Slippers expel freezing feet from school

Wairemana Hapeta, 11, Sunset Primary School pupil, with some of the knitted slippers. Photo/Stephen Parker

Sunset Primary School pupils are keeping the winter chill at bay with multi-coloured, woollen additions to their classrooms.

Every pupil was gifted a pair of hand-knitted slippers by the Rotorua Creative Fibre group yesterday to wear at school.

The Slipper Project for Schools was organised by the National Body of Creative Fibre and has been undertaken by groups in the Bay of Plenty.

Rotorua Creative Fibre member Marie Holmes said she chose Sunset Primary School because it was the school her children attended: "We saw the national project advertised and went back to the group and said 'come on guys, we can do this', and that's how the project started."

Ms Holmes said the group effort took about two weeks.

"How can the children concentrate on their school work when they have cold feet? It's very important they keep warm."

Wairemana Hapeta, an 11-year-old, said she loved her slippers "10 thousand per cent".

"My feet were always freezing and now I have these awesome slippers to keep them nice and warm."

Principal Niels Rasmussen said it was wonderful that the children had been thought of for the project.

"The children will appreciate having a pair of slippers they can call their own."

Mr Rasmussen said they had to be careful the slippers were worn only indoors.

"The children love them [slippers] so much they want to wear them everywhere, including outside in the wet weather. Keeping them inside will allow the slippers to have a longer lifespan."

Mr Rasmussen said many pupils came to school in bare feet or with leaking shoes.

"We are so grateful for the support given to the pupils. As a school, and a community, we want to give our kids as much as we can."