Project Update 9
The New Girls’ School
The students and staff at the Girls’ School are all abuzz as their dream of a new school really starts to take shape – and, already, they can begin to envisage themselves in their new surroundings! Construction of the building is gathering pace, with occupation planned for early next year. The Junior, Middle and Senior syndicates each have their own floors and planning for the fit out is well-progressed - Principal, Miss Small is very pleased with the decisions made!
For the girls, it is the unique outdoor recreation areas that are catching the imagination with four outdoor learning spaces tailored for different age groups. The centrepiece of the play spaces is the unique Sea Star Climber set on the edge of field. This is an intricate structure of ropes, nets, spinning discs, rock climbing and hammock swings with a tube slide from the upper level to the ground.
The Adventure Trail, under cool shady trees, winds up from the Middle School terrace with timber steppers and balance beams. Monkey bars and rope climbers add extra challenge and there is a hammock and two basket nests for ‘hanging out.’ The Guinea Pig Trail will be home to the beloved school guinea pigs with a sitting deck for the girls to visit. There will also be a raised planting bed to grow vegetables and a timber nature trail that will be decorated by the girls. The Secret Circles are a mix of rocks and timber log seats to hang out or play imaginative games.
The girls – and staff! – can’t wait to be onsite!
During 2018, the Trust Board was pleased to confirm the Master Plan for significant development of new, purpose-built facilities, and enhancement of current facilities, on the Shore Road Campus and Pakuranga Campus.
The growth of Saint Kentigern’s facilities across three campuses has been an ongoing process for over 65 years, keeping pace with continued roll growth and the changing needs of our students and their families. The latest building campaign, outlined in the Masterplan for the Shore Road Campus (available to view on our website), is the most ambitious building project ever undertaken by Saint Kentigern, with the initial phase focussed on advancing the construction of a brand-new Girls’ School and building new Specialist Facilities for use by both primary schools, along with the building of new classrooms for the Senior School boys.
Since the last issue of Piper, work has continued to progress on projects at both the Shore Road and Pakuranga Campuses, with work tracking well against expectations, despite the disruptions experienced during the course of 2020. Planning is also now well advanced for a new Preschool on the Shore Road campus.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the Phase 1 Projects, please email masterplan@saintkentigern.com
Specialist Facilities & Senior Boys’ classrooms
Our excitement is mounting as we watch this amazing building take shape. Housing our new Boys’ School Senior classrooms and the shared Specialist Facilities under one roof, the new Boys’ School staffroom will also be located on the ground floor, along with shared offices for teachers to collaborate or find a quiet space to work. With the great progress made, the construction programme is set to conclude at the end of November this year, and December will be spent moving furniture and equipment so that teaching can start on Day 1 of Term 1, 2022.
Senior Boys’ Classrooms
Split across two levels, the new technology-rich, flexible teaching and learning spaces for our boys in Years 7&8 will allow for greater specialisation as we prepare them to make the important transition from primary schooling to their college years. We can now start to see that the classrooms are light-filled and spacious, and the fit out is now underway with decorative wall panels and acoustic ceilings being installed to minimise noise between rooms. Our boys, currently in Years 6 and 7, along with the Senior School teachers, are really looking forward to being the first to occupy the exciting, new classrooms next year!
The Specialist Facilities
The new Specialist Facilities will provide significant new amenities for our Junior, Middle and Senior School boys, and our Saint Kentigern girls when they move into the new Girls’ School. Planned as a centre of excellence for scientific, artistic (visual and performance), technology (food, hard and soft materials) study and learning, there has been much collaboration between the specialist staff for each subject to ensure the classrooms have been designed to deliver the very best in teaching and learning for our Saint Kentigern students.
The New Preschool
Designs for the new Preschool on the Shore Rd campus are almost complete, and we were excited to receive news in March that the Resource Consent has been approved. The Preschool staff concur that designing a brand-new Preschool for Saint Kentigern families is a true privilege and they love the plans for the unique, circular building that are coming together. The design work is currently on programme for tendering in June/July and it is anticipated that construction activities may start at the beginning of October, taking approximately 13 months. The target remains to have the new Preschool fully operational for the start of Term 1 2023.
