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Children started at the new Collingwood Area School this week, built after the government announced a major cash injection for school redevelopment in Golden Bay / Mohua.
Nearly five years to the day since the government announced a multi-million dollar cash injection to rebuild Collingwood Area School, the school has opened its doors.
Sitting behind the old school, the brand new building for year 1-13 students in Golden Bay / Mohua was “beyond our expectations”, principal Hugh Gully said on Tuesday.
“When we first started planning this building four years ago… we wanted the whole school to be connected through a single corridor so that we kind of aligned to the Aorere River.”
The result was a school with “lots of glass” that brought students and staff together – “quite the opposite” from the former school, which had primary and secondary students in separate areas, Gully said.
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A dawn blessing took place on Friday for the new Collingwood Area School, with the community led onto the school by Manawhenua Ki Mohua.
“It was a disconnected, disjointed school building.
“[This one] is all one building, one corridor, the primary area is in the same area as the secondary area … it kind of creates a whanaungatanga together.”
The classrooms came off the corridor, which “flowed [from] one end of the school to the other” like the river the community lived beside, he said.
Classrooms were single cell, but could be opened up to connect with each other, or into common, shared spaces.
The new school was officially opened on Friday
A dawn blessing was led by Ngati Rārua, the custodians of the land the school sat on, with iwi from Manawhenua Ki Mohua (an iwi mandated organisation, representing Ngati Tama, Ngati Rārua and Te Ātiawa within the area defined as the Golden Bay catchment), Gully said.
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Barney Thomas (Ngati Rarua) supported by Manawhenua Ki Mohua at the blessing and opening of the new Collingwood Area School.
Iwi representatives unveilied a carving gifted to school, at the school’s front entrance.
Students helped with the move on Monday, shifting things like books and boxes.
Tuesday was the first day the school’s 155 students got to use their new classrooms.
“They were tremendously excited,” Gully said.
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Children started at the new Collingwood Area School on Tuesday, five years after the government announced a major cash injection.
“They loved the furniture, it’s all brand new furniture, and it’s quite modern, so there’s again this flexibility of where they can sit, on high leaners or couches … they really love the fact it’s not just a boring old wooden desk.”
A major upgrade of Golden Bay High School in Tākaka opened last month.
