Principal Debbie Dickson said the project was part of the school's sustainability programme and would soon incorporate a wind turbine and weather station and be fertilised by casts from the school worm farm.
"It's just another avenue to develop learning - a project that children can see things growing," Mrs Dickson said.
Greenroofs' Auckland-based owner Will Thorne said because the school was half the size in area of a typical New Zealand school, the project was driven by a need for greater learning space and play areas.
"The green roof is situated alongside a boardwalk that acts as the school's unique entrance way, meaning the roof is a big part of the school's look and feel. The plan is that this area will also be used as an outdoor classroom," Mr Thorne said.
The green roof will reduce stormwater runoff, help soak up aircraft noise from Queenstown International Airport and camouflage the building by making it blend into the landscape.
"The plants needed to function well in cold winters - frost and snow - and extreme heat in the summer, and need relatively low maintenance. They also need to be attractive and aesthetically pleasing as they can be directly viewed as part of the outdoor classroom concept," Mr Thorne said.
Installed in two phases, in April and November 2010 to miss the frosty season, the total green roof area is 825m2.
"It's made up of a wide variety of sedum and succulent plants manually planted into the growing medium. The plants, which will turn different colours throughout the year, were chosen for their hardiness so they would be able to survive the cold Queenstown winters," he said.
