Peninsula Primary first opened its doors in 1964. And since then, the school has nurtured generations of locals. Currently, there are around 450 students in years 0-6.
The school’s motto is Learn, Grow, Shine, and the teaching team take a broad view of what that means in practice.
Alongside developing students’ learning, the school also supports their overall wellbeing.
‘Promoting physical activity is a core part of our curriculum,’ Assistant Principal Lisa Cochrane explains.
Peninsula Primary is proud to be a Travelwise school and encourages tamariki to walk, bike or scooter to school.
A parent and member of the Friends of School group, Karla Morrison, explains that the school community identified a need to get kids moving again after the lengthy lockdown.
Assistant Principal Lisa agrees and adds that plenty of research confirms the benefits of physical activity. 'Children that walk or ride to school start their day alert and ready to learn,’ she advises.
A two-week-long Moveathon kick-started the process with a range of fun activities and events. And as part of the initiative, the school applied to the Your West Support Fund to buy extra bike and scooter racks.
‘Our bike racks were old and needed replacing,’ says Karla. Thanks to the $5,000 funding, the school purchased five new weather-proof bike and scooter racks.
According to Karla, the new racks are much easier for younger children to manage. ‘The modern design means that even our youngest students can use them without needing adult help,’ she reports.
The bike and scooter racks are also popular with parents. ‘More kids are now riding to school, as parents are confident there’s a safe, secure place to house bikes and scooters,’ explains Karla.
Karla, for one, is very grateful for the help of the Your West Support Fund. ‘Bike racks are very expensive,’ she says, ‘and that’s an awful lot of sausage sizzles,’ she quips.
Thanks to the new racks, more kids than ever can take up the challenge of walking and riding to school.
