Good Sort: Jesiah Oli-Alainu'uese
When he saw his teacher struggling to breathe, 10-year-old Jesiah Oli-Alainu'uese knew exactly what to do.
His actions at lunchtime last Thursday likely saved the life of his teacher, Leah Smythe.
Jesiah is a pupil at Raureka School in Hastings and was just about to leave his classroom to join his friends for lunch when he saw Smythe start to cough.
“She patted me on the shoulder. I could see that she was choking, so I whacked her on the back three or four times. Really hard,” he said.
That did the trick and the piece of food lodged in Smythe's throat was dislodged, allowing her to breathe again.
Jesiah said he knew what to do because he had seen someone at another school do it to a student who was choking.
“I hit her pretty hard. I got my strength from boxing training. When she called my mum she said her back was still sore,” Jesiah said.
Jesiah's feat was recognised at a school assembly on Friday, at which he was presented a gift by a St John Ambulance paramedic.
Principal Greg Riceman said he was very proud of Jesiah.
“It was really fantastic, what he did,” Riceman said.
Would you know what to do if you found someone choking?
- Reporting by Marty Sharpe
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.7% Yes
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14.7% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.