A fond farewell to Aramoho School

Anne Kent (nee Boyland) is third from right in the front row of this standard 4 class at Aramoho School in 1943.

One of Whanganui's oldest schools closed its gates on Thursday. Aramoho School has served the community for 143 years, providing primary education to generations of families. LIZ WYLIE discovered some snapshots of the school's long history.

When 92-year-old Lucy attended the Aramoho School 125th jubilee in 1998 as Lucy Boyland, she shared her vivid memories of school days.

"They were good days," she wrote.

"We played basketball for sport, wrote on slates [Bridges Book Shop supplied stationery later], and best of all we would travel up the river on the paddle steamer for the annual picnic at Hipango Park."

Her father, Joseph Fothergill, was a member of the school committee and assisted with the building of the school pool where generations of local children would learn to swim.

Lucy Boyland also remembered the Aramoho suburb of her childhood with the trams that came as far as the railway bridge and fondly recalled the zoo in Boydfield Ave.

Reg Boyland, who would become Lucy's husband, also attended the school.

The couple had two children, Anne and Ian, who would both attend Aramoho and Anne's four children would later attend the same school as their parents and grandparents.

Anne, now Mrs Kent, says her mother died two years after the jubilee and always recalled her school days as happy ones.

"My years at Aramoho School were very happy ones too," she says.

"I was there during the Second World War years but I don't remember hardship."

She does remember the shady, rose covered pergola that led to the swimming pool and the school name spelled out in flowering shrubs on the river bank opposite the school.

Also fondly remembered is the rose garden planted in memory of past Aramoho pupils who lost their lives during WWI.

Later, the rose garden would become a memorial to all past pupils and teachers.

In the late 1990s, the circular bed was still maintained by a group of former Aramoho pupils from 1929.

Today there is a smaller rose bed closer to the school entrance.

Anne still lives in Aramoho but her children now live in other Whanganui suburbs or different parts of the country so her grandchildren have not attended her old school.

Younger brother Ian, who attended the school in the post war years, also lives in Aramoho.

"It was a great school, we had good teachers and I had some really good mates there," he says.
"I feel very sad that it is closing and if I was younger, I would probably try and do something about it."

Mr Boyland said he thinks it is a pity that children no longer attend their local schools and travel past them to go to others.

"The beauty of attending the local school was that everyone knew each other.
"Our school mates were our neighbours and our parents all knew each other."
Mark Kennedy, attended the school in the 1960s and remembers it as "a proud school with over 350 students".

He also remembers the large hall, swimming pool and playing fields.
"The gala days were the social highlight of the school and Aramoho community year and the school sports teams were a force to reckoned with.

"I used to catch the school bus from upper Aramoho to Aramoho and when I was in the standards I became the bus monitor."

Mr Kennedy says he hopes the school will not be left to become derelict now.
"I agree with another former pupil who said the school should become a shrine."
Former Aramoho principal Henry Ngapou said the Mitchell St school roll was around 270 when he started working there in 1989.

"The home owners in the area were growing older and the roll was decreasing," he says.
"My wife Helen was teaching at the school too and we really enjoyed it."

Henry said the couple taught at country schools before coming back to Helen's home town of Whanganui and they were used to working with smaller rolls.

"We bought a house here in Aramoho because we wanted to live close to the school."
Helen Ngapou, who died in January this year, taught French language to students at Aramoho and the school also set up a bilingual unit for students to learn te reo Maori.

"Unfortunately that coincided with the growth of kohanga reo in Whanganui and our potential Maori pupils were heading there," says Mr Ngapou.

"I was supportive of kohanga reo so it was a dilemma really."
He said the closure of the school makes him sad and he hopes the grounds and buildings will be put to good use.

"As the roll decreased, it was hard to stretch the budget and the pool maintenance had to be sidelined.

"We maintained the buildings and I hope they will not be demolished. As a taxpayer, I think that would be a waste because a lot of government money went in to their upkeep."

Mr Ngapou was the longest serving principal in Aramoho School's 143 year history, clocking up 22 years by the time he retired in 2011.

