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 2023 are:
16 February
23 March
11 May
15 June
3 August
7 September
26 October
30 November
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
Nirvana Wi-Neera
Ngāti Toa Rangatira Representative
E aku nui, e aku rahi tēnā koutou katoa.
He muka tangata tēnei nō ngā iwi maha o te motu.
Nō Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa.
He hononga hoki ki Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
Tokowhitu aku tamariki, tokorua aku mokopuna.
E mahi ana au i te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira hei Kaitoro ki Te Hurihanganui.
E ngakau nui ana au ki ngā kaupapa katoa e hāngai ana ki ngā tamariki ki rō kura me te mātuaranga e whāngaihia, kia werohia ai ngā whakaaro o ngā pūnaha ki roto i ngā akomanga.
He waha tēnei e whakapāoho i ngā wawata me ngā hiahia o te iwi, ko te tūmanako kia koke whakamua te ao taurite kia tū motuhake te manaōrite mō te iwi Māori..
I am of Mutunga, Maniapoto, Ngā Puhi, Rārua, and Te Ātiawa descent.
I also have connections to Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
I am a mother of seven and grandmother of two.
I work within te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira as kaitoro within Te Hurihanganui.
I am extremely passionate about all things pertaining to our tamariki in education and the education system they are a part of, to challenge always the thinking within those systems.
I am a mouthpiece expressing the dreams and aspirations of iwi, in the hope of advancing the state of equality and equity for all Māori.
In conclusion, I leave you with the following that speaks to the character of Ngāti Toa.
"He iwi whakapātaritari riri" - A people who are alert to the issues of the day and act on them.
Sarah Stephens
Parent Representative
Gemma Goldfinch
Staff 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.
Kia ora, my name is Gemma Goldfinch and I'm the staff representative on the Board of Trustees.
I have been working at Tawa Intermediate in a variety of different roles since I came to NZ in 2009. I am passionate about supporting students to be the best they can be and I currently work as the ORS teacher, supporting special needs students within our school to grow and learn during their time with us. I work closely with the learning support team to provide learning opportunities that respond to students' emotional, sensory, and behavioural needs, helping them to be ready for learning and engaged.
I live in Plimmerton with my husband, two young sons, and two dogs. We love getting out and about exploring this beautiful part of the world.
gemma.goldfinch@tawaint.school.nz
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
16 February 2023 BOT minutes
23 March 2023 BOT minutes
2021 Certified Financial Statements
2022 Certified Financial Statements
