Special guests at Whangārei school athletics day

Northern Advocate (Whangarei)

13 Nov, 2020 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Kate Gibb with Lorelai, Brie Huntington, Isla Hamilton and Sophie Burgess with Muggles. Photo / Jodi Bryant

Whangārei Intermediate School held its annual athletics day this week with some ex pupils as special spectators.

Lorelai and Muggles attended the school as lambs and have recently retired to greener pastures but made a special appearance for the occasion.

The all-day event encompassed long jump, high jump, discus, shot put, sprints and a range of non-competitive fun games.

Jah Parker, 12, takes on the Year 7 boys' high jump. Photo / Jodi Bryant

Teacher Shannon Watson said, despite being an inner-city school, nine years ago she brought in a pig called Jelly Bean from her lifestyle block and his effect was "phenomenal".

"Just the effect he had on the kids was amazing. But the nappy aspect proved a bit difficult on a male pig so, since then, it's been sheep after sheep, which seem to have a real calming effect on the kids."

She said the introduction of lambs to the school sees a long waiting list of children wanting to take them home to care for overnight. However, interest petered out around the four-week mark.

"They [the students] seem to only last about four weeks before the contents of the nappies gets a bit much for them, once the lambs start eating more grass," she explained with a laugh.

Watson said she had created a YouTube channel for those who took the lambs home offering guidance on milk powder ratios for feeding and how to put a nappy on a lamb which, along with responsibility, taught maths and ratios.

The school had entered three sheep in the recent Ag Day, which Watson believed was a first for the school, with Muggles especially doing well.

She said the school would be bringing in more lambs next year. However, teachers would be better prepared for some of the questions they hadn't anticipated, such as the topic of lamb chops.