Rangiuru School to mark 100th
Rangiuru School is turning 100 and will celebrate its centennial in March next year.
It was a rocky road to get the school established.
In May 1918, community members had petitioned the Auckland Education Board to open a school on two acres of land that had been donated by Mr Mitchell but this was declined. Mr Mitchell and others continued to correspond with the board and finally in December 1918 the establishment of Rangiuru School was approved.
However, in the meantime, the local community had already gone ahead and erected a 8m by 4.9m (26ft by 16ft) building on the site for a sum of £200. The school officially opened on February 17, 1919 with a roll of 16.
The original building is still in use today as the school’s library. New buildings and a swimming pool were added in the 1960s.
Past pupil Melvin Hintz recalls the earlier swimming pool being a hole dug in the mud where students would blow bubbles in black water.
Further development took place in the early 2000s which resulted in the present school layout.
Current principal Mike Gullick says Rangiuru School combines the best of traditional rural school education with modern teaching practices.
“We believe that a country school should be different from those in town and celebrate our uniqueness. Here you’ll still find kids up trees, building huts, working in the vege garden or feeding a pet lamb,” he says.
“Rangiuru School is set to undergo some major building work which will set it up for the next 100 years.”
The centennial celebrations will begin with a wine and cheese evening at the school on March 1.
This will give past pupils, staff and school families the opportunity to catch up on decades of memories.
The following day will include speeches, roll-call, photos, cake cutting, performances by current school pupils, lunch and the unveiling of a new school sculpture in honour of the occasion.
■ Tickets for all centennial events are available online at eventfinda.co.nz or from the school office; ph 573 7035.