Education | St Mark's School
Education | Waimairi School
Waimairi School marks a milestone One hundred years ago Waimairi School had a large number of children on its roll from two orphanages in the area. The students used to catch frogs in the stream where Boundary Road is today and the school would face the constant problem of stray cattle on the gravel road.
Singing and choral work is regularly performed at the school and reflected at church services. Opportunities exist for children to learn and perform musical instruments throughout their time at St Mark’s school.
“Our aim, once we proceed with our remedial and repair work, is to create, within the next two to three years, an outstanding, environmentally friendly and sustainable, technologically advanced state of the art primary school,” he confirms.
From time to time school choirs, orchestras and instrumental groups will perform at church services, functions and concerts. The school is a frequent participant in Christchurch Primary Schools Music Festival and other choral festivals, regularly winning accolades for its work.
The school is clearly aiming to be there at the leading edge so that St Mark’s young students’ goals, imaginations and career prospects are ignited by what is possible and achievable.
www.photoshots.co.nz
Proudly supporting St Mark’s School
These are essential building blocks and provide the foundation for much else of what the children do. Once these skills are in place, pupils should be allowed reinforcement on computers using internet based research and communications programs.
Waimairi School puts a strong emphasis on developing student self management supported by an environment that is flexible with well established routines to teach children to become responsible for their own learning over time. A hundred years on the results speak for themselves with a growing school roll and students constantly achieving academically, in culture, and sport, the future looks brighter than ever for Waimairi School.
The technological age is a reality with frequent new developments, but as many of the St Mark’s teachers readily observe, embracing new technology is fine to do, but not at the expense of traditional core skills of reading, writing and numeracy and the ability to exercise critical analysis which have to underpin all new learning. With such an operational philosophy it is not difficult to see why St Mark’s School, Opawa is supremely confident of continuing to provide an excellent and structured education well past the upcoming centenary birthday celebrations in 2021.
Tony Stewart | Ph (03) 322-1314 info@photoshots.co.nz
The high quality of education and personalised care for each and every child creates engaged, confident and focussed learners. Students have strong supportive systems in place to help them excel in all fields including academic, sporting and cultural.
St Mark’s School Cholmondeley Avenue Opawa Christchurch T (03) 332 7339 E office@saintmarks.school.nz www.saintmarks.school.nz — Advertising Feature
RS
The school is also moving towards being technologically wired with both wireless and cable and has high speed broadband Internet connection. Most classrooms have state of the art interactive white boards, ibook computers and access to a pod of computer laptops for integrated computer use.
But for all of its focus on the new, it is clear that St Mark’s has core values from the ‘old school’, in that it firmly believes and instils, that all staff teach the essential core disciplines of numeracy and literacy, as well as engendering the ability for all pupils to create and communicate.
The school can attribute its successful growth and high student achievement to the high level of community involvement and the passionate, hard working team of staff led by principal Mike Anderson.
E
W
EC
AN DO IT!
OF COU
Every two years the school undertakes a whole school drama production, often written and performed exclusively by the children and staff members and incorporating a full range of drama, music and other performing arts skills; performances are always a sell out!
“We can only provide them, at this relatively early age, with the beginnings of a desire and some of the tools to set them on the long journey towards life long learning skills and the tool kit to pursue this.”
A century later and the school is proud to be celebrating its rich history and exciting future, and as such, would like to recognise this special event with the community.
Offering solutions with: • Wiring installation & repair • Telephone and security systems • Ventilation and air-conditioning • Automation & manufacturing lines • Lighting & Heating • Data, security and IT requirements • Boilers and process work • Thermal imaging • Equipment maintenance 53a Monteal Street, Sydenham, CHCH Phone: 03 366 1718
www.christchurchelectrical.co.nz
Celebrations There are a variety of events planned for later this year to celebrate the momentous milestone. Past pupils and staff current pupils and their families plus anyone who has had involvement with the school are warmly welcomed to join in on the festivities. Friday, October 24 A guided tour of the school in action. See what has changed since you were learning or teaching at Waimairi. During the evening the doors will be open for relaxed chance to catch up with old friends, teachers or colleagues, enjoy a drink and finger food and share your stories. Saturday, October 25 During the day there will be lots of fun activities for all the family. Take a look through the displays of memorabilia, grab a bite to eat and see the children show off their talents. There will be commemorative decade photographs and a celebration cake. And in the evening enjoy dinner and dancing. Sunday, October 26 Celebration church service at St Pauls.
Waimairi School 1 Tillman Avenue Christchurch T (03) 352 9208 E admin@waimairi.school.nz www.waimairi.school.nz
Proud supporter of Waimairi School Contact us 0800 473 865 sales@revit.co.nz 90 | June/July 2014 www.canterburytoday.co.nz
— Advertising Feature