Aramoho school staff, back row Russell Gilberd, Margaret Hockly, second row Judith Skene, Wendy Miller, third row Mere Young, Helen Ngapou, Sandra Casey, Jan Spicer, fourth row Lyn Mitchell, Pania Paki, Raukura Waitai, Caroline Samuel, Christine Wilson, front row Christine Budge, Jan Algar, Henry Ngapou, Ross Duncum and Jocelyn Le Page in 1997.

Before his tenure, Mr C H W Lock, who headed the school from 1883 until 1910, was the school's longest serving leader.

During the past five years, the Aramoho School roll has continued to decline and Education Review Office reports have found serious concerns about governance of the school.

A limited statutory manager was appointed in 2014 and that role transitioned to a commissioner, replacing the board of trustees later that year.
A second commissioner, Kevin Palmer, was appointed at the end of 2015 and has run the school since then.

The school had five principals in two years and Rebekah Watts would become the school's last principal in August this year.

A series of meetings with school whanau and community stakeholders have led to the difficult decision to close the school.

Mr Palmer said it was hoped that a better outcome could have been achieved but families who may have sent their children to Aramoho School were just not there.
Many of the families who lived in Aramoho during past decades have moved away or their children have moved away.

Perhaps Tupoho Kaumatua John Maihi put it best when he said that things have changed as people tend to move around more than they once did.
"My children all attended this school but my mokopuna are attending schools all over the world now," he said.

Mr Palmer said it was hoped that some new families would come forward but that did not happen.
"Instead we have worked with families to help them transition their children to other schools," he said.

The remaining 16 students at Aramoho will start the 2017 school year at Rutherford, Whanganui Intermediate, Upokangaro, Churton and Gonville schools.

Mr Palmer, Ms Watts, teachers Rodnita Ngarotata, Emma Fawcett and volunteer helpers are to be congratulated for supporting these last Aramoho pupils to make the adjustment.

Teacher Emma Fawcett (back left), principal Rebekah Watts, teacher Rodnita Ngarotata, volunteer Alan Wallis with pupils Anissa Te Awa-Thompson, Eve Check, Rupeni Koroi, Jordyn Toma-Jacobs, Ty-rell Te Awa-Thompson, Te Ao Marama Kaiwahia-Ponga, Teingoa Robertson, Sasha Toma-Jacobs, Ciaran Thompson, Aemelina Robertson and Jojo Robertson wave goodbye last week.

Visiting the school last Tuesday, I met a small but happy band of pupils anticipating their Christmas holidays, like other school children.

At a closing ceremony the previous week, each child was presented with a trophy as a last pupil of Aramoho School.

For some, like little Jojo Robertson, the school's youngest pupil, it may not mean much now but should be something to treasure in future.

Eve Check 11, has attended Aramoho School since she was a new entrant and says she will treasure her memento.

Eve says she is "excited and a bit nervous" about starting at Upokangaro School next year.
She says she will remember Aramoho School visits by ex-All Black captain Richie McCaw and musician Stan Walker and a camping trip at the Bridge to Nowhere.

Teingoa Robertson, 9, says she will remember school trips to Te Papa in Wellington and a visit to Mt Bruce.

Younger pupils, Aemelina Robertson, 6, and Jordyn Toma-Jacobs, 7, said they enjoyed singing and dancing at the school closing ceremony.

Aemelina, who will be going to Churton School next year, said handwriting has been her favourite subject while Jordyn, who will be moving to Upokangaro, said she likes maths.
Aramoho School will officially close on January 27 next year and Kevin Palmer said reminders of the school's history have been safely stored.

"The school resources such as laptops and furniture have been distributed to other schools with priority given to the ones that Aramoho pupils will be attending next year.

"We gave the signed Richie McCaw All Blacks jersey to the Wanganui Rugby Union," said Mr Palmer.

Jojo Robertson with one of the plaque.

Documents, photos and plaques which tell the story of the school's history have been safely packed for storage at the Ministry of Education archives.

The Mitchell St site will not be silent as busy preschool Born and Raised Pasifika, established on the grounds in 2003, remains.

Manager Hellen Puhipuhi said the Aramoho School site will be watched over by staff and they will act as kaitiaki (guardians) for the property until decisions are made about its future.