Brooklyn School principal, Liz Rhodes is excited about creating a modern learning environment.
A cheque for $630,000 doesn’t come along every day – but for Brooklyn school, it’s a chance to get creative.
When Brooklyn School principal, Liz Rhodes was told her school would receive the bonus funding she was excited about having the chance to develop modern learning facilities.
The extra funding to build non-classroom space was announced last month and is positive news for the school, who have been short on space due to growing student numbers.
The school has been in communication with the Ministry of Education for years regarding their increasing roll and lack of space.
Ms Rhodes says she wasn’t aware the school would receive the extra funding until the announcement.
“It’s an exciting place to be” she says, “we can look forward to doing some blue sky thinking.”
Pupils have been without a library for a year due to leaky building issues, while repair work has been underway.
Ms Rhodes says they’ve tried to make the most of the space they have available.
“We’ve tried to be flexible and adaptable,” Ms Rhodes says.
The school hall is currently housing both a pop-up library and a classroom.
The library is on the west side, and a classroom was established on the east end, separated by folding doors.
Staff and board members held a meeting this week to discuss where the extra funding would be spent but creating a modern learning environment is already on Ms Rhodes’s mind.
The roll at the school this year has jumped from 433 pupils at the beginning of the year to 460 pupils at present.
Ms Rhodes says there’s lots of housing development in the area which may be an important factor in increased enrolments.
“Brooklyn’s a fantastic suburb to live in, you’re close to town. There are good options for secondary as well,” she says.
