Ko te tūmanako kei te mohio koutou ko wai mātou, ēngari kei tūpono kāore tēnei te take - ānei ngā kaiako ātaahua!

We always take for granted that you all know who we are - I mean, we do, so why wouldn't you? Sometimes, though, we do realise that people are busy and have a lot of people in and out of their lives and maybe they don't actually know who we are. So - 

I am Whaea Dy Stirling, I am the Kaihautū of Nōku Te Ao and have been for the past 18 or so years since inception. My youngest daughter attended Nōku te Ao as did/do my two mokopuna (Erena is at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā and Emily has now moved on to Te Pā o Rākaihautū). I am sometimes in my office at the Mairehau centre or interferring with the smooth running at the Nōku Te Ao ki Te Pā centre. I can be contacted on 0273293936 or by email dy@nokuteao.maori.nz or you can occasionally catch me in person. I am the one you come to for any complaints, compliments or suggestions 😀

At the Mairehau centre there is:

Nani Ani Anderson is one of our senior kaiako who is there Wednesdays and Thursdays - she holds the pou Matatū and is our role model for te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. She has beautiful reo and is a beautiful and gentle soul. Her mokopuna (4 of them - Bailey, Laekyn, Pumau and Mina) have also attended Nōku te Ao. She has been a part of our whānau for over 15 years. 

Whaea Marlene Fox - she is another one of our senior kaiako and is there every day. She holds the pou Mataora and looks after our timetables and relievers as well as being an absolutely awesome kaiako! Her moko, Ava, attends Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā. Whaea Marlene has been in our whānau for 10 years.

Whaea Kirianna Winiata is the other senior kaiako at Mairehau. She holds te pou Matatau and makes sure our curriculum is being carried out to a high standard. She also has the best hugs and is always smiling and laughing. She is at the Mairehau centre every day but Wednesday. Her tamariki, Felix and Wirou are at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā. She has been in our whānau for over 12 years.

Matua Jordan Stirling is a soon to be fully registered kaiako at Mairehau. He has a passion for the maara and all things whakauka. He has a very dry wit and loves to catch us all out. He is also my son-in-law, and is full time at the Mairehau centre. His daughter Emily was at Nōku te Ao ki Mairehau and his youngest (at the moment) Erena attends both centres. He has been a part of the Nōku te Ao whānau for almost 9 years.

Whaea Frances Manukau is one of two kaiako in training. She has the biggest heart and will literally share the shirt off her back if she thinks you need it. Her daughter, Faith was at Nōku te Ao Mairehau. Whaea Frances is full time at the Mairehau centre and has been in the whānau as a kaiako for almost 4 years.

Whaea Sheavoynne Mouat is at the Mairehau centre on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. She is such a lovely, positive person and an amazing cook who likes to spoil us all! Her youngest two tamariki, Otiia and Manaahi were at the Nōku Te Ao ki Mairehau centre. She has been in our whānau as a kaiako for 5 years.

Whaea Holly Nesbit is at the centre on Mondays through to Thursdays and she is our ringawera extraordinaire. As on marae, the ringawera is the most important person in the whare and makes sure we are all fed and nurtured. She is also one of the bravest people I know. Her youngest daughters, Te Ao Rangimarie and Mahinarangi attended Nōku Te Ao before starting at Te Pā o Rākaihautū, and the pōtiki, Hineterā, is still at the Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā centre. We have been lucky enough to have Whaea Holly in our kaiako whānau for the past 3 years.

Whaea Joy Marriott is at the Mairehau centre Monday to Wednesday and the Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā centre Thursday and Friday. She is in her second year of training, is always giggling and can often be found near the mischief...Her daughter, Dallas was at Nōku te Ao ki Mairehau, and her other daughter Tiria-Jayne and her son Reagan are still attending Nōku Te Ao. She is one of our newest whānau kaiako members and started with us last year.

Whaea Karlie Cassidy is at the Mairehau centre on Thursday and Friday and at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā Monday through to Wednesday. She is our manu tīoriori and can be heard singing all day, every day at whichever centre she is at. She has been singing to our whānau for the past 10 years or so.

Tuahine Boo (whose actual name is Te Wharetutu) Stirling is full time at the Mairehau centre. She is the green-haired (?) teen who is really good with anything techie. She is also my youngest daughter and the youngest kaiako at the centres. She attended Nōku te Ao from when it first opened in 2002 when she was 18 months, and was the puhi for the ceremony when we opened the Mairehau centre.

At the Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā centre there is:

Whaea Kristy Matehe who is the senior kaiako and the pou for the centre. She holds all three pou - Matatū, Matatau and Mataora for Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā and is the most lovely, down-to-earth, straight-talking wahine you could ever hope to meet. She is full time at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā and can also be quite mischievious....she has been helping hold the kaiako whānau together for the past 7 years.

Whaea Renata Boyd is our other qualified kaiako at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā. She is a giggler, and is always smiling and has a lovely way with the tamariki. She is full time at Nōku Te Ao ki Te Pā. Her son, Kingston is at Nōku te Ao ki Mairehau. She is also relatively new and started with us last year.

Whaea Kiani Grace is the youngest kaiako at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā and is extremely capable, well beyond her years. She has a really brilliant work ethic in one so young and is full time at Nōku te Ao ki Te Pā. Kiani also attended Nōku te Ao from when it first opened when she was 2 years old,and her mother, Monique Stirling-Grace was our amazing Assistant Manager until she sadly passed away in 2012. Kiani's daughter, Rongomai is the first Legacy baby to attend Nōku te Ao.

On maternity leave currently is Whaea Renee (Whaea Naenae) Rerekura. She is normally at the Mairehau centre and her two daughters attended Nōku Te Ao (Bailey and Laekyn who are also Nani Ani's mokopuna). Whaea Renee has been in our whanau for 5 years and is beloved by our tamariki who are often heard to talk about Whaea Naenae.

And that is our whānau kaiako! Now you know who we are, you can say kia ora next time you see us 😀