Summer is finally here and this week our students have enjoyed our school pool finally opening for the 2010/2011 summer season.

Our pool is a great asset to the school and has a history going back to 1904. About this time local residents expressed their concern to authorities about chldren having to swim in the local Heathcote river downstreet from the Sunnyside hospital The health risks were very obvious. After many meetings it was agreed to build a swimming pool on the school site.

Successive school committees and parent groups maintained the pool and ensured it was used effectively. At one stage the pool had a diving board with a significantly deeper, diving end. Changing sheds and pool surrounds were all projects undertaken by the community for the development of this area.

In 1999 the school completed an upgrade of the filtration plant and we included additional capacity for the growing roll.

Today it is interesting to see the increased emphasis being placed upon water safety and swimming instruction. Hopefully the next step might include the provision for school pools to be covered [or housed indoors]. The increase in the length of the swimming season, especially here in the South Island, will be a small step towards improving students proficiency in and near the water.

Our other main event this week has been the highly successful market day. Well done to the senior school for their organisation of the event. As in previous years, all the proceeds are used to support the school camp planned for the following year.