Kia ora koutou katoa
Home at last
We are now well installed in the new buildings. There were many wonderful moments as students moved into their new early childhood centre and school and also the new residential building.
Immersion courses are already back on the programme. The photo on the left, taken during the a recent JAWS-focused course.
Everyone involved has cheerfully put up with a great deal of disruption and hassle with a very positive attitude. The buildings are now filled with students and staff, everyone in their own ways adjusting to new patterns of operating in a very different environment. The buildings are coming to life as everyone puts their own mark on their spaces.
User-centred design
The design of these spaces has centred on creating a learning, and in some cases, a living environment for students who are blind, deafblind or low vision. A great deal of work has gone into both setting up the environments and in teaching the children and young people how to move around and operate in their new classrooms and living spaces.
The new kitchen at Café BLENNZ is up and running and there have been many mouths to feed as we are having a series of three immersion courses between now and the end of the month where students come in from around the country. The facilities are being well and truly tested.
The old buildings put to rest
Demolition of the remainder of the old campus buildings is now underway and we now have a construction site immediately adjacent to the new buildings. All of this work will not be completed until at least January next year.
Author: Principal Jane Wells
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