Have fun, stay safe these school holidays

There is plenty to see and do these school holidays to keep the kids entertained for the next two weeks.

But with the excitement of a school break comes a reminder to stay safe, whatever your holiday plans may be.

Tauranga school community officer Constable Emma Buxton said with the holidays came an influx of visitors to the area and more young people sharing the roads.

"There will also be a greater number of young people riding bicycles, walking on footpaths, or as learner drivers or passengers in vehicles," she said.

Buxton reminded motorists to wear their seatbelts, stick to the speed limit and drive to the conditions.

"Distractions such as phone usage are an important thing to be wary of, too," she said.

"Any children in the vehicle must be properly restrained, and if they require a car seat make sure it's been correctly fitted."

Drivers on their restricted licences were reminded not to carry passengers unless accompanied by an adult who has held their full licence for at least two years.

"They must also have a supervisor accompany them between the hours of 10pm and 5am," Buxton said.

"Lastly, if you are stopped by one of our staff please remember it's because we want you and everyone else to be safe and feel safe."

TOP SAFETY TIPS:
Property:
- If you're planning on heading away for a family trip, allow yourself plenty of time for your journey, and secure your property. Doors locked, windows shut and valuables not left in cars.
Young people:
- If you're going out with friends or attending parties, make sure an adult always knows where you are.
- Plan before you party! Have a parent you can contact at any time if things don't go to plan.
- Make sure you know where your friends are and look out for one another. Arrive and leave social gatherings as a group.
Internet:
- Check kids' internet usage and look out for cyberbullying or adult content. Netsafe has some information at www.netsafe.org.nz

Source: Tauranga school community officer Constable Emma Buxton

LEARNING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS:
- Encourage your child to read throughout the holidays - they might like to read in the mornings before they get up, at night before they go to bed, or help you by reading to their younger family members
- Keeping a holiday journal can be fun - plans, drawings, photos and stories of things they do can help their literacy skills, and kids love to re-read them in the future
- Helping out with cooking and baking makes use of maths skills and shows how maths is all around them
- Tell them about your work, and how your workday was. You might even be able to show them your work and share more about your work life with them.

Source: Ministry of Education

Local Sikhs (back l-r) Gavi Gill, Baljit Dhaliwal, Mani Sohal and (front) Ranjit Singh are preparing for Turban Up Tauranga. Photo/John Cousins

TURBAN UP TAURANGA

Ever wondered how to wear or tie a turban?

This school holidays volunteers at the inaugural Turban Up Tauranga will teach anyone who wants to know more about the Sikh religion.

Organiser Ajay Singh said the free event on July 21 invited people to try on turbans, learn how to tie them and understand how to identify the culture.

"It is creating our own identity in our community," he said. "We want to educate the community about who we are, why we wear our turbans and how to tie them."

Singh said the event was not about forcing religion on people and more about helping people to understand the culture.

He said the aim of the event was to help people to identify between the Sikh and Muslim religions, which were often mistaken for one in the same.

"They see the two turbans as identical," he said. "We want to show who we are and clear up the mistaken identities."

Singh said similar events were held in Hamilton and Auckland and the Tauranga Sikh community wanted to create its own version.

"We want it to be a colourful event," he said.

From 11.30am to 2.30pm, there will about 200 turbans to tie and a photo booth to take pictures, as well as performances by Sikh martial artists and food and beverages.

For more information, look up Sikhs Tauranga on Facebook.