Week 5, Term 1 Newsletter
In this week's newsletter:
School Life
- Life at School
- Westmere Board of Trustees
Sport & Arts Opportunities
- Year 3/4 Basketball
- Link to list of opportunities
School Life
Life at School
You may have noticed a bit more disruption at school at the end of last week and through this week. More of our teachers have contracted COVID or are household contacts. As a result, some classes have been joined and we have had more relieving teachers than usual in school. Our teachers have been incredibly resilient, resourceful, and flexible which means we have been able to stay open.
The photographs in the gallery show that despite the staff disruption, teaching and learning continue.
Unfortunately, I am away from school with COVID at the moment, I have been very grateful to Anita, Rebecca, Alice and Jane for so reliably picking up the workload. With a new, shorter isolation period I am looking forward to being back next week.
Westmere School Board of Trustees
Kia ora koutou. My name is Tony McKee and it is a great privilege to serve as the board chair at Westmere School. In this newsletter there are introductions from our board members and some information on the role of the school board.
A school Board of Trustees is responsible for the governance of the school. All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees. The board of trustees is the Crown entity responsible for the governance of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school and is responsible for setting the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and for ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.
You can find out more information here.
Board elections were due to happen in May this year, but because of COVID they have been re-scheduled for September. We will be losing some long term members this year as their children are leaving school at the end of the year. If joining the board is something you would like to consider, please email tburn@westmere.school.nz or botchair@westmere.school.nz and we can arrange a time for a chat.
Here are our current board members;
Claire Monk
Kia ora koutou. Ko Claire Monk tōku ingoa. No Tūwharetoa, no Te Arawa ahau.
My name is Claire and my husband Paul and I are parents to Theodore (LS4) and Myles (Waitematā Tau 3-4) and we also have 2 younger sons, Henry and Vincent, who are future Westmere|Te Rehu students.
As well as being a parent, I am also a GP, working in a high health needs medical practice in West Auckland, with a diverse cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic population.
I joined the Westmere|Te Rehu school board at the beginning of 2021 and have found it an interesting and rewarding role, helping to navigate change and decision making, particularly during this difficult phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Te Mete Lowman
Kei te kāhui pou mātua o Te Rehu, tēnā koutou katoa.
He uri tēnei nō Te Arawa, nō Tainui, nō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa anō hoki. It is an honour to serve on the Te Rehu board of trustees as a co-opted whānau representative for Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi whereby I aspire to advocate for the desires and aspirations of those whānau. I take to the board experience in the Māori Medium Education sector, including first-hand experience of working within Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi as a kaiako. I also aspire to take a Māori worldview with the importance of bi-culturalism and bilingualism to the discussion and decision-making process for Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi and Te Rehu as a whole. I am a proud pāpā of three boys with the youngest in Year 4 at Te Rehu. I am passionate about Te Reo Māori, shifting social and educational narratives for Māori, and believe that education, when we get it right, is the most powerful tool for transformation.
Richard Day
Kia ora koutou. My name is Rich Day and my wife Gina and I are parents to Paddy (recently graduated from Westmere) and Sylvie (Year 6 in LS4). I have been a member of the Board for almost six years.
Over that time we have seen a lot of change at Westmere | Te Rehu, including the rebuild of the school, Teresa's appointment and more recently navigating the complexities of a pandemic and the impacts of that on the school community.
I have found the Board role extremely fulfilling and learned a lot from my fellow Board members and from Teresa and the school leadership team. I have confidence that our children's education is in safe and considered hands. I am also a partner at PwC and have a strong financial background, which I have been able to directly apply at the Board table in regards to our responsibility around the School's financials.
I intend to retire from the Board at the upcoming elections later this year and encourage anyone who is interested and keen to make a difference to put their name forward. It's a great team to work with and hugely rewarding.
Claire Charters
Kia ora,
I am the other Claire on the Board, as an appointee of the Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi whānau. I come from Rotorua and my iwi include Ngāti Whakaue, Ngā Puhi, Tainui and Tūwharetoa I am passionate about education, inclusiveness and te Tiriti of Waitangi at Te Rehu|Westmere and more generally. My son Max Erueti Charters has just started at Pasadena in the rumaki there after an amazing 6 years at Te Rehu and my daughter, Mia, is in Kōka Maxine’s class, year 5. I’m mostly focused on supporting Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi grow and thrive now and into the future.
