Article in The Daily Post about movie watching habits in Rotorua, featuring MovieTime.

1. The Daily Post A5Saturday, November 20, 2010 A5POSTNEWS
SCHOOL SAFETY: Niels Rasmussen wants drivers to engage their
brain and get into drive mode, especially when going past his
school. PICTURE / STEPHEN PARKER 191110SP7
‘Failed’ pupil made it to the top
Today’s
newsmaker is
Niels Rasmussen,
principal of Sunset
Primary School,
the location of the
city’s busiest
speed camera.
THE
DAILY
POST
NEWS
MAKER
Tell us about yourself
I was born in Denmark and
sailed to New Zealand a few
years after the conclusion of
World War 2 with my family. I
was 18 months old at the time
and my sister was just a little
older. Both my parents, who
had been active members of
the resistance movement dur-
ing the war, sailed out to a
brave new world — to a land
where the ‘‘moon is turning
the wrong way’’. My parents
came to view a parcel of land
that they had bought while in
Denmark. This land could not
be found. The nearest that
could be realised was a shift-
ing sand dune in Auckland
somewhere.
My family moved from
Auckland to Nelson and then
to New Plymouth where my
father obtained work in his
chosen field as draughtsman
on the then Taranaki Educa-
tion Board. My mother worked
as a radiographer’s assistant
and as a postie as well as
schools office assistant and
education departments hear-
ing and vision tester. She
eventually found work on the
Taranaki Herald as women’s
editor (a position she held on
The Daily Post too in later
years).
I grew up in New Ply-
mouth. My somewhat non-
spectacular secondary educa-
tion began at New Plymouth
Boys’ High. I was seen as dif-
ferent and was often looked
upon and spoken about as that
‘‘poor boy whose mother
works’’.
Why did you become a
teacher and what led you to
being principal of Sunset
Primary?
I cannot really find any one
reason why I became a
teacher other than my own
schooling was subject to fail-
ure. I was not a ‘‘success’’
student and, although I had
the ability (apparently), I
needed to learn to focus on
one thing at a time. I had just
completed a year back at
school after having worked for
two years and my father and
sister suggested that I do
something more in the way of
study. In those days you
received an allowance while
you trained to teach. This
appealed to me and I had also
heard that Teacher’s College
was a great place for a young
bloke to be.
I guess though, that one of
the reasons that I have stayed
in education is the opportunity
to listen to and support
students in order that their
school life be a lot more free
from intimidation, ridicule and
bullying than mine was.
The opportunity to make a
difference (and I believe that I
have that capacity) has kept
me in teaching
I have been principal at
Sunset Primary now for 10
years and applied for this job
at the same time as several
others. I had been selected for
interview here as well as two
other schools but opted to
come here because of the
challenges and the delightful
friendly students who came
running up, asking many
questions. The school environ-
ment felt right and I felt that I
could effect change in
students’ lives.
What makes your school
a good learning environ-
ment?
I believe that we have an
excellent learning environ-
ment here as we are always
listening to the students and
to the families. Our school is
staffed by very highly quali-
fied teachers who are
innovative and inclusive. We
all teach at Sunset Primary
because we want to be here
and because we recognise the
whole child in their totality
and the interconnectedness of
home and of school. We value
each child as an individual
and realise that all children
have the potential and indeed
the right to succeed.
Your school was chosen
to have the first 40kph zone
in Rotorua; has that made
any difference to your
students’ safety?
School safety and student
safety is always an issue. We
are thankful for the 40kph
zone outside our school and
would like to think that it
would improve the safety out-
comes for students from both
Sunset and our neighbouring
school to cross the road. How-
ever, I reserve my judg ment
on that. I have seen one child
hit on a pedestrian crossing
and it is a sickening thud fol-
lowed by broken glass and sil-
ence before the cacophony of
sounds erupts with lights and
smells and despair. I don’t
want to see that again. The
safety for people crossing the
road falls squarely in the laps
of the drivers wherever they
are, but especially at the
crossings as young children so
often do not judge oncoming
vehicles speeds well at all.
They are often lulled into a
false sense of security, think-
ing that because it is a cross-
ing they are ‘‘safe’’.
What message would you
like to send to drivers who
speed past your school?
Studies have shown that
the psychological conditioning
of drivers plays a huge part in
the number of accidents. I still
see people eating toast,
drinking, combing hair, texting
and putting on make-up when
their attention should be com-
pletely on the driving task.
