Our Library
Our library is the heart of our school, a place where students can come together to share the love of reading. Classes visit the library each week and the library is also open at lunchtimes for students to browse, issue books and find a comfy spot to sit and read. The puzzle table is also a popular library activity where students of different year levels collaborate to finish the puzzle.
Each Monday morning our library is open to Whānau between 8 and 8:20 am, this is a chance for families to come and enjoy a story together before starting the school day.
We offer a wide range of resources that support the curriculum and also promote a love of reading, from Minecraft to cooking or the latest Dogman. Our students have access to high-quality books that they want to read.
You can find our catalogue and our library's home page here: library.opaheke.school.nz
Our Makerspace
Our Makerspace which adjoins our library is a multi-use space where students have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities. We offer a variety of lunchtime activities including craft and Lego sessions. Our makerspace is also used for Inquiry-based learning and projects, supporting and extending classroom learning. It is also a great place for staff to meet and it is often utilised for PLD (Professional Learning and Development).
Our Arts Room
Our Arts Room is a multifunctional learning space made for emotional support and expression. We use it for art making activities such as paper-making and individual or small group work with students. It includes a calming, cozy corner with tools for students to use when they are feeling overwhelmed or like they need a break. The Arts covers many aspects so our room includes board games, books, drawing table and mark making equipment, modelling materials, quiet music and headphones.
At lunch times it is used for our Pause and Connect programme, enabling those students who find the playground overwhelming a safe and quiet space to connect with others. Students can take part in self-directed activities or planned events such as tai-chi, origami and model-making. As part of this programme there are opportunities to experience different sensory activities such as sand and water play. We also have items to encourage social and emotional learning.
Our Pool
Our school is so lucky to have a school swimming pool which our students get to enjoy in the warmer months. Our students participate in swimming lessons in Terms 1 and 4 which are run by outside organisations such as SwimMagic. We also have multiple options for students to have free swim time to relax and enjoy the water at lunch times and during allocated class time.
Our Playgrounds
Our school has two playgrounds. One in the Junior (Year 1/2) area of the school and one in the Senior (Year 3-8) area of the school. Playgrounds are allocated to specific classes and/or year levels at various play times during the day to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to enjoy the playground at their own level.