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Netherby School has officially opened its new classroom block, nine years after advocating for more teaching space.
The two classroom block has been named the Perseverance Block.
It was named as ‘‘somewhere beyond our school grounds, the stars aligned’’ principal Phil Wheeler said, in his speech to the school community last term, which included former teachers Leonie Murdoch, Lorraine Tew and Jaz McCully.
The two classroom block, which will be used by senior pupils, were named Tui for room 9, and Kõtuku for room 10.
Senior pupil Hunter McCormick and junior pupil Maeve Twomey had the honour of cutting the ribbon alongside Wheeler and Board of Trustees presiding member Jenny Doak, and there were kapa haka and singing performances by pupils before a sausage sizzle and ice block treat.
Wheeler said in 2017 the school grew from a U3 graded school with 101 to 150 pupils, to a U4 school (151 to 300 pupils) and its maximum occupancy was 144 children.
‘‘In 2017, we surpassed that number. That was the first time I signalled to the Ministry of Education (MOE) that perhaps we needed extra teaching space.’’
‘‘Unfortunately, our request was denied - too many out of zone enrolments they said.’’
Space saving efforts saw the school turn the library into room one, a resource area into a boardroom — and then that boardroom into a classroom, a former dental clinic became a library, then that library become a new entrant classroom, while shifting the library once again into the hall.
In 2019/20, the school established an enrolment zone.
The maximum capacity rose to 168 children but each year it was surpassed by the end of the year.
‘‘This year, we currently sit at 198 children and will pass 200 enrolments this year, well beyond maximums of 144 or 168 and the biggest roll the school has posted in over 40 years,’’ he said.
‘‘Because we persevered in voicing our needs, we were awarded the beautiful new spaces I am standing in front of today—appropriately named the Perseverance Block.’’
Wheeler thanked those involved in the process and said it was many small steps that had made a difference.
‘‘Which brings me back to our whakataukī: Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu. Ahakoa he iti—the small things.
‘‘The small steps were every email sent, the conversations with MOE, every room reconfigured, every enrolment zone adjusted, and every MOE meeting requested.
‘‘The small steps came from the staff who helped build our roll.
‘‘They made meaningful relationships with our community.’’
Connections included special invitations, delivering promotional material and open day events.
‘‘There have been many conversations shared from staff out into the community about the incredible things happening at Netherby School.
‘‘None of those actions were massive on their own, but when added together over nine years, those small, persevering steps built something enduring and precious, our new classrooms.
‘‘That is the message of the Perseverance Block: success rarely happens all at once.
‘‘It is achieved through endless small steps driven by determination. Perseverance itself is the precious attribute— our pounamu.
‘‘Thank you to everyone who took those small steps with us to make this big dream a reality for the children of Netherby School.’’
