Welcome to Nicole and Jordan who are two new Inclusive Learning Assistants, employed to support with the needs of our wonderful tamariki.

Kia ora! My name is Nicole Brown.
I feel very grateful to be joining the Te Ao Mārama whānau as an inclusive learning assistant.
I was born and raised in the mighty Waikato and now live with my husband and three children in Taupiri with views of the stunning Hakarimata range. As a family we love to have adventures together camping, sailing or finding a new part of our beautiful country to explore. I enjoy spending time in my little garden picking colourful bunches of joy to share with those I love.
I love teaching and have been teaching in early childhood for over ten years. I believe each child brings with them a kete full of precious taonga and, when they are given an environment where those things are valued, their learning will flourish. I am passionate about creating engaging learning experiences and look forward to learning and growing alongside the tamariki I have the privilege of working with.

Ko Manuao te waka
Ko Titohea te maunga
Ko te Temepara Tapu tōku puna waiora
Ko Ratana te marae
Ko Morehu te iwi
Ko Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana te tangata
Ko Jordan tōku ingoa
Kia Ora everyone my name is Jordan and I am originally from Whanganui. I am very grateful and excited to be joining the Te Ao Mārama School team. I have 6 years of experience as a teacher aide and also a background of working in Before and After School care. What I love about working in this environment is seeing all tamariki grow and thrive as learners.
I am a mum of a very active boy who keeps me on my toes. We are very whānau orientated so when we aren’t busy with my son’s swimming and other sports/activities, we are hanging out with our whānau and friends.
I look forward to being a part of this beautiful community.
Ngā mihi.

We also welcome our new Mandarin Language Assistant, Ruodi Zhang. Ruodi's teaching is funded by the Confucius Institute & she will provide wonderful learning and cultural opportunities for our tamariki over the year (on Wednesdays).

My name is Ruodi Zhang, I am 23 years old from Beijing, China. During my undergraduate studies, I studied two years of Croatian and two years of golf management at Beijing Sport University. I am now in my second year of graduate school at Lanzhou University, and my major is International Chinese Education.
I worked at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as an assistant to the Foreign Liaison Delegation, providing English translation services for the delegation. I can play Guzheng (Chinese instrument), and enjoy Chinese painting and tea ceremonies, and in my free time, I like to swim!