Three’s company at Linton school
When asked what he thought about having a new school friend, Cruiz's broad smile said it all.
Hopes more pupils would arrive at the tiny Linton Country School seem to be bearing out.
Since the beginning of the year when the primary school on Akers Rd, south of Palmerston North, had just one enrolled pupil, the roll has increased by 200 per cent.
Cruiz Strickett, 6, was the boy left behind at the end of last year when eleven pupils left either for high school, or for other schools. It meant Linton Country School had the smallest roll in New Zealand.
Fortunately, on day one of the new term, Cruiz was joined by his cousin Indica Taylor-collis, 8, who moved from Linton Camp School, seven kilometres away.
On Monday, the two became three when Liam Qiokata, 6, arrived.
Relieving principal Gail Dobbin said Liam’s mother was concerned her son wasn’t learning in a city school environment. ‘‘She sat in on lessons for the first two days, and on Wednesday, Liam started here on his own.’’
It may be early days, but Liam had indicated that so far he enjoyed the new environment better than his previous school.
When asked what he thought about having a new school friend, Cruiz’s broad smile said it all. Indica, however, hoped that more children would come soon. Having two year 2 boys as play and learning mates was ‘‘a bit boring’’, the year 4 pupil said.
Not only had the school been on the ropes over the roll, but the main teaching block was affected by an October fire in the adjoining Linton community hall kitchen. The fire broke out during a school day, as the result of a suspected electrical fault only a week and a bit after Dobbin had started at the school. She said the board of trustees will be meeting with the Ministry of Education over the future of the hall on Tuesday.
The board, unlike board members at Cheltenham School which closed at the end of last year after 130 years, had pressed for the 127-year-old school to remain open.
Board members have also cleaned out the school pool and were buying chemicals on Friday to treat the water. On Saturday, there were interviews for a new principal. The school’s principal relieving teacher Claire Gregory said there were enough applicants to make a short-list.
As a result of the publicity, Gregory said former deputy principal at Newbury School, Adrienne ‘Bud’ Christensen dropped off a copy of her picture book Good Golly Miss Polly, It’s My First Day At School, and now volunteers to teach the three pupils ukulele once a week. Next they need someone to teach unicycling. The five schoolowned unicycles hanging in the hallway are just begging to be ridden.