The Māori name for our school is 'Pakiaka' - "Te Kura o Pakiaka" meaning "Roots of the Tree" The name 'Pakiaka" fits with the 'Tree' theme for Woodend School. The roots are the foundation through which the tree receives sustenance; a metaphoric reference to the method by which students gain their knowledge.
'Ki te kore te Pakiaka, kāore te rākau i tipu' - Pakiaka is a metaphor for rangatiratanga; without roots, a tree cannot grow. A place name for a location near to the Ruataniwha River (the Cam). Pakiaka is situated at the hairpin bend of the Cam near Harrisons and was the site of old-time cultivations.The Māori name of the two storied building is 'Te Pou' meaning 'A Pou is a carved upright figure; A pillar; A Pou Whenua is a land marker. This name was chosen as it is easy to say, a Pou is created from wood, and the name of the nearby road "Te Pou-aPatuki" (Patuki's Pou) is likely a reference to the fact that a Pou stood nearby. The new building will be a "Pou" - an upright structure - for the kura. As a two-storied structure, it could be seen as a "pillar" for the Woodend township.

Here are some comments from the students around the new building

• It's pretty cool up the top - Zak
• I like the view out over the top to the community centre - Keiran
• It's awesome - the TV's are cool, we like being upstairs - it's not so good when we have been running around and then have to take our shoes off - our feet smell!!!!! - Blair
• It's pretty cool - I like all the technology - Hamish
• We still need some cloakrooms - Levi
• It's a great learning space - Tiki
• It's taking our learning to the next level - Tyler
• The small rooms are great learning spaces - Simon
  
• The sound proofing of the small rooms is really good - Finn
• There's lots of space to do stuff and it's easier to focus in the sound proof rooms - Lili B
• It's really good for our teaching groups - the whole space is much bigger and more comfortable - Nikita
• The space is great - the sound proofed rooms make it easier to concentrate - I really like the IB colours of the rooms - Jess
• It's a big improvement - it's much quieter and the small rooms are great. - Thom
• It's really cool - it's easier to work in the silent rooms - Lily S
• I really like the silent rooms - we get more work done, but I love the big space - Frankie
• The new rooms are really cool - there are lots of TV's - Caine
• It's awesome - it's big so we can spread out - Kea
• I like the big space for collaboration and the quiet spaces for working - Madeline

After the first week a comment  to the question  What do you think of the new rooms? was :

• It awesome - it's like heaven at school!!! - Jack

Comments from some of the staff

Lucy - It's amazing - a really calm place to teach in and acoustically very quiet !

It's allowing the children to stay focused as it is such a restful space to be  in.