Scratching the surface . . . Waitaki Valley School pupils (back, from left) Ava (8) and Ryan Tait (5), Jayden Morland (12), Jonti Graham (12), Georgia Bell (12), Matilda Chilton (12), Caitlin Tait (11); (front, from left) Hudson Ormandy (10) and Ollie Chilton (10) will all benefit from having a refurbished pool. PHOTO: RUBY HEYWARD
Swimming pools are not just about splashing around and having fun.
They are places where people learn important, and potentially life-saving, skills.
That is why the Waitaki Valley School and Community Swimming Pool is receiving an upgrade.
Waitaki Valley School principal Jane Severinsen said the pool played an important role in teaching children about water safety.
“The Ministry [of Education] often considers pools a luxury item,” Ms Severinsen said.
Featuring the work of Jane Severinsen
A new principal with a passion for rural teaching has been appointed at Waitaki Valley School, in Kurow.
Jane Severinsen has worked in education for 25 years, nearly 20 of which were spent as head teacher.
She is a registered Davis dyslexia facilitator and a Davis learning strategies school mentor and trainer, and for the last year and a-half she worked privately with dyslexic thinking clients, or “picture thinkers”, as she described them.
She stressed her passion was in rural education and explained rural parents were usually more invested in their youngsters’ education, due to smaller school sizes and the opportunities that provided.