Picture this instead:
A table with a warm plate of ‘homemade’ sausage rolls (it’s Taupō, there’s always sausage rolls on offer), Sarah’s infamous Cob Loaf, a cheese board that’s doing its absolute best, and a group of parents who’ve come straight from work, swim lessons, or wrestling children into pyjamas.
There’s laughter. There’s that classic Kiwi humour - the “she’ll be right” energy, paired with genuine care for our children. Someone jokes about surviving another school holiday. Someone quietly eyes the last lone cookie. The vibe? Relaxed, welcoming, very Taupō, very Wairakei.
Yes, the AGM, which sounds wildly official and faintly intimidating. In reality? It’s regular, good sorts of parents, sprinkled with a recap of what has been achieved, where the money’s gone, and where to next.
Because here’s the important bit:
PTA-driven fundraising genuinely makes a difference. It’s not fundraising for the sake of sausage sizzles (though children do love a saussie sizzle). It’s fundraising that directly supports students. The extras that sit outside the regular school budget that makes school life richer, more exciting, and memorable. When you buy a raffle ticket or volunteer at an event, you’re not just ticking a box, you’re building something tangible for Wairakei.
The more people around the table, the lighter the load for everyone. Many hands make light work and more shared laughs over cheese and crackers.
What Has the PTA Achieved?
When you zoom out and look at what PTA support has helped make possible, it’s pretty impressive. Thanks to fundraising efforts and parent involvement, we’ve contributed to:
-
The design and installation of both a Junior and Senior playground. Spaces your students use every single day. Spaces filled with scraped knees, big imaginations, and “watch this!” moments.
-
Funded support for Year 6 Camp, helping ensure this milestone experience is accessible and memorable for senior students.
-
Fun energy packed disco’s for all ages.
-
Pet Day and Summer picnic organisation
-
Quiz night and all the yummy food
-
A mean pulled pork sandwich or nachos catering to everyone's needs
-
Working with Lunch on line to make sure everyone including the teachers have options for lunches
-
Funding the lights in the hall
-
Additional resources for teachers in their classrooms
-
Sports uniforms and bags to take them home in
Those playgrounds didn’t just appear. Camp support didn’t magically fund itself. They happened because a group of parents gave up time across the year to plan, organise, and say, “Yeah, we can make that happen.”
That’s the power of the PTA:
It’s not flashy. It’s not formal for the sake of it. It’s practical, community-minded, and distinctly Kiwi.
So if you’ve ever stood at pick-up thinking, “I’d like to be a bit more involved,” this is your sign.
Come along to the AGM.
Leave knowing you’re helping shape something meaningful for your children.
Come for the cheese and Cob Loaf.
Stay for the giggles.
And if nothing else, come and see what’s in the cookie jar.
Come and See for Yourself
No commitment. No agenda to prepare. Just come along, have some food, and see what it's actually like. The cookie jar will be open.
Food provided. Doors open from 5:15. Come as you are.
My Journey Through Learning
My pathway into teaching has moved through a range of places, communities, and experiences. Each one has shaped how I think about schools, leadership, and the responsibility that comes with working alongside young people.
As a farmer's daughter and the son they never had, growing up was filled with time in paddocks and cow pats, not so carefully married with tutus and ribbons. My childhood was the epitome of juxtaposition. Through the transition from small-town Matamata to Hamilton at a young age, the world of learning opportunities had only just begun. I thrived in the chaos of balancing multiple sports and performing arts, my parents filling my mornings and afternoons with swimming, dancing, hockey and everything in between. This chaos and experience then manifested itself in two of my early career opportunities - Swim Coach and Fonterra Laboratory Technician. While adding a buffer to affording life at high school, these experiences also solidified my decision to study at the University of Waikato to become a teacher.
My teaching journey began in Hamilton and then Dunedin, New Zealand, before expanding beyond home shores to international schools in Hong Kong. Working across these contexts provided a wide lens on education. Diverse classrooms, varied curriculum, and strong cultural perspectives reinforced a belief that effective learning environments rely on high expectations, strong relationships, and a deep respect for the communities schools serve.
Returning to New Zealand and settling in the Taupō region brought that experience full circle. The landscapes and communities here hold a strong sense of identity, something that resonates with my approach to education. Schools operate best when students feel connected to where they learn, who they learn with, and why learning matters.
The driving aspect for selecting to join Wairakei Primary School was the leadership focus: strengthening teaching practice, building collaborative staff culture, and ensuring meaningful progress for learners. My experience across multiple year levels and curriculum areas has shaped a broad understanding of curriculum design, assessment for learning, and the importance of partnerships with whānau.
A whakataukī that reflects my approach to teaching, learning and leading is:
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu
Adorn the bird with feathers so it may soar.
The success of a learner is in the adornment of skills, experiences and support to achieve their potential and fly.
The success of a school never rests with one person. It grows from the shared efforts of students, staff, whānau, and community working toward a school's flight and success.
Comments
No one has commented on this post yet.