Long awaited build at North Canterbury school
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A school production is planned at West Eyreton School, near Oxford, but whether it goes ahead depends on the construction of a new classroom block.
For now the school hall is home to two classes, while they await new teaching spaces.
‘‘Wehave our school production planned for term three, but it can only go ahead if we have use of the hall,’’ principal Lisa Duff said.
‘‘So we would like to have the new classrooms by then.’’
Work got under way last month on a new classroom block and the construction company, Molior Building, has indicated it will be a six month project.
The new building will replace the old Cebus Block, which was demolished last year.
‘‘The original Cebus Block was due for modernisation, but it was identified as being unsuitable for purpose,’’ Duff said.
The new building will provide ‘‘a fit-for-purpose learning space’’ for year 3 and 4 pupils, while complementing the historic buildings onsite, she said.
Two classes will occupy a shared space, with an open veranda and lots of breakout spaces for learning.
As the school was waiting for work to begin on the new classroom block, an 80-year-old tree which had some significance for the school had to be removed.
Thanks to the support of Oxford Cartage and Bennetts Sawmill, near Oxford, some slabs from the tree will return to the school in the form of some outdoor furniture, Duff said.
‘‘We really appreciate and value the contributions our wider West Eyreton School community make to our school and the full circle approach to the tree removal will be a valuable learning experience for all our children.’’
The Molior Building has already renovated the school’s main classroom block, meaning the school was set for the future.
The school new year has seen 20 new enrolments to begin the year with 186 pupils.
Duff expected to end the year with about 200 pupils, as the school continues to enjoy steady growth.
■ Public interest journalism is funded by New Zealand on Air.
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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