Southern View: July 25, 2017

SOUTHERN VIEW Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday July 25 2017 9
Linwood
College
PERSONALISED
PATHWAYS
TO SUCCESS
2018 Student Leaders: 1st Row: Vai Mariner, Crystal Mehlhopt, Jenna Hollis, Leeah Mullany, Sarah Moana Wooff-Smyth
2nd Row: Eden Pettigrew, Adonai Schwenke, Anaru Gray, Cole Barrie
3rd Row: Havana Aaifou, Thomas McHutchison, Sapana Kharal, William Paulden, Sean Robertson-Wright, Makayla Austin
Enrolling now for 2018
Rebuild Update from the Principal
Major Production 2017 ‘Wolfstock’
Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo
e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofaatu. Namaste
and Kumusta. Greetings to our
Community.
I am very pleased to inform our
community of two important decisions
regarding our rebuild process.
The school’s master-planning
designers have been announced. This
is the firm Architectus and we are very
positive about this.
www.architectus.co.nz
Architectus has completed many
school rebuilds and other major
projects, including in Christchurch the
Knowledge Centre (the Central Library)
and the Bus Exchange. The lead
person for our rebuild at Architectus
is Carsten Auer. Carsten leads the
Christchurch Architectus team. He is
a Redcliffs resident and is committed
to the concepts of community and
inclusion which came through strongly
in Architectus's submission.
In Term 2, 2019 Linwood College will
shift off-site for the duration of our
rebuild to what will then be the former
Avonside Girls’ High site. The site will
be available as AGHS (and Shirley BHS)
will be on their new site, formerly QE2
Park. This is a very good step for us,
for while it has its own processes to
work through, there are three major
positives:
1. LC students and staff will not
experience the difficult period of rebuild
disruption. The time and energy
that otherwise would have gone to
ensuring learning was not affected
can now be used more positively.
2. The LC demolition and building
processes start with an unoccupied
site and so can operate in a single
stage. This means that a year
comes off the rebuild timeline so the
timeline we are looking at now is 18
months to two years.
3. With this considerable timesaving
and there being no need
for relocatables to shift us around
in, there is a financial saving of
approximately $1 million. This money
does not leave the budget so is used
to enhance what we will be getting.
The Ministry of Education will ensure
that LC has all the support that we
need during our temporary relocation,
including a transport plan for our
students to the new site. We will be
exploring bussing options to get our
students there. The MoE appoints
a relocation manager and employs
specialist movers skilled at shifting a
school, everything from basketballs to
hydrochloric acid.
The AGHS site is safe. The buildings
are mainly relocatable classrooms.
AGHS has operated very successfully
in them with a full academic and
social curriculum. About half of the
relocatables were brought in postearthquake
so they are modern and
warm. In fact, they are of better quality
than our present LC classrooms.
The site is close to us. I have timed my
last two drives there: 3 min 50 sec and
4 min 10 sec, just 2.2 kilometres from
the LC front gate to the AGHS front
gate.
While the rebuild of Linwood College is
well overdue, we are also aware that
the demolition of the old school will
bring mixed feelings for some. And
this makes sense as a school’s physical
fabric contains many memories and
key moments in people’s lives. How
we close and honour this chapter in our
school’s history, while we open another,
is important to us and already is being
given due attention.
Nga mihi nui to our community as the
positive activity of the year continues. I
am always keen to meet people if any
member of the community wishes to
talk to me about anything. My door is
open.
Richard Edmundson
Tumuaki-Principal
The moon is high and all is quiet.
Excitement is rising. The night is still.
This night, 2nd August will be the
opening night of Linwood College’s
2017 major production ‘Wolfstock’.
This is a maverick musical written by
Mary McMahan with music by Donald
Woodward.
A ‘Grease’ ‘Teenwolf’ mash-up with
eccentric characters, great one-liners
and the odd motor bike - this fun story
along with the compulsory dancing and
singing has all the makings for a fun,
family-friendly show.
The new Performing Arts learning
team of Sam Boyce da Cruz and
Ben Russell are bringing life back
to the Linwood College productions
after a hiatus. The cast of this year’s
production celebrates everything that
is great about being part of a Year
7 - 13 school with cast and musicians
involved spanning across all age
groups, collaborating and working
together to present this show.
Community Connections
Students from Linwood North
Primary School visited during Linwood
College’s Taster Afternoon this month.
They were treated to a scene from the
upcoming Linwood College musical
WOLFSTOCK as well as engaging
science experiments.
Linwood College • Phone: 982-0100 • Email: office@linwoodcollege.school.nz • www.linwoodcollege.school.nz
The show will have a three night run
from 1 - 3 August. Tickets will be
available at the College’s Payment
Office from Term 3. We look forward to
seeing you there.
Heathcote Valley School students
investigate science during their lesson
with Helen Mora, Head of the Science
Department.
Science, mathematics and debating
lessons taught at the College to
local primary school students are
strengthening ties with the community.
Regional Pool Championship Contenders
Kane Tahu, Justin
Howland, Shayden
McKenzie and Ben
Broomhall recently made
it into the regional ‘Pool for
Schools’ championships
following trials earlier this
month at the Cashmere
Working Men’s Club.