More Tables and Chairs in the Learning Commons

Gregory

180 Waterloo Road

Wigram

Christchurch

Monday, October 15th, 2018

Robin Sutton

180 Waterloo Road

Hornby

Christchurch

Dear Mr. Sutton

The new Hornby High School rebuild has turned out great, and I believe I speak for all students when I say
that the rebuild has been a positive change to Hornby that we welcome with open arms.

Moreover, I am content with how the Cafeteria and Learning Commons are well lit and have consistent
air conditioning. Many of the old classroom block’s classes had a habit of being either much too cold or
much too hot, with the only way to heat or cool the classrooms being opening and closing the
windows/doors.

In addition, I noticed the Learning Commons is also very quiet, especially during class time. Since the
Learning Commons is a place to sit down, focus, relax, and finish work, this is a very desirable feature of
any information commons and I am pleased that Hornby is lucky enough to have it.

Furthermore, I have noted that the Learning Commons’ cleaning crew has been able to keep our new
building sparkling clean. I believe that consistent upkeep is an important feature that makes the Learning
Commons feel like a real space to sit down, focus, and get work done.

Despite all these attributes, there still exist areas for continued development. It seems that, while the cafeteria
has surplus seating, the Learning Commons is somewhat short in seating choices. This is not an important
problem, but it is still an issue with an easy change. Currently, if you were to want to sit down, you would
have to go to the careers area, behind the large stairs. Even here, there is no guarantee that seating will be
available.

In the event that you do get a seat, especially in the small booths in the “main” Learning Commons, you
have no access to the TV’s that are hooked onto the walls. Speaking for myself and others, I believe that
students could benefit from plugging their Chromebook into the HDMI cable that sticks out of the TV,
whether it’s to be for students working together, or for watching a movie during break time.

In conclusion, the Learning Commons is a quiet, well cleaned, consistently lit and air-conditioned space, that
Hornby High School is very privileged to have and use. I hope that you can take into account some of my
criticisms, and help the Learning Commons reach its full potential as a learning space.

Yours Sincerely,

Gregory