From Left, Daisy Moke, Mike Jones (Principal, standing), Teina
Kawhena, Angela Dunlop, Kotene Moke.
Watch out Peter Jackson, Craig Curtis and Co. – the pupils of Kaingaroa Forest School may be among the next generation of movie makers.
Mike Jones, theprincipal of Kaingaroa Forest School, says a $19,000 grant from the Rotorua Trust has been a real boost for the school.
He says this has been the first major grant from any source, and the effectshave already been seen.
“We are excited about that and wouldn’t have been able to do that without this wonderful grant.”
Children will be taught how to make movies with a camera purchased as a result of the grant.
Local senior high school children doing media studies will come in to work with the children to help them make movies and put them up on the website.
New furniture bought for one of the classrooms, for example, has lifted the whole classroom and turned it into a completely different reading environment. At the same time, senior children at the 28-pupil school each have a laptop.
“The school has made a new website, at a cost of $3000, and the children are starting to post to it now, which I am thrilled about.”
The school now wants to ensure the community is aware of the website and for locals to start posting on the website as well.
“That’s been a very good thing because we want to involve the community.”
The school has bought a lot of maths equipment, setting it up well for an intensive mathematics course planned for 2015 through a contract with the Ministry of Education.
The new entrants’ room has benefitted from the purchase of reading resources for the five and six-year-olds, including activities such as alphabet cards.
“As a decile one school we have always struggled to find the resources our community can’t provide, and this grant just gives us such a boost,” says Mike.
The school caters for children from Years 0-8 and has 2.6 teaching staff
For more information, contact:
Mike Jones
Principal
Kaingaroa Forest School
07-3669 845
mikejnz@gmail.com