Five new principals for North Canterbury schools
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Five North Canterbury schools will begin the year with new principals.
Former principal and Rangiora High School board of trustees presiding member Simon Green said it was a normal level of turnover for the region.
‘‘It is certainly in line with the last four to five years.’’
Last year there were about 15 school principals across the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts announcing their retirement or starting new roles over the previous 12 months.
Green said it showed principals were thinking more about their work/life balance.
‘‘Traditionally in North Canterbury people stayed in a job a long term, but those days are gone and people are more willing to move and take on new roles.’’
Amy O’Kane is the new principal at Ohoka School, near Kaiapoi, while at View High School, near Oxford, Pax O’Dowd is the new principal.
Kate Hassall has stepped up from deputy principal to the top job at North Loburn School, north of Rangiora, while Rebecca Pugh is new principal at Greta Valley School.
Jo Fissenden (pictured) has been promoted from deputy principal to principal at Kaikōura High School.
At Hurunui College, deputy principal Jane Marsh will be stepping up as acting principle while Stephen Beck takes up a secondment as the Ministry of Education’s area schools adviser.
Principals are employed by a school's elected board of trustees.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Merry Christmas From Us to You!
Sending warm Christmas wishes to you and your family from all of us at Harcourts Four Seasons. May your holiday season be filled with joy and happiness!
🎄✨🎅
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️