BIG DEAL: South End School principal Rod O'Leary stands in front of the school's senior block which is about to get a $660,000 makeover.
2012 is set to be a huge year for South End School.
Times-Age reporter Kerri Bowling caught up with school principal Rod O’Leary to find out why.
Not only will the Carterton-based school undergo major construction work worth in excess of half a million dollars, but during Easter weekend it will also celebrate its 50th birthday with a reunion.
Rod, who plans to retire from teaching after Easter, says he received notification from the Education Ministry on December 22 approving funding for $660,000 which will be used to rebuild and renovate the school’s senior blocks .
He says while the board still needs to work out the finer details, plans for the current four-classroom senior block – which also houses the school’s two Montessori classes – include being reconfigured into a three-classroom block that will include a central toilet block.
“We’ve (the school board) been sitting on a quarter of a million dollars since 2008 when we received our first lot of capital funding, but couldn’t do anything with it because we knew we needed more to meet the various building deficiencies. The senior block doesn’t meet the fire and glass codes which were upped following the Christchurch earthquakes.”
“Basically the classrooms will be completely gutted internally. By knocking out the toilets and cloakroom bays and building a central toilet block, it means we will be able to create larger learning spaces.”
The former Toy Library building which is also on the school site, will be revamped and renovated and used as a classroom.
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