Western News: April 04, 2017

14 Tuesday TUESDAY April APRIL 4 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
14
WESTERN NEWS
HORNBY HIGH’S REDEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY
S Hornby High School & T
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Hornby High School & T
The first steps in the major
redevelopment of Hornby High School have
been taken with the library and
administration building vacated and the staff
and students accommodated in temporary
structures elsewhere on the school grounds.
The vacated buildings are now awaiting
demolition, principal Robin Sutton says, with
the Ministry of Education soon to announce
the successful contractor for the
construction of the first new building. The
80-metre-long, L-shaped building will occupy
the footprint of the present building as well
as a large open area on the school grounds.
In addition to the administration
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Te Huruhuru Ao o Horomaka
In 2016 we reconsidered our vision as a school,
and resolved that our aspiration is to be ‘A centre
of creative excellence’ in everything that we do,
whether visual arts or chemistry, volleyball or
music. The world demands fewer people who
can do repetitive tasks and more people who
can think creatively and critically. In doing this
we haven’t forgotten the importance of the
strong relationships that we build with all of our
students, and the importance of individualising
learning pathways so that we come as close
as we can to meeting every individual student’s
needs. With term one gone, there is such
department and library, this expansive
building will also house the science, art and
technology departments, the whare,
student café and the Learning Commons area
(formerly the library). The first stage of the
rebuild project includes a new gymnasium
complex of basketball-court size, which will
sit alongside the existing gymnasium.
A key feature of the building will be
flexibility. As Mr Sutton points out, it is
expected to last for many decades, but there
is no way of knowing how education
methods might change and what the
requirements of teachers and students might
be, even in 10 or 20 years’ time. For that
reason this and all the school’s new buildings
have been designed on flexible rather than
rigid, old-school lines.
Contractors are expected to set up on
site within one to two weeks following the
demolition, with construction likely to start
by late May, Mr Sutton says.
Another innovation at Hornby High, which
doesn’t involve a new build but rather a
re-design, has been the development of the
performing arts school, which has seen
buildings being remodelled and the
auditorium, drama and music departments
incorporated under one roof.
“Already this has brought more
wonderful evidence of our students embracing
our vision for creative excellence, and everything
that it demands.
Our focus is firmly on improved academic
performance. Central to that is our participation
in the Manaiakalani Outreach programme that
causes learning using an approach called ‘Learn
Create Share’. Chromebooks are vital to support
student learning and the evidence is growing
almost daily to show that this has a massive
positive effect on student learning. Thank you to
all whanau who have so far been able to make
this significant investment in their tamariki’s
education. Our relationships with students and
whanau and vital, and we continue to emphasise
these as the essential base for all learning.
Our student group performing at Polyfest in
March were everything that we could want, while
we also saw the re-emergence of rugby league
as a sport at Hornby High School with teams
in both the secondary schools junior and senior
league Nines competitions. Their performances
revealed a depth of talent that bodes well for the
next few years. Their approaches on the field
were also examples of students taking calculated
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collaboration between teachers from the two
departments, and students working together
on projects,” Mr Sutton says.
The principal has a vision for his school
and his students as ‘A centre of creative
excellence’, and this is based around three
goals – learning, well-being and a willingness
to take risks.
“It’s an ongoing process and we are already
seeing signs of improvement, with students
gaining increased self-confidence and
self-belief. It’s very rewarding to see that.”
A centre of creative excellence
risks in the approaches to sport, and examples
of the sort of risk taking and leadership that
we have set as a strategic goal for the school.
We are very proud of them all.
Robin Sutton
PRINCIPAL
Open Afternoon
Wednesday 2nd August
12.30pm - 2.30pm
See the Junior College in action
Information Evening
Thursday 3rd August, 7.00pm
Hornby High School Auditorium