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FROM A TEACHER: Yesterday, I shut down class about 5 minutes early and told my students I wanted them to just sit and talk to one another. Several of them immediately opened their laptops and began navigating to their favorite computer game.
I said, "No, no laptops. I want you to have … View moreFROM A TEACHER: Yesterday, I shut down class about 5 minutes early and told my students I wanted them to just sit and talk to one another. Several of them immediately opened their laptops and began navigating to their favorite computer game.
I said, "No, no laptops. I want you to have face-to-face conversations right now."
After a collective groan went up, I observed something both wonderful and alarming. For the next few minutes, a couple of tables came alive with conversation. They looked at each other in the eyes and talked with great enthusiasm and interest. It was beautiful to watch and listen to.
However, many students were deflated. They did not know what to do without some sort of entertainment from a device. A couple of them put their heads down and avoided eye contact with anyone. I went around the room to those students and tried to engage with them. Some of them mustered a few words, but most didn't know what to do.
I share this story as a wakeup call for parents, grandparents, and guardians. It's tragic to me that a large percentage of today's youth do not know how to have real conversation, but it's not their fault. It is our responsibility as adults to lead by example and hold our kids accountable. Unplug every day, talk, and listen to your children. Getting lost in a device does not help them cope with and overcome the things they're going through mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. All it causes is isolation and depression. They need relationships; they need you.
I plan on doing it again today. #PleaseShare
This was written and supplied by Margaret Johnson in Kaikohe
The event was a unique blend of Māori and Chinese cultures, who have come together over the tragic sinking of the SS Ventnor. The ship went down near Hokianga Harbour in 1902 with the loss of 13 lives and the loss of 499 Chinese remains, which were on a voyage back to their home towns in China, as… View moreThe event was a unique blend of Māori and Chinese cultures, who have come together over the tragic sinking of the SS Ventnor. The ship went down near Hokianga Harbour in 1902 with the loss of 13 lives and the loss of 499 Chinese remains, which were on a voyage back to their home towns in China, as per the custom there. When local Māori found some of the remains washes ashore, they respectfully buried them and tended to the graves. The memorial at Opononi is the start of a new chapter between these two people.
Hi neighbours,
Would you support a predator-free, fenced area in an area near you?
Five kiwi have been found dead in Northland and a dog is believed to be responsible.
The Department of Conservation is urging dog owners to keep control of their pets especially during the daytime where kiwi… View moreHi neighbours,
Would you support a predator-free, fenced area in an area near you?
Five kiwi have been found dead in Northland and a dog is believed to be responsible.
The Department of Conservation is urging dog owners to keep control of their pets especially during the daytime where kiwi are at their most vulnerable.
From 1990 to 2018, 345 kiwi were killed by dogs in the North Island, according to DOC. With heightened conservation efforts, the Northland kiwi population is showing positive signs of recovery.
Share your thoughts below and don't forget to type NFP if you don't want your comment featured in the Northern News.
I was surprised to receive an email from Northland Rentals Ltd to tell me that they are going to charge me the insurance excess on damage to the van I rented on Saturday. They say that there was damage to the rear bumper.
It was raining heavily on Saturday at time of pick up (the service person … View moreI was surprised to receive an email from Northland Rentals Ltd to tell me that they are going to charge me the insurance excess on damage to the van I rented on Saturday. They say that there was damage to the rear bumper.
It was raining heavily on Saturday at time of pick up (the service person could wait to close the door behind me quick enough) and the usual walk around the van.
When I stopped off at the BP to load ice into the back. I did notice a ding in the back of the door, taking a closer look at noticed a bit of rust. It appears that someone had reversed into something with enough force to push the bumper in and put the dent in the rear door. The damage to the bumper and ding line up perfectly. As you can see from the picture.
As there was rust I thought nothing of it.
Then the surprise came, I was accused of the damage, that ding didn't happen on my watch (if it did, how did it rust so quick) but Northland rentals insists that these dings and dents are two separate accidents, which just a lie. The proof is in the photo.
I can afford the excess, what I cant afford is being treat dishonestly. Shame on Northland Rentals for operating like cheats. We deserve better from local business. Everyone that knows me, knows that they are treated in the utmost professional manner I expect the same.
David W Harrison
Chartered Accountant
PS I wont be booking them again for any golf trips
It’s Vintage Week at the Red Cross shop in Dargaville. Come in and see our retro styles, and blasts from the past. We are open 9.30am to 3.30pm week days and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturdays.
Why yes it is, and it's also a man cave, a shed, and a builder/engineer's retirement project. Little wonder Allan Jones' quirky build is a runner-up in the 2021 Resene Shed of the Year competition run by NZ Gardener.
