Update 30 August

Mōrena e hoa mā

We had a great start to the day this morning with the arrival of the team from Classic Hits and their free coffees for staff and parents.

Re-locatables Underway

This continues from the news yesterday that our Building Consent for the new re-locatables had finally come through from the Council and that work could start lowering the classrooms and getting them ready for occupation. We are looking forward to moving Rooms 3 & 4 out of the hall and into the classrooms so that we will be able to use the hall and have assemblies again. We have really missed being able to gather together as a school community.

Freeville Family Garden

Yesterday a notice went home to all families regarding our plan to start a Freeville Family Garden. To quote the pānui (notice) that went home:

"With some of our Freeville families having to leave their homes and gardens the idea started that with gifted plants and trees from our families we could create a garden, built with love, that both current and future Freeville families could enjoy."

We are very thankful to Su Pratt who has come up with this initiative and Tony Milne, a Landscape Architect who has donated his time to give advice and come up with a plan. We look forward to your feedback and to the establishment of the Freeville Family Garden.

Please contact Su here at school if you would like to be involved or have any questions.

Ngā mihi

John

School still closed

Morena

School will remain closed today, Tuesday. We will reassess again tomorrow morning.

Stay safe and warm.

John

School Closed

Morena

School is closed today due to the snow. Stay safe and warm.

John

Update 3 August

Kia ora koutou

Term 3 has started with a hiss and a roar. We are very encouraged that three more relocatable classrooms have arrived on site over the last couple of nights. We are now waiting for consent to come through so that they can be put on their foundations and work can commence getting them ready for occupation.

There have been a couple of comments about their placement and why they are being put out behind the hall. There are a number of reasons for that:

1. That is the only entry point where the trucks can get because of the power lines around the rest of the school.
2. We can't move them any further because the grounds are too wet and the trucks would get stuck.
3. That area is close to services such as power and sewerage and it enables the rooms to be hooked up more quickly and at much less cost.
4. It retains our grassed areas for the children to play on.

The double classroom that has been moved on will be used by the classes currently in the hall. The library (currently stored in a container) will be set up at the back of the hall. We will still have enough space for assemblies etc.

The single room will be a teacher resource and work room. Our mobile shelving will be installed and our teachers will finally have a space to store resources and work in when not in their classrooms.

School Roll: Our school roll remains strong and steady. By Monday of next week will have 295 pupils. This is an increase from the end of last term. On Monday we started a new Year 1 class and welcomed Kate Stoneman, our new teacher in that room. We have good numbers of children starting throughout term 3, good numbers of children pre-enrolled for term 4, and expect that we will start another class at the beginning of that term.

Thank you: A special thank you to the Heretaunga Lions from Hastings who have donated $4000 to the school to help us cover the cost of items not covered by insurance. We are tremendously grateful to all the generous people who have been so good to our school.

Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa.

John