CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS!

The school and district celebrated its 100th anniversary on the weekend of the 9th and 10th March 2007.   Leading up to the weekend was a busy time at school getting everything ready for the big weekend.   Everyone worked hard to make sure we were prepared in time.

In the week leading up to the Centennial, the primary department had a taste of what it would be like learning in a classroom environment of 100 years ago. Mrs Janette Rummery, education officer from the Whangarei Museum, came and taught all students up to Year 8.  They were given the opportunity of dressing in period costume and were able to try their hand at writing with ink pens and on a slate.   Mrs Rummery was strict and although she brandished the cane and the strap they weren’t actually used.  The students came away thinking how hard it was in the early days and all thought the discipline was really strict.

The centennial celebrations started with a traditional powhiri led by local kaumatau.   The kapa haka group sang and there was a general air of peace during the whole powhiri.   Following this approximately 600 people registered for the Friday night meet and greet evening.   The registration office was frantic and the committee went home exhausted well after midnight.

Saturday dawned fine and the school was as ready as it could be to receive over 1000 visitors.   Because the formal powhiri was held on the Friday night the opening ceremony was brief to allow visitors to have plenty of time to communicate with each other.  Kapa Haka performed again and after the ringing of the traditional school bell entertained us with a range of items.  

The centennial cake was cut by the schools current youngest student 5 year old Trinity Pearson-Harrop and 92 year old Peggy Whiteman who attended school in 1921.   The cake was iced with the school’s current logo but also displayed the original logo.

The marimba band entertained us between speeches, a time capsule from 1982 was opened and prayers said.

The day was a huge success.  Pictures tell a thousand words and from those shown here it can be said that everyone had a really good time.    We fed and watered over 1000 people on the Saturday and then put on a full sit down dinner in the evening held in the school gym.  

When a weary committee finally went home in the wee hours of Sunday morning exhausted from the weekend’s activity they were also ecstatic with the overall success of the centennial weekend.