How long have you been an educator, and where did you train?
I have been in education all my life. I finished 7th form and the thing I most wanted to do was become a teacher, partly because a surfing magazine I read suggested teaching as a great job because there were so many holidays. I studied at Auckland College of Education in Epsom and left in 2007 with a degree with honours. I have taught in schools in South Auckland, London and Franklin since.
When did you become the principal of Mauku School?
I was lucky enough to be appointed as the principal of Mauku School at the beginning of 2024, so I’m fairly new to the principal game.
What’s the best thing about being an educator and principal?
My favorite part of being a teacher is taking kids on school camps. I really enjoy the outdoors, and nature can teach us so much. There’s nothing quite like watching kids learn to keep going, be strong, and tackle tough situations. I also feel very lucky to be a school principal because I get to see everything happening in the school. Principals and leaders can make choices that really impact the students’ success. However, it can be challenging to figure out the right actions to take and balance the needs of staff, working with families, and meeting the expectations of those above us.
What’s special about Mauku School?
We have the best staff. Mauku School has an inside joke that we have the sublime to the
ridiculous and that’s certainly something that makes Mauku unique. We are a smallish rural
school set amongst the potatoes and onion fields of Franklin. Our students come from all over the area, and they all end up flourishing at our school.
Is there anything you’d like improved in the education/school management sector?
There’s a greater demand for help with learning support in schools now than ever before, and while schools can support these students, we need more funding. We need financial assistance to hire teacher aides and to invest in effective programs that truly make a difference.
How is the relationship between Mauku School and its immediate local community?
We are a school that only a handful of families walk to, and many commute from further away, yet we have great turnouts at weekly assemblies, sports events and family and whanau evenings. We invite our ex-students and families back, and we often have high school students helping out with sports teams and events. We have board members who have hung around long after their children have left the school.
Apart from a few houses, we are surrounded by paddocks, like many Franklin schools. We may not be a community hub like many town schools. However, our grounds are always open, and our pool is open to the community over summer.
Mauku School greatly values the amazing community that we have.
