Hāwera Primary School celebrated its 150th jubilee over Labour weekend.
Hāwera Primary School celebrated its 150th jubilee over Labour weekend.
Celebrations were in order over Labour weekend for Hāwera Primary School, which notched up 150 years of learning.
A school was established in 1875 on the former Hāwera Intermediate School grounds to cater for students within the town and the surrounding farming districts.
In 1890, due to roll growth, anadditional two-classroom school was built, which grew to cater for nearly 700 pupils of all ages.
Nearly 30 years later, the infant part of the school was moved to the other end of the grounds, known as the “Sunshine School”, which later became known as Hawera Main School and, in time, Hāwera Primary School.
Hawera Intermediate School was established in 1961, which meant Hāwera Primary School catered for pupils in Years 1-6.
She said the 150-year celebrations had been a “real full-circle moment”.
“It has just been magical ... I remember how the school felt when I was a child, then later in life, seeing Dad’s way of leading the school,” O’Brien said.
“Each of those eras has been slightly different but one thing that has remained the same is the real commitment to students first, wanting the best outcomes for everyone, and the importance of people and team – how that has evolved, strengthened and deepened over the years has been beautiful to see.”
Whānau Day kicked off the celebrations before a meet and greet evening for jubilee attendees on October 24.
A formal ceremony with guest speakers was held the following day.
Former rugby league player Isaac Luke attended the school during the 1990s. Photo / NZME
O’Brien said tradition had always been an important part of the school and she believed this had been instrumental in its longevity.
“Throughout its time, it has had strong leadership. I think stable leadership is very important,” she said.
“With it being the first school in town, as such, there are high expectations and it brings like-minded people together.
“When I took over, I felt that I had big boots to fill after Dad and Neryda. I had a wonderful foundation that has only been built upon.
“You are walking in the shoes before you – I really think that holds true.”
The school has some impressive alumni, including former rugby league players Isaac Luke and Graeme West, and former netball player Adine Wilson (nee Harper).
West sends medals every year for the annual tournament played in his name, while Luke and Wilson have recently agreed to gift awards to the school prizegiving.
O’Brien said the school’s future was bright and it was “in a great place”.
“The next challenge for us is around the curriculum evolving and how we embrace, in particular, [artificial intelligence]’s impact on teaching and learning,” she said.
“We have a great staff, we have a really great community and board, we have a real strong sense of who we are and we just want to keep building on that.”
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
