North Canterbury News: August 26, 2021
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Covid scuttles farewell<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>26</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
5<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Murray Overton's last week at<br />
Kaiapoi Borough School was<br />
alittle quieter than planned.<br />
Last week's Covid19<br />
lockdown saw farewell events<br />
postponed as Mr Overton<br />
prepared for anew adventure<br />
after an eventful eight years<br />
as principal at Kaiapoi<br />
Borough School.<br />
He was due to start his new<br />
role on Monday as national<br />
director of foreign aid<br />
organisation Christian World<br />
Service, based in<br />
Christchurch.<br />
“It's been abusy eight years<br />
with lots of exciting things<br />
happening. It feels like a<br />
great time for someone else to<br />
come in with their ideas and<br />
energy.”<br />
With the lockdown cutting<br />
his time in Kaiapoi short, Mr<br />
Overton spent his last three<br />
days sorting through his<br />
emails and making notes for<br />
his successor.<br />
When Mr Overton took over<br />
as principal for the start of<br />
the 2014 school year, the<br />
school was about embark on<br />
its earthquake rebuild.<br />
It was finally completed<br />
with the opening of the new<br />
technology block earlier this<br />
year.<br />
“Every building has been<br />
rebuilt or refurbished, and<br />
we've got ascooter track, a<br />
new playground and a<br />
revamped swimming pool, it's<br />
an awesome environment for<br />
the students,” Mr Overton<br />
says.<br />
Murray Overton<br />
“It's very satisfying to see<br />
where it's at and the teachers<br />
and the students are at the<br />
heart of everything.”<br />
The school roll has been<br />
gradually rebuilding in the<br />
last couple of years, after<br />
falling due to the<br />
earthquakes, and will end<br />
this year with 400 pupils.<br />
Another feature of Mr<br />
Overton's time at Kaiapoi is<br />
the strengthened<br />
relationships with other local<br />
schools.<br />
“The way that we've been<br />
able to build on links with the<br />
community and other schools,<br />
particularly in Kaiapoi –<br />
Trish (McKendry, St<br />
Patrick's), Jason (Miles,<br />
Kaiapoi <strong>North</strong>) and Bruce<br />
(Kearney, Kaiapoi High<br />
School) are fantastic<br />
colleagues –it's been great.<br />
“We are very grateful for<br />
the work Bruce and his staff<br />
do.<br />
‘‘Ninety percent of our<br />
students now go to Kaiapoi<br />
High School, so it's avery<br />
important connection for us.”<br />
Deputy principal Christine<br />
Heenan will step up as acting<br />
principal for the remainder<br />
of the school year, while the<br />
Board of Trustees undergoes<br />
arecruitment process.<br />
Mr Overton is confident his<br />
team will manage without<br />
him, after they stepped up<br />
when he had heart surgery in<br />
term one.<br />
He was looking forward to<br />
his new role, which will allow<br />
him to make adifference in<br />
the lives of others.<br />
“It's agreat opportunity to<br />
do something that's alittle bit<br />
different and to follow the<br />
passion to help people who<br />
don't have the same access to<br />
resources that we have.<br />
“But it will be sad to leave<br />
Kaiapoi Borough School and<br />
the wider Kaiapoi<br />
community.”<br />
Mr Overton and his wife<br />
Jacqui previously spent eight<br />
years working overseas in<br />
Bangladesh and Ethiopia,<br />
which has given him ataste of<br />
what life is like in less<br />
developed countries.<br />
He hopes to return to<br />
Kaiapoi soon to say aproper<br />
goodbye in person.<br />
All hands on deck ... Volunteers at the Honda Forest planting day last year.<br />
PHOTO: FILE<br />
Planting day planned<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Acommunity planting day has been<br />
scheduled next month for Kaiapoi’s<br />
HondaForest.<br />
The Waimakariri District Council<br />
will host the planting day on<br />
Saturday, September 4, beginning at<br />
10am at the 3.2hectare forest,<br />
providingCovid19 lockdown<br />
restrictions havebeen lifted. The<br />
forest is acollaborationbetween the<br />
WDC and the Honda vehicle<br />
manufacturer.The first stage of the<br />
forest,whichsurrounds the Beswick<br />
StormwaterManagementwetlands<br />
area by Kaiapoi’s Charles Street dog<br />
park,was established during an<br />
initial plantingday in May 2019.<br />
Councilcommunity greenspace<br />
administrator Helen Leslieishoping<br />
plenty of volunteers will turnout for<br />
next month’s plantingday. ‘‘The<br />
plants thatwehave put in to dateare<br />
thriving and the areaisattracting a<br />
varietyofwildlife,’’ she says.‘‘This<br />
time we will be plantingmostly on<br />
the Charles Streetside of theHonda<br />
Forest so please parkoutsidethe dog<br />
park and look for the (Waimakariri<br />
District Council)flags, and please<br />
bring along yourown gloves ,sturdy<br />
boots and aspade,’’she says. ‘‘Even if<br />
you are able to plantonly one or two<br />
trees, comealong for achatand help<br />
grow aforest.’’ The forest’s last<br />
planting day of the year is scheduled<br />
for September18.<br />
Find it all<br />
RIGHT ON<br />
YOUR DOORSTEP<br />
Food and drink spots for socialising<br />
Full medical, physical and dental care<br />
Hair and beauty care at the local salon<br />
VILLAS<br />
SELLING<br />
FROM<br />
$495,000<br />
WOODEND<br />
10 MINS<br />
KAIAPOI<br />
3MINS<br />
CHRISTCHURCH<br />
20 MINS<br />
THE<br />
STERLING<br />
Retirement<br />
Village Site<br />
CAFE<br />
PHARMACY<br />
MEDICAL<br />
CENTRE<br />
PHYSIO<br />
RESTAURANT<br />
WEIGHT<br />
MANAGEMENT<br />
SUPER<br />
MARKET<br />
DENTIST<br />
HAIR &<br />
BEAUTY<br />
ENDO -<br />
DONTIST<br />
SALES<br />
OFFICE<br />
3MIN WALK<br />
RETIREMENT LIVING in the<br />
HEART of the COMMUNITY<br />
VISIT us<br />
1/42 Silverstream Blvd,<br />
Kaiapoi<br />
TALK to us<br />
0508 783 754<br />
hello@thesterling.co.nz<br />
LEARN more<br />
thesterling.co.nz<br />
The Sterling site is render only and subject to change