After a week’s delay to the start of the new academic year to allow five to 11-year-olds to receive their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, students on Rarotonga were back in the classrooms yesterday.

Principal of Apii Arorangi, Mairi Heather said they started their first day with a church service followed by an assembly then back into the classrooms.

The Apii Arorangi Year 4, 5 and 6 students were happy to spend time getting their hands dirty in the school garden pulling out weeds and preparing the soil for planting – part of the ‘Touch Base with the Earth’ programme.

This gardening programme is a continuation of the Agriculture mini garden project that was introduced to the school three years ago, said Heather.

“It’s good for the kids to spend some time in the garden and outdoors and the kids are happy gardening, it’s therapeutic for them.”

There has been a decrease in the enrollment numbers at the school.

Apii Arorangi classes start from Early Childhood Education (ECE) up to Grade 6, said Heather, adding some students have moved overseas and to the Pa Enua and others have moved to different schools,

“We are looking forward to a good year and hopefully there won’t be too many disruptions.”

A total of 1148 children – representing approximately 79.8 per cent of the five to 11-year-old children in this bracket (1437) on Rarotonga – received their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 paediatric vaccine during the three-day rollout last week.

Schools in the Pa Enua also started yesterday, except Aitutaki where schools will open on Thursday to allow for the Pfizer vaccination of five to 11-year-olds on the island.