Farewell Lisa - letter to the community

Kia ora te whānau 14th December 2021

The Establishment Board of Trustees would like to thank Lisa Dunn, who has been the Presiding Member since its inauguration in August 2020. Lisa had been appointed to this voluntary position by the Ministry of Education to guide the school during the transition from a private to a state-integrated school. Lisa has brought with her an amazing amount of experience working with school boards, including state-integrated schools with a special character and although new to Steiner pedagogy, has been able to understand how dear the special character is to our community.

Not many of you would be aware of the many, many, many hours Lisa has worked tirelessly in the background, negotiating with the Ministry, seeking advice on our behalf, chairing and preparing board meetings and facilitating community meetings to keep you, the community, informed along the way. She has shared her knowledge, expertise and professionalism willingly and with an open heart and many of us who had the privilege to work closely with her have been inspired and have learnt so much from her. And not many of you would be aware that Lisa has given the hundreds of hours for free, as a volunteer, to our school.

At the beginning of every new year, a new Presiding Member for a school board needs to be elected and Lisa has decided to take this opportunity to stand down from her role as a member of the Establishment Board of Trustees of the Motueka Steiner School. Lisa has recently been appointed as regional Governance Advisor for the New Zealand School Trustees Association, and in her role will continue to support the school in the future.

We, the EBOT team, are sad to see Lisa leave but are also immensely grateful for all she has given us during her time at our school.

Lisa, thank you, thank you, thank you.

From the Establishment Board of Trustees

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa

Let us keep close together, not far apart