Cyclone response takes home-schooling to new level

The pioneering spirit came into play when a boat and pulley system was used to cross the Mangaone River after the cyclone tore the bridge down on 14 February.

Six days before Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay on  14 February 2023, outreach teacher Roxy Hickman wrote in her diary, “I need something to focus on.”

When access to Puketapu School, west of Napier, was severely restricted by downed bridges, slips and new lakes, Roxy’s focus turned towards making her home a classroom for the now isolated students in the community.

“The area around Puketapu was obliterated,” she says. “It was like a war zone.”

As with many cyclone-hit areas, Dartmoor lost power and access to the internet.

“We were cut off. We had a community meeting. A lot of adults spoke about tragedy and of being cut off. I looked around and thought these children need to have a little time for themselves, for them to be kids, to learn together and to play.”

Roxy and her partner Greg had moved relatively recently into their upper Dartmoor home but a major slip and flooding meant they could venture no further than five kilometres in either direction for two weeks.

Children who lived in the area, but went to school in Puketapu and Taradale, couldn’t get out. Roxy saw the need for children and teens to have their own time to be together, and have a regular routine, and she set about to make that happen.

“I set my house up as a classroom. The house is open plan so we had an area for little children, a dining room table for middle school students and a barbecue table outside for secondary school students. Everyone has a place here.”

Mason draws and writes about his face-to-face encounter with a big fish at an aquarium. He enjoyed his time at Dartmoor School, saying "I got to know the other kids on our road."

A school is born

In its first week, the newly created Dartmoor School opened its ranch-slider to 21 students from early learning through to secondary school. Teaching resources were helicoptered in.

“Te Mahau of The Ministry of Education has been awesome,” says Roxy. “They asked ‘what do you need, what can we do to help?’ It was amazing.”

Otairi Homestead loaned the school a generator. With power they were able to connect to the outside world via Starlink internet.

“I saw that as important for teens particularly. Parents were able to contact family and friends to say they were safe, but there was no opportunity for teens to connect with their friends. It’s important for them to do this.
I talked with each one of them to see if they’d connected with friends.”

Food was provided each day from donated goods which meant parents had one less thing to think about each day, says Roxy.

“It’s good for children to have a break and it gives parents a break too.”

As access to the outside world improved, first with a boat to transport them across the river, then a walking bridge, children began gradually returning to their schools.

“We have 10 to 12 students now, mostly younger ones – it’s such a big deal to get to school. I think I will miss having them coming in. It’s been nice getting to know them. It has been an absolute pleasure being able to informally develop a learning space for these children.”

For one activity, Roxy used the aftermath of the cyclone as the theme for a Lego challenge. Dartmoor School students across all age groups were to build Survivor Island.

“They needed to create a source of water and electricity. They built wind turbines. Some students built a Lego plane and flew generators from one island to another. Their conversations were absolute gold.”

Aria, Nicole and Isla enjoy time together with snacks and the sequencing card game Skip-bo.  

Building bonds

Although Alice Beamish and her family had moved to Dartmoor only seven weeks before the cyclone hit, she willingly took on the essential role of keeping students fed and watered.

“I’m a lunch lady,” she laughs. “We say that with tongue in cheek.”

Alice’s five- and eight-year-old children had only just started at Puketapu School so they joined other children at Dartmoor School.

“For our children, the experience has helped them to build bonds with the community’s school children.”

Now they are back at Puketapu School two days week, they love to see other Dartmoor School students there, she says.

“The cyclone is not a situation anyone wanted to be in, but it has allowed us to be part of an amazing community,” says Alice.

Also helping in a support capacity at Dartmoor School is mother of three Ashlee Sullivan, who works with the school’s younger children.

The Dartmoor school brought some normal, some routine, to children’s lives during a difficult time, she says.

“Adults go into survival mode. Children feel the same in their own way so it’s good for them to be together and support friends through it all.”

Ben in his cowboy hat is pleased with his work in constructing a bird feeder.

The experience has created life-long connections between all people in the Dartmoor community, says Roxy.

“It’s been an interesting roller-coaster. Being disconnected has made us more connected. I want to thank Chris Fox and all of the teachers from Puketapu School for their dedication and support, especially Mel Leach and Baz Hodgetts who made the trip out to see the children.

“They are going through so much on the other side of the crossing, yet they find the time to check in on how we are going.”

As for Roxy’s 8 February diary entry – she got what she wished for, but her adventure came in an unexpected way.

“I feel like I’ve been overseas somewhere,” she says. “I’m looking forward to connecting with my outreach teams now. And getting back to that normal routine.”