than the whole<br />
day altogether.<br />
A counsellor and a nurse<br />
on-site meant they could seek<br />
guidance on issues with housing,<br />
money or family. Some were<br />
on the journey alone without a<br />
partner.<br />
Every girl had a story.<br />
“Supporting them through that<br />
is important because they know<br />
when they get to the top of that<br />
ladder, their child will get there<br />
too,” said Atkins.<br />
“At the end of the day, these<br />
girls get off the couch and come<br />
to school.”<br />
Atkins was born and raised in<br />
Christchurch. She loves to walk<br />
her golden retriever, Honey, who<br />
provides an extra layer of comfort<br />
at school.<br />
She only had one piece<br />
of advice for teen parents<br />
considering a path towards<br />
education.<br />
“Get off the couch and do what<br />
you need to do to create a better<br />
life for your child,” she said.<br />
“It’s important for them to see<br />
that whatever they gain, their<br />
child will gain.”<br />
Pupils bring port<br />
narratives to life<br />
• By Samantha Mythen<br />
OUR STORIES, a community<br />
project involving pupils from<br />
Lyttelton Primary School, has<br />
joined with a mapping app<br />
bringing people’s narratives to<br />
life.<br />
The project is now available<br />
as a layer on the city council’s<br />
SmartView website app, which<br />
displays real time information<br />
about Christchurch.<br />
Year 7 and 8 pupils in Lyttelton<br />
have been interviewing people<br />
about their experiences and memories<br />
of growing up in the port.<br />
These stories are then curated<br />
by project director Kris Herbert,<br />
and shared on the Our Stories<br />
app, linking the tales to specific<br />
areas in the community.<br />
Herbert started the project in<br />
2018 and at the beginning of this<br />
year, approached the school to<br />
ask if they would be interested in<br />
helping.<br />
Teacher Rachel Cummins said<br />
the project sat well within their<br />
curriculum which focuses on<br />
“our place.”<br />
When Herbert has an interview<br />
subject, she emails Cummins,<br />
who then picks out the<br />
interviewing pupils from a hat.<br />
Those chosen then go through<br />
the questions they will ask and<br />
plan out their interview.<br />
Said Cummins: “They always<br />
come back after the interview<br />
buzzing with stories.”<br />
Cummins explained the pupils<br />
are always fascinated by the<br />
stories they hear.<br />
One particular story that stood<br />
out was told by a man from<br />
Rapaki.<br />
He informed the pupils about<br />
the rivalry between Lyttelton<br />
West and Lyttelton Primary.<br />
When he was growing up, brawls<br />
were often organised.<br />
This pre-meditated violence<br />
shocked the pupils.<br />
Cummins said the pupils involvement<br />
with the project helps<br />
them to connect to the Lyttelton<br />
community.<br />
Herbert explained the collaboration<br />
with Smartview is<br />
helping to expand the reach of<br />
the project.<br />
“As Our Stories project expands,<br />
we hope to fill the whole city with<br />
beautiful memories of places.”<br />
Our Stories is currently<br />
seeking funding to expand<br />
into more communities. Other<br />
schools are welcome to contact<br />
Herbert to find out more<br />
information on how they can get<br />
involved with the project.<br />
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