The school has been leading the town’s bid for dark sky status, so it made sense to have a space theme for the school’s redevelopment, principal Mike Hart said.
A new administration and learning block, set to open in time for the first day of term one, February 5, will be named Takurua or Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
The Oxford Dark Sky Group, which was initiated by volunteers at the school's observatory, submitted an application late last year for dark sky park status for the 11,350ha Oxford Forest Conservation Area to the International Dark-Sky Association.
Efforts to protect the night sky led to the school hosting Wairarapa-based space science educators Sam Leske and Haritina Mogosanu in August to help embed some new space-based curriculum.
‘‘The night sky named the buildings. It was meant to be. It just lined up,’’ Hart said.
‘‘Hari and Sam realised when taking a reference point of the front of the school in November, when you look from the eastern horizon at the constellations, the brightest star is directly above the new building.’’
In Māori tradition, Takurua was a star which ‘‘was given so much mana it had to be the brightest,’’ Hart said.
Te Waka o Tamarereti, which encapsulates constellations such as Orion’s belt and the Southern Cross, is being incorporated into the school’s cultural narrative with the help of Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga.
The year 4 to 6 block was already named Aotahi (Orion), while ‘‘the navigator’s star’’ Canopus aligned with the new entrance to year 3 block.
Canopus in Māori tradition was the stern of the waka, Hart said.
The anchor of the waka is the Southern Cross, which in the November alignment was across the road from the school, ‘‘which means we are anchored in the community’’.
Hart said the students were excited about the prospect of seeing inside the new building.
‘‘We have shared the progress of the building with the students and images of what it looks like inside.
‘‘We can see the finish line. We are very close and it is something very special for the community.’’
The new building comprised six teaching spaces, a new library space, a canteen and administration spaces.
It will offer modern teaching spaces for sciences, food technology and general teaching.
More building projects are planned as part of the school’s $10 million redevelopment, which was first announced in 2018.
Next up is the demolition of the school’s old science and technology block in term one.
A second building is planned for music, art and other technology classes, but no date has been set.
‘‘We don’t expect any construction this year, so we will all appreciate a breather,’’ Hart said.
These first two stages of the redevelopment will give the year 1 to 13 school capacity to grow from 500 to 600 students.
By David Hill
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
