New Modern Classrooms At Otaki Schools

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1949, Page 2

New Modern Classrooms At Otaki Schools

» is tlie .pick of :all. the eljass- . mojiis I'have sden ahywher e. : Tt. is super plus."" These rwords. were' usfidj by ithe : headmaster pf - , ;the Otaki .State ? Scho.oi, • Mr. Yates,y- -,in - desQribing 6ne of - the* three; recently compieted" •new- .classrooms at * the SChooJ, 'the- one occupied'" by- Stan- ' dard 5-e:£f.fly- ih the-'week. Commenting fifrther that- : the Education j Board; might have been a- litde slow in moving, but had undoubtedly exceiled itself in providing such modern facilities as were now enjoyed, Mr. Yates added that the teaching staff appreciated fuTy their new environment. Thanks were due to the school commi'ltee for its earnest. and persistent representations. "The. boa.rd has done a wonderful j'ob here, and deserves high praise," said the headmaster. • ■ ' ,Built to receive the maximum of sunshine, light and air, the classrooms have practically every modern appointment that could be wished for. Large corridor cupboards ' store the staff's working material and drawing boards around- the walls VmBn easy reach ) of the infants, near chairs, with. some new des'ks sjjjlr to arrive, pinex strips for the teachers to display their ' copywobk, sliding cupboard doors, polished wood, "chromium hand.es, with the whole brightly lacquered,-.all help to create an atmosphere -of absolute comfort and contentment. • ' ■ ' ,A- popular and interesting uni't in one of the infant rooms is the • Wendy House, which has a shop counter, a miniature post ofilce letter box, dolls' cradles and all the toy treasures which brin'g joy to the hearts of the tiny tots who will play there. •New features in clothes lobbies receive the highest commendation from the teaching staff. Racks with hat and coa't hooks extend the full length of the lobby, with eacli pupil having his or her very owii peg on which appears the name of the> pupil. This lobby is 24 feet long. Two porcelain wash-hand basins and a drinking fountain a're 'pfovided 'aClloV with ample space avqilable'"-; to accommodate any Iikely fush'. ' i"1 ' ' : 'CleadKness GELr a par. with that prac'tised^at home is very apparent. TtT is " falher a boincidence that the inf a?nt room has, during the present week, established a new record low attendance owing to ihe measles epidemic, enabling the teachers to enjov,, a slight let-up, "ana giving tnem ' the opportunity of enjoying to the full their new environment.. One class was so sadly depleted on Monday that the attendance numbered four, which increased 'to five on Tuesday and tp;six;by:^ednesday . - , - >vTbe aipfvbach "to1 the ' room occupied a few days ago by'Stangard 5 iS' t^rbjigh. an ;jairy |orridor, ^ith a^ibther s^acibus ciotijes lobby dlipasite tlie clast roomv TWo washliand basiris- .are again provided,' with two drinking fountains and a towel rack, all in a recess, with a concrete floor, with hat and coat hooks again occupying the major area of this room. The classroom itself "has just about every thing," aird Mr. J. Hewitson, in charge, is at the moment a very ' con'tented man. ■ He has battied under all sorts of conditions for the last two or three years, with his class at times divorced from the rest of the school in a room in Waerenga Road. His new room is a semi-open-air one, with an absolute maximum of light, sun, and air provided by means of outsize windows, which open horizontally. Should it be necessary during the winter months, heat is provided by a large modern barrel type heater. ; In cojntrast to the depleted h'umbers in tlie infant rooms, this room was filled to capacity, with an attendance of 54, still several ih excess of the number scheduled,When asked if he was "happy in his work," Mr. Hewitson's reply was generous. "I am, yes, but' there is still a lot that some of the other teachers want." To this Mr. Yates added: "We are thankful for what we have, but it is only a start. We are after all we can get for the children, and further developments can be looked for." The children in this room looked quite happy, aithough they appeared hard at work. An odd head or two popped up when the noon bell rang, but there was no attempt to down tools until the order was given. The final addition is a new staff room, ideally situated.at the.'end o'f -/the ^ea^ern; From ; this robrm aimost the whole of the area can be viewed and'- most of the play. grounds, the front gate j.and all the • corridors in vboth buildings readily supervised. -:;The appointments are modern. v ., ' y ? Doubtless.;the moiit'hly meeting of the Honm'/ahjjL' ScMhdl Association oir., Thu||S'ay^,e.xt; July 5 7, '.will? see ^h^ xpaf'ents' seeking the opporthe imprdve^ehlsV ahd adding their cbngratulatiohs to those of the committee ahd the teaching staff.