24/09/2026
So good! We are back to normal(ish). Rooms 3 and 4 are complete and students are back in. They have internal access to toilets and a flexible space between them. The classes can also open their sliders and work together! The colours match the sky colour theme throughout the school with blues and greys. One sliding door has Mount of Olives on it and the other Mahaanui.
The Mount of Olives is part of a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three main peaks (each in the decal created for Room 3), each holding special stories in the Bible.
Mount of Olives (Middle): This is the most famous peak, where Jesus taught his disciples, wept over Jerusalem, and ascended into heaven (you might see Jesus if you look close enough at the door or picture below). At its base sits the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before his crucifixion.
Mount Scopus (Left): Known for its incredible views, this peak is traditionally linked to prophecies about armies coming to surround Jerusalem. In biblical times, it was a key lookout point for people approaching the city.
Mount of Corruption / Mount of Offence (Right): This peak gets its name because King Solomon built altars there for foreign gods, turning away from his faith and causing a major scandal in Israel’s history.
Mahaanui (Mount Harper) is the famed waka of the well-known Māori navigator Māui. When Māui arrived at Te Waipounamu, he sailed around the island to ensure it was safe for people to live on. To show that the land was now habitable, a representation in rock of his celebrated waka was sent back to Aotearoa. The rock was placed behind Tarahaoa (Mount Peel). The mountain is also known by its longer name of Te Nohoaka-o-Mahaanui (“The Resting Place of Māui’s Waka”).
