Nominations closed at 12 noon on Wednesday 11th October. Please read our candidates profiles below.

The following nominations were received for the parent vacancies on the School Board.

* Rochelle Foster
* Amanda Hunt
* Rosalind Love
* Justin Rowlands
* Hayley Wright

Papers were electronically provided via email to parents and whānau from an external provider (CES) on Wednesday 18th October 2023. CES was appointed as the Board Parent Mid-Term Election 2023, Returning Officer. 

Voting closes at 4:00 PM Wednesday, November 15th.

FOSTER, Rochelle

For the past 5 years, I have had the pleasure of being a Parent Representative of the Marshland School Board. I have three sons, two of whom attend Marshland School; Archer in Toroa, Everett in Korimako - and they are idolised by their little brother Landon who is 3 years old.
I have a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, I am a current Licensed Building Practitioner and part of Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ). I deal with all aspects of running an Architectural Studio and I take immense pride in producing quality Architecture for my clients.
In addition to my Architecture and together with my Husband, we own Aquapro Plumbing and Drainage - we have been operating in Canterbury for over a decade and employ over 40 local staff. As co-owner of Aquapro, I sit on the Company Board of Advisors. I enjoy the Governance side of the business and apply my knowledge within the School Board.
On the Marshland School Board, I am Deputy Chair and I am responsible for the School Property Portfolio. As part of the portfolio, I oversee the maintenance of our school assets, and many recent property projects including the new scooter track/landscaping, foyer alteration and the development of Stage 3 build of our school. It is exciting to see Stage 3 build well underway! I also enjoyed being on the appointment panel that selected our brilliant Principal Mrs. Fowler.
I truly believe in success for every child! As part of the Marshland School Board, I want to ensure that my own children, along with all others, have the absolute best education - where they are given purpose and feel safe and secure on their learning journey.

HUNT, Amanda

I am running for a seat on the school board because I value education and believe in the ideals of service. I understand the social, ethical, and economic impact of education to our community and its value therein. As a parent who has a child at Marshland Schools, I am proud of the many strengths and achievements of our school shows. At the same time, I am also aware of the many concerns and suggestions that you do have as parents, educators, and community members.
I am an accountant by profession, and I have many years of administrative experience in different capacities. I strongly believe a different perspective can be conducive to creative solutions. As a board member elected by you and representing you, I will encourage dialogue and take input from all parties before coming to a decision. My calm disposition has always been a strength in navigating different opinions and finding common ground.
I believe the long-term vision of a school board should be to provide leadership and map out ways, to help students of diverse backgrounds and different abilities and needs all reach their full potential. I ask for your vote so that I can be your voice.

LOVE, Rosalind

As a dedicated parent and accomplished legal and governance professional, I’d be honoured to be a parent representative on the Marshland School Board. Currently, I am the Chairperson of Prime Campus Limited, a student property investment fund, I also hold the position of Executive Director of ASN Media and I am a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. With my youngest child beginning school this term, I’d like to use the newly available time to invest back into our community by putting myself forward for the Board.
My educational background includes law and commerce degrees from Otago, followed by legal practice in Sydney and thereafter, seven years in governance and change management roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds in London. Returning to New Zealand in 2016 was a conscious choice to provide our daughter with a kiwi upbringing. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found this community to call home.
I believe Marshland School is already such a special place. My children, Cressie and Oscar, are students in the Tui and Kiwi hubs respectively. Their education and well-being, along with that of every child at our school, are my highest priority. I would love the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of Marshland School as a nurturing and innovative learning environment - a place that consistently delivers the very best for our children, dedicated educators, and our entire community.

ROWLANDS, Justin

Tēnā tātou katoa. I’m Justin Rowlands, standing for the Marshlands School (School Profile Number: 3429) | Te Rito Harakeke Board of Trustees. My wife Jo, daughters Xanthie (9) and Aneira (6), and I live in Waitikiri. I’m a lawyer by profession and have invested over 30 years serving New Zealanders as a senior leader across eight public sector agencies. I’ve been a parent representative to the Board since 2020. The Board role is a challenging one. I’ve enjoyed bringing my professional and personal experiences and expectations to the position. A particular interest has been the ongoing health, safety, and wellbeing of our tamariki. Along with Leigh, Paul, Riki, Tracey and Wayne, in my role as Health and Safety Committee Chair I’ve spent countless hours committed to improving our school’s approach to health and safety, we’ve implemented a new risk register and have applied more rigour to our approach to make sure our children are healthy and safe when at school and when attending education outside the classroom. The school is in a strong position as we enter a period of significant growth with the new build and improving our facilities and grounds. I am proud of my contribution and of our work as a Board team and I would like to continue supporting the school and your children through this next term. Nāku noa, nā

WRIGHT, Hayley

Kia ora, my name is Hayley Wright, and I am standing for the Marshland School Board.
I am married to Matt, and we moved into Preston's Park in 2017. Like many of you, Marshland School played a big part in our decision to raise our family here and we love being part of the community. We have two great kids, Sophie who is in the Pukeko Hub and Isaac (who is slowly taking the sandpit home each day in his shoes!) over the road at BestStart Preston's.
My biggest motivator for being a parent rep is to ensure the best interests of our tamariki are at the heart of decision making and to be part of a team that delivers to that.
I have an education background having completed my Bachelor of Teaching and Learning and working as a primary school teacher in Auckland then Canterbury. A shift into HR has seen me build my career over 15 years across both the public and private sectors. Today I am part of a senior leadership team, where I head up the strategic people and culture function for a trans-Tasman medical tech company. My role is focused on building and aligning our teams to deliver against our set goals. I am responsible to a Board and understand the important role that good governance plays in setting the foundation for an organisation to achieve its best.
Alongside my commercial and leadership experience, my position relies on me having well-honed communication, creativity in problem solving, adaptability, empathy and above all a high level of integrity and professionalism. I love working with people, making it fun and creating high performing teams that work well together.
I believe the skills I can bring would enhance the Marshland School Board and I'd love the opportunity to be able to contribute.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application, I'd really appreciate your support.