All Blacks find time for smaller players
The might be preparing for the big game, but the All Blacks still found time to play alongside some of their younger fans. Rugby players from six Dunedin primary schools were joined by six considerably older players from the slightly better-known New Zealand team at the Edgar Centre yesterday for a fun Rippa Rugby tournament. The pupils from Liberton Christian School, Milton School, Waikouaiti School, North East Valley Normal School, Grant’s Braes School and Sawyers Bay School were joined by All Blacks George Bower, Ethan Blackadder, Asafo Aumua, George Bridge, David Havili and Tupou Vaa’i for some fun and a few tips, before signing posters and taking photos with the children. Source: Otago Daily Times – See full article
18-year classroom block idea now realised
An idea that started almost 20 years ago has become a reality as Liberton Christian School in Dunedin opens a new junior classroom block. Eighteen years ago Dunedin couple Ross and Catherine Pettigrew bought No3 Hillary St in the northern suburb of Liberton with the idea that it could be used in the future as a classroom at their children’s school. Sydney Harlow lived in the flat next door and shared the Pettigrews’ vision. Source: Otago Daily Times – See full article
Shout out from World Vision’s CEO
Liberton Christian School raised $6667 in the 2016 World Vision Famine. The money raised will go to help refugee children living in Jordan. The school’s extraordinary effort placed them as the top fundraising school in Dunedin, despite their small size, and earned them a ‘shout out’ from World Vision’s CEO Chris Clarke. “You might be one of the smallest schools in the country” Mr Clarke said in his personal video message to the school, “but you have one of the biggest hearts.” [youtube https://youtu.be/WzwkmKouMUg center=1 rel=0]
Food for thought
For the first time in 41 years, the focus of the annual 40 Hour Famine has changed to 40 Hours for Refugee Children, putting the spotlight on the Syrian crisis – the biggest humanitarian crisis of recent times. Liberton Christian School ran a sleep-over, simulating a refugee camp, at the school last night. Principal Fiona Sizemore said about 40 pupils participated in the event, which they hoped would raise about $5000 for World Vision. If the school was successful in its bid, the money would help furnish and provide resources for two classrooms at one of the refugee camps in Jordan, she said. Printed in the Otago Daily Times, June 13, 2016
School children take on inventive famine challenge
A group of school children are preparing to spend the night in refugee-like conditions to help raise money for those less fortunate. Liberton Christian School pupils are taking on the inventive challenge as part of this year’s 40 Hour Famine. And they’re looking to raise more than ever before. Source: http://www.dunedintv.co.nz/news/school-children-take-inventive-famine-challenge
Christian school expands with fourth classroom
An integrated Dunedin school battling the Ministry of Education to have its roll cap increased, has gone ahead and built a fourth classroom in the hope the ministry will approve the increase later this year. Liberton Christian School principal Fiona Sizemore said the school board of trustees applied to the ministry for the increase last year, but was declined. “One of the key reasons given by the ministry was we had not built a permanent fourth classroom, which we said we would build, should we get a roll increase.” The lack of a waiting list of children waiting to enrol at the Pine Hill-based school was also a factor, she said. She said the school was marginally over its roll cap of 75 at present. Previously, pupils had been turned away. However, seven pupils were on a waiting list to enrol, and the number was continuing to grow. The school’s proprietor, the Dunedin Christian Schools Association, decided to spend more than $250,000 on building a new classroom and a new library which greatly enhanced the school’s facilities. Mrs Sizemore said the development had freed up the school’s hall, part of which had been used as a fourth classroom to fit the present roll. “Having the hall back means we can have community functions and indoor sports in there again. “We feel like we’ve doubled in size.” The school was trying to meet the demand for Christian education in Dunedin, Mrs Sizemore said. Having now met the key reasons why the rise was declined last year, she said the board of trustees would reapply for a bigger maximum roll later this month. It was hoped the roll cap could be raised to 100 pupils, she said. The new development was just the first stage in an ongoing development plan. It was hoped new courts and a playground would be built in the next year, and a fifth classroom in the next five years, she said. The school will officially open the new fourth classroom and library with a celebration assembly at the school tomorrow. By John Lewis Printed in the Otago Daily Times, August 1, 2013
Dunedin school roll balloons
Liberton Christian School in Dunedin believes their ballooning roll is a sign of God’s blessing. Principal Fiona Sizemore said prayer was a key to the Pine Hill school’s growth. ”Our board of trustees is really committed to serving the Christian community—helping parents to educate their children in a way that honours God,” said Mrs Sizemore. The board of trustees has applied to the Ministry of Education for a roll-cap increase to a maximum of 100 pupils to meet the demand. Mrs Sizemore said the roll was restricted to 75 pupils and, with present enrolments, it was expected to be at capacity by mid-year. “We were turned down in an application last year, but we’ve just had Education Review Office (ERO) visit us and we’ve got an excellent report.” An application to the ministry last year was denied because the ministry believed there were still plenty of spaces for pupils at other North Dunedin schools. The school was established in 1982 but was integrated into the state system in October 1999. The roll was increased from 62 to 75 in 2009. Mrs Sizemore said integration helped reverse a falling roll, and improve the school’s performance. While complying with the ministry’s national curriculum framework, the school’s years 1–8 curriculum is taught from a Christian perspective as set out in the school’s special-character statement. ”If you treat the child as a child of God it is going to have a radical impact on how you treat the child and nurture the child. We want to nurture young children to grow in their faith—it’s like a little plant—you need to water it and it will grow strong.” Mrs Sizemore hoped to hear from the ministry about the application by the end of term 1. By Aaron Ironside Challenge Weekly, March 19, 2012
