Principal News

It has been a long time coming....

...but we finally got there with the opening of our new play space for the students and the wider community.

It was wonderful to share the opening with the former Principal Tony Hunter and Board Chair at the time Mike McCaw. It was their vision, along with Roddy Soles, who created this space.

The vision was to create an all purpose space that could be used throughout the year. On a daily basis it will take timetable pressure off our hall and allow our teachers the ability to consistently teach PE. It will allow sports practices including hockey, to be taken before school due to the lighting installed, a community place for people to be active outside of school hours and it will provide a safe, covered space in the event of an emergency.

Just like it takes a community to raise a child it felt the same for this project. We have faced Covid restrictions, supply issues and even a significant flood. All have all caused delays throughout the process.

Thank you to the Otago Community Trust for supplying a significant amount of funding along with the Lion Foundation and Programmed Maintenance who also contributed financially.

For a project that spans many years, multiple members of the Board invested a huge amount of time. I would like to pay special thanks to Mile McCaw, Rhys Wilson and our current Board chair Peter Renton for all their hard work.

Congratulations to Nikau Morand who came up with the name of the space, Te Toroa. The toroa or albatross is the symbol of the school. In this case it represents .the wings protecting all those who are under it. Well done to Mia Stanley who came up with the name, Turfy McTurface, a personal favourite of mine!

Finally thank you to the students and wider community for their patience. This is the only covered turf south of Christchurch, and we hope that the wait will be worth it.

Nga mihi

Simon Clarke

Principal