Brief History of the School.
When a child is baptised the same obligations rest upon the parents as were upon the parents of the circumcision. (e.g.: Psalm 78:2-7, Deut 6:6-7.)
In 1978 the members of the Reformed Congregations decided that the responsibilities associated with presenting a child for baptism could not be fulfilled if the child was in a secular state school.
After much hard work and prayer, the LORD opened many doors. The original Ponatahi site on Ponatahi Road was purchased from the Department of Education by the Church Trust, and lessons commenced in October 1978 with 14 primary students. Mrs R J Bertram, who had several years experience in the state system, was appointed Principal and Miss A Bosch was appointed teacher’s aide.
Over the years the LORD has allowed the school to grow. Miss A Bosch has become a fully registered teacher with sole charge of the junior department. Mr P Bertram was appointed to the staff in 1984 allowing Y9 and Y10 classes to commence. Y11 tuition was first offered in 1985. In 1987 Mr P Bertram was appointed Principal, and in the same year Mrs Joan Tolmie joined the staff as the music specialist. Y12 tuition was offered in 1992 and Y13 tuition in 1996. Mr J Vermeulen was appointed to the staff in 1993 as the school continued to grow.
In 1995, with facilities at the original Ponatahi site stretched to the limit, the church community faced an important decision: Either erect another unsightly building at the original site and further strain the water and sewage systems, purchase a block of land and rebuild the school, or purchase the former Home of Compassion School at Howard Street Carterton which was for sale.
After several meetings and a lengthy negotiation process, the way was made clear to shift into the Howard Street site at the conclusion of the 1996 school year. The Ponatahi School Trust was established to facilitate this purchase, and the consequent ownership of the Howard Street property. By this stage the school roll had grown to 63. This was also a special year in that we had the first student enrolled who was the child of a former student. Matthew Watkinson, son of Petra (nee Van den Bosch) began school. Since then many more have started school, including cases where both parents are former students.
1997 became an important year in the history of the school as the first year in the wonderful new premises. This transition took place with much prayer, and in hindsight we are still overwhelmed with God’s providence: Why, in all of New Zealand, was such a building, so cheaply available in Carterton? With buildings up to, and even exceeding, the standard of state schools the possibility of “integration” with the state system opened to us.
Integration is a partnership with the School’s proprietors and the New Zealand Ministry Of Education. Basically the School proprietors allow the MOE to use the premises for state funded education in return for the school retaining a “Special Character”. The key to successful Integration is superimposing the Achievement Objectives of the New Zealand Curriculum upon the Biblical foundation for each subject. (ie: the skills in maths, science and literature, etc, are almost identical for Christian school and secular schools; but the motives and the higher goals are different.) After researching Integration, and interviewing board members from other integrated schools, including those who were happy and those who were unhappy with the effects on their schools, we concluded the integration was feasible with the right Integration Agreement. This development also took place with much prayer. The date of Integration was April 1st 1998. This has resulted in improved financial security for the school and staff members, reduced fees for families, and improved learning resources. It has also resulted in a stronger legal protection of the School’s Special Character. But in all these things it is important that we never become independent from the daily help needed from the Lord, and that we never forget the years of sacrifice which the Lord made people willing to give to establish the school.
Additional staff in recent years have also been provided by the LORD. Mrs M Brown joined the staff in 1997, and Mr A Brown in 1998. Mrs E Van der Put joined the staff in 1999, followed by Mr S Bouma, and Mr H Optland, both in 1999, former student, Mr R G Bertram in 2001, and Mr D Watt in 2002, replacing Mr J Vermeulen who left in 2001. During this time of increasing roll and more teachers, the students have benefited from less groups working in the same classroom having to share the attention of the teacher Gone were the days of one teacher having to cover several subjects for up to five age groups at the same time.
Mr Optland was appointed Deputy Principal in 2001, and Mr Watt was appointed “Senior Teacher of Primary Classes” in 2004.
After peaking at 110 in 2001, the roll has been stable at around 70-80 students in recent years. Mr Gounder replaced Mr Bouma in 2003. Former student Mrs K Bosch joined the staff in 2004, and Miss Anneke Kleinjan (now Mrs Smit), also a former student in 2005. Mr Gounder left at the end of 2004 to further his career in another school, and Mrs Bosch left at the end of 2005 to raise a family, with husband Wayne.
Mr G Kleinjan joined the staff, as the college English teacher, in 2007, to facilitate the maternity leave for Mrs Smit. Miss A Bosch was given a one year annual leave in 2008 to consider her future, and at the end of the year announced her retirement after an outstanding career spanning 30 years, in which she taught an entire generation of the church how to read. At this time also, in a rare event, the college students outnumbered the primary, and therefore Miss Bosch was replaced for this year by a college teacher, Mr S Harvey. Also in 2008, Mrs E Van der Put was enabled to fill a greater teaching roll with younger primary children as her own two children had both reached school age. Specialist P.E. teacher, Mrs Judith Verbeek also joined the staff in 2008.
Mr and Mrs Brown left the staff in 2008 to pursue their careers in Australia. Miss Alex Bi joined the staff for one year as a maths and science teacher, and Mrs Verbeek, also a trained primary teacher with three years experience in the Netherlands and China, helped out in the primary classes. In 2010, specialist college English teacher, Mrs Cara Overduin joined the staff to replace Mr Kleinjan, and Mr Martin Schot was employed as a permanent maths and science teacher. Mrs Marian Evers also joined the staff at a part time primary teacher and music teacher to replace Mrs Tolmie who retired at the end of 2009.
In reciting this brief history we must acknowledge God for His mercies in the past and express hope for the future. And indeed there is hope, as seen in many marriages over between former students the years, several children of former students attending both primary and secondary classes, and several former students who are now trained teachers, including four who are currently either employed or who regularly help out as substitute teachers. At the time of writing three former students have now been elected or appointed to the BOT.
There will come a time when the current generation of senior board members and teachers will move on, and that time may not be far away. It will be nice to know that we can leave the school in good hands, and that the promise of Psalm 102:28 may be visibly seen. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
