Upper Moutere School

Our Story, Our Place

A Whole School Inquiry Project

Who Are We?

Upper Moutere School is a co-educational state full primary school. It has a school roll of around 110 pupils in five classrooms.

We are located in a semi rural community situated 25kms inland and south of Nelson. The area is predominantly farming and horticulture, with viticulture playing an increasingly important part. The community is set around the village, is widespread and is serviced by two school bus routes.

Upper Moutere village was previously named Sarau. Our School has the original classroom from 1856. The 'Sarau Room' is presently used as a computer suite where the old meets the new!

It is thought to be the oldest classroom still in use in New Zealand!

The Sarau Room was transported by Room 1 back to the late 1800's.

Room One were transported back to the 1800's to experience the Sarau Room as it once was.

What Did We Do?

2007 saw the school take on Inquiry Learning as part of our Discover IT Tasman ICT Cluster.

Our focus on digital photography is evident through our project.

A new bright sign welcomes all visitors to our school. 3

Our bright mosiac sign welcomes all visitors to our school.

For 150 years Upper Moutere School has had children and adults, thinking, learning and discovering. The setting has slowly changed over time… the characters have grown and developed… and the plot continues.

As part of the Discover IT Tasman Cluster of Schools we wanted to develop inquiry learning within the school. Our 150th Jubilee Celebration this year was selected as the focus of our whole school inquiry learning project.

So enjoy a journey back in time to the early German settlers in the Moutere area, through life and school in the 1800's, arriving in the present via grandparents, parents and students sharing of knowledge and experiences.

It all cluminates into a weekend of catching up, sharing of stories new and old and the celebration of students and learning taking place between the 26th to the 28th of October 2007. 150 years showcasing Our Story, Our Place.

This is Our Story, Our Place and Our Project.

ENJOY!