| Albany Junior High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Appleby Road, Albany, Auckland |
|
| Information | |
| Type | State coed secondary, years 7-10 |
| Motto | Truth, Integrity, Achievement with Endeavor |
| Established | 2005 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 6948 |
| Principal | Mr Mike Jackson |
| School roll | 1200 |
| Socio-economic decile | 10 |
| Website | ajhs.school.nz |
Albany Junior High School is situated in North Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand. Opened in 2005, it was the first purpose built Junior High in New Zealand.[1] The concept of a junior high school, although common in the United States, is controversial in New Zealand. Two more junior high schools are being built in Manukau, and there are five others already operating.[2]
It caters for years 7-10, after which most of the students will move on to the nearby Albany Senior High, which opened in 2009.[3]
The bell is an unusual electronic bell,[4] consisting of native birdcall, and is different in areas of the school. The bell often lasts several minutes, and in the atriums is not heard quickly through the squawk of noise (especially on rainy days) and is often noticed more by everyone that heard gets up.
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The blocks are named after native New Zealand birds. So far four of the planned five have been built- Kiwi, Makomako, Ruru, and Tui. Each has a series of normal classrooms, some specialised classrooms (such as science labs or art rooms), a communal kitchen with hot water, a fridge and a microwave, and a courtyard.
Current buildings located on the premises are -PAC (Performing Arts Centre), currently being lengthened), this is a small hall/gym that has chairs and a full data-projection system. This is where most drama lessons are held. -Gym, the gym is large and is used for sports (both storing and practical use) and inside is the sports co-ordinators offices and changing rooms. Because of its size, it is used for the school prize-givings and when the entire school has their full school assembly. In it is two data-projection screens and a wireless microphone. -Admin, the "office" of the school. Inside is two public desks (the main one at the front for visitors and the one at the back for students), a nurse, councillers, the boardroom, offices of important people and learning support (as well as many others). It's the same building as the library and the staffroom. -The staffroom is the place that staff go during their lunch hours. Inside is some chairs and tables, a kitchenette, a board for relieving and a data-projection. -The library is a great place, it has 10 computers for free use and the two OPAC computers as well as A20 (a computer room). All the books are new and there is a lot on every subject. A lot of chairs are placed around the room, padded "boxes" and padded chairs up by the fiction and down the end (near non-fiction, behind the computer terminals) are desks (also with padded chairs). All the chairs are padded in green or turquoise suede.
Currently AJHS is at its prime with a recently built music department with sound proof practise rooms, a dance studio, sound proof classrooms it also has a large keyboard room for practice. The project(s) are rumoured to be about $9.5m-$10m.
There are currently nearly 1200 students attending, and even more enrolled for next year. The average number of students per class is around 30.
From each whanau class (similar to a form class except with 4 different year groups) is one Whanau Council representative. Any ideas anybody has in that whanau class is passed to the counciller and they bring it to the whanau council. The whanau council tries to make it happen, but if it's out of their reach they pass it to the student council. The student council does not have as much involvement with students as the whanau councils.