Far North
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Overview
The Life Education Trust Far North was set up in 1991 with the prime objective of delivering the Life Education programme to the children in the Far North region.
Our wonderful group of volunteers help keep the classroom on the road by holding regular fundraisers, promoting Life Education Trust messages at various events and occasions around the Far North and making sure all maintenance and repairs are up to date on the classroom and truck unit.
As we travel a lot of kilometres across the Far North, often 2 or 3 schools in a week, we need to have drivers available and ready to move the classroom at all times. This is a huge ask and we are lucky to have the support of some wonderful retired people, firemen and logging companies to help ensure it reaches the right school at the right time.
We love meeting new people with new ideas to help us, so if you would like to become involved with an amazing group of people do not hesitate to call or email the Chairperson at any time: Diane Henderson - [email protected] or 021 407015
The Trustees and Educator of the Far North would like to say a huge thank you to New Era IT. New Era have kindly provided our educator with a brand new laptop for free. This has been a great saving to the Trust and come at a time when the old computer was about to die.
Our Educator
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Shanna Forsythe Shanna studied Primary Teaching at Otago University and has been teaching in the Far North for the past 8 years. She loves the vibe the Far North has to offer and can't picture calling anywhere else home. Joining the Life Education team in 2021, she is excited to travel to all areas of the Far North with her good friend Harold. She is passionate about health and wellbeing and can't wait to work alongside tamariki, whānau and kaiako sharing our positive messages. |
Latest news
Bunnings Waipapa - Term 1 school holidays 2024
Our mobile classroom and educator Shanna visited Bunnings during the school holidays, offering free 30 minute sessions for tamariki about human biology. Tamariki were then able to go in store to make their own hanging basket to take home. The Trust also fundraised at the event through a raffle and sausage sizzle.
Kaeo Christmas Parade 2023
Harold enjoyed the Kaeo Christmas Parade with Iwa the Christmas fairy and students from Whangaroa College. Mayor of Northland Moko Tepania taking a selfie with Harold and Iwa the Christmas fairy!
Annual Book Fair - 10 & 11 November 2023
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Thankyou everyone who supported Life Education Trust Far North at the annual book fair. It was great to see so many people browsing and choosing their summer reads. A special shout-out to Kerikeri Hire for the trestle tables, to Wrightsons Waipapa, Phoenix Veterinary Clinic Waipapa Rd, Placemakers Kerikeri and Furniture Zone Kaikohe for allowing us to use their premises for drop off points. Also to New Shoots Kerikeri, Keriblue Sh10, Total Span SH10 for allowing us to advertise - this was a real community project! And of course the wonderful volunteers who helped collect, sort, load hundreds of boxes in and out!
This fundraiser helps us keep Harold and our Educator visiting over 70 schools across Te Tai Tokerau every year teaching health and wellbeing programmes from our very special mobile classroom.
We look forward to seeing you all next year - first weekend of November - lock it in! Collection starts end of August so save up those great reads for us!
Good in the Hood
A huge shoutout to the staff at Z station Taipa, in the Far North for supporting Life Education Trust Far North for their annual Good in the Hood Community fundraiser being held throughout October!
December 2022
Term 4 2022 has been an exceptionally exciting and busy time for us. Shanna, our fantastic educator has returned after maternity leave and was able to begin the term teaching in the upgraded classroom - what a treat!! We are so fortunate to have been able to finally get this done and we are proud to say that all students who have been through the classroom this term are buzzing with the wonderful resources and digital upgrade.
A HUGE shoutout to all the amazing sponsors who have helped us get our upgrade.
TVNZ morning show for having us on the programme to get the word out there!
HP - Olivia West for her great support and setting up the online workplace programme for donations.
Save the Children Fund NZ for their ongoing support for 3 years
We are also eternally grateful to Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, Oxford Trust, Far North Community boards.
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New Tractor Unit In September we were able to purchase our own tractor unit - we were fortunate to get a great truck from NZ Van Lines that we are very pleased to have and our wonderful sign writer has added LET logos to ensure we are seen very clearly on the roads! |
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Book Fair
| We held a very successful Book Fair at the Kerikeri Rugby Club over the first weekend of November. All the hard work by trustees, collecting, sorting, stacking the books was definitely well worth it and we were so pleased that we topped last years fundraising effort. It is so good to see so many people who still love a good book, especially children. Funds raised will cover the cost of a new air conditioning unit to keep Shanna and the students cool and comfortable over the summer months. |  |
June 2022
Harold is having an amazing time in the Far Far North visiting tamariki at Waiharara, Paparore, Pukenui, Te Hapua and now at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa. He even took some time to travel to Cape Reinga.
Harold began term 2 with a wonderful 2 weeks at Kerikeri Primary before travelling to the top of the North Island.
His next stop is at Oturu before heading into Kaitaia - thankyou everyone for making Harold and Sheree so welcome in your schools!
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March 2022
We would like to thank Save the Children NZ, who have funded a large part of our classroom upgrade and committed funding to Life Education Trust Far North for three years. Thanks to their donation, along with the many from local businesses and individuals through the Give A Little page, tamariki in the Far North will have the same opportunities to learn as those in the rest of the country. Read more in this Sunday Star Times article
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HP were also generous supporters of the upgrade. |
November 2021
This year we were proud to be the new hosts for the Waipapa Rotary Book Fair.
A huge shout out to all the Trustees who helped to make the event a success. Harold was at the door to make sure everyone signed in and had their mask on and he even managed to check out the books to the delight of the adults and children who were choosing books. This will be an annual event to be held the first weekend of November at the Sports Complex Kerikeri.
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September 2021
A HUGE shout out to all those who supported us on our Give-a-Little page to make our dream come true - to get our classroom upgraded to the new digital model that is being used across the country. We could not have done it without the support of Give-a-Little and Matty from TV1 Morning show. The response from the interview was fantastic and we are so pleased to say that we have the funding to go ahead with the upgrade. We will share pics as soon as this is
done - which will not be until late Term 1, 2022.
July 2021
Our Chairperson Diane Henderson receiving a Lifetime Membership Award for service and dedication to Life Education Trust Far North.
Early 2021
In early 20201, we hosted an event with guest speaker Nigel Latta, who spoke on the subject of parenting teenagers- with references to the difficulties faced over the past 12 months and offering some parenting skills and strategies to help through those adolescent years.
New Educator
Welcome to Shanna Forsythe our wonderful inspiring new Educator. Shanna began her journey with us this year and began visiting schools in Term 2. She has already made quite an impact in the Far Far North with her passion and enthusiasm for the programmes she is delivering. We are very proud to have her on board.
Our People
[Trustees photograph 2008]
Current Trustees:
Diane Henderson - Chairperson
Jenny Couchman - Executive Secretary
Maureen Perry - Administrator
Iwa Hou - Transport
Tracy Edge - Trustee
Liz Christensen - Trustee
Jacqui Lynds - Trustee
Shanna Forsythe - Educator
Contact details
Chairperson: Diane Henderson, [email protected], 021 407 015
Educator: Shanna Forsythe, [email protected], 027 477 4800
Postal address: PO Box 723, Kaikohe