Board of Trustees

Moa Haar-Simmonds

Position: Co-Opted Member

Māku anō hei hanga i tōku nei whare,

Ko te poupou he mahue he patate,

Ko te tāhuhu he hīnau.

Me whakatupu ki te hua o te rengarenga,

Me whakapakari ki te hua o te kawariki.

Nō reira, tena koutou.

 

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Pekapeka te maunga

Ko Rangitīkei te awa

Ko Ngāti Raukawa au ki te Tonga

Ko Ngāti Pikiahu Waewae te hapū

Ko Poupatate te marae

Tokorua āku tamāhine, e noho ana ki Te Akāpūkaea.  Ko te huarahi reo tō mātou tino whakahirahira.  Ko te moemoea, ka tipu ake ā māua tamariki ki roto i te reo rangatira, me te ao Māori.  Koinei te hononga ki Te Akāpūkaea ki Newton Central School, ā, ngā uara e pa ana ki āku.

Hikina te Mānuka!

I grew up in many places, including in Sweden (where my mother is from) and in the heart of my marae (on my father’s side) in in Tokorangi just out of Fielding.  I now live with my family in Grey Lynn.  I have been working predominantly in the aviation industry for the last 15 years.  My mahi has taken me all over the world, and has taught me about resilience and the ability to pivot and change where the need arises.

I have two children in Te Akāpūkaea.  My eldest is in Te Uru Karaka and my youngest is in Te Awahou.  There is something special and unique about Newton Central School that shows in the mana and the wairua of the children that come through this kura.  It is extremely hard to explain, and many have tried, but in the end it is a feeling that we have really stumbled onto something quite special and we continue to uphold that special uniqueness that we have.

Being part of the board is a privilege I hold dear.  It continues to give me the opportunity to support an already thriving culture of manaakitanga within the kura.  

Aroha mai, aroha atu, mana mai, mana atu.

Dena Jacob

Position: Co-Opted Member

Tena tatou katoa. 

He uri ahau no Tauranga Moana. 

Ko Mauao te maunga

Ko Mataatua te waka

Ko Ngai Te Rangi te iwi

Ko Waikari raua ko Opureora ngā marae

Ko Ngati Tapu raua ko Ngai Tuwhiwhia ngā hapu.

E noho ana ahau ki Te Rae o Kawharu. Kei ahau e wha ngā tamariki. Ko Tiheii te potiki, he tau wha ki tenei tau (2021). Kei roto ia i te whānau awahou.

Ko Jamie taku hoa rangatira. 

I whakatipu ai oku mohiotanga ki te Pataka Korero o Tamaki Makarau. Ki reira tonu au e mohio ai toku hiahia ki te ako, te whakako i nga reo ataata.

He mea whakahirahira tēnei kaupapa ki ahau, he oi ano he honore tenei turanga noku. He mahi pai, he mahi whai tikanga. 

He manu e kai te miro tonu au ki te ao maaori.

No reira tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa.

I grew up in Tauranga and currently reside in Grey Lynn.  I have four children. Tiheii is the youngest, he is year 4 in Te Whānau Awahou. My partner is Jamie. My background in Libraries reinforces my commitment and love of learning and literacy.  These themes are important to me, and the position on the board is an honor and a way to share those commitments. I am forever a learner of Te Ao Maaori.

Nāku te rourou nāu te rourou ka ora ai te iwi- With your food basket our people will thrive.

Chris Carrington

Position: Co-Opted Member

Ko Mākeo te maunga

Ko Waiaua te awa

Ko Whakatohea tōku iwi

Ko Ngāti Ngāhere, Ngāti Rua ōku  hapū

He uri au o Muriwai

Ko Chris Carrington tōku ingoa

Tena koutou Newton whanau. My wife Amanda and I have three children with our two older girls at Newton in Te Uru Karaka Maori immersion pathway. They love their kaiako, their classmates, the ngahere and playgrounds and we as parents feel really privileged for the unique opportunity and experiences that they are receiving at this kura. I believe Newton’s inclusiveness, diverse learning experiences, and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, are setting our children up with a solid foundation for their future.

I am lawyer working in the commercial and Maori sector space currently and am excited to contribute to this unique, forward looking school.

Nāku, nā Chris

Margie Tukerangi

Position: Co-chair and Co-Opted Member

Mai Maunganui ki Tamaki, tae noa ki te tihi o Moehau, nei rā te karanga e mihi ana ki a koutou katoa. I tipu ake au i raro i te parirau o taku whānau Hemana, ko taku whānau Tukerangi hoki. Ko Margie Tukerangi au.

I am a mother of three children ages 10 years, 6 years and 2 years who have, and continue their education journey through Te Uru Karaka. I also work across my wider iwi space in multiple leadership roles of governance and operations. My relevant skillsets include robust analytical thinking and good strategic acumen anchored with commitment to foster meaningful engagement at all levels.

I am compelled to serve Newton Central School because of the warmth shown to my family and the growth provided to my children. I also believe in the values the school upholds as they echo the teachings of those dear to me who have now departed. By serving the Board I hope to utilise my skills and deepened understanding of Māori and Western world views to enhance the Schools pursuit of excellence for all graduates, whānau and the community it serves.

