Now, Olliver said, the empty space where the buildings once stood served as a reminder of the school community’s resilience and the importance of gratitude.
One parent, Roydon Barnes, emptied about five fire extinguishers on the flames while children were evacuated.
Four fire trucks, two water tankers, a support vehicle from the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Brigade and a ladder truck from Manukau helped extinguish the blaze.
Olliver said the fire caused extensive damage to the school hall, a multipurpose performing arts space she described as the heart of the school and the new-entrant classroom.
“Unfortunately, both buildings were deemed structurally unsound and had to be demolished before we could reopen the school.”
She said the Ministry of Education’s emergency response team had worked quickly to get a demolition team to the site.
Another classroom, which houses two classes, suffered smoke damage and has been closed for the rest of the year to be re-lined and re-carpeted.
“During the closure, many students stayed with family members or joined their parents at work,” Olliver said.
Meanwhile, school staff quickly reorganised the library and a classroom to create new spaces for displaced students.
The school reopened on November 6, a week after the fire.
“Although much of the learning equipment was damaged by smoke, by the time we reopened our students had welcoming and well-equipped spaces to return to,” Olliver said.
Olliver said donations of learning-through-play equipment had helped the school’s youngest pupils adjust and added excitement for their return to class.
“Our parent community cared for the staff too, by providing food and treats while the teachers worked getting the school ready for opening.”
The timeline for rebuilding the school’s performing arts centre is still uncertain.
“The focus is on getting the classrooms operational,” she said.
“We’re aiming to reopen two of our classroom spaces early next year, while the third will still be under reconstruction.”
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.