Nayland College’s old canteen is currently being rebuilt into the Kuaka Café: A fun, versatile space where students can relax, socalise, enjoy food and drink and study. The Kuaka Café is being built where the old canteen was situated and is set to be open in term one of 2019.

Students have influenced the build, with some of the most significant changes to the space coming from a student survey conducted to find out what they wanted to see.

“It has big opening doors so that you can have tables inside or outside on the deck which is covered as well and that idea actually came from the students, as they wanted a space that had indoor/outdoor flow,” Mr. Wilson said.

Hospitality students will also have the opportunity to create and sell food in the café. This will be part of some assessments they complete and will earn them credits, as well as giving them hands-on experience vital to working in a café outside of school.

Year 10 student Lydia Underhill shared her thoughts on the new café. “I am excited, especially for rainy days where you can go and sit in it and hang out with your friends,” she said.

“I feel like the money being put towards it could have been used maybe for more up-to-date computers or computer systems, although I know it is going to be used for the hospitality students to work in and get experience which is cool,” another Year 10 student, Kenya Malone, said.

The word kuaka means god-wit, which is the bird that features in Nayland’s logo and links into the school’s SOAR values.

The Libelle group who currently run the canteen will continue to provide the food in the Kuaka Café, but the menu is likely to evolve with the space.