School House News

By Matthew Markham | Posted: Sunday August 5, 2018

Project planning underway at School House.

By our normal busy standards, we had a very quiet weekend in the hostel. Unfortunately, due to a malfunction with the ice at the ice rink we had to cancel our planned ice skating and curling trip on Sunday. This was disappointing as many boys were really looking forward to trying curling for the first time. We will try again early in term four.

Congratulations to Charlie Mathias (Year 9) and Shuntaro Moriyama (Year 12) for being students of the term in term two. Both boys give 100% in the classroom and on the sports field (both keen rugby players) and are popular and loyal School House boys. It is fantastic to see two hostel boys win this award.

This week the major event is the quiz night on Thursday. The boys won’t find the quiz easy, but they should enjoy it. Looking further ahead, a final reminder to let me know by the end of the week if your son would like to go on the ski trip. The cut off is Friday.

With the development of the car park and new entrance way for School House, there has been considerable attention given in recent times for the upgrading of the rest of the hostel, with the development of a music suite and gym the first of many projects.

Music Suite

Presently, we have very little space that the boys can practice their instruments. The dorms are hardly an ideal space for this! We have earmarked the area known as the ‘dungeon’ for a music suite. While not 100% sound proof its concrete walls and ceiling make it an ideal spot for the boys to practice and not disturb the rest of the boys. We have more and more boys coming into the hostel who play instruments and it is important that we provide a space for them.

Gym

The creation of a hostel gym involves knocking down the wall in-between the games room and TV room to create a space bigger enough for the boys to play indoor cricket or kick a ball around, like a small gym at a school. It is also planned that there will be a small weights/fitness room for the boys to use. As we all know there is limited green space at the hostel and this is an attempt to create an area that the boys can let off a bit of steam. While it will be somewhat disappointing to lose the TV room, it is hardly ever used these days by the boys. Gone are the days of the Friday or Saturday movie night, where the whole of School House would be in there. Sky Go, Netflix and video games mean that the boys can access constant movies, games and sport from their phones lying on their bed!! We are still going to keep the AV equipment we have, as well as our sky subscription and will bring it out when there is an All Blacks test or some other big occasion.

If anyone has any old gym or music equipment that they would be willing to donate, please get in touch with me.

As I am sure you will understand the redevelopment of the hostel is very much a long-term project. The board however, is fully committed to the project. The purchase of 17 Melrose St, for a car park and Director of Boarding residence was a significant first step in the redevelopment and it is an exciting time to be involved in the hostel.   

''For all your harvesting & forestry needs'' - call Tim Smith 027 587 3665

Image Gallery