If you pick your children in the afternoon you will be familiar with these instructions as you make your way from the carpark to the school grounds across our Kea Crossing.
The Year 6 road patrollers play an important role in the safety of our community at this busy traffic time.
These students have some pointers about how you can use our crossings safely and make their job easier.
Please don’t start crossing until our patrollers have said - “cross now please”
Walk across the road - don’t run, don’t bounce your balls, and walk your bike across the road.
Their commitment to this role begins long before they stand at the crossing. Constable Tash spends a few days with them, putting them through their paces both in the classroom and on the crossing to ensure that they are confident to manage pedestrian traffic in all weathers.
These students are able to review the environment for hazards and choose a safe moment to allow pedestrians to cross.
When you park along the yellow lines we can’t see the traffic coming from that way - we need to keep the roadside clear.
The road needs to be clear for us to put the signs out.
Each afternoon our crossing team is comprised of three students who each fulfill a specific role. Two Road Patrollers manage the crossing - one taking the lead on the school side of the road and one supporting from the far side of the road. These students are easily identified by their lollipops and high vis jackets.
Wait on the footpath to cross the road - not on the curb.
Stand behind the white lines when you are waiting for the patrollers to ask you to cross
If we are getting ready at the beginning or finishing please give us some space to maneuver the signs.
Our arms out are a signal for you to wait take a step back from us to give us some room.
Another Road Patroller stands on patrol at our school driveway. Their job is to remind our community to use the Kea Crossing and to ensure that students can safely cross the driveway in the event that any cars have driven up into our staff car park. It is also their job to ensure that students and their whanau do not cross Kauri Drive at that spot.
Don’t cross by the driveway our job is to direct you to the crossing
Please don’t ignore us when we ask you to use the crossing because you might get hit by a car
Listen to the driveway patroller when they ask you to use the crossing we are doing our job
Crossing the road anywhere along Kauri Drive other than at our Kea Crossing afterschool puts our students, road patrollers and staff at risk and so students will politely ask whanau to move along to the crossing to cross the road safely.
Listen to the road patrollers because we have been trained by the Police
My journey in education has taken me down many different paths including teaching in an Area school, urban English and Welsh schools, small semi-rural schools and in a purpose built Innovative Learning Environment.
Teaching at Wairakei Primary School allows me to use so many of the skills I gained in these different settings - as well as acquiring so many more. I consider myself a life-long learner and continuously strive to build on my knowledge of teaching and education in order to create the best possible outcomes for students.
In my spare time I enjoy playing netball, reading, getting out and about with my two children and making the most of what this area has to offer.
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