Ngaruawahia High School Yearbooks 1994-2009 Ngaruawahia High School Yearbook 2007 | Page 22

Celia Lashlie and Norm Hewitt visit
A

fter almost a year of emailing back
and forwards Celia Lashlie and
Norm Hewitt finally were able to confirm
their visit to Ngaruawahia High School.
They attended on Thursday 24th and
Friday 25th May.
Their visit started on Wednesday
evening (23rd) when TV3 set up an
interview in our reception area with Norm
and Celia for Campbell Live.
On Thursday morning they were
formally welcomed with a powhiri at our
school marae.
Thanks to Mr Toka,
Whaea Tina, Whaea Robyn and the NHS
culture group for welcoming our visitors.
After the powhiri, Mr Bradford took our
guests for a tour of the school. They
popped into a few classes and questions
were asked of Celia “What is prison like”
and “What’s prison food like”, and “Are
there many fights?”.
Following the tour a community hui
was held with the local police, community
house, Youth Transition Services and
local primary school principals were
invited to attend.
Discussions took place as to what was
going on in our community, the problems
we are facing as a community and a
general korero, based around the young
people in our town
All involved in this hui found it very
interesting.
Anne Ramsay from the
Community House said “I thought they
were amazing. It was really useful to
have outsiders come in and take a
snapshot of our community”.
Following this hui a full school
assembly was held. Celia and Norm
were introduced and, to the amusement
of the students, all teachers were asked
to move to the back of the hall! Celia
reassured them that “the students were in
good hands”!
Celia explained who she was, where
she had worked and also went into great
detail about the “30 second moment” and
gave explanations of young men that she
had met who in 30 seconds had changed
the outcome of their lives.
She also went into detail about prison
life for a youth offender and that if our
students think discipline is hard at school
it would be about 200 times worse in
prison.
Norm then talked about “dreams” and
talked about his life growing up and
issues he faced. He said at the age of 7
he realised he wanted to be an All Black
and how eventually he became one.
Principal David Bradford was pleased
with Celia and Norm’s talks. “They were
pitched at the right levels and the topics
they spoke about are real and happening.
“They put the reality in front of the
students”.
After the assembly our guests had a
break and visited Ngaruawahia Primary
School Year 7 & 8 students along with St
Paul’s and Taupiri Primary School and
spoke in a similar vein about prison and

holding on to a dream (Celia and Norm
were finally given a demo of what
“krumping” is!).
After school Celia and Norm made
themselves available to meet with local
primary school teachers.
They spoke to both our secondary
school teachers and the primary school
teachers for an hour and a half on two
aspects….
1. How teachers can make a
difference. “You will not be aware at the
time that you have made a connection
with a student, but it is important that we
keep attempting, “ stated Mrs Lashlie.
Often people Celia met in her job as a
prison manager would have some skill or
interest that had been fostered by a
teacher at some time in that person’s life.
Celia told a story about a very young
girl in her Christchurch prison who had
been in foster homes for many years, and
later had lived on and under the streets of
Auckland.
She revealed how this young girl, with
a mouth “like a sewer” could write using
beautiful cursive handwriting and she
could also create exquisite poetry, often
composed alone in her cell.
Celia used her extensive background
as a prison manager and researcher to
relate many interesting stories about
teenagers.
2. Interesting technique.
Celia
explained an interesting technique that
would assist in connecting with people
who are ready to off-load information

20

about themselves.
She believes this has to be a “learned”
technique and requires practice. Her term
for this was “A 30 second moment”.
Maria Hamill (Principal - Ngaruawahia
Primary) said “It was fantastic. They
talked from experience and could actually
relate to our community. My staff came
away buzzing!”.
Leigh Snowden, a member of the
Ngaruawahia High School Board of
Trustees, stated “The evening was a
great success and I am sure everyone felt
a little tug in their hearts from some part
of the evening.”
That evening at 7.00pm, a community
hui was held. About 240 people turned
up which was excellent. Fiona Caddigan
(a parent from Cambridge) commented
that “They hit home about positive
parental role models!”. Rosemarie Cann
(NHS Careers Co-ordinator) stated that
she found the hui an interesting
experience.
Friday morning was spent with some
of our young men.
A tour was then arranged for Nor ?)????
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