One of Waitaki Boys High School's staunchest supporters says there is just something special about the school and she is sure others will agree.
Oamaru grandmother Nancy Hammond (89) contacted the Otago Daily Times this week to share her experiences of the embattled school.
For 20 years, Mrs Hammond said, she proudly watched her grandchildren go through their secondary education at the school.
''All their performing arts, their academic achievements, their sporting achievements, we were always at the end at the cross-country to see them come in,'' she said.
For her, the school had generated pride, enjoyment and loyalty - and, last week, sadness, with the announcement of a likely 12.5% drop in enrolments next year.
The drop in enrolments follows several years of management problems at the school.
''I know there's nothing I can do about it but I thought at least I can express an opinion about how I feel after seeing this [roll] decline.''
''I've got a certain pride in the school even though I'm not a member - I'm just a community member and, now, an elderly one at that.''
Mrs Hammond has lived in Oamaru for about 40 years, during which time six of her grandchildren attended the school, a daughter taught there for 11 years - and a son-in-law was a boarder at Don House.
''He's proud of that school, every time he comes back here [to Oamaru], where do we go? We always go down to Waitaki Boys','' she said, ''because he has such wonderful memories of the place.''
The school had given her grandchildren a good grounding for their future and they had thrived - most were prefects and one was deputy head boy.
They had all been very different, but the school had allowed them to flourish in their own ways.
''Over the years, they have offered a wonderful, character-building standard of education.''
She had seen a number of changes at the school - good and bad. She ''wholeheartedly'' supported the Old Boys' Association's comments about the need to ensure the traditions of the school remained, while still moving forward.
''Why aren't the boys coming?''
''They're going to be deprived of the wonderful grounding that so many, nationally, have had.
''Goodness me, through that school they've had war heroes, leaders of the country, and I'd just like to see whatever built the character in them continued.''
