Sacred Heart students infront of the new Pentecost Window. Photo / Tom Rowland
Sacred Heart students infront of the new Pentecost Window. Photo / Tom Rowland
Sacred Heart Girls College has taken one of the lowest points in their history and have transformed it into the start of a new era of learning with the opening of their new learning centre.
On Wednesday it was the three year anniversary of the former school's staff room and science block being destroyed after a former student threw a firework into the building on a dare.
The blaze started by the firework destroyed both the entire staff room and badly damaged science labs in the same block, with the damage totalling nearly $2 million.
On Thursday the school laid to rest the memory of the tragic night with the official opening of their new $5m learning block which is divided into new open planned learning rooms, along with science labs and a staff room.
It was three years ago on Wednesday that the Sacred Heart science block was ravaged by a fire. Photo / Natalie Akoorie
Principal Catherine Gunn said there was a silver lining to everything, and the opening of their new collaborative learning centre was their sliver lining.
"It was incredibly hard for us when we lost that building, because it was our staff space and our science labs. The biggest issue was the science as we lost those labs and that was huge," Gunn said.
"It displaced a lot of people, however we have years of students that have known no difference. The day the Year 9s of 2018 arrived they were like, Oh I don't remember this building being like this on our open day and it wasn't a pretty sight."
Gunn said both the students and schools adapted very well to the challenge.
"Yes it was an unexpected loss and people were upset, but at the same time we came together stronger as a community.
"We have had former students who would have used those science labs so many years ago and those buildings they learnt in are not there anymore."
Gunn said the new building still incorporate pieces of the old building within it, such as artwork and the original gas panel for the science labs.
Sacred Hearts new learning block opened on Thursday, nearly three years to the day since the previous classroom block burnt down. Photo / Tom Rowland
"There is a lot of religious symbolism and tikanga Māori which are featured throughout the design concept aimed to empower students, we have names such as Te Huia which symbolises leadership and women, but also in terms of being quite mystical as there is that feeling around Huia."
The new colour glazed window is called the Pentecost Window, which when the sun hits the building it provides a cascade of multi colours across the room. The window faces north towards Mount Taupiri which is the mountain of the school.
Instead of the standard classrooms the building uses the new modern learning spaces which allows students to spread out and learn while having a mixture of classrooms and teachers going across the large spaces.
