Taking a broad pathway to success

The broad pathway to success

Amanda Taueki King-Hazel and Rawiri Maniapoto star as Titania and Oberon in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Lara Philips and Shana Paynter won gold for Aranui at the National Junior Hospitality Challenge.

AUNIQUE 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 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 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

“Aranui means ‘broad pathway’ and the academies offer students a lot of choices with their education.”

– John Rohs, principal, Aranui High School

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineers

Design Installation Maintenance IQP Inspections Energy Audits Professional Advice

PROUD TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE ARANUI HIGH SCHOOL UPGRADE

Ph: (03) 338 0145, Fax: (03) 338 0147

the week or, as in the case of the early childhood academy, can study full time on the programme.

It is the services academy, however, which is helping the school to make its mark on the community.

Initially run in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, the services academy is now funded by the Ministry of Education, and is run by trained military personnel. It encourages participants to undertake work experience and community projects, as well as providing mentoring and leadership training. “It gives those students that are disengaged with school a new pathway to consider,” says Rohs. “And most importantly, it helps us keep students who may otherwise have fallen through the cracks.”

The programme doesn’t just focus on the armed forces however, it also encourages students to look at the police, fire and ambulance services as possible future career choices.

“Aranui means ‘broad pathway’ and the academies offer students a lot of choices with their education. To properly serve our community we have to cater for the widest of needs and provide pathways that suit a whole range of students,” says Rohs.

Success has also been felt in the hospitality academy, with students winning the gold medal in the Secondary School Culinary Challenge three years in a row. As a result of the successes in this area, the school has invested heavily in commercial grade equipment so students can experience working in a realistic setting.

“It was a deliberate, strategic choice, based on our success in this area and our desire to provide students with the opportunity to study culinary skills and food preparation at a top level.”

Sports and sports-related academies are also extremely important to the school and the newly established rugby league academy has been very successful, losing to just one team in their first year in the competitive arena.

“I’m proud of the way we’re able to cater for boys who have dreams of reaching NRL level,” says Rohs. “And we have a few of our boys pursuing their dreams over there already.”

The performing arts have also enjoyed outstanding success with theatre academy students taking home top awards at international festivals.

“Each of the academies provides lots of different pathways the students can explore to find the one that suits them best.”

It is these broad pathways into education that are now providing the school with a real sense of its place in the community.

A recent survey of the school community provided positive feedback on the development of the school and how it is viewed amongst the community, says Rohs, yet this hasn’t always been the case.

“The Aranui area doesn’t always get the best press and there are regular articles on residents being fearful of gangs. The school has also been heavily tagged and vandalised in the past,” he says. “But, in spite of all this negativity, our students go on to achieve. They are resilient, creative and prove again and again that you don’t have to come from a middle class background to achieve.”

As Rohs says, “at Aranui we hold an attitude that anything is possible, no matter what your background.” And with the redevelopment of the school and success of the academies bringing a new sense of positivity to the surrounding community, it appears the school is on the right track.

Data Cable & Electrical Network Installation Project Specialists

MMC/Multimedia Communications Ltd 03 963 0840 | info@mmcltd.co.nz

Design | Install | Project Management Communications, Data & Electrical Service

Ministry of Education Accredited

“No matter what is happening, our phone and computer systems must work. Multimedia Communications is reliable and keeps in touch. When we sometimes have to ask them to do things urgently they look after us very well. It is nice to know we are in such good hands.” John Rohs, Principal Aranui High School