Mistakes and resultant
accidents happen in the click
of a finger.
So when you get up and
ready and head out for work
please engage the brain. Put it
into drive mode and not cruise
mode.
Should there be higher
penalties for people who
speed near schools? What
should these be?
I’m not sure if higher penal-
ties would make a difference
to whether someone speeds
past a school.
It’s the psychology of the
driver that matters.
However, I believe that
anyone who injures a child
with their car would be
traumatised by the event and
would learn from that, but it
may be too late for the child
hit. Somehow it is worse when
children are maimed or killed.
I know that for all
principals, all people, the idea
that a child, any child, was hit,
injured or killed and especially
outside a school and in a
‘‘safe’’ zone would be a
thought too horrible to
contemplate.
I know that none of us,
when we get into a car, plan,
or expect, that the car in
which we are sitting may
injure or kill a child in the
next five or 10 minutes, but it
does happen. Take care.
Tell us three things
people might be surprised to
know about you.
I have had a number of
other jobs. These have
included time as a reporter/
photographer, as a television
camera operator, as a shep-
herd general on a sheep and
beef station. I have also had
my own silk screen and photo-
graphy business. I spent 15
years as a volunteer fireman,
I have an unpublished book
and have had some of my
cartoons published.
Student scratches bus and wins prize
IN LUCK: Michael Matthews won the largest prize of the day from the Scratchy Bus. PICTURE / STEPHEN PARKER 191110SP8
by Imogen Crispe
imogen.crispe@dailypost.com
Scratching a bus would usually cost
you, but yesterday it won a Rotorua
student $500.
Waiariki Institute of Technology
student Michael Matthews was the
only person in Rotorua to win $500
when the Instant Kiwi Scratchy bus
was in Rotorua as part of a tour
around the country.
The bus, decorated with multi-
coloured scratchable panels, started
its trip from Kaitaia on Monday and
is stopping in every main centre,
ending up in Invercargill on Novem-
ber 28.
Mr Matthews was rapt with his
unexpected windfall but it didn’t
take him long to decide what he’d
spend his winnings on — a party
and a present for his girlfriend.
The last winners of the day yes-
terday were Rotorua twins Jamiera
and Elaisha Martis who, in a fluke of
double luck, each won $20.
‘‘I feel really good, lucky,’’
Jamiera said.
Elaisha said she was ‘‘rather
ecstatic’’.
The pair said their winnings
would be spent on candy, ice cream
and a drink or two.
The Scratchy bus was in Rotorua
for half a day, during which time
1181 locals flocked to the City Focus
to have their chance to win.
Prizes up for grabs for those who
scratched the right square included
cash prizes of up to $10,000 and
Instant Kiwi tickets.
People were given a random
number of a scratchable panel on
the bus, then Instant Kiwi repre-
sentatives helped them find their
panel.
Most Rotorua people won $1
Instant Kiwi tickets, giving them a
chance to win up to $10,000 cash.
Locals Marguerite Lamb and Rus-
sell Barker were among those who
scratched the bus and won $1
Instant Kiwi tickets.
‘‘I think it’s a good idea, as long
as I can win something,’’ Mrs Lamb
said.
Mr Barker said he had to be in to
win.
Another local, Jo Squires, won a
$5 Instant Kiwi ticket. ‘‘It’s quite
cool to give people a chance. I’ve not
seen it before,’’ she said.
NZ Lotteries communications
adviser Victoria Barton-Chapple
said lots of Rotorua people had won
$20 during the morning. She is with
a group of Instant Kiwi representa-
tives on the road trip and said,
although it was hard work, the team
was having a great time and getting
a great response from the public.
‘‘I haven’t had any negative
feedback. ’’
She said one local offered to buy
the bus, which was off to Whaka-
tane after leaving Rotorua.
REEL MONEY: Movie tickets for two or 12 DVDs? Layla Robinson says DVD rentals are popular. PICTURE / 221010KT1
DVDs a great entertainment
choice for budget-consciousby Alison King
alison.king@dailypost.co.nz
Movie-lover Layla Robinson often
settles down to a pile of DVDs.
The owner of MovieTime in
Ngongotaha is unlikely to be alone
since it is far cheaper for families
to hire DVDs than go on a cinema
outing.
