It used to be called the murder house, but the old Whitney St School dental clinic in Blenheim has taken on a life less morbid.
The building has been reincarnated as a base for Marlborough literacy resource teacher and was officially opened on Friday afternoon.
Principal Alan Straker said the building was called the murder house by pupils because of the drills, pain and fear associated with visiting the dentist.
The school dental clinic closed about June last year after the centralised school dental clinic opened near Marlborough Girls' College in April.
Work on converting the building began just before Christmas and is unrecognisable as a former dental clinic.
Resource teacher of literacy Helen Wilkie will use the room as a base for reading material and other resources.
She travels to other schools in Marlborough on a needs basis to work with pupils who have fallen behind in their reading skills.
She works for Whitney St School, and also trains teachers and teacher aides.
As a former pupil of the school and later a teacher she remembers the building had come from Marlborough Boys' College and pupils still referred to it by its macabre moniker.
The room was far removed from the "dark corner" she used to work from in one of the classrooms, she said.
"There's a lot of natural light," she said.
"It's nice to have an area I can come to and where I can bring in other staff."
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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