100 | Roll growth drives upgrade Stage one of the May Road School redevelopment includes a three storey 15 classroom building currently under construction. May Road School: Stryde Projects T T Sue Russell COMMUNITY Principal of Auckland’s Year 1 to 6 May Road School, Lynda Stuart, says there are so many positives about leading a school that lives a special character, stemming from the diverse community of students who attend, and a staff dedicated to delivering teaching and learning opportunities that celebrate inclusivity, participation and achievement in a supportive and engaging way. Lynda has been at the school since October 2006. In 2017 she took up the role of NZEI President for three years then returned to the school she loves in 2020. “It was a great opportunity to give back to the profession and to support NZEI Te Riu Roa members to achieve the organisations goals and it was just lovely to return to May Road after my time was over,” says Lynda. May Road School, located in Mt Roskill is surrounded by burgeoning residential growth, with a significant part of that driven by Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities development in the suburb which, when completed will include approximately 10,000 new, high quality, healthy homes. This reality, along with the fact that May Road School have been seriously planning for upgraded facilities on their site, has led to an exciting time for staff, parents/whanau and students alike, as they await the construction of new teaching and learning spaces. “It was mooted just before I went to Wellington and then it became a reality with the Ministry’s funding round of 2018. We all said ‘Yes, this is going to happen!’,” Lynda says. The school roll is projected to increase to 1000, an enormous growth trajectory over coming years, bringing challenges and opportunities. Currently, students at May Road School are enjoying coming to school each day on a site that, in part, is being transformed with the much-anticipated Stage 1, 3-storey, 15 classroom building beginning to take form. This impressive building will sit where an old two-storey building and the swimming pool once were. “We have our own construction road that currently cuts through the middle of the playground. We’re managing!,” is how best Lynda describes the current situation. She says the school staff, students and community have been wonderful in terms of coping with the construction site, knowing that, in time, a new and very exciting school will form. Stage 2 is at ‘conversation stage’. This involves adding either a six or nine classroom block to the end of one of the existing blocks. Once this has been achieved then remodification of the remaining part of the school (Stage 3) will take place. Stage 2 is expected to get underway as soon as Stage 1 is completed. Governing the need to build up, rather than out, is the fact that May Road School doesn’t extend over a large footprint. “We also know its very important to retain as much green and outdoor space as possible. The Ministry of Education engaged Jazmax Architects to design the new school plan and Stryde Projects to undertake its construction. Assisting the school to navigate the process has been Sandra Jenkins, former Principal of Freemans Bay School, who had plenty of experience in what redesigning an existing school involves. Engaging the community, in this very much community-oriented school, was a priority right from the start Lynda says. “We had open nights where we talked about what we hoped to achieve and gained their input as to what was important to them. What we found really interesting about what we discovered students, staff and the community wanted, was that their visions were all very aligned.” Creating spaces where there were lots of opportunities for movement and lots of opportunities for collaboration was a clear priority. “We have people who come from very different education experiences, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and this has really enriched the outcomes of what the school has become.” Lynda says school families talked a lot about linking the school buildings to the natural environment. And as important as any factor driving the final look and feel of the school was an upholding of the unique and valued history of the site. May School Road sits where once a small hapu lived. “It became incredibly important for us to be authentic into the tipuna of this land and this has informed the colour spectrum on each of the three floors of the new building.” The ground floor connects to Papatuanuku, the land, the second floor with Tane, God of Forests and Birds and the third level with Ranginui, the Sky God. “When you think that in the 1400’s there were people living here, this site carries so much value and significance and honouring that has informed the whole design. Even the playground sits under wonderful old Pohutukawa that shroud and protect the children playing there.” All in all, Lynda says the May Road School community can’t wait to see this significant school development completed. “It has been a wonderful journey of understanding, of collaboration, of learning and of welcoming a very exciting new era.”
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