Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Every Wednesday after lunch Jacob heads to a quiet room, sets up his laptop, and says "hi" to his astronomy teacher and classmates from around the country.
The Makuri School student is learning more about the night sky which, from this remote light-free spot, is a tantalising sight.
Kids around New Zealand have had to get to grips again with virtual learning during lockdown, but linking up online has been the norm for this 20-student country school for about a decade.
Looking over rolling farmland half an hour east of Pahiatua, Makuri was targeted for closure in 2009 when it had a roll of just six.
It now receives support from the government to take part in the Virtual Learning Network, or VLN.
Makuri is also part of a project within VLN, the Rural and Remote Schools Group, which aims to reduce students' and teachers' social isolation and prepare the children for high school.
Schools from Northland to Rakiura Stewart Island link up in the online sessions.
Josh Hull is taking part in the rural group for the first time when Country Life visits and is going over the presentation he's created on his laptop with photos of his pets and life on the farm.
He has been short of friends his age to hang out with at Makuri and is looking forward to meeting others who are into the same things.
Josh Hull set to introduce himself in the virtual classroom Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Makuri School has a bottom heavy roll of mostly very young students, with just three Year 8s and no Year 7s.
Murray Grimmer, the sole charge teacher/principal, says VLN enables his senior pupils to work with their peers and brings them opportunities they would otherwise miss out on because of their isolated location.
"It's a great thing. It brings other teachers in and that releases my time," he says.
"There's a whole raft of subject areas that VLN offers that I couldn't necessarily offer and also teaching expertise."
There's extra support in maths and English if needed but Murray's putting the focus on creativity and enrichment at the moment.
The whole school joins in with an online exercise class including principal Murray Grimmer, in the background Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
The older students can choose a subject based on their interests, from languages to design to kapa haka.
The small rural schools like Makuri contribute funds rather than a teacher to the network.
Charlotte Hull and Rosie MacDonald, also Year 8s, have chosen songwriting this term and Country Life sat in on their class with teacher Jan Bolton, who is not only a music educator but has done research into distance learning.
She says eventually the aim is for the students to collaborate but she's happy for the students "to be where they're at".
"We've got people in the class ... that want to linger about the edges and absorb what other young people are thinking and doing without necessarily interacting themselves for a long time.
"But what happens is that, generally, eventually they come on board too."
"The biggest challenge is the at-the-time management of what might be going on," she says.
Charlotte Hull and Rosie MacDonald tune in to their songwriting class Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Charlotte and Rosie are adept in the virtual classroom, putting down their comments in the chat and muting and unmuting their mics with ease.
"It feels, like, comforting. I'm around people that love doing what I'm doing," Charlotte says after the class.
She is interested in doing an online interior design class too and Rosie is quite keen on learning Japanese.
Murray Grimmer would like to see more subjects provided like New Zealand history and civics.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
VLN also makes it attractive for those wanting to make the move to rural areas especially in the difficult housing climate, according to the principal.
"The stronger that we have the internet and accessibility and people can actually work from home, that opens up more opportunities.
"You might have more people coming out into rural areas. If we are able to support those families with the variety that VLN offers then I think those are wonderful opportunities as well."
Makuri School has a roll of just 20 pupils Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
