Kumeroa School celebrates change
On Monday April 9 Kumeroa School celebrated change — opening two new classrooms, reverting to the Kumeroa School name, unveiling a new school logo and their new uniforms.
A big crowd including 50 students and teachers, four past principals, two MPs — Alastair Scott and Kieran McAnulty — TDC councillor Peter Johns, BOT representatives met at 10am for the formal opening, followed by morning tea.
BOT Chair Steff Cresswell outlined the school’s journey starting 134 years ago, amalgamating with Hopelands School in 1994 and Kohinui School in 2008, developing the school site and Agri-curriculum to what it is today.
She traced the programmes started by past-principal Julia Bevan which embraced collaborative teaching where children set their own goals and progress at their own pace, guided by teachers.
She said this kind of learning was difficult in the traditional structure of classrooms and when the opportunity came to replace two of them by combining them into one teaching space linked to the rest of the school, staff, BOT members and parents jumped at the chance.
It had been a battle to get what they wanted as it was not conventional but seeing what they liked at Martinborough School and employing the same architect, Paul Patel & Associates, the school achieved its goal.
“It demonstrates the power of community driving a solution, resulting in something that works for us.”
The school decided to return to the original name, Kumeroa, recognising the three merged schools in its new logo and the Manawatu River.
Thanks to sponsorship there was no cost for new uniforms.
Current principal Caroline Transom thanked Steff Cresswell, past principals and staff for backing the changes through the last decade and putting up with the inconvenience of having just one classroom while the others were under construction. MC Ben Allomes said the day was about thanking everyone for helping shape the present to help shape the future.
The school’s Agri-curriculum focuses on agriculture — a greenhouse made of plastic bottles, a worm farm and a beehive — and adoption of Awapikopiko Reserve to practise conservation while keeping up with digital technology.