Don't forget to submit your upcycled creations in the Resene Upcycling Awards. Whether it's an old item you've spruced up or something you've found a completely new purpose for, we want to see your work!
Submit your entry in the 2021 Resene Upcycling Awards by sharing your … View moreDon't forget to submit your upcycled creations in the Resene Upcycling Awards. Whether it's an old item you've spruced up or something you've found a completely new purpose for, we want to see your work!
Submit your entry in the 2021 Resene Upcycling Awards by sharing your upcycled masterpiece with your neighbours. Multiple entries are welcome - don't forget to include your before and after pics and mention any Resene products you've used!
Come together for good with friends, whānau and workmates by hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast this May. You’ll be joining thousands of Kiwis around the country to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
You can host any time in May, and by taking part, you’ll be helping fund … View moreCome together for good with friends, whānau and workmates by hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast this May. You’ll be joining thousands of Kiwis around the country to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
You can host any time in May, and by taking part, you’ll be helping fund ground-breaking work by some of our country’s top breast cancer researchers, educate people about breast health, and provide free support services for breast cancer patients and their families.
What are you waiting for! Sign up today.
Serviced apartments come with the support that makes life easier.
Your fixed base weekly fee includes a chef-prepared meal every day, morning and afternoon tea and housekeeping.
Your electricity, heating, air-conditioning costs and building maintenance are also covered, providing you with … View moreServiced apartments come with the support that makes life easier.
Your fixed base weekly fee includes a chef-prepared meal every day, morning and afternoon tea and housekeeping.
Your electricity, heating, air-conditioning costs and building maintenance are also covered, providing you with certainty about your living expenses.
Auckland Zoo’s High Canopy is now open – a spectacular new habitat for siamangs and orangutans!
Spot the primates as they live the high life, swinging 25 meters off the ground! The new sky-high habitat lets them behave and move as they would in the wild.
Visit Auckland Zoo with your … View moreAuckland Zoo’s High Canopy is now open – a spectacular new habitat for siamangs and orangutans!
Spot the primates as they live the high life, swinging 25 meters off the ground! The new sky-high habitat lets them behave and move as they would in the wild.
Visit Auckland Zoo with your whanau these school holidays.
Book your ticket online here.
Yes you can! NZ Gardener's DIY guru Jacob Leaf shows you how.
Hi neighbours!
After more than a year of closed borders, Australians and New Zealanders will soon be able to jet-hop between countries after the government announced that the trans-Tasman travel bubble is to be operational from April 19.
With quarantine-free travel now possible, are you more … View moreHi neighbours!
After more than a year of closed borders, Australians and New Zealanders will soon be able to jet-hop between countries after the government announced that the trans-Tasman travel bubble is to be operational from April 19.
With quarantine-free travel now possible, are you more likely to head across the Tasman or travel domestically?
Fronting Australian media yesterday, Jacinda Ardern not only spoke of the excitement of families being able to be reunited, but also pitched New Zealand tourist activities to Australian viewers.
"If there is a hot spot in one of the states of Australia we may just act in the same way that another state would ... Just prepare that there may be disruptions, but what better place in the world to be stuck. Am I right?," she said.
The trans-Tasman bubble will operate on a three tier basis: Continue, Pause and Suspend. If there are a few cases in Australia linked to the border, quarantine-free travel will continue. Travel may be paused for 72 hours if there are rogue community cases and in the instance of a state or nationwide lockdown, travel will be suspended.
Share your thoughts below and don't forget to type NFP if you don't want your comment featured in the Conversations page of the Northern News.
This issue includes news from our members across the country, safety tips + advice, updates from our partners and more.
The family of a man who died months after breaking his neck in a car crash are shocked by his sudden demise.
Jeffrey Eric Srhoj, 48, of Awanui, died in Middlemore Hospital's spinal unit on Saturday after being injured in a crash in the Far North on January 28.
The accident near Houhora … View moreThe family of a man who died months after breaking his neck in a car crash are shocked by his sudden demise.
Jeffrey Eric Srhoj, 48, of Awanui, died in Middlemore Hospital's spinal unit on Saturday after being injured in a crash in the Far North on January 28.
The accident near Houhora left him stranded on the roadside for five-and-a-half hours with a broken neck, but he was getting used to communicating with his eyes, by spelling out words using a coloured spelling board, before he died.
What do you think?
How about this inspiring upcycle project right in your neighbourhood. This Kaiwaka shed is a runner-up in the 2021 Resene Shed of the Year competition run by NZ Gardener.
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