News From Saint Kentigern College

This month pupils from the Boys’ School shared their breakfast on two consecutive mornings with two police dogs! Three members from the Auckland District Police Dog Section, , along with their four-legged companions, Flash and Quanto, joined the boys and their fathers In the JC Chalmers Hall to share breakfast and table space was at a premium for this well attended event!

The boys and their fathers were given a fascinating insight into the life of police dog handlers around the country whose job often means the difference between whether or not a crime can be solved - often in situations that could compromise their own safety, if not for their professionalism and the incredible teamwork between man and dog. The dogs are primarily deployed in any incident where violence may be used against the police or members of the public and it was heartening to hear that Constable Harris has recently received a bravery award for this very reason.

The boys learned that dogs are trained for three principal roles; as all-purpose patrol dogs for tracking and search and rescue, and for drugs or bomb squad training and the dogs used are primarily German Shepherds. There are over 100 tracking teams in New Zealand whose services are also called on overseas in situations such as the tsunami in Samoa and the bush fires in Australia.

The moment the boys were really waiting for took place out on the field as Quanto was put through his paces. An unsuspecting mother had her handbag ripped away and the boys watched in awe as Quanto tracked down the offender and brought him to the ground!

At the end of May a group of students from the Year 12 Outdoor Education course travelled to Mt Maunganui to practice their skills in the surf there and then on to Rotorua to take on the white water conditions of the Kaituna River, which includes a seven metre high waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world! This course aims for students to become actively knowledgeable, skilled and safe in selected activities, with care for the environment a paramount focus. All these activities are complemented with classroom assignments requiring the students to evaluate their physical activity, analyse issues in safety management and devise strategies for lifelong well-being. Now in its third year, this course has grown in popularity both for its challenges and the possibilities for future engagement in the activities undertaken.

For further information on Saint Kentigern, please visit their website at http://www.saintkentigern.com .