If you come knocking and the the staff at Papamoa College are not in the classroom or their offices, you might find them vacuum cleaning the floors of the school office and classrooms.
No, they're not the school cleaners, but they will get their hands dirty for the sake of the school. That's because the staff are passionate about Papamoa College. They believe in the school and lead by example, with principal Steve Lindsey at the forefront.
When the Bay of Plenty Times sat down with Mr Lindsey, he was dressed smartly in a black pin-striped suit, white shirt and tie. He oozed professionalism and spoke highly of the school.
Of course, any principal would.
Mr Lindsey has been at the helm of the school since last April and for him, seeing it finally take shape and assist student learning was an exciting time.
Reflecting on the progress the school has made over the past nine weeks made Mr Lindsey smile.
"It is quite an achievement when I sit down and answer your questions," he said.
"It makes me realise that we have done an awful lot with this school and I don't often think of all the achievements we've had because most of the time it's just going on with day-to-day activities and working hard to make this school the best place it can be."
Mr Lindsey came to the Western Bay with his wife and two children, leaving behind his role as an Associate Head at St Kentigern College in Auckland.
His teaching career has spanned 19 years and he's taught in the areas of business and media.
Mr Lindsey said his new role as principal was challenging and he and other senior staff often worked long hours beyond the call of duty.
"Yes it's tough on my family... but they're pretty understanding," Mr Lindsey said.
Papamoa College has been open for only nine weeks but for Mr Lindsey and the staff at the school, their time there has been much longer.
While the students were enjoying their summer holidays, staff were buying classroom furniture, emptying boxes and organising learning areas.
Their dedicated planning has seen the school develop into a well-oiled, smoothly operating machine.
Mr Lindsey, however, said there was still much to be improved.
"We're still learning but we're getting into the business end of things and this is developing into a really good school.
"We don't have everything sorted yet but we offer many opportunities for our students."
He said the aim of the school was to do things once, do things right and do things well.
"We have a range of rich and dynamic activities in the school that work into the curricular and co-curricular aspect of learning.
"We have all the core sports, including hockey, cricket, netball, rugby and soccer, and we have dance clubs and choir, an ICT club and other activities and although we don't have everything established, if there is something that is requested and there's a need for it, then we'll look at getting something established," he said.
Papamoa College is the ninth secondary school in the Western Bay but it differs from others through the way its classrooms are set and the way students are taught. The school features open-space learning commons with no walls, creating an integrated learning environment as opposed to individual classrooms. It is a concept seen in only a handful of New Zealand schools.
Walking through the learning spaces, there are a range of areas where students can complete different tasks. Mr Lindsey tells me that even though it is a mutual space, children are off doing a range of activities - such as technology in the technology suite - and are not cramped together in one room.
After a short walk, we reach a large glass door. Mr Lindsey pushes a button on the wall, which opens the door.
It's a little bit fancy, I tell him.
Through the door we enter one of Mr Lindsey's favourite rooms - the foyer. We walk across the upper bridge and look down on to the large space below.
"I have a vision for this place and I can see events and function evenings happening in here. It's got a great feel."
Through the next door is the school gymnasium - a large room that's inviting and bright. A green spring-enhanced floor is painted with dozens of coloured lines, each representing a court space.
"You can play netball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and basically anything else in here," Mr Lindsey said.
Nearby, the library is another feature of the school and when we're taken into the spacious room, it's filled with children. Librarian Karen Manning said the children love spending time in the library, even during their lunch break.
As well as these two learning spaces, the modern school has a theatre, dance studio, soundproof music rooms, learning spaces for technology, food and hard materials, two rugby fields, and hard courts.
The students at Papamoa College are lucky, Mr Lindsey tells me. And I agree. They learn in a state-of-the-art environment, are taught by passionate teachers led by talented Mr Lindsey.
"This school is special because of the wonderful people in it," Lindsey said.
Papamoa College
Where: Doncaster Drive.
Pupils: About 450.
Staff: About 30.
Decile: 5.
Principal: Steve Lindsey.
School mission statement: Inspired learning. Exciting futures.
Website: www.papamoacollege.school.nz
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