New arts block provides a suite spot for college
As delays on promised classrooms continue, Waimea College’s board of trustees has struck a chord with its music, dance and drama students to the tune of $950,000.
An official launch for the school’s new performing arts suite was held on Thursday night.
About 60 staff, students and parents gathered for the opening, which included several performances from students who would benefit most from the state-of-the-art building.
Waimea College performing arts head of department Alister Emerson said the new M4 building would be known as Te Whare Toi Whakaari and would complement the existing classrooms in the block.
"It will be an amazing extension of what we do already and it’s a real labour of love – this block goes back a long way and there have been many dreams that started from here," he said.
"But to come in here now and see or hear students filling this room end to end, as staff we find ourselves looking at each other and saying ’how did we ever do without this space?’"
The entire $950,000 project was fundraised by Waimea College and its board of trustees – largely sourced from revenue brought in by international students.
Principal Scott Haines said performing arts was one of the fastest growing areas of the Waimea curriculum and demand had outgrown infrastructure.
"Even now with our 2019 timetable, and the provision of the new space, there is still a class being delivered outside of the performing arts block," he said.
The situation was a sign of the school’s overall growth, with the current roll of 1600 expected to reach 1637 in 2019.
Haines said the decision to proceed with the new building was made in June 2017, around the same time the Ministry of Education signed off on a $4.1 million provision of eight teaching spaces on the eastern end of the Richmond campus.
While he expressed his disappointment that the ministry-provided infrastructure was yet to get underway, Haines said he was pleased with the swift progress made by the board to get M4 built.
Board chairman Nathan Davis said the decision to fund the building was "a commitment to the Waimea community" which would enable all-round opportunities for students.