Kimi Ora Community School students enjoy the new playground on the last day of term 3. Photo / Paul Taylor
Kimi Ora Community School students enjoy the new playground on the last day of term 3. Photo / Paul Taylor
Kimi Ora Community School in Flaxmere has opened a new community playground, the latest completed stage of its $7.7 million rebuild.
The school embarked on the $6.5m rebuild of its buildings funded by the Ministry of Education and its $1.2m self-fundraised rebuild of its outdoor spaces about 18 months ago.
The students have been involved throughout the build from talking to the community about their dreams for the outdoor space, planning and presenting ideas to Hastings District Council (who assisted with planning funding), to working with designers to see their ideas come to life and then planting and mulching.
Principal Matt O'Dowda said since the playground opened last week, there's been children and whānau there from 7am to 7pm.
The playground isn't just for the school's students, but the wider community.
It has elements which tie into health and wellbeing, fitness and future focused learning including native plant growing, cycling and sports areas which include a basketball pad and skate park.
It also reflects the journey of Māori and Pasifika across the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa through the pou carved by local carver Nathan Foote, waka and traditional pa site.
To serve the community there is an outdoor cooking area with barbecue's and shade.
"It is so inclusive and Matt is absolutely right – so many of our kids learn so much better in the outdoors, running around, rather than in the classroom.
"This has been designed for learning and it is the perfect environment for that.
"I also love that it is a space for the whole community with the barbecues, the Pasifika fale, the canoe, the basketball pad – and it's a primary school with a skatepark! It really is just beautiful."
O'Dowda said the new school buildings will be completed in about two weeks ready for children to return to in term 4, and the entire rebuild with the last couple of outdoor aspects will be completed by Christmas.
