Norsewood and Districts' School
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History

History of Norsewood School
1873-2006

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Original School 1873-1888


The Norsewood community have always considered the education of their children a high priority and the first settlers influenced the Hawkes Bay Education Board to urgently construct a new school within nine months of their arrival at
the bush covered site in Norsewood. 

Norsewood School was opened in July 1873. It was described as a huge building which was hastily put together
with green timber and was very draughty. The roll number is given at 45. 

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The second School opened in 1888.
On March 16, 1888, a fire, driven by gale force winds, spread through the  district destroying everything in its path. The school in the bush and  the  headmaster’s house were among the buildings which had  disappeared in the inferno. And much of the green bush surrounding the village  had been burnt,  also.  After the fire, there was no school for about  six weeks.  Then classes were commenced in two rooms of the partly finished  Crown Hotel.  When the hotel  received a licence the classes were  transferred to private  homes. The new school  was opened at the end of  August, 1888. 

The new school had three classrooms, arranged in  the shape of a letter ‘H’. The  boys and girls had separate playgrounds – there was a fence to keep them  apart. A child caught in the wrong  playground was liable to get the strap. 


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The dental block erected in 1960
In 1940 a new main block was erected, being really a ‘remodelled’ building, since most of the timber, flooring and windows of the previous school were used in its construction. 

With four large classrooms served by a spacious corridor running the full length of the building, ample conveniences, store room, staff room, scullery, and headmaster’s office, this was indeed a definite improvement on its predecessors. 

A further addition to the amenities of the school was made in 1942 when the staffroom was suitably converted to Health Department specifications for use as a dental clinic. 

Many other improvements were added to the school – the new swimming baths in 1952 and the erection of the prefabricated classroom about 1958. A new dental clinic was erected in 1960. Then in 1973 the Norsewood and Districts Play Centre was established in the spare classroom at the school.

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The School in the 1970’s.



Throughout the 1970’s Norsewood was a popular stopover for schools in transit from one destination to another. Large groups of more than a hundred pupils from city intermediates, to less than a dozen from small rural sole charge schools, enjoyed the hospitality of Norsewood School. 

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Buildings prior to the 1994/1995 remodel.


In the 1980’s several building  improvements took place at the school including the removal of the water jacket heaters and their replacement with the more efficient ‘pot belly’ cast iron stove. 
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Buildings prior to the 1994/1995 remodel.

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The Play Centre (2006).



 The Play Centre vacated the classroom when the school roll increased and they purchased a building of their own which was erected on school premises. It was  officially opened in November 1986. 


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Ulric Park (2006).
Increased growth in the early 1980’s permitted the school to employ four  fulltime teachers and pupil numbers continued to fluctuate with total enrolments  reaching as high as 99. It was also in this decade that regular  presentations of National Dances from the Scandinavian Countries by pupils in  costume under the tutorship of Principal Mr Jo Wilson became an accepted  practice.  In 1991, the inaugural Norsewood Board of  Trustees commenced the development of an afforestation block in the Horsa Street  paddock with plantings of NZ  native trees, various nut trees, eucalyptus trees, Scandinavian native trees and hundreds of pinus radiate seedlings. Bordering this area was Ulric Street which  no longer exists because of the development of State Highway 2, so it was appropriate to name the project Ulric  Park. 
 



There was a major remodel of the school between December 1994 and June 1995  which at the time was the most significant changes on the school site for 25  years. Architects from Palmerston North and builders from Waipukurau  redesigned the reception area of the school, modernised the staffroom, doubled  the storage  space, incorporated extra teaching spaces, built a new toilet block and medical room, added hot water, sink benches, carpet and display boards in classrooms and  added a full length verandah to the front of the main  block of classrooms.
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School after 1994/1995 remodel
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The bell before the belfry was erected.
The school bell still used to signal break times has its own   history:   Originally the bell was erected over the Lutheran Church  in  South Norsewood  circa 1900s. When the Lutheran Church was demolished in 1949, the bell was  donated to St. Stephen’s Anglican  Church and hung in a  free standing  belfry. 

In 1968 the Anglican Church was destroyed by  fire  and the bell was stored until  donated to St. Ansker’s Catholic  Church. The bell  was erected beside the  church in the belfry from  the empty Methodist  Church.  After the closure of St. Ansker’s in 1993, the  bell and belfry were erected on the school site in June  1995, to be held in trust for  the  Norsewood Pioneer Cottage Museum. 
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The bell in its belfry (2006).

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Administration block (2006).


In 2004, due to dropping rolls across the district, Norsewood School  merged with Matamau, Awariki and Ormondville schools. Due to this merger,  funding was available to upgrade the school buildings to accommodate the  increase of students and staff. 
A new administration  block was constructed along the Coronation Street boundary. Included in this  block are a large office/reception area, large staffroom and kitchen, medical room, Principal’s office, interview room, variable teacher’s space/workroom and staff toilets.

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Main block (2006)


The main block was remodelled and now houses three classrooms, a new library and  teacher resource room. The toilet block and extra teaching spaces were retained. The block was extended to include a new toilet block for the middle school and three teacher aide rooms. This was joined on to the prefabricated  classroom (which housed the old library) and this room was extended to make a new variable teaching space/hall. 




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Senior classrooms (2006)


Two prefabricated rooms were moved onto the Scandi Grove site to house the two  senior classes. These rooms were joined together by a cloak bay and art  room. A cloak bay and toilets attached to the Year 7 and 8 classroom are in the  process of being completed.




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Junior playground (2006)




Two new playgrounds were built using both existing equipment from the merged schools and new items. 



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Main playground (2006)
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School Mural (2005)

In November, 2006, the renovations were complete and the school was renamed as ‘Norsewood and Districts’. The result was an outstanding  facility which will enhance the learning of all Norsewood and Districts pupils. 
 






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School Emblem (2006)
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  • Home
  • Notices and Newsletters
  • Events
  • CLASSES
    • Rata - Years 6 to 8
    • Kahikatea - Years 3 to 5
    • Rimu - Years 0 to 2
  • General
    • History
  • STAFF
  • School Houses
  • Contact Us
  • Vacancies
  • Non-clickable Page
  • Kahikatea - Years 3 to 5
  • Rimu - Years 0 to 2