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. My children are growing up and I now have a gorgeous granddaughter to spoil.

I have been teaching at Kahutara for the last 9 years and I thoroughly enjoy my leadership role in the school, and feel proud to be working alongside the staff here.

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.

In Wellington I taught at Ridgway school for 3 years and before that I was doing a 5 year OE in London.

I love the wide open spaces and the down-to-earth kids that the Wairarapa provides. I’m a big sports fan and I love playing cricket and football. I am the 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 learn some important life-lessons along the way.

My wife Rosie and I were married in 2016 and we have our first child due in May. The Wairarapa is an amazing place to bring up a family and we are looking forward to getting further involved in the community.

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!

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.