Kia ora e te whānau,

It was wonderful to see so many families and students at school last Friday for the opening of our new Pōhutukawa building and for our fabulous cultural festival. We loved the many performances from children, and the chance to talk with parents and whānau and connect with many of you. A lot of effort goes into holding these events, so a big thank you to all involved; we know that without your help these events cannot take place.

As we move towards the end of the year, we are busy preparing for next year. As you know, we have a number of teachers leaving at the end of the year, and we now need to let you know of several more kaiako who will sadly be finishing up at Amesbury School at the end of this year.

- Demelza Murrihy will be ending her time with us at the end of term. Demelza has been a foundation member of the school, having opened the school with us in 2012. She has been a very valued member of staff, and has contributed so much to the school over the years, particularly in the areas of learning design, team and school leadership, and our approach to highly effective teaching. We will be very sad to see Demelza go, and we wish her all the very best for the future. As a foundation teacher Demelza wanted to write a message to the community about her time at Amesbury - message.

- Eilis Chaiside will be leaving, and is joining St Brigid’s School at the start of next year. Eilis has been with us for four years, and we have very much enjoyed having her as part of our team as a much loved whānau teacher and extremely organised and dedicated sports lead. Eilis will be heading back home to Ireland early in 2025, and is looking to move back into the Catholic school system prior to her move. Eilis is a very valued member of our team and will be very much missed.

- Sonali Singh Nandra will also sadly be ending her time with us at the end of this year. Sonali has been part of the Amesbury community since 2016. She feels she has gained important skills in her experience at Amesbury School, through the many opportunities to learn about effective teaching and leadership. In the coming year she is looking to grow her practice, apply what she has learnt and explore new experiences. Sonali has been a wonderful teacher, team leader and learning lead teacher, and will be very much missed.

We have very much valued and enjoyed working with our current team, and for those moving on, we thank them for their considerable contributions to our tamariki and our community, and we wish them all the very best.

Although these staff changes have come about for a wide range of reasons, as a board we are mindful that any form of change at a school can be an adjustment. We are working closely with our school leadership team to ensure there is stability in the school, both for the rest of this year as staff prepare to leave, and for the start of next year as we induct new staff into the school.

Whilst we understand that this will bring change for next year, it also brings exciting opportunities for us to build on from this year. With this, we have made some new appointments and we will have a wonderful team ready for a year of connection, belonging, joyful and inspiring learning.

Two appointments we have have recently made to complete the Pōhutukawa team for next year are:

- Emma Murdoch: Emma has been teaching for twelve years, and is currently a team leader for the year 5-6 team at Kelburn Normal School. She has a particular passion for the arts and kapa haka, and will bring wonderful strength and experience to our team.

- Charlotte Montu: Charlotte is currently teaching in a year 5-6 class in Hornby, Christchurch, and has also spent some time teaching in the bilingual unit in the same school. Although currently in Christchurch, Charlotte is a Wellington local, having grown up in the northern suburbs of Wellington and she is keen to come home. She brings a range of passions and interests to our team, particularly sports and te reo me ona tikanga Māori.

Here is the detail around our teaching team for 2024:

Koru Hub (years 1-3)

Team leader: Amaria Picard - returning to us after having spent 2023 on her te reo Māori journey at Te Wananga o Raukawa

Learning partner: Urs Cunningham

Nurture group (year 0/1): Angela Herman-Childs, Wee Ai Teh

Main Group (year 1-3): Sophia Hughes, Aleesha Majaw, Hannah Sadler, Lauren Brown, Lily Patrick-Duncan, TBC (We are currently going through an appointment process for this teacher)

Release teacher: Amelia Prendeville

Teaching assistants: Navy Ny, Nic Love

Pōhutukawa Hub (years 4-6)

Team leader: Emma Murdoch

Learning partner: Lisa Bengtsson / Jenny King

Year 4 whānau teachers: Rupert Webb, Sarah King

Year 5-6 whānau teachers: Emma Murdoch, Gar Kee Wu, Brydon Gillam, Charlotte Montu

Release teacher: Rachel Hosnell

ELL teacher across both hubs: Kirat SIingh

Release / transition support term 1: Jemima Colquhoun

Ngā mihi nui, 

Urs Cunningham and the Amesbury School Board