Pegasus Post: April 17, 2018

New Zealand Schools: Public Private Partnership (PPP3)
SHIRLEY BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL
AVONSIDE GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
Drawing Title:
EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE - ENTRY VIEW
NOTE: PLANS TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER OTHER DRAWINGS
NOTE: COLOURS ARE INDICATIVE
Project No.:
Scale:
Date:
15814
NTS
2016-11-09 SBAG 1403
PEGASUS POST Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday April 17 2018 21
School open DayS
Ultimate campus
taking shape at QEII
Park
Sue and John.
advertising feature
Construction of the new state-of-the-art campus for Avonside
Girls’ and Shirley Boys’ High Schools is progressing
rapidly with opening on track for next year.
The new campus will feature a Performing Arts Centre
with a 750-seat theatre and a 200-seat theatre, a hockey turf,
four sports fields, three indoor gymnasiums, a café, and a
large library and learning centre.
Both Avonside Girls’ Principal Sue Hume and Shirley Boys’
High School Headmaster John Laurenson are excited by the
progress.
“There are now more than 100 workers on site – that will
peak to more than 300 in coming months. The steel framing
is up and the concrete slabs are down and we can see now
just how big this campus will be – it’s simply wonderful,” says
John Laurenson.
“You can finally see all that we have been talking about and
dreaming about taking shape. We will be onsite with our
students, staff and community making the most of all of the
fantastic new facilities before we know it.”
The campus is due to open in Term Two of 2019. It will be
the first time in New Zealand’s history that two single sex
schools will be co-located.
John Laurenson says the co-location will enable the schools
to offer students more.
“Because we’re building together, we’ve been able to build
bigger and better facilities.”
Sue Hume says the co-location will also enable better educational
opportunities.
“We’ll collaborate on teaching some senior subjects, so we
can offer students wider choice and there’s also the opportunity
to work together on co-curricular opportunities – such
as productions, sports competitions and the like.”
Both principals are keen to point out that the co-location is
not a merger.
“We’ll still be Shirley and they’ll still be Avonside. We’ll
work together, but both schools will retain their own culture,
identity, staff and uniform. This is not a co-ed school,” says
John Laurenson.
“Research shows that single sex education benefits both
boys and girls,” says Sue Hume. “Boys perform better academically
and girls participate more. This new campus, has
been designed so that students will still spend most of their
time in a single sex environment.”
Both Sue and John say the campus will be an asset the east
of Christchurch will be proud of.
“We’ll be right alongside the new QE2 Sport and Recreation
Centre, the School of Gymnastics and have a satellite
unit for Ferndale School onsite. It’s going to be a great place
to learn.”
AVONSIDE GIRLS’
HIGH SCHOOL
OPEN EVENING
Thursday 24 May 2018 from 5.00pm – 7.00pm
The evening begins in the gymnasium at 5.00pm, with an
address from the Principal Mrs Sue Hume, and student
representatives. A tour of the school follows, with the
opportunity to talk to teachers and students.
We look forward to welcoming all prospective students and
families for 2019.
www.avonside.school.nz PH: 03 389 7199