Latest news with #HeatherSummers
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Kids learn dog safety lessons, as roaming attacks continue
Director of Bark NZ Heather Summers says the most important lesson for kids was not to panic. Photo: Supplied A pre-school in south Auckland is teaching its tamariki how to be safe around dogs as roaming pets continue to attack and harass families. Recent run-ins with dogs have left locals shaken and some children afraid to go to school. Youngsters at the Barnados Early Learning Centre in Clendon went hands-on with a group of friendly pups this week to build their confidence and learn animal safety skills. Heather Summers is the director of Bark NZ, an Auckland-based charity running dog safety courses at schools throughout the upper North Island. She said the most important lesson for kids was not to panic if they encountered a dog. "Ultimately what we're trying to do is to help children stand still if they come across a loose dog because as soon as we squeal or flap or run even a well-trained happy dog is likely to chase because that's a natural instinct for them," she said. She taught children to "stand tall like a tree." "In dog body language that's basically showing a dog that we're not interested in you," Summers explained. "A dog might come and sniff but will ultimately walk away. Dogs can't chase things that don't move so if we can teach our children to remain still it helps the adults to have control of the situation." Older kids could be taught more advanced skills to help them assess whether a dog was dangerous or friendly. "As they start progressing through the ages we start teaching them how dogs communicate, how different environments can play a different role in how dogs might be feeling and therefore when to interact and when to not interact with a dog," she said. Barnardos Clendon's centre manager Lou Guinares says parents would often report dog sightings just outside the pre-school. Photo: Supplied Barnardos Clendon's centre manager Lou Guinares said he wanted the children to be well-equipped when they were out in south Auckland. "In our community there is a lot of loose dogs in the area. We thought it would be a good opportunity for them to have that learning experience with Bark NZ," he said. "[Learning about] approaching the dog gently, making sure to ask the owner before petting a dog because some children they get quite excited whenever they see a dog." He said parents would often report dog sightings just outside the pre-school. "In our car park or just around our area everyone has noticed that there has been a lot of stray dogs or just dogs off the leash, and so whenever there's a dog in the car park they would notify us as well so that we can notify the other whanau." Manurewa Local Board chair Matt Winiata said a particularly violent dog attack in November last year left many children so frightened they refused to go to school. "A mother of five was attacked by a dog, her brain was exposed essentially and that happened 50 metres from Manurewa South School," he said. "The primary school for the remainder of the year was having issues with truancy because kids just did not want to go to school." Manurewa-Papakura Ward councillor Daniel Newman said the roaming dog issue was getting worse, but animal management was rising to the challenge. "There are more challenges than ever before, [but] what is improving is council's response to that because we are putting more officers on the beat," he said. "We are responding to complaints. We will actually euthanise more dogs this year than ever before which is unfortunate but necessary." Matt Winiata said his local board was helping to fund four additional rangers and two vehicles to help patrol the community. He was hopeful that would improve the safety and effectiveness of animal management in Manurewa. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former superintendent and principal sue Bloomfield School District
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (KRQE) – From the classroom to the courthouse, spouses Kevin and Heather Summers are suing their former employer, the Bloomfield School District. 'It really just comes down to, you know, some people pointed out there were some things going wrong and when they voiced their opinion, they were retaliated against them for that,' said Blair Dunn, attorney for the Summers. Story continues below Crime: Parent speaks out after gun found on Albuquerque Public Schools campus Don't Miss: Which ABQ restaurants has Guy Fieri visited on 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives'? National: Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass, calls his election both a cross and a blessing According to the lawsuit, Kevin Summers was superintendent of the district while his wife, Heather, was principal of Bloomfield High School in early 2024. It was then that the boys' wrestling team for the high school won the state championship in 2024. The lawsuit claims Kevin became aware of questionable spending on championship rings and began investigating. The suit claims it appears school board vice president Tony DeHerrera and Athletic Director Ben Tensay got championship rings paid for by the school's general fund, costing more than $2,000. According to the lawsuit, a second payment of more than $3,000 was for championship rings for the kids. 'They used the school's money to buy rings for adults rather than for the kids and then tried to conceal where those funds came from,' said Dunn. In early 2025, Superintendent Kevin Summers was placed on administrative leave and later terminated by the board. Attorneys for the defendants said they cannot comment at this point due to the pending litigation but court documents show the board claims he created a hostile work environment and interfered with athletics. The court documents also show the board claimed Summers allowed his wife to 'wield political capital that comes with being married to the Superintendent' that has caused 'harm to the district.' The lawsuit claims his firing was out of retaliation and notes a peaceful protest that occurred after he was placed on leave. The suit claims his wife was also fired from her role as principal out of retaliation. 'Unnecessary for the kids up there and not at all how this should've been handled,' said Dunn. The lawsuit is currently making its way through federal court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
