Back
387 days ago

Kaiapoi school moves away from open-plan classrooms

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

By local democracy reporter David Hill:

Kaiapoi’s oldest school is returning to traditional single-cell classrooms as it looks to the future.

Kaiapoi Borough School opened two new classrooms on Monday (November 6), on the eve of its 150 year anniversary celebrations on November 24.

Principal Hayden van Lent said two-thirds of the school had been rebuilt since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, giving the school a new look.

The new classrooms provided more space for roll growth, with the design going back to the more traditional single cell classrooms.

"We know it works well and it works for our tamariki and our community," van Lent said.

"They are exciting spaces and we still have the ability to be flexible."

Doors between the two classrooms could be opened up to use as one big space when needed and they were equipped with break-out rooms, wet spaces and electric windows.

The classrooms were a kitset design built by Fitzgerald Construction in Nelson.

Representatives from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tūāhuriri offered a blessing on Monday, and were joined by Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Fitzgerald Construction.

Junior students also came to view their new classrooms, before moving in on Wednesday.

The school will be hosting an open day on Friday, November 24, to mark its 150th anniversary.

A mihi whakatau (formal welcome) will be held at 12pm, with lunch provided.

Lunch will be followed by school tours, the burying of a time capsule, a tree planting and the cutting of the cake in the hall.

■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.

More messages from your neighbours
29 minutes ago

Think You’ve Got the Answer? Today’s Riddle Says ‘Prove It’!

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

Image
A
3 days ago

TV 1 last night.

Anne from Rangiora

Did any body watch A Remarkable Place to Die last night?
Did I miss something at the end as it went straight to the next program after the adds.with no finish

5 days ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

Image