| 113 Aka Aka School Upgrade COMMUNITY Proudly supporting the Aka Aka School upgrade. T T Virginia Wright Welcome upgrade The school facilities include the community swimming pool, turfed courts, a bike track and an adjoining forest area. “They love having their own toilets that the little kids don’t use and their own uniform. They’re seniors so we recognise the difference between the rest of the school and them and it gives them a degree of separation after years of being at the same school.” Situated halfway between Waiuku and Pukekohe Aka Aka School has 50 pupils from Years 1 to 8. Surrounded by dairy farms it’s a rural school with four teachers, as well as Principal Michaelene Nu’u and some teacher aides. Principal Nu’u has been with the school for 11 years having started as a relieving principal before successfully applying for the job. For her the size is what makes the school despite having no caretaker or daily cleaner or many of the other things larger schools take for granted. “It’s a really varied role because being a small school you get to do a bit of everything even when you don’t want to,” she says with a smile. “I love it because we get to know all of our families really well, and I love that we still do things like calf club, kids climb trees and all the positive stuff that comes with being out in the country.” The school facilities include the community swimming pool, turfed courts, a bike track and an adjoining forest area. The 50 pupils work across four classrooms including one that has recently been turned back into a classroom from the junk and storage room it had become. It’s now the home of the senior students, those in the intermediate years of 7 and 8, who are enjoying having their own space with new carpet and wall linings, built in whiteboards and cupboards, and a degree of separation from the younger pupils. Successfully carried out by local firm CH Construction, part of the upgrade included refreshing some stand-alone derelict changing rooms. Now a changing rooms and toilet block it’s reserved for use by the senior students unlike the junior students who have toilets accessible from inside their classrooms. “They love having their own toilets that the little kids don’t use and their own uniform. They’re seniors so we recognise the difference between the rest of the school and them and it gives them a degree of separation after years of being at the same school,” says Principal Nu’u. Along with the privilege comes responsibility. As well as being house leaders and playing an active role in distributing lunches and cleaning up afterwards, they take a leadership role and work alongside the Years 1 and 2 on Kotahitanga Fridays, says Principal Nu’u. “Our intermediate kids are fantastic. We talk about working toward a shared goal, so our whole school spends Fridays together and part of that day is usually out in our forest area doing nature stuff or art; we cook, we explore, we build huts, we do science, we do all sorts.” After 11 years at the school Principal Nu’u feels lucky to now have the facilities to operate properly and give all the pupils a comfortable learning environment. The school is popular in the wider area which she puts down to being part of a community where everyone knows everyone else. “You can’t be something you’re not, so you get to be your authentic self and that’s what we really like to focus on with the kids: that they feel comfortable with who they are in their own space and feel confident that how you are is okay. I think it’s easier because we’re small so there’s not the degree of pressure from other kids to be something you’re not, so we often attract kids who are struggling at other schools.” With cows grazing over the fence, a forest in their backyard and staff committed to positive outcomes for every student Aka Aka School offers a relatively calm environment to its rural community along with age-appropriate facilities for all its pupils.
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