Today I took my telephone into every meeting and waited for a call from the year 9 dean which did not come. I was anxious to hear how A’s meeting went with the teachers.
It is now 12 noon and nobody has called me at all from the school since my daughter was assaulted. I ring and the person I speak to is very empathetic and knows of the incident. She checks if the dean is available but he is teaching so she says she will put me through to the principal. I get his voice mail so leave him a detailed message and ask him to call me.
Its 2.30pm and the principal returns my call. He tells me that three teachers and all the girls involved in the incident yesterday met this morning. He tells me the dean was too busy to call, and that he hadn’t even had a chance to eat all day. I worry that the assault is not being taken seriously but the principal reassures me it is and that he is meeting with the community constable at 10am tomorrow. I asked if I could attend but am advised that the constable is not always reliable time wise. The principal says he will call me after the meeting.
I am distressed when I get home to hear how A experienced the restorative justice meeting this morning. I also speak to B and she tells me she was too afraid in front of K and O to say how she really feels in case she gets attacked again. A feels the teachers just asked if the kids wouldn’t do it again, to which they all replied ‘we are done’. After the meeting the kids were all then left to it in the playground together, and Eden and Jessie felt they may be attacked again. O gloated at them and told friends ‘I gave Eden a hiding’. Is this how to stop kids assaulting each other? I am angry now, and A is practicing her boxing tonight because ‘there are no consequences if I hit them back’. She wants to be able to protect herself, and is expecting another attack. How will this child learn anything at school this week? How many weeks will it be like this?
I have sent another email to the dean tonight asking for a meeting. Disappointed that he didn’t respond to my email yesterday but I do hope he managed to get some dinner.

I feel compelled to blog my experience with the newly integrated ‘restorative justice’ system at Tawa College. Today is the first time I need its help as a parent! Time will tell if this shows a wonderful school and a wonderful system, as I hope it will, or a school where your child is all but a number and achieving the NCEA Education Target is the more important than their well being.
Today my daughter (‘A’) was punched in the face at Tawa College during lunch hour by a child hardly known to her. I seek answers and justice, and assurance from the school that this will never happen again. I want my daughter to feel safe and be safe at the college.

Some background and context to this blog:
My reason for writing this blog is to document Tawa College’s response to A being punched in the face in her first year and first term in the College’s pastoral care. Several years ago a member of my family experienced similar problems while attending Tawa College and I am more than anxious that A does not have the same experience. On-going bullying and emotional abuse throughout this family member’s entire years at Tawa College, by the same few girls, cumulated in a physical altercation outside of the school grounds. But the real damaged it caused was years and years of low self esteem and depression. I cannot let this happen to A too.

So today I am distraught that this has happened to A at this college, a college I champion to many parents who are thinking of sending their kids there. This blog is for all my friends and their friends thinking of selling their homes and moving into the college’s zone just so their kids can attend Tawa College, and for those with kids at Tawa Intermediate who are looking for the right college for their kids. Lets home Tawa College shows you it can manage a situation like this quickly and appropriately.

The incident as I hear about it while at work: A has been punched at lunchtime at school, my partner has gone to pick her up. The school tells A they tried to call me but I have not received a call or message or missed call.
My partner tells the school to give me a call, but I don’t end up getting one.

A has a wollen eye with a large ‘egg’ above it. I can’t believe my 13yo has been attacked in this way. She tells me she was defending her friend ‘B’ who had been the main target in the attack. The instigator ‘K’, the daughter of a Tawa Collge Board of Trustees member, and her friends arranged for a bigger stronger girl ‘O’ to seek out A and B and given them a hiding. Other kids told the girls during morning break that the would be getting a hiding at lunchtime. A admits to her part in escalating the situation by retaliating to K’s facebook messages and shows me the messages.

The girls have been told by the school they must each write out their statement regarding what happened for a meeting the next day. I have sent an email to the dean letting him know I am upset and would like to be fully involved/ meet with parents of the other children involved. It is important to me that this is nipped in the bud immediately. I ask the dean to call me at work after he has met with the girls to let me know what has happened, and the next steps we will take to resolve this. Gave him my mobile number just in case they had it wrong on their files as I hadn’t heard from them today.