BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Tawa Intermediate School Board consists of a group of elected and co-opted members of our school community.
The Board has a re-election every three years with the next election to be held in early 2025. We are always keen to meet people from our school community that are interested in joining the Board.
If you are interested in having a look at what the Board does then please feel free to come along to one of our board meetings.
The Board meets on a Thursday evening in weeks 3 and 8 of each term.
The dates for 2024 are:
15 February
21 March
16 May
20 June
8 August
12 September
31 October
5 December
The minutes of these meetings can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Heather Richardson
Presiding Member / Finance
Tēnā koutou katoa.
E mihi ana ki Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
Ki te taha o tōku whaea, nō Airangi, nō Ingarangi, nō Kawatha e Kānata ōku tipuna.
Ki te taha o tōku matua, nō Midlothian e Kōtirana ōku tipuna.
I whānau mai au ki St John’s, ki te rāwhiti o Kānata.
Kei te mihi ana o te tangata whenua ko Beothuk.
I tipu ake au ki St John’s, ki Ottawa e Kānata.
Kei te mihi ana o te tangata whenua ko Anishinaabe.
Greetings everyone. I acknowledge Ngāti Toa Rangatira, on whose whenua our school sits. My
mother’s family is originally from the UK and settled in the Kawartha area of Ontario in Canada in
the 1800s. My father and his ancestors are from Midlothian in Scotland. I was born in St John’s,
Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. I acknowledge the Beothuk people, the first nations
people of the area now know as Newfoundland. I grew up in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I
acknowledge the Anishinaabe people, the first nations people of the area now known as Ottawa and
also of the Kawartha area.
I live in Tawa with my two children who both enjoyed their time at TIS. I am a Chartered Accountant
with a wealth of experience in the charitable sector. I believe the partnership between whānau and
school is vital to the education of our children and I am honoured to serve the Tawa Intermediate
School community.
“How beautiful it is when people select their words and actions with care, in the effort to avoid
misunderstandings, to heal wounded memories and to build peace and harmony.”
Catherine Burrage
Parent Representative
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Billinge Hill te maunga
Ko Mersey te awa
Nō Liverpool ahau
Ko Catherine tōku ingoa.
Hi! My name is Catherine and I’m a mum to three amazing children.
I am passionate about equal opportunities within the education sector and believe in
instilling good educational foundations both at home and within the school setting. I love
to see my children thrive at school and see their growing potential by being well
supported on their learning journeys. All students have the right to an excellent
education, and I want to be part of a team who ensures each student has the
opportunity to be the best they can be.
I have worked in large government departments in varying roles with my recent ones
being within the Youth Justice operational policy team for Oranga Tamariki and currently
within the Office of the Children’s Commission - inspecting places where children are
detained using the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT)
mandate. I am also the current Club Captain for the Paremata-Plimmerton Netball Club
and manage and coach various school sports teams.
I am an unrelenting child advocate with excellent communication skills who wants to
ensure that Tawa Intermediate School continues to provide excellence in education.
Malcolm Davidson
Property
I have lived in Tawa for nearly fifteen years and have grown to love this area over my time here. My daughter, attended Tawa Intermediate in 2022 and my son will attend Tawa Intermediate in 2024/25. My wife and I are very active in the local Tawa community through involvement with sports clubs and supporting various community endeavours, and now Tawa Intermediate school.
I have worked predominantly for central Government agencies in a range of different leadership roles covering quality assurance, process improvement and digital. I have recently started working for a great
local Tawa-born company based in Grenada North.
In my work and community endeavours, I have always been passionate about ensuring opportunities are provided for all. As a Board member I look forward to applying these values and ensuring Tawa Intermediate
is a place where all students are valued and can succeed. I am excited to serve on the Board, nurturing the excellent relationship between the Board and the school, and continuing the great work of past Board members.
Ngā mihi nui
Sarah Stephens
Parent Representative
Kia ora, I'm Sarah, originally from the UK, but have lived within Wellington for the last 15 years. I have one son in year 8 at Tawa Intermediate, and another due to come into year 7 next year.
For the past four years, I have worked locally as a Hand Therapist. I am currently a clinic leader, which involves having a good understanding of policies and procedures and supporting staff and students to grow, I also lead 2 clinics as a health and safety representative.
Both of my boys are in St John, and I have volunteered as a youth leader for St John for the past 3 years, which includes mentoring members to train as leaders to teach the younger members. I have supported both of my boys at the Tawa Rugby Club, and have managed one of their teams for the last 2 years. I enjoy walking, swimming, aikido, metafit, pilates, and crafts. I am a passionate advocate for the learning and development of Tawa Intermediate children, and the local community, through joining the Board of Trustees.
Sophia Jasinski
Staff Representative
Prisca MacDonald
Principal
Tēnā koutou.
I began my Principalship of Tawa Intermediate in July 2022, having worked in a range of leadership roles within schools and the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
I work closely with the Board and staff to ensure that ākonga / learners have a successful two years here at Tawa Intermediate. We think of our learners holistically and are passionate about meeting their emotional, social, physical and spiritual / purposeful living needs. I ensure that the Board is aware of those needs and therefore able to appropriately resource and support the school to meet them.
I was born and raised in Otautahi / Christchurch but moved up to the Kapiti Coast with my two children in 2012. I am passionate about life-long learning and well-being and am delighted to be part of the innovative Tawa Intermediate Community.
Carol Walter
Board Secretary
Board Documents
2023 Certified Financial Statements
15 June 2023 BOT minutes
7 September 2023 BOT minutes
30 November 2023 BOT minutes
21 March 2024 BOT minutes
20 June 2024 BOT minutes
2022 Certified Financial Statements
3 August 2023 BOT minutes
26 October 2023 BOT minutes
15 February 2024 BOT minutes
16 May 2024 BOT minutes
