CCTV
Sadly, a number of these visitors get up to mischief, including: vandalism (graffiti and intentional damage to assets), drinking alcohol (often leaving smashed bottles), smoking or vaping (often leaving associated parephernalia) and engaging in dangerous behaviour likely to cause damage to assets or injury (such as climbing on buildings or our turf canopy). There have also been instances of theft (children's scooters left behind at school) and burglary (our outdoor speakers were stolen last summer). Police following up reports have also indicated occasional occurances of intimidating and threatening behaviour made between groups of trespassers.
I must stress that this concerning behaviour is occuring outside school hours. It nevertheless creates an unecessary workload for Mr Hicks, who often spends Monday mornings clearing the mess left behind from the weekend. There is also a cost involved in repairing damage or replacing stolen property (such as our speakers).
As a consequence of the above concerns, our Board has recently made the decision to install CCTV, primarily as a deterrent against unwanted behaviour outside school hours, and for the protection of our assets. The installation, including signage, is nearly complete. Cameras have been placed to monitor entry/exit to our grounds as well as key outdor areas where we have commonly experienced damage over the past couple of years. When the installation is complete our policies (found on our website) will be updated accordingly.
We do hope that this measure will lead to a reduction in unwanted behaviours in our school outside our normal hours. If you should spot antisocial behaviour occuring on our grounds outside of hours, please contact the Police in the first instance.
DIGI AWARDS
It was brilliant to see the hard work of our children recognised up on the stage. While their teachers have provided opportunities at school to engage in digital work, it is often those children who go a bit beyond and spend their own time at home developing projects.
A big thank you to Mr Ball in overseeing all things digi-related here at Greenmeadows and for keeping our staff and children so motivated.
Contact Us
Email: admin@gms.school.nz
Website: http://www.gms.school.nz/
Location: Greenmeadows School 45 Osier Road, Greenmeadows, Napier, New Zealand
Phone: +64 06-844 7024
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmsnapier
