The principal of Kaimai School is celebrating after the installation of a new block with state-of-the-art facilities.

The block, which contains two new classrooms and plenty more for students, was opened yesterday after a blessing from the school's kaumatua, Tommy Kuka.

The new block has been something Kaimai School principal Justin Bertrand has been promising since he first arrived two-and-a-half years ago. He is clearly happy with the new addition to the expanding school.

'It was really cool,” says Justin. 'The sun was shining, we could not ask for a better day.

'It is two classrooms and one block then out the back there is a breakout space with the green screens so the kids can do their AV technology stuff out there.

'There's a massive big deck along the whole of it which is covered in archgola.

'Out the back of it there is another specialty area, just for the year 7s and 8s, which is really awesome.”

All the facilities are equipped with up to the minute 'bells and whistles” which has the school truly up to scratch.

'It is state-of-the-art,” Justin beams proudly. 'The architect and the project manager said that it is probably the highest spec classroom in Tauranga at the moment.

'It has got everything, it is really awesome.”

Justin is pleased to offer the new block for his staff, the parents and the community.

The block was opened after a blessing from the school's kaumatua, Tommy Kuka. Photo. Supplied.

The hope, Justin says, is that parents from all over the Tauranga region will start to see Kaimai School as an increasingly attractive option for their children, especially as Tauranga continues to grow.

'It's only 10 minutes from Tauriko Crossing,” he says. 'A lot of people think that it is the Kaimais so it is miles away but it really isn't.

'The Kaimai School is going to grow over the next three to five years. I can just see the roll going up and up and up as Tauranga gets closer.

'So the Ministry has done good because they are future proofing our school. Out of our five classrooms basically five of them are brand new. Then our middle school block got completely gutted and repurposed over the summer and our new entrant classroom that's getting redone over the school holidays.

'Then the whole school will essentially be brand new.”

But above all else, Justin believes the new installations will benefit the students at Kaimai School, both current and incoming.

'They are loving it,” says Justin. 'The kids are pretty lucky here.

'We've got this beautiful skatepark which was opened at the back end of 2017. It is a community skatepark so it is well used not just by the school but by everyone else. Down the back of the field there is a BMX track and they've got the heated swimming pool, they've got courts.

'They are spoiled, it is such a beautiful school.”