It had started as a normal school day in May at Waitotara School in South Taranaki, until the news came in from the village _ a whale had been stranded on WaiinuBeach, 5 kilometres down the road.
Principal Ross Harvey said one of his teachers immediately drove off to Wanganui to swap his car for a four-wheel-drive.
``We had to get our senior kids down there to see it. It was an incredible opportunity that day, and none of us have ever forgotten it.''
On a wall in the school's reception area are the photographs taken that day _ pictures of awestruck kids in wet-weather gear staring at one of the biggest creatures they had ever seen or were likely to see again.
The 22.5-metre-long pygmy blue whale, weighing between 60 and 80 tonnes, had washed up on Waiinu Beach, near Waitotara. It was one of the biggest whales to wash up on the coast in decades and mechanical diggers were needed to bury the giant mammal.
``Our kids still talk about it,'' Mr Harvey said. ``It was one of those things we absolutely had to pull the stops out to get them there, and we did.''
Trips and adventures for the small school have since been made even easier with a Powerco grant that has allowed the school to have it's own van, as of last week. ``We can drive in style now. We used to have to borrow the van from the pub.'' And when the school goes out en masse, the pupils go to a special wardrobe room where there is a rack of pristine, smart school uniforms for travelling, all individually named.
``Yes, we're a very smart lot when we're out and about.''
The little school first opened in 1874 in the tiny rural village of Waitotara, between Wanganui and Waverley. The school sits on the banks of the Waitotara River and had to be fully refurbished after devastating floods in 2004.
The floods destroyed much of the interior of the school as well as furniture and equipment, and badly damaged many homes in the small community. The children have a wealth of outdoor space at school from a large asphalt basketball court, a huge sports field, swimming pool, gardens with picnic tables and a bushy copse, where they are encouraged to build forts and huts.
The small wooded area has become a tiny village with a collection of small hut-like structures, all with a special purpose, each with its own story.
The students at Waitotara never feel hemmed in _ not even in their classrooms. There are two classrooms, both spacious, warm and inviting.
With such a small roll, each child has the luxury of one-on-one tuition five days a week. They love it, and the teachers love it.
The relationships between pupils and teachers are geared for marvellous learning, so much so that it's probably not an easy transition for the big kids when they have to move to college.
Fluctuating roll numbers cause a headache occasionally.
It only takes one family to leave the small settlement and the roll drops down two, then a second family may move as well, and that's another two or three pupils gone. But it's a fact of life in this small community.
Some families are transient _ seasonal work, farming work ... they go where the work is ... or living in a small rural community can be a bit much for some, Mr Harvey said.
In comparison to other schools, Waitotara has a star factor when it comes to the children getting undivided, superb tuition.
Teacher Jane Corcoran said she had taught all over the world, and now there she was in a geographical rural backwater school where the pupils had teaching that was second to none.
``It is so good here, with the daily individual teaching and learning.''
The kids not only learned in leaps and bounds but their behaviour improved, they loved the special attention and it showed, she said.
Mr Harvey said most of the children were from farms in the area and their parents all took a huge interest in the school.
``We involve families in everything we do here.''
One girl's mum arrived at morning tea time with two large home-made cakes and candles to celebrate her daughter's 8th birthday. An extended morning break was declared and the children from the birthday girl's class got lucky.
Overall, this is a fortunate little school, with a principal and teachers who love it, kids who are happy, relaxed and learning well, and parents who will help _ just say the word!
There are even heat pumps installed in the classrooms now, though the old fireplaces are still there.
The caretaker has a stash of firewood at the ready should the power fail, Mr Harvey said.
And after years of cold water only in toilet blocks, there is now hot running water. ``We've got it all,'' Mr Harvey joked.-->-->
WAITOTARA SCHOOL Severn St, Waitotara. Staff: 2. Pupils: 26. Decile: 2. Principal: Ross Harvey. Mission statement: Waitotara School will provide a safe, positive, learning environment where students achieve independence and develop essential academic and social skills.-->-->
