Durie Hill students value water safety messages

Students at Durie Hill School in Whanganui were recently visited by Koru the Kiwi in a special assembly to celebrate the students’ swimming successes from last term.

Joined by Swimming New Zealand Education Advisor Cecilie Elliot, Koru was there to help present students with Water Safety 200m Swim Certificates and certificates for those who received a first, second or third placing at the Inter-School Swimming Sports.

After the assembly Cecilie spent time with the students from Room 2, and was overwhelmed with what she saw.

Last term she spent time with students and staff covering topics such as dry land, water survival skills, beach and river safety and the use of lifejackets and the students of Room 2 had followed this up with their own classroom work.

The students made comic strips of their time with Cecilie and these were made into individual booklets for each student.

They then came up with ideas of making lifejackets out of various items they thought would keep them afloat.

The teachers at Durie Hill School do an amazing job of delivering the Kiwi Swim Safe Programme effectively said Cecilie.

“It was fantastic to see how these students valued the message of keeping themselves safe, whether they are in the water, on the water or around water and the importance of being able to survive in the water.”