Pupils put own spin on playground
THE wheel is spinning, and the hamster is certainly not dead at Dunedin North Intermediate.
Some of the school’s brightest young minds have worked together to convince the board of trustees to put a giant hamster wheel in the playground — a first in a New Zealand school.
Principal Heidi Hayward said the board of trustees decided to redevelop the school’s playground two years ago, and employed a designer to create a new fun zone for pupils.
But when the plans were shown to pupils on the school’s student council, they were promptly rejected.
Since then, the student council has been working with the school to come up with a more ‘‘childengaging’’ version of a playground, she said.
‘‘They had better ideas about what they thought children this age would appreciate, and given that I have no intention to play on any of this equipment, I felt it was much better that I stayed out of it.
‘‘Instead, I helped the kids devise a plan that represented the students.’’
She said council members spent a lot of time researching and surveying fellow pupils, and their final playground was entirely different from that of the designer.
The hamster wheel was the first of four pieces of equipment to be installed.
‘‘The other pieces — a flying fox, basket swings, and a rope net climbing frame — are being installed at present, and the playground will be opened officially on February 15.
‘‘Many of the students who contributed to the planning of this are now at high school, but we will invite them back on the 15th, to see the playground opened.’’