New technology equipment and the opening of a freshly refurbished pool have brought Kaimai School up to date just in time for summer.

The 15m-long pool, which had been flaking paint for years, has received a $40,000 upgrade – half funded by TECT with the remainder covered via fundraising by the school’s Board of Trustees.

Principal Kane Fraser said the official opening was last Friday, December 6, with the community invited to swim and enjoy a night market.

“The pool is looking pretty sharp,” said Fraser. “All 63 of our kids swim every day and it’s open for lunchtime swims. Locals also have the opportunity to hire a key, so they can swim through the summer.”

Fraser describes the school as a community asset that families are welcome to use. “We already have a great skatepark and playground available.”

Meanwhile, students have also benefited from 30 iPads, 30 ChromeBooks and two charging bays that have been integrated into classroom learning thanks to a $30,000 We Care Community Trust grant.

“We want to make sure the kids aren’t just mindlessly poking around on them; there’s a purpose for using the technology. We are producers, not consumers,” said Fraser.

“The students are using them to take photos, make slides and even discovering stop-motion that ties into the learning they’re doing in class. We’re gearing them up for all the jobs that didn’t even exist when we were their age.”

The next item on the school’s wish list? “We’re investigating an upgrade of the surface around the playground, possibly with soft turf or mulch,” said Fraser. “We love that the community wants to use the school more as a safe family hangout.”