BOT member: Kathryn Duggan

Tēnā koutou katoa

Ka noho ahau i raro i te marumaru o te Maunga Pirongia-o-Te Aroaro-ō-Kahu,

i te taha o te Awa o Waikato

Ko Ngāti Pākehā tōku iwi

Nō Ngāi Tahu tāku hoa tane me āku tamariki

Nō Kirikiriroa ahau

E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe, o Waikato-Tainui e noho nei ahau

Ko Kathryn Duggan tōku ingoa

I am delighted to have the opportunity to stand for re-election to the Silverdale Normal School Board of Trustees. I have enjoyed supporting the governance of the school over the past three years and have learnt a lot about what it means to be an effective Board member during this time. I have also held past governance roles with Waikato RiverCare and Tamahere Playcentre.

My family have been part of the Silverdale Normal School community since 2017 (Amelia is now year six, Isla, year four) and we are immensely proud of our school. We love the way that the ‘whole child’ is valued, the school values are deeply embedded within the framework of the school, and the latest research into best education practice is always front of mind. We have appreciated the high-quality additional needs support available at Silverdale and our tamariki have enjoyed taking up many of the extracurriular activities offered. This year, I have been the coach and manager of the year 5/6 netball team, and my husband, Ian, has coached the year 2/3/4 hockey team.

I have a strong interest in education. I re-trained as an ECE teacher last year after spending eight years working as an early childhood educator at Playcentre and Space and now teach at Cambridge Road Community Kindergarten. In my previous life (pre-children!), I worked in a community awareness role with the Department of Conservation. Ian is also an educator, lecturing in freshwater ecology at the University of Waikato.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue to support the governance of the best school in Hamilton!

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.