Claire Robertshaw is leaving the Ashburton College visual arts department after 18 years. Photo supplied.Ashburton College teacher Claire Robertshaw has signed off and will start the new year at Rolleston College, leaving behind a legacy of strong achievement in the school’s visual art department.

An 18-year stint at one school is a long time in any teacher’s life, but that’s the milestone Ashburton College teacher Claire Robertshaw chalked up before signing off and moving on.

Claire joined the college’s teaching staff in 2000 but come day one of term one 2019, her name will be on the staff list at Rolleston College.

The teacher of art with art history has set high standards for her students and has worked to find motivational ways of engaging and growing each student’s achievements.

Some of those students have achieved scholarship results.

Early in her career, Claire decided to learn the correct language and terminology in te reo and tikanga both the aid her teaching of visual arts and to ensure she was able to participate in Maori cultural events and develop an understanding of protocols.

She has been a strong advocate of the Peer Support Programme and has contributed significantly to the extra-curricular life and work of the college, including such festivities as AshDance, Lip Sync, Pasifika activities, Kapa Haka and Manu Korero, college productions, including sets and props, arts and languages week, field trips, music nights,and promoting the arts through student’s involvement in Mid Canterbury schools’ exhibitions, the college art award, Zonta art award and arts festivals.

Many of the school’s murals are due to the creativity, vision of and planning by Claire and the art department, providing students with ‘real’ art opportunities. These major projects have extended to community murals – also in town.

She has been involved in several college committees including; staff development, eliminating violence, staff social and Maori student achievement committees and she held the staff head of Blue House position from 2004 until the end of 2010.

In 2003 Claire was appointed as head of department – visual arts and was, in 2007, appointed to the position of head of the arts and languages faculty.

During part of term one and all of term two of 2016 claire was appointed to the position of acting deputy principal.

She was successful in gaining a secondary teachers’ study award in 2014, for the topics of visual art education, education issues amongst Pasifika peoples in New Zealand and cultural differences in education.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 2 January 2019