I am an Associate Professor at Auckland Law School research and teaching in human rights, te Tiriti issues, constitutional law and international law. I’ve worked at other universities and at the UN, and advocate for Indigenous rights here and internationally.
Ngā mihi!
Jess Fowler
Kia ora Westmere, I’m Jess Fowler – my partner Dallas Pickering and I are parents to Miro who is now in Year 6, and Luella who is in Year 9 at Western Springs. I’m a former journalist and have worked way more years than I like to admit in strategic communications, including stints leading PR and communications for Unitec New Zealand, and Les Mills International’s global brand.
A large part of my non-family time is now focused on volunteer work. I’m on the committee of the Grey Lynn Market and a member of the Westmere parents’ eco group, while enjoying working with the Financial Markets Authority on a long-term project that aims to lift the quality of financial advice available to all New Zealanders.
I joined the Westmere School Board after becoming interested in school governance through my involvement in the educational leadership non-profit Springboard Trust. I am passionate about the role local schools have to play in the communities they serve, and in my time on the Board have advocated hard for us to improve our governance processes, including consultation on key documents such as our strategic plan. I’ll be handing over the baton soon as my term on the Board comes to an end in September this year, and I encourage parents and caregivers to participate in elections and play your part in contributing to Westmere I Te Rehu’s journey towards becoming a truly inclusive school that fosters excellent learning experiences for students and a culture that is caring and respectful to all.
Kim Archibald
Kia ora Westmere families.
My name is Kim and my husband Ryan and I are parents to Mackenzie (LS8) and Neve (LS1), and our (large) puppy Gunner.
Along with Claire M, I joined the Westmere|Te Rehu school board at the beginning of 2021 and have been really interested and proud to learn more about the governance and decision making processes that happen in the background to support the learning and teaching that goes on at school.
When not out and about with our family in the community, I run a specialist medical practice in sport and exercise medicine and rehabilitation, with 4 clinics across Auckland and Queenstown. In a past life I lived in the Netherlands and was also a Blacksticks hockey player and represented NZ internationally including at the Olympic Games. I continue to be a volunteer hockey coach at both club and representative levels and love to play tennis at WELTC down the road in summer and watch the kids at WSAFC in winter.
I am passionate about diversity and inclusivity and developing the foundational skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity in our kids. I also want a school experience at Westmere | Te Rehu to guide children to develop a deep love of, and for, their own learning. These skills will continue to serve them in all facets of life, not just in their formal schooling journey.
Alice Sievewright
Kia ora koutou.
My name is Alice Sievewright, I'm the staff representative on the Westmere Board. I've been an Associate Principal at Te Rehu|Westmere for three years. My responsibilities at school include Special Needs Co-ordinator, which involves working alongside teachers and learning assistants, whānau and outside professionals (speech therapists, psychologists etc) to help the children who need some additional learning support. This year I'm the Year Group Leader for the Junior school (Years 0-2) and I'm really enjoying working closely with our newest children.
I've been teaching for around 20 years now, and have worked across the Primary year groups. I started out near Westmere at another inner-city Auckland school, then spent eight years teaching in London before returning home. Outside of school, I love reading and spending time at the beach with family and friends and my little dog!
My role as staff representative on the Board offers a chance to share a staff perspective and to advocate for the best interests of all of the Westmere|Te Rehu tamariki.
Sport & Arts Opportunities
Year 3/4 Basketball
We have finally been given the green light to start up our Year 3 & 4 Basketball. Registrations are now open. Because of the delay in starting we will only have enough weeks to complete 5 games before the term ends. Games are quick- only 20 minutes long, so it’s a great friendly introduction to the game.
Event: Year 3 & 4 Basketball
Start date: Monday 13th March
End date: Monday 10th April
Venue: Ponsonby Primary School
Address: 44 Curran St, Herne Bay
Cost: $350
If you would like to register an existing team click here.
If you would like your child to play at school please use the signup sheet
Extra Curricular Activities
In case you missed the extra article, here's the link to the full list of sports and arts opportunities available.
Gallery
