Our team is growing! This term we have had a number of new staff join our school. The addition of extra teaching staff means that we have been able to maintain very low class sizes, which we are delighted about. As a new school with rapid growth this is sometimes hard to plan for, but we are appreciative of the support from the Ministry of Education and the strong relationship we have with them. Our Board of trustees have also committed a lot of additional funding for inclusive learning, to support the learning, behavioural, social/emotional, health needs of our learners.

Bridget Butterworth
Kia ora koutou, my name is Bridget Butterworth and I am hugely excited to be joining the Te Ao Mārama community.
I grew up in Kawerau, moving to Hamilton at the end of my primary school years. I completed my schooling in Hamilton and studied at Waikato University (psychology and then education). After some time in Wellington and Auckland I returned to Hamilton and have lived in the Rototuna/Flagstaff area with my husband and two children for the last 16 years.
My background is in early childhood and I am excited to be able to utilise that knowledge and experience to help children transition into a new schooling environment and develop their joy oflearning.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you all.

Barb Shepp
Hi, my name is Barb Shepp and I am very excited to be part of the team at Te Ao Marama school in 2020.
I have been a teacher at Te Kowhai school for the past 11 years, have taught all age levels across the school and have been teaching at a Year 7/8 level for the last 5 years.
I am a mum to two teenagers (Anton 17 years and Shontelle 14 years) and live in Whatawhata. My interests include: learning the drums, watching my kids play sport/perform music and I love to relax by reading a book on my deck in the sun with my dog Roxy or going to the beach with my family.
I am very passionate about teaching and I look forward to getting to know the students and their families at Te Ao Marama school.

Chris Holmes
Kia ora e te whānau
Ko Chris ahau. I am thoroughly excited to join the team here at Te Ao Mārama School. The short time I've spent with the staff so far has been the most welcoming and humbling of experiences. I look forward to learning from and growing with the esteemed members of the team, the students and whānau.
I grew up in Pukekohe, but have lived in the Hamilton - Ngaruawahia area for 12 years now. Here, I met my wife and together we are raising our three beautiful boys. I have enjoyed teaching in the senior levels of the primary sector these past few years but am now looking forward to spending some time and having fun with the juniors. One thing I know about Te Ao Mārama School is that the kids know how to have fun.
Outside of school, I enjoy going to the beach with my family, wrestling on the trampoline with my boys, watching anime and playing board games with my friends, and eating hot spicy food. I love playing sports and video games, and learning about space and technology. Tik Toks are not among the things I like to do outside of or inside of school. Let this be known.

Keryn Steenstra
Kia Ora, my name is Keryn and I feel very privileged to be part of the Te Ao Mārama family.
Working alongside children has been my passion for many years as my background is in early childhood education. I originally come from Auckland but have been in Hamilton for 15 years. I live in the Flagstaff community with my husband Chris and our two 4 year old boys Will & James.
As a family we enjoy camping, going to the beach, and exploring different parts of NZ. As an educator I am passionate about extending children’s development, interests and social competencies through fun, hands on experiences.
I am looking forward to getting to know you and your tamariki.

Amy MacCormack
Hi everyone, I am thrilled to be a new part of this wonderful and welcoming team at Te Ao Mārama!
I join the team for a whole new experience as a first timer in the role of inclusive learning assistant to which I am super excited to be appointed to. My background is in major event management, marketing and PR so this new challenge is going to be fun! My husband Ben and I have four children aged 6 and under (6, 4, and 3yo twins!) so I have lots of experience with young children and love to have fun.
Our family love to go out on the boat and water ski and wakeboard, we love to snow ski and enjoy the outdoors. Our favourite family activity is to head to the beach or a lake on a hot day and stay until the sun goes down. I am looking forward to hearing all about our school families interests and adventures.
My motto in life is to be silly, be honest, be kind so I look forward to sharing these with you!

Carmen Jones
Hi, my name is Carmen and I'm honoured to be joining the great team at Te Ao Mārama. My role will be to provide technology support to both the staff and the students. Technology and the creativity it can bring have always been a passion of mine. I currently work across a number of schools in the Waikato providing similar support.
Born and bred in Hamilton, my family and I have moved as far as Te Kowhai and enjoy the lifestyle it provides. We have two daughters who are now both at high school who keep us very busy with their sporting interests and hobbies. I also enjoy playing squash and catching the odd snapper or two when I get the chance.
Looking forward to working with the community that is Te Ao Mārama.