Aranui High School
profiles
The broad pathway to success
Amanda Taueki King-Hazel and Rawiri Maniapoto star as Titania and Oberon in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
A
UNIQUE CHRISTCHURCH high school is celebrating its 50th Jubilee year in 2010 with a complete redevelopment. Aranui High School has weathered a number of storms over its 50 year history but, with the redevelopment of its teaching classrooms and a rebuilding of the school’s status in the community, the school has just cause for celebration. Aranui High School principal, John Rohs, says the project started in 2006 when staff and the then local member of parliament, Lianne Dalziel, expressed concern about the poor state of the school. “The 1960s fibrolite buildings were beginning to show their age and the school grounds were continually being vandalised and tagged,” he says. A lengthy three-year consultation process with the Ministry of Education ensued and the decision
$07
“
“Aranui means ‘broad pathway’ and the academies offer students a lot of choices with their education.”
to completely rebuild the school was finally made in 2008. The schools’ new science block was officially opened in 2009, and the redeveloped technology and arts block will be declared open during the school’s jubilee celebrations in term one. Expected to be fully complete in 2011, the redevelopment will continue throughout this year with the demolition of the current technology block, a rebuild of the pastoral care centre and the construction of a student centre. The main teaching area of the school, housing the school’s
0(&+$1,&$/ 6(59,&(6 /7'
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineers s Design s Installation
s Maintenance s Energy Audits s IQP Inspections s Professional Advice
PROUD TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE ARANUI HIGH SCHOOL UPGRADE Ph: (03) 338 0145, Fax: (03) 338 0147 0/ "OX #HRISTCHURCH s EMAIL INFO AMTMECH CO NZ
18
school news Issue 09 - Term 1 - 2010
Lara Philips and Shana Paynter won gold for Aranui at the National Junior Hospitality Challenge.
– John Rohs, principal, Aranui High School computer suites, maths department, and social science department, is also set for demolition and will be rebuilt into three distinct teaching blocks for maths, social science and English. “We’re very lucky that, up to this point, the reconstruction has not had much impact on the running of the school,” says Rohs. “However, from early 2010 the whole campus will be under construction. We’re trying to ensure demolition noise is confined to the holidays and we’re confident that the delivery of the curriculum will not be compromised during the year.” However, it’s not just the physical
buildings that are undergoing a redevelopment – in the past three years the school has also been working hard to expand its role in the Aranui community. The school was one of the first in the country to establish an academy programme which provides concentrated tuition in a particular career pathway. The school now has 13 academies ranging from basketball and rugby league to early childhood and hospitality. Students can opt to undertake the academy programme on a part time basis and be involved in conventional schooling the rest of
