Shareholders move over for children

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 302, 1 September 1989, Page 14

Shareholders move over for children

Turoa visitors with young children have someone on their side this winter with the re-opening of the creche.

Last year there were no creche facilities available but this winter the facility has returned with improvements. Two women with lots of experience with children are running it on a contract basis. They are Jude Knight, a teacher, and Marian Dominick, a nnrse and social worker, both live in Ohakune and both moved to the mountain from Opotiki. Both ski and both have husbands who are.

"dead keen on skiing", says Jude. Her husband is Rick Knight who teaches at Ruapehu College and looks after the school ski club and Marian's husband is the Turoa Ski Patrol doctor. The pair have been operating the "Ski Wee Centre" since the start of the ski season in July. This season the centre is in the Alpine Lodge building, in what was the Turoa shareholders' lounge. U ntil this season the

lounge had been used! very little but now it is often filled with young children. The creche is licensed which means it has all the necessary facilities as required by the Department of Education. The licence allows the centre to look after l(f youngsters from two years old upwards. The service is open to parents who want someone to look after their children all day, from 9am to 4pm, or on an hourly basis. They can also cater for parents with babies to use the creche. Jude says the service is to look after children and is planned for parents. They will take children to ski lessons at the Alpine Meadow and pick them up afterwards. When the weather is good they take the kids out for regular bursts of play in the snow so they can also enjoy being on the mountain. They plan to run special activities during the last week of the holidays such as treasure hunts and lolly scrambles. "Lots of parents ski with their children in the morning or put them in lessons, then use the creche in the afternoon," said Jude. Parents' reactions have been very positive with many very pleased to see the creche back in action. During term time the pair share the job but in the holidays most days they are both on deck. They also have two Ruapehu College 7th formers helping out.

Things they have for the kids are what you would expect to see in a well equippcd kindergarten, with time

spent making collages, playing with dough, drawing, reading lots of books and playing with puzzles. They also have

places the children can sleep if that's what they need. "It's a kindy away

trom kinay, says Jude "And a school away from school. And I love it - it's great being up on the mountain."