Students take to social media in hunt for new principal
After months of searching, St Mary's Primary School has started a "principal hunt" with posters drawn up by pupils and a social media video campaign.
School board chair Christina Scott said they've had trouble finding a principal since the end of last year.
"The Catholic thing makes it a little bit difficult, because obviously our principal has to be Catholic," she said.
The primary school has been on the lookout for a new principal since last year. Photo: Development West Coast
Added to that was the teacher shortage in New Zealand, so it cut off a good 75% of eligible people, Scott said.
The campaign was the brainchild of Development West Coast, after a normal advertising search came up empty.
"As a board we thought we need to do something that's a bit more punch people in the face," Scott said.
It was a school-wide effort making the posters and video, which has already had more than 30,000 views on social media since being posted on Thursday last week.
"We only made a new job application go live on that Thursday, so there's still a couple of weeks left before it closes. We're hoping, fingers and toes crossed, that we have a good response," Scott said.
"Ideally we need someone in the role for Term 3."
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NZ Herald
31-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Fast fashion v quality: The true cost of cheap T-shirts
My reaction to the story was a yowl of frustration because the 'spin' on this piece, even if it did indeed involve a washing machine, tells a fraction of the story of a producing a T-shirt and conveniently dodges the fact that 'quality' is not the only factor that comes into pricing. Dr Eleanor Scott, of the University of Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour says: 'If circularity in fashion is to be truly effective, durability must come first'. I both agree and disagree because it depends on which angle to you look at it from. Yes, durability underpins the reuse and resale market, as well as keeping our loved items in use longer, as Scott points out. However, this justification should not be applied to items made with plastic, and the research found that more hard-wearing T-shirts tend to have a percentage of synthetic fibres in the composition, such as polyester, polyamide and elastane (though four of the 10 top garments were made of 100% cotton). Icebreaker went down this route to strengthen their merino T-shirts and added synthetic fibres. However, it soon realised the error of its ways, particularly with regard to its brand positioning, and since 2018 it has been removing synthetic fibres from its clothing (97.56% of fabrics in its 2024 collection are plastic-free). New Zealand designer label Kowtow is now 100% plastic-free, which proves it can be done. The University of Leeds study involved 47 T-shirts being washed and tumble-dried 50 times. And despite the claims price is not a reliable indicator of how hard-wearing a T-shirt will be, I'm not seeing evidence of that in thrift shop stock, sadly. It's mostly a motley bunch of pilled pieces that have clearly been through a tumble dryer too many times. (Though I did manage to score an ace Sass & Bide T-shirt the other day from pre-loved reseller Re:Circle in Onehunga for $20.) I think we're also missing the point that a lot of people don't stop wearing their clothing just because it wears out. According to a report prepared by Sapere Research Group for Auckland Council in 2023, Aucklanders alone are consuming more than 24,000 tonnes of fashion clothing per year but retaining only 7800 tonnes for continued use and wear. If it only costs $9, who cares, right? But it doesn't just cost $9. For starters a real person made your T-shirt. How much do you think the person who made the $9 T-shirt was paid? And what do you think their living and working conditions are like? 'Oh but it was made in Bangladesh where the cost of living is cheaper so it's all relative,' you could argue. Tell that to the families of the workers who worked in substandard conditions and died in the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, the worst ever industrial incident to hit the garment industry, which killed 1134 people and injured about 2500. Cotton and clothing production is a primary industry in Bangladesh, where child labour is also not uncommon. The reality is it's a massive part of the economy and brands across the globe, including New Zealand, continue to source clothing and T-shirts from Bangladesh, though it's not all bad. Kiwi start-up Thread Project is working with 'a top-tier factory' in Bangladesh and takes the view that if more companies do this, they'll eventually raise the standard for everyone. The other reason I'm giving a wee shout out to Thread Project is because it has also banded together with decorators across the motu to design more durable cotton T-shirts woven with longer fibres that perform better. The Leeds study found cotton T-shirts tended to have higher shrinkage than synthetic ones, which can be exacerbated with tumble drying. No surprises there. My T-shirts have never seen the inside of a dryer, though my partner is guilty of doing this with his (he air-dries his precious merino tees). Drying on a line or rack is where it's at if we're to help save the planet, because combating climate change is linked to energy use. Three weeks ago I had a tour of Auckland decorator Colour Evolution, where I watched T-shirts being embroidered for a New Zealand designer brand. Each had 34,000 stitches and had to be hooped before being embroidered, then trimmed and steamed. I'd expect to be paying more than $9 for that. The most I've ever paid for a T-shirt was $300, which I admit was a lot. That was more than 15 years ago, and it was worth every cent. It's a black cotton Comme des Garcons T-shirt appliqued with daisies in the same colour and cotton and I bought it from Plume in Dunedin. I still wear it and was complimented on it just last week. I'm a T-shirt lover and wearer and invest in one quality T-shirt each year, which I don't think is excessive. I expect to pay between $80 to $120 for a quality T-shirt because I want to know that the person who made my garment was paid a fair wage and that one day when I'm finished with it, it will be enjoyed by someone else and eventually biodegrade and return to the soil.
