'The Little School That Could'

A year after Cyclone Gabrielle tried to erase it from existence, the primary school of a small New Zealand community continues to forge ahead, conducting classes in the Nuhaka meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And now students have a playground, donated through the efforts of many others throughout the country, who have pitched in to help the school thrive.

On 11 February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle raced through New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, and left in its wake destruction and suffering. The Nuhaka Primary School in the small Hawke’s Bay community of the same name suffered extensive damage and was finally declared uninhabitable.

But through a unique collaboration between The Church and the Ministry of Education, the school obtained a wonderful solution to this problem (See "This Building Was My Last Hope” Pacific Newsroom 16 August 2023) and moved into the Nuhaka meetinghouse to hold their classes.

Nine months later, the school continues to thrive in the church meetinghouse-turned-school during the week and have settled in, enjoying the benefits of meeting in a building that has been dedicated to the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Principal Raelene McFarlane said the use of the Church’s meetinghouse has been an answer to many prayers in the small community. And nine months after the school moved into the building, the results couldn’t have been better.

There have been hiccups— an October 2023 rainstorm washed dirt and debris from farmland behind the building through a back door and into the building, necessitating the temporary removal of the school to the local Māori marae (community building) while the mud was cleaned up and the carpets were replaced.  But McFarlane says the kids have proven very resilient and we’re anxious to come back to this building.

“What are the odds of having to pack up twice?” McFarlane laughs. “The marae welcomed us in, and Maui (Aben, the President of the Gisborne New Zealand Stake) arrived that afternoon with the facilities maintenance people, and we got everything in motion to take care of that issue really fast,” McFarlane said.

But five weeks later, when school began again, they were still missing a key component of all elementary schools—a playground area. While there was plenty of grass around the Nuhaka Ward meetinghouse, there were not many shady trees and nothing to climb.

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Enter Pacific Assist Foundation. As detailed last September (See Gift of Playground Equipment Brings Joy to Nuhaka Children, Pacific Newsroom 23 September 2023) Pacific Assist Director Callum Blair was able to obtain some stored equipment from Torbay School in Auckland.

After a few months tying down some loose ends, it was shipped to Nuhaka and installed, along with some overhead shade “sails” provided by the Church, with the assistance of local missionaries in February,

Elder Nathan Woods, of Garden City, Utah USA, and Elder Jacob Hughes of Branson, Missouri USA assisted in the installation of the playground, along with Blair and other members of his Pacific Assist Team.  Elder Woods said he and Elder Hughes were delighted to be of assistance.

“As missionaries, we cherish opportunities to serve others,” Woods said. “When you help others, it helps you remember the times that people have helped you, and you remember how it feels and how much those people mean to you.”

Elder Hughes agreed, noting that the opportunity to serve is an opportunity to grow as a person and to appreciate others even more. “It's amazing to know that when we serve those around us, God remembers that effort.”

He continued, “I think when I get to help someone in a way that brings them joy, it gives me a glimpse of the love He has for them. It was an awesome experience to see how excited everyone was who helped with this.

“They just knew how much joy it would bring to these children who had gone through so much.”

And the kids really appreciated the effort expended to make it possible for them. “They were so excited when it was finally ready for them,” McFarlane said.

“We couldn’t keep them focused on their work, so we finally just told them to go try it out!”

Meantime, the old primary school is being removed and a new school is being planned for the same site. While McFarlane hopes the new school will be completed and ready to move into in 2025, she says she, her staff and students are so grateful for the gift of the use of the Nuhaka Ward meetinghouse they have now.

“Having to go to the marae last October really reminded us how fortunate we were to be able to hold school in this building,” she reflects. “Everything we need now is here, and we’re able to teach our students all the things they need to grow and thrive.

“It is such a blessing and I’m sure, after we eventually move out into our own new space, that we’ll all look back on our time here with tremendous fondness and gratitude,” McFarlane said. “These kids will remember and talk about this for the rest of their lives.”