 

Ian Howard

Position: Elected member

Kia ora whanau. I’m Ian Howard and I’m the proud father of Alice and Tommy, and husband of Sarah.
 
I am originally from London, and moved across to Aotearoa with my wife Sarah – who’s from Tauranga – back in 2011. Tamariki Makaurau has been our home since then and I am now a proud British New Zealander (or Briwi as we call it at home).

My biggest loves in life are spending time with my lovely whanau, running some of the amazing trails that are dotted around this beautiful country, rock climbing, playing the guitar and partaking in just about anything that involves a ball. 

In my professional life, I run a brand and ethics consultancy called Bright Street Studio, and own a Napier based advertising agency. 

Growing up in Britain, I experienced a very old-fashioned education system that prioritised exam performance over self-development and creativity. While I achieved good marks, I found it an uninspiring and often frustrating experience, so I’m delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the more progressive, community-centric environment of Newton Central School.

 

Trudi Kareko

Position: Elected Staff Rep

Kia ora koutou

Ko Kapakapanui te maunga

Ko Tokomaru te waka

Ko Waikanae te awa

Ko Te Āti Awa te iwi

Ko Whakarongotai te Marae

No Kapiti ahua

Ko Tāmaki Makaurau te kainga

Ko te kura o Newton Central School te mahi

Ko Ariki āku tamariki

Ko Trudi toku ingoa

 

Kia ora koutou whānau,

I’m Trudi and I’m delighted to be a part of the Newton Central School family. I’m a mum to Ariki and enjoy spending as much time with him as possible exploring the beauty of Tāmaki Makaurau. I love the outdoors, exploring our local maunga, our beaches, and the many walking tracks and trails.

I absolutely adore working alongside the amazing educators here at Newton and I’m thrilled to have been elected as our staff representative to the Board of Trustees. I have collaborated and learned with and from so many amazing professionals over the last two years here. I am very excited at the opportunity to learn more!

Throughout my professional career, I have been lucky enough to take on various roles within leadership teams, specialist roles, and primary education. I have supported learners, their whanau, and educators in both mainstream and specialist school settings, in rural, small town, little city, and major city areas.

The Newton school team, our whānau, and wider school community are truly special and I’m super keen to learn more about them and become an active member of our Board of Trustees.

Ngā mihi,

Trudi

 

 

 

Sian Clancy

Position: Elected member

Kia ora koutou, 

My name is Dr Sian Clancy and I am the proud mother of Hugo who started his learning journey with Newton Central in Āhuru Mōwai in 2022. We have loved joining the Newton Central whānau and believe the strong community of this kura is truly special.

I recently completed my PhD which focused on adolescent athletes and factors that influence prohibited substance use in sport. I have worked in anti-doping in national and international contexts for the past eight years and have long standing experience as a social science researcher in sport throughout Aotearoa. I also have a master’s degree in education and enjoy a continuing journey toward greater cultural competency.

With a passion for education, well-being, and developmental psychology, I look forward to contributing to the Board of Trustees with a view to meeting strategic objectives with a strong and sustainable approach to the benefit of all learners and the wider Newton whānau.

Starsky Akeripa

Position: Elected member

Talofa and Pacific greetings to you all,

My name is Fa’amanu Starsky Akeripa and I am one of five nominated to serve on the NCS board, firstly this is a huge honour for me to be able to serve the Newton Central Primary school community and help make accessible a world of education fun and exciting for our tamariki.

I am of Samoan descent and am the youngest of 5, my parents hail from the villages of Siumu and Fagaloa in Samoa making me a first-born generation New Zealander. It has been a challenging upbringing but fruitful.  

I am married to Janet and a father to 3 little people, all 3 will have attended NCS by the end of next year. They follow a long legacy of attendees through their mother being a central girl through and through. Currently, my second child will complete his final 12 months next year and my third child begins her 6-year sentence January 2023, they are both doing well.

Previously, I was a secondary school teacher for 15 years and taught in a range of schools in Auckland before taking up a call to serve as a religious minister. I am now an ordained minister based in Mount Roskill for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. I am really excited to join the B.O.T at Newton Central, I bring with me a Pasefika voice that will enable and encourage the voice of our young to be strong, confident, and proud to exhibit their culture and strengths in a diverse community.

Soifua ma ia manuia

Fa’amanu Akeripa

Hannah Andrews

Position: Co-Chair Elected Board Member

Kia ora! My name is Hannah Andrews and I’m the mother of William and Nell. 
 
I’m originally from Christchurch and Blenheim, but have lived in Auckland for over 10 years. While in Blenheim, I grew up in a bilingual primary school environment and am committed to encouraging my children’s learning of te reo while re-exploring my (now rusty!) skills.  
 
I run a technology start-up company working with charities to increase their revenue from their donations. I also love to cook and learn languages: I speak French and am learning te reo with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
 
I am delighted to be part of the Newton Central Board of Trustees and the community that surrounds the school. I strongly believe in our school’s special character and our commitment to Te Tiriti. I hope to support the kaiako in the great job that they are doing, and to help ensure that our tamariki all have the opportunities they seek.