Hi team. The 2024 finish line is coming into view.....slowly!!! We are now in a position to communicate with you next year's structure, including welcoming some new staff as well as farewelling some of our amazing team.

2025 Staffing

Once again, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year at Te Ahi Kaikomako Rolleston School. We are incredibly excited about continuing to grow our strategic direction and school-wide values based on growing an E Tū Tāngata mindset. We have already done a significant amount of new planning in these areas and look forward to sharing these changes with you in the new year. 

Te Ahi Kaikomako Rolleston School has such a large staff and each year we usually farewell existing staff members and welcome new staff to the Te Ahi Kaikomako Rolleston School team. Once again, we are lucky to maintain the majority of our amazing team.

Farewells

We farewell the one and only Chris Swanson from her Deputy Principal position at the end of this year. Chris is a Rolleston LEGEND and is a deeply valued and highly respected educator and colleague at Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School. She has left a lasting legacy during her time here and will be missed by students, staff and our community.......although she will be back in a part time reading support capacity next year. We wish her all the best the next chapter of her life..................retirement........well semi-retirement.

We say safe travels to Miss Tineke Schat at the end of this year. Tineke has taken a year's leave from her permanent position for refreshment purposes and as a keen traveller I know Tineke will go exploring. We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her again in 2026.

We also say goodbye to Miss Aroha Weaver from Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School. Aroha is heading up to Auckland where her partner currently resides. Aroha begun her journey in education with us and over the last few years has grown into a wonderful educator.

We are also pleased to announce a change of role for Mrs Melanie McKeich-Hambleton. Next year Mel is stepping away from Team Kahikatea and working as one of our amazing release teachers next year.

Welcome

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Deputy Principal, Abigail (Abi) Copley. Abi is currently Assistant Principal at Gulf Harbour School, Auckland. Gulf Harbour School has been Abi’s educational home for a number of years where she transitioned through the school as a classroom teacher, team leader, head of junior school teaching & learning to her current AP role. Originally from the UK, Abi is really looking forward to setting up roots in the Rolleston Area with her husband and two children.

We are also excited to announce the appointments of Kerri Bullen and Sarah Freeman to Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School. Kerri, who is well known to many of us having worked here in years gone by, has been appointed to a permanent position in Team Pōhutukawa (yr 5&6). Kerri is currently working at Wharenui School.

Sarah is a beginning teacher who currently has her daughter Zoe at school in Room 2. She will be working in a Year 3 class in Team Kowhai.

We also officially welcome (back) Olivia Brown (Panther) to the Te Ahi Kaikōmako Team. Olivia will join our amazing release teachers, providing classroom release time to staff in Team KōwhaI.

I am excited to announce the appointment of Miss Jayla Ayers Bezett to the Yr 7 & 8 Permanent Teaching Position at Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School. Jayla is about to begin her educational journey after training at Dunedin College of Education. We are lucky to have Jayla join us for our upcoming transition sessions.

2025 Structure

With the majority of the teaching team confirmed for 2025, I have inserted the following table below. This highlights what team our new and existing staff will be working in next year. Like always, due to numbers, some of our amazing staff will be bringing their skills to another team and/or classroom within the school.

Next year Team Kowhai will focus on Year 2 and Year 3 students within our school. This will allow Team Rata, lead by Mrs Ceridwen Goodwin, to focus on our New Entrant & Year 1 learners. The rest of the teams and classroom structures are similar to this year.

We are incredibly excited about the 2025 teaching team and the opportunities and skills we can offer the students of Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School.