13 December, 2024

Cool fun! School community enjoys pool opening

Refreshing dip… PTA members Nikki Horne (left) and Emily Somerville-Ryan enjoyed a plunge in Hauraki School’s new pool.

Hauraki School PTA members and parents joined pupils taking the plunge to christen the school’s new pool at an official opening.
The new 25-metre heated pool, along with new seating, shade cover, fencing and lane markings, was opened on 29 November, with speeches from principal Clarinda Franklin and PTA representatives as well as ex-pupils Monique Williams, a former Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer, and Doug Rule, the first person to swim in the school’s old pool.
Franklin said it was rewarding to have the pool finished after years of planning and fundraising to get the project over the line.
She hoped the pool would prove a great asset for the local community when a swim school opens in the new year.
PTA member Nicky Hall, who started the project, told the Flagstaff it was great to have the new pool finished “eight years later”.
The old pool, built in the mid-1950s, was demolished in April after the school had raised $500,000 to build the new one.
After the opening formalities, the school choir sang a specially composed song about the pool and students got to try it out with a house relay, won by East house.
To close the event, anyone in attendance was invited to jump into the pool.

Pupils cheer on their peers competing in a house relay, the first competitive event to be held in the pool.

Making a splash… Young swimmers enjoying themselves

Kirk Meredith, who has three children at the school, said the water was beautiful

Jo and Adam Bennett, under the shade sail and beside the seating which Adam helped fundraise for by putting on events such as the Electric Picnic.