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Tireless work for community marked
Southland District Mayor Rob Scott (left) presents JD Miller with a community service award for his substantial and long-lasting contributions. PHOTO: BRIAR EADE More than 50 years of volunteer work from one Riversdale man has been recognised, celebrating his work in the town he calls home. If there is an organisation in Riversdale then there is a good chance JD (John) Miller has been involved, giving his time and effort to help out. He played a key role in the Riversdale Cemetery Trust, of which during his over 50 years of work he was the sexton until recently, and he holds a life membership with the Returned and Services Association. Mr Miller was no stranger to the rugby field either, playing for 21 years before moving on to coaching, refereeing and other administrative roles. Eventually he became the club secretary and president of the Northern Southland Rugby Union, and was made a life member in 2009. Other organisations he has been involved with include Hato Hone St John, the Riversdale Combined Sports Association and Presbyterian churches around the region. Now the community has handed him a token of their appreciation, with Southland District Mayor Rob Scott and the Ardlussa Community Board bestowing a community service award. Mr Scott said people like Mr Miller made towns in Southland great and celebrated his continual efforts in the community. "This community wouldn't be the same without people like [John], who take real ownership of it and lead by example," he said. The award was not only a prestigious but was very well deserved, as Mr Scott said it was a reflection of the best of these communities. "These community awards carry a lot of mana with them, and when you look at the people they are presented to, you realise that's where the mana comes from. "Looking at the work [John] has done over every single facet of the Riversdale community, he certainly is a deserving recipient of this award," Mr Scott said. — APL
Otago Daily Times
01-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Kindness, faith of Polish WW2 refugee endless
Irena O'Brien in the ' photo was taken as part of the Red Cross initiative to reconnect her with family she lost in World War 2. Photos: supplied Gore locals may remember Irena O'Brien as the friendly Polish woman who was always in a headscarf and sunglasses. To her friends and family, she was a selfless, devout Catholic, who coped with the pain of fleeing war-torn Europe with her faith, quirks and a strict routine. She died on June 7 aged 96. She was visible in the community due to her daily walks. So visible, that her daughter Janice Rabbitt said people gave her lifts if they saw her walking by. "I think she was the most picked up female in Gore," Mrs Rabbitt said. Her longtime friend and fellow Pole, Renata Brumby, said Mrs O'Brien had a good sense of humour and was a very "structured person". "Even if she wasn't in the church going to mass, she was still in the chapel," Mrs Brumby said. "If you were in town and you wanted to see Irena, if she wasn't home, you'd go to the chapel." Born in Poland in 1928, Irena was raised by her grandparents, slept on straw and only had one pair of shoes to share with her siblings. Because of all that befell her in her early years, Mrs O'Brien felt unworthy of new things, wearing the same pair of purple crocs until they were worn through. A young Irena O'Brien (nee Pawlak) in Germany before being relocated to New Zealand as a refugee after World War 2. Her beloved Christmas decorations were made using cheap or recycled items such as tinsel or CDs, giving her home a shiny festive look all year round. Her daughter Veronica Swain said Mrs O'Brien had infinite generosity. "She'd give whatever she had on her back to anyone," Mrs Swain said. Mrs Rabbitt said growing up, she and her seven siblings were not told much about their mother's origins. "It was never talked about in the family," she said. "I remember [my dad] saying that it was too bad, you don't want to know." Germany invaded Poland in 1939, when Irena was 11. Her loved ones were unsure of the specific details of Mrs O'Brien's past because she did not like to speak of it. "She would only tell you so much and she'd stop talking," Mrs Brumby said. "Because you could tell there was so much hurt and pain." The ship Irena O'Brien came to New Zealand on in 1949. After the invasion, Irena and her family were put into labour camps in Germany, which housed Eastern-European workers. The camps were separate from SS-run concentration camps but their conditions were still lacking in food, medicine and clothing, while working long hours. Irena's mother died in one of these camps and it pained her for years how the Germans buried her, she used to say it was like a "dump area" to her. At the end of the war when Russians seized the German camp, Irena fled and her family were separated. "[Her remaining family] went one way and mum went the other way," Mrs Rabbitt said. Irena was taken in by a German woman and worked on the farm. Three years later, she was found by American soldiers and told she would be sent to a new country, like England, that would be her new home. "She must have felt so lonely and frightened," Mrs Rabbitt said. In 1949, at the age of 21, Irena arrived in Wellington and stayed in Camp Pahiatua, which housed more than 700 Polish children. A few months later she was relocated again, alone, to Gore. Irena O'Brien with her children Paul, Janice, Peter and Theresa at their Broughton St home in the '60s. The first time her future husband, Bill O'Brien saw her, she was coming off the train. She worked in the Gore Hospital as a domestic in the children's ward, and was taught how to speak English by the nurses and looked after by the nuns. A few months later, the nurses threw a party for Irena's birthday and Mr O'Brien was invited. It turned out they had the same birthday. A courtship began from there and two years later, they were married and they went on to have eight children together. Decades on, with the help of the Red Cross, she was able to find a living relative in Poland. In 1992, Mrs O'Brien received a letter from her brother who had thought she was dead. Mrs Brumby said the letters back and forth showed the separated siblings trying to piece together their broken memories. Mrs O'Brien's brother yearned to see his sister again but due to his difficult financial situation in Poland, he slowly realised this was unlikely. "He was dying to see her again and you can see how . . . his faith slowly is dropping, thinking, I'm not going to see you, this is too far away," Mrs Brumby said. The registration papers of Polish World War 2 refugee Irena O'Brien (nee Pawlak), issued by the New Zealand Government as part of the Aliens Act 1948. "Then he says, I realise we probably won't see you again but I'm grateful that I found you and could help. And then he's hoping that maybe the children, our children, you know, will be able to meet each other one day." Later that decade, Mrs O'Brien lost one of her sons and her husband followed just three days later. Mrs Swain remembered, after her father's funeral, she found her mother in what they called "the boys' room", looking out the window. "She said, 'how can I keep my faith?' and I said, you've just got to," Mrs Swain said. "And she did, she just stuck with it." After that, Mrs O'Brien disconnected her phone for good, as her daughters said, she could not handle any more bad news. Mrs O'Brien was strong, both in herself and in her faith, which kept her going. In her final years, Mrs Rabbitt recalls one of her mother's carers recognising that strength. "She had a lot of respect for her, and said she was 'one tough cookie'."
