Just to be clear Simon does not know about this petition it is entirely student led.

Simon Phelon had the position of Tech Support (or I.T) at Wakatipu High School. Unfortunately, those who are in control have decided that the school needs to change the system and employ a tech company instead of having one person do the job, because they believe that is what is best for the school, simply put, they are replacing Simon by outsourcing his job to a company. This petition wishes to prove them wrong, as we believe that Simon is invaluable and more than deserves this position. 

As for what the school needs, the position of "Tech Support" needs to be visible in a school dependent on computers and the internet for the majority of our learning. If a student or teacher has a problem with their computer or the T.V or anything along those lines, We NEED to be able to walk down the hallway and know that there is a person sitting at student services who we can trust and who knows the system well who can fix the problem, and, more importantly, we need to have someone with a physical presence in the school. Simon is popular with the students, is probably the most relatable staff member to talk with and he shows genuine interest in certain hobbies. You will often find him talking with staff and students, and offering support with issues far more complex than computer viruses. He has a personality, and that is not something that you can replace. He almost fills the role of a counselor, and without the presence of him at student services, for I.T support or even just to have a good chat, there will certainly be a void left which could never be filled. 

Simons's presence in the school goes as far as running an after school club, Wargames, which aims to bring together students (and teachers) who wish to socialize over RP games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Risk, or Warhammer Fantasy. Most of the board games are owned and paid for by him. This club brings together some of the more socially awkward students, and really helps them to bond and find their place in the school. Simon puts a lot of time and commitment into this group, and it will struggle without him.

A vital quality of any staff member at a high school is that they need to be approachable, and Simon is most certainly that. What is missed about having our own maintenance staff is their presence in the school and the ability to just go and talk to them about the issues. Now we have to email support@wakatipu.school.nz and that just doesn't feel the same. Some issues never get fixed. The maintenance staff goes unnoticed at school now. They are invisible. Most students don't know they're names or that they exist. And that just won't work for tech support because students need to be able to approach someone about their issues, someone who is always there and has a presence in the school. Otherwise, well, they are too afraid to talk to them. 

Simon is hardworking and undoubtedly good at his job, the I.T and the humanitarian aspects of it such as bonding with students and staff alike, and if he leaves yet another aspect of daily school life will fall to become an unseen and unapproachable puppet of a larger company who is not employed to be a member of staff or a part of the school, but to fill a position in a maintenance job. Simon deserves to stay at this school. Let's make it happen...

If enough people sign I do believe we can change their minds. This school NEEDS Simon, and we will do anything to get him back. If we get enough signatures I will personally take this to SLT and we will demand the decision is reconsidered. 

Please share this as much as possible. 

Thank you for your support.