The whare (hall), Tūranga Tuarua, landscaping and new classrooms in the background at Te Kura o Tuahiwi. Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News / LDR
It was ''a full circle'' moment for Rachael Williams and Dot Singh at the opening of a new whare at Te Kura o Tuahiwi in Canterbury on Friday, 5 December.
Williams, the board of trustees presiding member, and Singh, the tumuaki (principal), joined forces to celebrate the completion of a Ministry of Education-led building project.
As well as the new whare, Tūranga Tuarua, six new teaching spaces were built earlier this year, classrooms have been refurbished, and landscaping has given the school a new look as it prepares to grow to 250 tamariki.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi is a special character school, between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, with full immersion te reo and bilingual classes.
Williams and Singh, who have whakapapa at Tuahiwi, joined the teaching staff together at the kura 15 years ago, before going on to different roles.
''I taught here for 12 years, my three girls have gone here, and now my eldest daughter is returning next year to begin teacher training,'' Williams said.
''It's part of that full circle. You come and work here, and then you give back.''
Williams recalled that Maaka Tau, who officiated at the opening on behalf of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, was a kapa haka tutor at the kura when she started teaching.
While she was teaching at the kura, the roll fell to 76, but with the rebuild, it now has a capacity for 250 tamariki
The turnaround was thanks to the perseverance of Singh and previous tumuaki Sue Ross and Melanie Taite-Pitama, she said.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi board of trustees presiding member Rachael Williams and tumuaki (principal) Dot Singh celebrate the opening of Tūranga Tuarua, the kura's new whare (hall). Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News / LDR
''There has been a lot of hard work from Dot and Mel to get here, and Sue before them.
''There was lots of liaising and promoting the school and encouraging people to bring their tamariki here.
''And now a lot of whānau are bringing their tamariki back here.''
The growth needed new classrooms, but the rebuild nearly didn't happen.
It was delayed twice and then got caught up in the Ministry of Education's review of 352 school building projects last year.
The new whare has been named Tūranga Tuarua by Ngāi Tūāhuriri upoko (leader) Te Maire Tau, Singh said.
''Our old hall was named Tūranga, and we wanted to keep the name, so this is the next generation Tūranga.''
The whare is designed to hold 250 people, meaning the kura will finally be able to hold full school assemblies, prizegivings and indoor sports.
Tamariki perform during the opening of the new whare (hall) at Te Kura o Tuahiwi. Photo: David Hill / North Canterbury News / LDR
The kura regularly supports the Marae across the road by hosting people on site before they are welcomed onto the Marae.
With the project completed, attention turns to refurbishing the administration block and building a new staffroom to support the growing staff.
The new project will be board-led, Singh said.
''Everyone walks into the staffroom because they think it's the office, so this will mean the staff can have their privacy.''
The old hall has been refurbished, with the extra space allowing the kura to offer a Te Puna Reo group (pre-school) for 4-year-olds to help them prepare for school.
Williams said it just left a gap for rangatahi when they head off to high school.
''Our tamariki go to Kaiapoi or Rangiora High Schools or into Christchurch, but it's not full immersion, so it can be a struggle for them going into mainstream.
''So it's something to think about long-term - what do we provide beyond here?''
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
