10 minute read
A new dawn for Te Aratai College
By Natasha Parrant
Linwood High School, now known as Te Aratai College, was founded in 1954 and was one of the first co-ed schools postWorld War II.
It was a time of hope and optimism and the school soon became known for its innovation as it embraced new ideas and looked to the future. The school and community were deeply affected by the government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system and the socio-economic policies during the 1990s. Tomorrow’s Schools refers to the reforms that shaped the governance, management, and administration of Aotearoa schools over 30 years ago. The 2010 and 2011 earthquakes hit the east of Christchurch hard and many people left the area. As a result of the earthquakes, Linwood College site-shared with Cashmere High School
Te whare ako (classroom).
while Linwood was being repaired. Cashmere High School had the morning shift and Linwood High School had the afternoon. Staff and students came back to the Linwood campus in August 2011. “It was not a nice time,” Te Aratai College principal Dick Edmundson says. With both the already considerable existing deferred maintenance and required re-development, the Ministry of Education (MoE) supported the idea of completely rebuilding the school. “The school is part of the successful post-earthquake Christchurch story,” he says. Linwood High School was, fortunately, able to move offsite for the duration of the rebuild. In 2019, it shifted onto the former Avonside Girls High School (GHS) site as Avonside GHS had its rebuild on a new site that was completed at the time. Moving sites meant the students and staff didn’t have to live through the disruption of a rebuild and meant that the rebuild was completed in three years rather than what would have been four. This project saved one million dollars, which the MoE generously left in the project. In term two this year the school returned to its rebuilt campus and its new name Te Aratai College. The name had been gifted by mana whenua, Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga, and was eagerly accepted with its meaning, “pathway to the sea.” This meaning incorporates both the community’s physical location and the concept of empowering student pathways, Dick says.
Building the learning hub at Te Aratai College. Whare (building) and hall.
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Te whare tapere (the theatre)
Te Aratai College opened at the beginning of this year in May and has completed its first term. The school has been really fortunate for the rebuild, he says. “We’ve been able to create an impressive design that’s both reassuring and aspirational for our community.” He describes the school’s relationship with the MoE through the rebuild process as a true partnership. “It couldn’t have been better. It was stunning.” “We really enjoyed our architects, Architectus, who took our education brief created from all the student, staff, and community voices, and turned it into reality. “Our construction company Southbase and project managers RDT Pacific also embraced the moral imperative of this post-earthquake school rebuild and community redevelopment, and we will always be grateful.” Te Aratai College’s use of different spaces for different uses reflects their Education Brief, the key document the architects work from. The college uses the term “a responsive learning environment,” a term Dick says the school and community prefer to the words modern and flexible. “However, simply rebuilding in single classroom design wasn’t an option either. Community voice was clear that personalisation of learning to reflect the diversity of our students and community was to be at the heart.” This means Te Aratai College has a range of learning spaces that are able to respond to the varying factors of curriculum, student age, and pedagogy, Dick says. “Even the time of day can make a difference. We have both standard classrooms with double doors between them, and smaller spaces and larger spaces. “We respond to the needs of the students in front of us,” he says. Linwood/Te Aratai College has a proud history stretching back over 60 years and within its wider academic success has been nationally known for its music, performing arts, and providing a well-rounded education with various learning opportunities, Dick says. However, “it’s so much more than that,” he says. The college is about students discovering how good they can be, sometimes to their surprise, with strong pathways to tertiary institutions. “We have a wonderful gymnasium and our existing off-site Kimihia Parental College (a teen parent unit) is coming on-site for opening in 2023. And we have Aukaha, Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) provision, for students with high needs. This has previously been lacking for our community.” Dick says that the most wonderful thing about being a principal at Te Aratai College is watching the students from Year 7 to 13 grow into themselves.
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When Bishop Interiors Ltd began working with the New Te Aratai College, it was much more than the Administration furniture that has been the strength of the Company for over 25 years.
Working closely with the School Rebuild Team, solutions for teaching spaces, communal spaces and administration spaces included reworking and refurbishing existing furniture to minimise disposal to landfill as well as maximising the financial benefit to the College. New furniture for Teaching spaces, Staff breakout areas, Modern learning environments, Library, Technology and specialist storage solutions were supplied.
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Te Aratai College students in the whare pukapuka (library).
“It has never been easy to be a preteen or teenager but today’s pressures are harsher both in themselves and then how they are ramped up further with social media. Schools need to be hopeful institutions seeing past immediate difficulties.” It is his second time at the school as he had been a teacher there in the 1990s. “You taught my mother/uncle, etc, is a regular, and thankfully mostly positive comment,” he says. He also values the in-depth community and connection of the college. He’s excited about working with the community to develop the Aotearoa-New Zealand’s histories curriculum and wider place-based learning. He says he’s happy to see kids “learning as themselves, embedded in their whānau and community. We live in a multi-cultural community in a bicultural nation.” The college’s roll is growing. The school initially re-opened for a roll of 850 students. However, the present roll is 890 students. Stage two of the building programme is beginning now and will be completed at the beginning of 2024 with a roll of 1,250 students. The master-planned stage three will accommodate a roll of 1,800 students. This expansion will be done by adding more classrooms and providing more space. Te Aratai College’s vision is Mauri Ora through Ako. This school vision has been established to create progressive, inclusive, safe, and engaging learning pathways for flourishing wellbeing and personalised excellence. It’s all about the partnerships, Dick says.
Te whare waiora (gymnasium)
Photos kindly supplied by Te Aratai College.
Te Aratai College 85 Aldwins Road Phillipstown Christchurch (03) 982 0100 office@linwoodcollege.school.nz tearatai.school.nz
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An event to remember
School balls and formals are a big deal for most students in Aotearoa. A high school ball and/ or formal is for students between Year 11-13.
This moment is something most students look forward to and put a lot of effort into getting dressed up, looking and feeling their absolute best, and most importantly getting ready to go to the event with their friends or partner. Some students even rock up to the venue in style with a limousine or party bus. School balls and formals are all about celebrating good times and reminiscing at the end of every year. A lot goes into the food, venue, and even the themes.
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Some venues will have customised themes to make it fun so students can dress up as iconic characters or follow a particular theme. Themes can include masquerades for a bit of mystery and often arriving in elegant garments with feathery masks, black and white balls use black chairs and table cloths with white centrepiece, a 1920s look inspires the great Gatsby, and getting golden with gold decoration, attire, tables, generally everything. The school ball.co.nz website provides a useful New Zealand ball and formal guide for those organising or attending their high school ball/formal. At a formal or ball, there are DJs, bands, venues, theme stylists, and photographers to ensure students have great service. Some students like to choose their ball dresses and suits, hire makeup artists, hairdressers, and spray tanning services. Anyone can look up recommendations online for services specifically specializing in getting ready for formals and balls. There are also some mobile beauty services offered for those who want to get someone to come to their house to help them get ready. Find out more about the guide and where to find some of these services here: www.schoolball.co.nz.
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