Keith Street builds strong foundations

PRINCIPAL Clyde Piercy is a man of purpose; a man with vision; a man of his word.

The reception area at Keith Street school is testament to his can-do philosophy.

One wall is brick, and the bricks are painted in bright colours with the names of every child enrolled at Keith Street. It's like a cheerful wall of honour.

Mr Piercy exudes a crackling energy born of top fitness and a determination to get things done.

Rather than him doing all the talking, he brought in a group of his senior student mediators.

These bright-eyed young people sat comfortably around the table in their principal's office.

They know they are relied on to be the eyes and ears of the school along with the staff and they take their responsibilities seriously.

There are 57 mediators (I met 10) who are rostered daily to supervise the playgrounds, which are chocka with kids at every break.

The group said they loved wearing the bright red mediator hats and carrying clipboards.

``We mainly look after the little kids and make sure they are always okay. Like if they get pushed over or something, or if there is a fight, we are there to help sort it out. We talk to them first then we tell a teacher,'' one girl said.

It's all about stopping conflict in the playground and finding out its cause, one of the boys said.

At every break daily there are 11 mediators on duty around the school, keeping an eye out.

Mr Piercy said the scheme not only keeps the school safe but also teaches the young mediators to be models and leaders in the school culture.

``These are a fantastic group of young people ... well, as you can see. They all know not to force a situation and never to take sides. They have really learned diplomacy skills. There is no bullying in this school,'' he said firmly.

``No ... we don't have bullying here,'' his mediators said in unison.

``We have strong values here,'' one girl said. ``Yes, it's all about showing respect for yourself and others, feeling safe, striving for your best and being successful.''

The bell rang for morning break, and as we walked through the grounds practically every child was wearing an identical, woolly, navy blue beanie.

Mr Piercy laughed, saying he had ordered one for everyone in the school, including the teachers.

``Don't they look great? The kids love them and they all wear them.''

With us on our tour were the mediators who insisted I look at the school hall and a treasured mural painted on the wall behind the stage.

It was glorious.

A vibrant glittering, sparkling collage of flowers ... each one different for each one was created by the 226 children at Keith Street.

Pride of place after that was the school library.

``You just really need to see what we have because it's so amazing,'' the group said.

``Yes, it certainly is, said Mr Piercy.

Across a wall in the library hung four beautiful korowhai/cloaks.

Each cloak has a special name and each carries a specific responsibility for the wearer.

They were made especially for the school and are much prized.

They are named Te Kahui Maru which is reference to the Kahui Maunga/mountain and the role of each of the maunga that form the circle from which the Whanganui awa flows.

They are;

Tu Hapainga _ to stand and uplift the Kaupapa.

Te Reo Mirimiri _ the voice that massages the heart, mind and ears, thus also leading.

Tu Tautoko _ to stand and support.

Te Reo Piata _ the engaging sparkling voice of leadership.

The four korowhai have been dedicated to all the Keith Street tamariki to acknowledge that they are each and every one of the taonga, to cloak them with aroha and to celebrate their achievements.

The students get to wear the cloaks at assemblies and other special school functions.

``They are very valuable to us all here,'' Mr Piercy said.

All the children at Keith Street have their culture recognised, valued and respected, he said.

``We're all about being a community school that values relationships and are committed to empowering all children to learn.''

The next ``show'' on our tour was the recently refurbished classrooms.

``Look, they are so lovely ... even our new toilets,'' one girl said.

They were lovely.

Warm, thanks to heat pumps in each room, bright fresh colour and new tables and chairs not to mention the electronic white boards and small separate computer suites.

``We want our students to explore and experiment,'' Mr Piercy said. ``You see, it's so good here,'' said one of the boys.

``Yes, I really think we're quite lucky at Keith Street,''another boy said. ``Because I was going to a school in Hamilton and it wasn't anywhere near as good as here ... no way.''

One student had written a story about his principal ... which Mr Piercy admitted was pretty right.

The Story: Mr Piercy is always happy when he is around the school. He is a cool principal. He is a skinny man who wears glasses. Mr Piercy likes hunting and being outdoors.

What I like about Mr Piercy is that he keeps us safe at school