A near tragedy was a human-induced one: the proposed closure of Redcliffs School. After all we'd been through, the then Minister of Education decided to make this announcement to the stunned community. As one senior school student said, "We thought the earthquakes were bad enough, but then along came something much worse." It was Hekia Parata. But her proposal generated a call to action, a sense of unity and pride, and a flurry of prolonged and relentless activity from a community which knew that our school was at the heart of our community and it was going to stay there. Just six weeks ago, Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern opened the brand new school in Redcliffs. It was a magnificent celebration of the strength of the broader school community, and the best day ever.