Hiring one new release is almost
half the cost of a movie ticket and
with many DVD stores offering
multi-hire deals, families can choose
a family movie as well something
more grown-up when the littlies are
tucked up in bed.
‘‘People love the convenience of
renting something you feel like
watching,’’ Ms Robinson said.
‘‘If you feel like a soppy story you
can grab it and watch it straight
away.’’
Hot rentals at the moment are
Toy Story 3, Get Him To The Greek
and Sex and the City 2.
Rotorua’s DVD stores all have
different prices depending on the
age of the movie. New releases
come in between $3 and $8 and
weekly rentals from $1 to $4
depending on the day of hire.
When you add up the cost of
going to the cinema to watch a new
release on the big screen it can be
easy to mount up a big bill.
Tickets at Reading Cinemas on
Eruera St are $15.30 per adult and
$10 per child so a family of four can
expect to part with $50.60 before
considering the obligatory side of
popcorn and a fizzy drink.
At Basement Cinema in Hinemoa
St, movie tickets are $14 for adults
and $10 for children after 5pm.
Both cinemas offer clubs for
regular movie-goers. Basement
Cinema is $25 for the year and gives
members discounted tickets of $10.
The Reading Reel Club has a
rewards card and for every dollar
spent one reward point is earned.
This mounts up to ticket discounts
and candy bar freebies.
Reading Cinemas manager Adam
Morrison said some movies were
best seen on the big screen where
moviegoers could enjoy the full
impact.
‘‘The big screen can’t be beat
when it comes to special effects —
that’s the main difference between
coming to the cinema or watching a
movie at home,’’ he said. ‘‘Any
movie with a lot of effects is best
presented in the cinema. Avatar, the
Lord of the Rings trilogy and the
Harry Potter films have all been
very successful.
It’s customer loyalty that keeps
Ms Robinson smiling at MovieTime.
When she opened up her store two
years ago she started a frequent
renters scheme.
‘‘In one week we can give out
$300 worth of free rentals,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s so cool and the customers
really love it. Some will have a pile
of movies and I’ll tell them they can
get one of their titles for free but
instead they’ll grab another one.’’
And if customers time their
hiring right, they can get two nights
for the price of one. MovieTime is
closed on Mondays so Sunday over-
night rentals can be held until
Tuesday.
She said she had hoped owning a
DVD store meant she could indulge
her love of movies but only gets
through four a week as part of her
role as a reviewer.
New members are asked to name
their favourite movies and it’s the
old titles that feature in the
MovieTime top 5: Shawshank
Redemption, Green Mile, The Note-
book, Dirty Dancing and Gone With
the Wind.
THE DEALS
■ Basement Cinema
Before 5pm Adults $12, children
$10
After 5pm Adults $14, children $10.
Join the cinema club for $25 for 12
months and get $10 tickets all year
round plus 12 per cent discount off
drinks and snacks. No popcorn but
coffee is $3.50 and the most
popular snack Jaffas $2.
■ Reading Cinemas
Adults $15.30, children $10,
student (ID required) $13.20, over
65s $10
Snack combos are $6.50 small and
$9.50 supersize and that includes
popcorn and a Pepsi soft drink.
The Reading Reel Club has a
rewards card and for every dollar
spent one reward point is earned.
This mounts up to ticket discounts
and candy bar freebies.
■ Video Ezy
Free membership
New releases $8 with two weekly
rentals free or 2 new releases for
$10. Weekly rentals $3 each.
Pop N Good popcorn $3.50
■ United Video
Free membership
Super combo of 2 new releases, 2
recent releases, 2 weeklies, one
packet of Big Uns and 1.5l Coke for
$20. New releases $4 for overnight
rental, recent releases $4 for 3 or 7
nights.
Pop N Good popcorn $3.50
■ Civic Video
Free membership
New releases $8, 2 for $10, 3 for
$12
Weekly movies $1 each every
Tuesday and Thursday
Pop N Good popcorn $3.50
Act II Butter Lovers popcorn single
$2.90
■ MovieTime Ngongotaha
Free membership
New releases $8 overnight, half
price new releases every Tuesday
and Wednesday.
Weekly movies $4 each or 6 for
$10.
Movie Lovers Club: One new
release, two recent releases and
three seven-day rentals for $15.
Over 65s get a 15 per cent discount
■ Westbrook Video
Free membership
New releases $4 overnight or three
for $10.
Weekly movies $3 each, five
weekly rentals for $10.