Ellesmere College is a co-educational high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, located in Leeston, Ellesmere in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand, with more than 500 students ranging from ages eleven to seventeen. It aims to provide students with a range of learning experiences, aiming to make its students good contributors to society

Society

A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...

. It encourages voluntary activities such as music lessons, drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

, and sports.

History

Ellesmere College was founded in 1981, with a roll of 380 students, replacing the Southbridge District High School

Southbridge District High School

- History :The Southbridge Primary School which is still in use today, based in Southbridge, New Zealand, was founded in 1868 with a roll of 20 students. The school was enlarged and reached its greatest number of students in 1890....

.

Significant events

• 1980 - Ellesmere College was built in Timaru
  Timaru
  TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
  
   and transported to the present site. One classroom was lost during transportation in the Rakaia River
  Rakaia River
  The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand...
  
  .
• 1981 - Ellesmere College opened in February with 380 students and 23 staff.
• 1983 - The gym
  Gym
  The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
  
  nasium was completed.
• 1984 - The official opening of Ellesmere College was declared by Hon Merv Wellington.
• 1985 - More classrooms were built.
• 1986 - The gymnasium was enlarged and dedicated to Rikki Ellison.
• 1987 - The library
  Library
  In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
  
   was extended.
• 1988 - The playground
  Playground
  A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
  
   was opened.
• 1994 - Ken Dawson was declared the new principal.
• 1997 - The library was split to form a new classroom, L2.
• 2000 - The Health Education Centre opened.
• 2008 - Gym extended and Wilson room opened.
• 2008 - Last founding staff member retired.
• 2009 - The new stage and seating areas were completed.
• 2009 - Ken Dawson announced his resignation.
• 2010 - Students, staff and guests welcomed Gavin Kidd into the role as principal.