Superb facility on school ‘menu’

TE AWAMUTU Intermediate students (from left) Claudia Hollobon, Emily Caldwell, Ella Edwards and Hine Nolan in the foods room of the new Science and Technology Centre. TC210808CA01

BY CATHY ASPLIN

Te Awamutu Intermediate staff and students love working in the newly opened $1.5m Science and Technology Centre - and there’s certainly plenty to love.

Three 50-year-old ‘manual’rooms have been replaced with four lighter, more spacious classrooms equipped with the latest facilities to assist learning. The centre has been designed specifically to implement the new technology curriculum which focuses on a co-ordinated, integrated approach to teaching.

From the minute you walk in the door you realise the centre is ‘light years’ away from the previous rooms — and probably anything else that any primary or intermediate school has around the country. The entrance foyer doubles as an assembly area, complete with a huge widescreen television, overhead projector with big screen, automated skylights and mood lighting. When students arrive for their technology cycle, an introduction can be made in this area before they move off to specialist rooms.

Each of the rooms has high visibility, thanks to extensive use of glass, they are all set up for computer use and are quiet to work in.

• The science lab features stainless steel benches, gas capability and chemical storage room.
• The food technology area has workstations in the practical area and a theory area that doubles as space for the students’ cafe´.
• A laundry, pantry and food preparation area have all been included.
• The hard materials area has a workshop, with two separate rooms for painting and sawing (both complete with safety features and extractor fans).
• The soft materials area is set up with a line of sewing machines, an area for fabric dying/painting, plenty of space to carry out designing, pattern cutting etc and a storage room for materials.
• Even the toilets have been given the latest fittings, complete with automated lighting.

Unused land at the back of the school has been incorporated to allow for a larger building than the previous one, but it still includes an outdoor courtyard area between what remains of the old block and the new block, with a strip of native planting along the rear. The three remaining classrooms in the original ‘manual’ block have been given a facelift and turned into an arts centre - two have been joined to create a spacious music/drama suite, while the third is used for visual arts. This area also has easy access to the studios in the adjacent Arts and Leisure Centre.

Principal Dale McCabe says the new Science and Technology Centre had more than a year’s planning put into it and the school is delighted with the result.

‘‘We are very proud of this new facility. As far as I am aware, it is the only centre of its kind in a primary school in New Zealand and it provides a raft of benefits for students. The science and technology classrooms are integrated within the one building and once students are inside they can easily move between the different areas.’’

The new block sits comfortably in the school - blending in with other buildings thanks to a consistent colour scheme and building materials.

The school currently has a roll of 470 which is steadily climbing, while eight other schools from the district visit Te Awamutu Intermediate for their technology provision. Being an integral part of the community is an important aspect for the school. Mr McCabe says many of their facilities (including the grounds, the Arts and Leisure Centre, the hall and the pool over summer) are used by the community on a regular basis.