The team at Stratford High School have raised the bar this SAFER September, having two events every week throughout the month. Their events included a pop-up sale, hi-vis mufti day, a form class Kahoot, car scavenger hunt, Instagram challenge, and Bobbi was lucky enough to be there for the car wash! They managed to fundraise $1,000 which will go towards getting some of their team to the 2023 conference. We thought we’d have a kōrero with their leader Lara Abraham to hear a little more about what goes on at Stratford High School’s SADD/Kaitiaki o Ara group.

Tell me a little about yourself?
“Hi my name is Lara Abraham and I am 15 years old, I go to Stratford High School and I'm the SADD student leader here in the beautiful region of Taranaki. I have lived in Stratford my whole life, and I am also a part of the Stratford District Youth Council!”

How long have you been involved with SADD/Kaitiaki o Ara?
"I got involved with SADD this year after it not really being a thing at our school for quite a few years. I saw that one of the teachers was asking if people wanted to join in the school notices and thought it would be a fun opportunity to get involved in, and that I would be able to learn some new things from it and be able to help out in our community, which is something I really enjoy.”

What has been your favourite part or activity so far?
"My favourite thing that our SADD group has done this year is definitely the car wash. It was heaps of fun, and my other one would be our mural which has really taken shape and is almost finished!”

What do you do in your role as SADD/Kaitiaki o Ara Leader?
“As a SADD student leader, I do heaps of little things around the place and I'm always communicating with our awesome SADD teacher, Miss Naughton, about putting up posters and making posters and planning activities and fundraising and other various competitions for our students.”

You’re doing an amazing job with the consistency and content on Instagram! Can you tell me about how you run it?
“The SADD Instagram was an idea of mine after seeing other schools had some and I knew it would be a great idea so we can communicate our message and upcoming events to the school. It's a joint Instagram that Miss Naughton and I run, and whenever one of us takes photos or has a post idea we put it up. The best bit about having 2 people running it is that if one forgets about posting the other one will remember.”

How does your school respond to all the work you're doing?
“Our school has always had a really positive reaction to the stuff we do and we are super lucky to have people willing to get involved. Our Principal is all for it, and he especially loves that we are doing something with the old SADD mural from 2011 which hasn't just been a SADD team project, lots of students come in and will do painting a lunchtime and stuff which is really awesome for us!!”

Well done to Stratford High School for your mahi and prep for SAFER September, we can’t wait to hear what’s next for your school!