Supporting Rangiora students to reach their potential
By local democracy reporter David Hill:
In guiding students to reach their full potential, Rangiora High School’s new associate principal likes the "gently relentless" approach.
Remihana Emery moved over from Kaiapoi High School to take on the role of associate principal at the start of this year, following the retirement of the school's first associate principal Paul Donnelly.
He said he was driven by his whakaaro — mentality and beliefs — in helping young people find their potential.
His approach has been influenced by former Kaiapoi guidance counsellor Rob Courtney, who has also made the move to Rangiora.
"Rob uses the phrase ‘gently relentless’, which means you keep chipping away and doing it in a way that is mana enhancing to everybody as much as possible.
"Sometimes it is a fear of failure holding them back, and for some adults that anxiety still exists.
"It saddens me because you know the potential those kids have. They are our biggest investment."
The role of associate principal was created in 2018 and is "very fluid", Emery said.
"It is about doing the work behind the scenes so [principal] Bruce [Kearney] can connect with the community and other schools."
Board of Trustees presiding member Simon Green said the associate principal role was created when the school looked to move on after being managed by a commissioner.
"The board and principal (at the time) realised just how complex and time-intensive school leadership had become for a large school of 1600 students."
The school roll has since grown to 1750.
Emery said his career has been "a roller coaster ride".
After leaving school he worked in construction for 15 years, but his life took a different direction after joining a church in Kaiapoi 2004.
Emery and his wife Michelle became youth group leaders and it led to him attending a meeting at Kaiapoi High School as a support person.
Courtney invited him to volunteer at the school as a mentor and later "he came to me and said ‘we need you here full time’".
Known to his students as Matua Remi (Uncle Remi), he left his job and enrolled at university at the age of 32.
Emery was a teacher at Kaiapoi High School for 10 years teaching maths and te reo.
He became a dean as a third year teacher and was then deputy principal for three years.
"I’m fortunate to have had opportunities presented to me to fast track my career."
He made his mark at Kaiapoi as the lead singer of the teachers’ band, The Viking Thunders, which won the teachers equivalent of Rockquest, and was a kapa haka tutor.
"It is an avenue to let off some steam and it is a good way to connect with the kids.
"I have already busted out a few songs at school assemblies at Rangiora and I got the students to give me a beat for ‘We will rock you’."
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Neighbourly Q&A: Renting rights with CAB's Sacha Green
We are continuing our Q&A sessions on Neighbourly. This week we have the amazing Sacha Green from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your renting rights.
A little bit about Sacha:
She has been working for CABNZ for 10 years and is passionate about empowering people with knowledge of their rights as well as ensuring access to justice.
She helps support the team of over 2,000 trained volunteers who deliver the CAB service in 80 neighbourhoods around Aotearoa by providing advice and support at a national level on a wide range of issues. One of Sacha’s work areas is leading the CAB’s social justice work on housing and tenancy issues.
Whether you're a flatmate, landlord, boarder or flatmate, you can leave a comment below and Sacha will share an answer on Wednesday from 9.30am. You may want to ask about notice periods, bond fulfillment, reasonable rent increases, or even whose responsibility it is to deal with mould in the home.
Join Sacha here on Wednesday at 9.30am. See you then!.
⇩ Share your question below ⇩
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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81.7% Yes
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18% No
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0.3% Other - I'll share below
Where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury?
The first South Island edition of the Reduced to Clear outlet store opened in Christchurch’s South City mall this month. It sells end-of-the-line products, cancelled exports or short-dated items - similar to other discount grocers in the city such as Save More and BargainMe.
We're keen to hear from you - where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury? Who has the cheapest veges, the best deals on spices and nuts, the lowest price for petrol etc? What are your tips for dealing with cost of living increases? Comment below or email reporters@press.co.nz
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