Roll booming at Dunedin Christian school
A ballooning roll at Liberton Christian School in Dunedin has again forced the board of trustees to apply to the Ministry of Education for a roll-cap increase to meet demand. Principal Fiona Sizemore said the roll was restricted to 75 pupils and, with present enrolments, it was expected the school, in Pine Hill, would be at capacity by mid-year. “At the moment, we’re hoping not to have to turn away new-entrance pupils. “For our school, this is a good problem.” Mrs Sizemore said the board applied earlier this month for the roll to be increased to a maximum of 100 pupils. An application to the ministry last year was denied because the ministry believed there were still plenty of spaces for pupils at other North Dunedin schools. However, Mrs Sizemore said the majority of the school’s pupils came from outside the Pine Hill area, and it provided specialist education. : “We strongly believe we are offering a special-character education. It’s a different choice for parents. “We are not in competition with other ministry schools.” The school was established in 1982 but was integrated into the state system in October 1999. While complying with the ministry’s national curriculum framework, the school’s years 1–8 curriculum is taught from a Christian perspective as set out in the school’s special-character statement. Mrs Sizemore hoped to hear from the ministry about the application by the end of term 1. Printed in the Otago Daily Times, February 29, 2012
Liberton – An Antipodean View
Liberton Christian School’s founders settled on its name in 1981. A vision of several Christian schools for the city was foreseen, and to include ‘Dunedin’ in the School’s name was viewed as unnecessarily restrictive. Liberton is a small suburb of Dunedin. Together with neighbouring Pine Heights and Dalmore, these suburbs are usually referred to collectively as Pine Hill. Liberton’s obscurity is confirmed by occasional correspondence addressed toLiberation or Liberty Christian School. The name Liberton has its origin in Edinburgh, Scotland, the former home of Dunedin’s founding settlers. Dunedin is the old Gaelic name for Edinburgh and, as the place somehow reminded Dunedin’s pioneers of the Midlothian countryside from which the majority came, many street and district names were transplanted from the mother city. This closeness was later cemented by the establishment of a sister city relationship between the two. The surnames Libertune and Libbertoun have been known since the eleventh century. After the Norman invasion of 1066, the de Libbertoun family were instrumental in settling a Liberton village which, as a place name, was first recorded in 1128. Derived from the Anglian hlida beretun, the name literally means “barley farm at the slope”. A suggestion that the name is a corruption of Lepertown has been disproved. Another dubious theory attributes the name to the emblem of the families of Liberton—the leopard’s head—in heraldic terms the ‘libard’. The village’s most notable landmark is undoubtedly Liberton Tower, dating from the late 15th century. Built as a family dwelling by the Dalmahoys, it changed hands twice before being abandoned in the early 1600s, serving in times following as a farm store, byre and piggery. Recently restored, Liberton Tower may now be hired for functions and accommodation. A fictional “Laird of Liberton” was supposed to have resided in the tower according to Sir Walter Scott’s 1818 novel, Heart of Midlothian. There’s also Liberton Bank House in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lodged in the 1860s while attending school in Edinburgh. Conan Doyle is best known as the creator of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Liberton Bank House is the last surviving Edinburgh boyhood residence of Conan Doyle. Recent plans by the McDonald’s fast food chain to demolish the house to make way for a restaurant were refused by local authorities. Since the nineteenth century, Liberton has lain within the precincts of greater Edinburgh (see the star on map above). The photograph at left, taken circa 1890, shows Liberton Kirk as viewed from Liberton Drive. The kirk is located at the locality’s crossroads, where Liberton Drive and Kirkgate intersect Liberton Brae. Its environs are known as Kirk Liberton, one of the parish’s four districts. The other districts are Over Liberton, Nether Liberton and Liberton Dams. Two schools, Liberton Primary and Liberton High School, share the Liberton name with us. The primary school has eighteen classes compared to our four. The high school was opened in 1959 by HRH The Duchess of Kent and caters for more than nine hundred students. Interestingly, its newsletter is also called Liberton Link. Other institutions include Liberton Community Council, Liberton Medical Group and the inevitable Liberton Golf Club. Meanwhile, the school in Dunedin is gaining some traction over the Liberton name as a Google search on ‘Liberton’ will attest. John van Dyk
Silver Ferns Come To A Local Dunedin School
The children at Liberton Christian School got some coaching from two top New Zealand Athletes today. The school welcomed Silver Ferns players Daneka Wipiiti and Liana Barrett-Chase to the playground this morning. 9 Local News was there, hoping for a tip or two. Source: http://www.dunedintv.co.nz/news/silver-ferns-come-local-dunedin-school