Principal Karen Gilbert-Smith with former students Reno Leef and Shayden Jones-Codlin who have both returned to their former school to help rebuild it. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Principal Karen Gilbert-Smith with former students Reno Leef and Shayden Jones-Codlin who have both returned to their former school to help rebuild it. Photo / Michael Cunningham
It was back to school this week at Whangārei Boys' High School - including for two former students who left last year, who are returning to help rebuild their old learning place.
With a roll now sitting at 1300, the outdated and undersize school is undergoing a $50 million rebuilddue for completion within a year.
The work is through local contractors, with two ex-students carrying out apprenticeships through Leighs Construction. And three other ex-students who are doing electrical apprenticeships through Caldwell & Levesque Electrical will be on the site for work due to begin next month.
WBHS principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said the two building apprentices, Reno Leef and Shayden Jones-Codlin, both 18, had taken part in the pre-trade wood course in Years 12 and 13.
"They were so thrilled [to get the apprenticeships] and they're really invested because they get this golden opportunity to build the new school on their old school ground."
"I've seen the plans and they look pretty advanced," said Leef.
"It feels pretty good to be contributing towards the new school and learning at the same time."
Principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said the school hall isn't fit for purpose, holding only 700 students when the current roll is 1300. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The 1880s-established school's 80 per cent rebuild is expected to be complete by January next year.
Work began last May on the new entrance off Western Hills Drive/State Highway 1, which entails a bridge over the Waiarohia Stream leading on to the field area at the bottom of the school property where the new school will be built. Building work began in July.
The new bridge accesses the lower school from Western Hills Drive. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Gilbert-Smith said the decision was made to build the new school on the lower fields so the construction work would disrupt to learning less.
"There will be minimal disruption to teaching with a higher number of classes being replaced and all of our curriculum on one site. If we hadn't built it [in the one spot] and your boy's in Year 9, he would be on a building site for the entire five years and we didn't think that would be educationally sound."
The bridge would provide access to the building site without the need to transit through the centre of school, further eliminating disruption and minimising health and safety risks.
In addition, with the current layout of classes scattered both at the top and bottom of the hill, students can lose up to 10 minutes' education time walking between classes.
An artist's perspective of the new entrance of WBHS.
"It's a really beautiful precinct of teaching spaces for the boys to enjoy on the one site while not having to go up and down the drive every hour."
A perspective of the new courtyard.
Buildings to be demolished include classrooms and the school hall.
The new build will have 46 teaching spaces including classrooms and breakout spaces where students can work in small groups, a library, cafeteria and marae.
A provisional growth fund of $1m was granted to build an engineering academy. The new auditorium with a mezzanine floor can be booked and used by community groups and will hold up to 1300 people.
"There are mixed emotions about [the hall being demolished]," said Gilbert-Smith. "For a really long time it could only fit just under 700 and our school roll is now up to 1300 so it's not fit for purpose."
The oldest building onsite will become the museum holding memorabilia such as the photographs adorning the current school hall. Photo / Michael Cunningham
She said as much history would be preserved as possible. The oldest building still onsite – the performing arts block - would become a museum. It would house items such as trophies and team sports photographs of past pupils adorning the current school hall. The honours boards would be put in a place of prominence in the new auditorium, along with the former and new school anchor emblem designs to show their evolvement.
The honours boards will be put in a place of prominence in the new auditorium. Photo Michael Cunningham
The kauri beams in the library would be salvaged before demolition, along with rimu floorboards from the hall. In addition, timber from the trees removed to make way for the new bridge was used to build a table to hold the 3D model of the new build. Murals painted on the brick buildings destined to be demolished couldn't be salvaged so have been photographed and will be added to the digital files being compiled.
Gilbert-Smith said although the school had lost two of its four playing fields for the new buildings, they were gaining a new one by clearing and flattening wasteland next to the cycle track on the premises. It was still undecided how land housing the old buildings would be used.
After a week-long camp for prefects, the seniors had teamed with the Year 9s last week to show them the ropes, including teaching the haka culminating in a mass haka "shaking the hall", the principal said.
The prefects taught Year 9s the ropes, culminating in a haka that shook the floor.
"It was just amazing. At the prefect camp week, the message we try and give them is that this is your moment to step up and take leadership roles and we will be there to support you and they've really responded to that.
"We've been so impressed with the way they've started the year, it was an incredibly high level of emotional intelligence from young men and I feel really proud of them and that's actually what we want when we talk about developing fine young men.
"They have been really mindful about welcoming their brothers into the school. It was really amazing to watch. There are moments that you can sit back as a principal and think we're on the right path here. That was one of those moments."
