Balaclava caretaker declared the best

Caretaker Graham Hansen riding high at Balaclava School. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Caretaker Graham Hansen riding high at Balaclava School. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Graham Hansen takes good care of Balaclava School in Dunedin.

In fact, such good care that this year, he was voted Dunedin's best school caretaker.

"He is an absolute trooper. He's worked here for 15 years and he's here every morning at 7.30 to turn on the boiler. He closes the school up every night and cuts the grass at the weekends.

"He coaches the kids rugby at lunchtimes and he's always got a kind word for the kids," principal Sally Direen said.

Teacher Rosemary Coleman said her year 5 and 6 class wrote a letter to Keep Dunedin Beautiful nominating Mr Hansen in the organisation's best caretaker award.

Mr Hansen would do anything for anyone and generally straight away, she said.

"Graham has not been known to say no and he deserves to be acknowledged."

Mr Hansen said he did not like to "talk himself up" and had not said much about the award since receiving it several weeks ago.

He liked working at the school because of its pleasant location near trees where native birds could often be heard singing and because of the children and his colleagues.

"I often hear of other caretakers who say there are factions within the staff and always problems, but there is none of that here. Sally is great; everyone gets on really well; it's a really good place to work."

debbie.porteous@odt.co.nz

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