Kāpuka students at Ōtātara School proudly rolled out the red carpet for a very special event - the premiere of their very own school travel safety video. 

As part of their end of term 2 assembly, students were buzzing with excitement as their mahi was recognised on the big screen for the first time, alongside whānau and friends, and the Ōtātara community. 

The film marks a fresh and creative step in a journey the school has long been on, tackling issues around school travel. 

Deputy Principal Carla Werder said she was proud of the students’ efforts and could not wait to share the video more widely. 

“It’s fantastic to see the reactions from students, our wider community and whānau,” she said. 

“Our community loves hearing messages from our tamariki.” 

The idea for the video began in August 2024, following a school travel survey that gathered nearly 100 responses from whānau, staff members, and students. 

The survey highlighted safety concerns and showed travel issues including speeding vehicles, poor footpaths and crossing points, unsafe driver behaviour, and congestion outside the school and in the school’s, drop-off zones and the nearby community centre car park. 

While funding limitations meant major infrastructure changes weren’t possible, the school and kindergarten with support from School Community Officers and the wider community remained focused on what they could influence - behaviour and mindset. 

With support from Healthy Families Invercargill Active Transport Innovator Laura Dowling, Ōtātara School co-designed a School Travel Plan centred on student voices and local solutions. 

It was great working alongside Ōtātara School, Laura said. 

“Their passion for creating the film made my job so easy – they were proactive, supportive, and had a hunger for the video to be created.”  

From script development to on-camera performances, students were involved in every step of the film-making process.  

Over a couple of classroom sessions, they helped shape key messages, technical filming aspects, dialogue, props, assigned roles and rehearsed their lines. 

Filming took place over two sessions - one capturing school patrol training with School Community Officer Katie Haldane, and the second a full day of shooting with the students and School Community Officer Rosie Marchant. 

“We had loads of laughs and it was a really good time,” Rosie said. 

“It was necessary to make this film, not only for drivers and vehicles, but also for people who scooter, bike or walk to school.” 

Alongside staff members, students were supported by videographer Sam Robertson from Recce NZ, and the tamariki and whānau from the Ōtātara Kindergarten, who kindly appeared in the video to help reflect real-life school travel experiences. 

The finished video is more than a class project; it’s a student-led resource that highlights local safety concerns, celebrates tamariki leadership, and aims to inspire positive change in the Ōtātara community. 

Article added: Wednesday 16 July 2025