
Kahutara
School

Charmaine Taplin
Principal
Hi, I’m Charmaine and I have been a part of the Kahutara community for over 25 years. My three children all went to this school and I now I have my first grandchild here. I feel very lucky to be principal here with such wonderful children.
I live on a sheep and beef farm but we also have a beach house at Ngawi. We love going out there as it is where I can relax with long walks and a spot of fishing.
I have been teaching at Kahutara for many years and I thoroughly enjoy my leadership role in the school, and feel proud to be working alongside the staff here.

Hamish McRae
Deputy Principal, Ngātahi Learning Hub
I have been teaching for just over 12 years, and worked at schools in both Gisborne and Wellington. Having been team teaching for the past 7 years I am excited to be working in the Hub. I value working alongside other teachers as well as developing learning environments that inspire and motivate students. I look forward to continuing to build the collaborative environment of the Hub and developing learner agency.
I enjoy teaching and trying to engage and assist students in their learning. Challenging students to think creatively and critically is something I always strive to do. I’m passionate about the outdoors and getting students outside, active and thinking about their environment. I look forward to many exciting adventures here at Kahutara School.

Ben Milne
Ngātahi Learning Hub
I have moved to the Wairarapa from Wellington to teach in the beautiful surroundings of Kahutara School.
In Wellington I taught at Ridgway school for 3 years and before that I was doing a 5 year OE in London working for a concert promoting company.
I love the wide open spaces and the down-to-earth kids at Kahutara. I’m a big sports fan and I love playing cricket, football, bowls, darts, connect 4.. anything that’s fun. I am Sports Coordinator at Kahutara and I hope to get as many kids enjoying as many different sports as possible. Sport is awesome fun and kids can make heaps of friends and learn some important life-lessons along the way.
My wife Rosie and I were married in 2016 and we have 2 beautiful children, Maggie born, June 2017 and Arthur born, Jan 2019. We have a lovely little house in Greytown and are enjoying getting involved in the community.

Olivia Woodhouse
Room 5 Teacher
Hi, I’m Olivia and this will be my 3rd year teaching the New Entrants/Year 1 class here at Kahutara School.
I grew up on a family farm in Pongaroa which gave me a special type of love for the land and fresh air. I now live in Masterton with my partner and our dog Dusty.
I am passionate about the children at Kahutara School and the relationships which come alongside these students. I have been very lucky to be a part of an amazing community who have supported me in the beginning stages of my teaching career.
I am really excited to teach Room 5 again this year and I look forward to the many adventures ahead!

Sarah Howe
Room 4 Teacher
Originally from South Africa, I have lived in New Zealand for most of my life. My husband and I were married at the start of this year and have lived in the Wairarapa for the past three years. We are so very happy to have left the ‘big smoke’ behind us and moved to the Wairarapa community that has so openly welcomed us.
My aim is to provide a rich learning environment filled with many hands-on, literacy and numeracy rich activities for the children to explore. Through exploration learning occurs naturally. My passions for dance, music and art translate into the teaching experiences that we have in our classroom.
I look forward to seeing how every child will develop in Room 4 this year and into the future Bring on the fun times ahead Kahutara School!

Nycki Proctor
Room 3 Teacher
I grew up in Upper Hutt and live in Te Marua with my husband and some four-legged friends. We have one son who lives at RNZAF Base Woodbourne, where he is training to be an Aircraft Technician.
I love being a teacher and am passionate about finding ways to engage students in their learning, and to challenge them to be motivated and inspired by what they learn.
A lot of my out-of-school life is centred around music. This includes many years of singing backing vocals in covers bands, competing at karaoke, performing in musicals, and entertaining at local cafés and events. My classroom learning programme includes as much music and art as possible because they promote individuality and give students the opportunity for self-expression, creativity and imagination.
I am really excited to have such a keen group of students in Room 3. I can’t wait to see where the adventures of this year take us and what we learn and achieve together.

Mel Handyside
Part Time Teacher

Jodi Menson
Part time Teacher

Grace King
Reading Recovery

Sandie Fletcher
Teacher Aide

Mary Mason
Teacher Aide

Eve Watkins
Teacher Aide

Shannon Daken
Teacher Aide

Laraine Nix
Office Administrator

Liz McCreary
Office Administrator

Riki Te Tau
Caretaker
