Talofa!
My name is Ruth Alefaio. I hail from the beautiful island of Tuvalu and was born and raised in the island paradise of Fiji.
I am the Deputy Principal and the Curriculum leader here at Te Kura o Wairau. I am also the Kowhai Team Leader.
It has been a privilege to continue working and learning alongside our tamariki for the last 7 years. I enjoy being part of Te Kura o Wairau community and love watching our tamariki grow in their learning.
Malo e Lelei. Ko hoku hingoa ko Sia. Koe taahine Tonga au.
Warm pasifika greetings, my name is Sia and this is my first year of teaching and I have had the awesome opportunity of taking over Ruma tahi (year 5's & 6's).I have always wanted to be a part of the community here at Te Kura o Wairau because of the love that they have for culture.
I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little and being offered this opportunity I am like "WOW! This is cool!". I enjoy being around kids because that is who I am at heart. I enjoy teaching reading & PE, reading and PE were always my favourite subjects back in my school days.
I was born and raised here in Palmerston North with 4 sisters and 3 brothers and enjoy eating heaps of island foods!
My name is Melissa Day. This is my 10TH year teaching at Te Kura o Wairau. Throughout my time here, I have taught across the school and have enjoyed teaching at every year group.
This year I am teaching Year 4-6’s in Room 6. I am also the Team Leader of the Senior Team.
I enjoy teaching Reading and Writing and have a Master’s Degree in Education focusing on effective literacy intervention approaches. I am also passionate about teaching Mathematics and using technology to assist learning. I think it’s important to foster student’s creativity and curiosity and encourage a love for learning.
I grew up in Levin and have spent time in the USA and Australia. I spent many years living in Kerikeri and now reside in Longburn. I have a checky, but gorgeous 1-year-old daughter, a big clumsy puppy, and a bossy cat. We enjoy going for long walks and playing at the park. We swim most weekends and enjoy staying home and watching a good movie or the Netball.
My door is always open, so come and visit me in Room 6.
Tēnā rā koutou katoa
Ko Mataatua te Waka
Ko Matiti te Maunga
Ko Opeke te Marae
Ko Waioeka te Awa
Ko Irapuaia te Whare Tīpuna
Ko Ngati Ira te Hapū
Ko Whakatōhea te Iwi
Kia ora and hello, my name is Darnielle Wright.
This year I’m the bubbly teacher in room 7, also known as Ruma Tumeke wha. I have been working at Te Kura o Wairau for 11 years. A total of 15 years of education experience. I enjoy teaching all areas of the curriculum however, reading is one of my many strengths.
I am open minded and I live to inspire and be inspired.
My partner and I have four children, three boys and a baby daughter. We enjoy bike riding, swimming and singing.
Nā reira, wairua mauri ora.
Ka tū nei au ki te karamata o Pukehāpōpō, ka rangiwhāwhā te titiro ki pae tawhiti.
Whakaangi atu ana ki ngā wai kōtaotao e rere nei o Waiomoko.
Ka hōkio whakararo, ka tau ai ngā wae ki taku papawhenua, ki Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti.
Tū mai rā, kai tōku whare, ko Whitireia.
Ko Paikea te tipua ki te tuanui nāna ko ngā mangainga o Konohi.
Tau mai rā ki taku toka āhuru, ki taku toka tū moana.
Tau ana e!
Kia ora mai tātou, ko Breanna tēnei e mihi atu nei ki a koutou katoa. He uri tēnei nō te uranga mai o te rā, nō te Tairāwhiti, nō Ngāti Konohi. I am 28 years of age and have a huge love for teaching and learning with our tamariki. I am in my third year of teaching and am teaching the year 5 & 6 class in room 2.
I am very passionate about te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, whakapapa, music and kapa haka. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be teaching with our beautiful whānau at Te Kura o Wairau.
Nō reira kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā rā tātou katoa.
Tēnā Koutou,
My name is Eva Burdova and I feel really privileged to be teaching year 3-4 in Room 8 in 2023. I am also really happy to become a part of Te Kura o Wairau whanau.
Originally, I come from the Czech Republic where I studied for teaching and also taught for 6 years before moving to this beautiful country. My husband and I have 3 amazing children, two girls and a boy and one 4 years old dog Winnie. If not at school, you might meet me in the mountains or climbing one of the hills of Ruahine. I love hiking and tramping and spending time in nature. My other hobbies are reading and playing volleyball.
I am looking forward to meeting you all.
Kia Ora my name is Lisa Kimura (Whaea Lisa). I am the new team leader for our middle school, Rata Team. I am of both Maori and European descent.
I have been at Te Kura o Wairau for 17 years and have taught from Year 3 up to Year 6. This year I will be teaching Year 3/4 in room 9 (Ruma Iwa). I take Jump Jam as a performance group and love teaching Maths and Art.
I have a passion for PE & Sport within the school, which is right up my alley as I love playing and watching sport. I am currently still playing netball for Linton Army and enjoy working out at the gym.
I have three children (2 girls and a boy), they range from 26 to 30. I have 3 lovely grandchildren & one on the way, the eldest at Boys High and the 2nd eldest moving to Monrad this year and the youngest having just started at Te Kura o Wairau this year.
E muamua ona si’i le vi’iga ma le fa’afetai i le Atua ona ua aulia lenei avanoa matagofie.
Talofa lava,
O lo’u igoa o Lynn Su’a. Le nu’u o lo’u tama, o Fasito’o uta i Upolu ma Falealupo i Savaii, Samoa.
Le aiga o lo’u tina, o Vailoa, Palauli i Savaii ma Faleapuna, i Upolu, Samoa.
O lo’u galuega ile aoga Te Kura o Wairau, o le faiaoga mo le vasega Y0-Y1, ma le ta’ita’i au’ o Kowhai, 2023.
I was born and raised in Whanganui. After returning from living in the United States for 3 years I studied as a teacher and taught in a Y0-Y1 class. I took a 10 year break from classroom teaching although was very fortunate to have held various roles within Education across the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. I relocated permanently to Palmerston North from Auckland in 2021 and have welcomed the opportunity to return to classroom teaching.
It was an honour teaching for the first time at Te Kura o Wairau for three terms in 2022. Over this time, I have loved serving the vision and uara of this kura. It strongly aligns with my own personal kaupapa, and I am looking forward to contributing to and developing and growing in this further.
Malo le soifua ma le lagi mama.
Tēnā tātou katoa
Ki te taha o tōku Mama nō Afrika ki te Tonga ahau.
Ki te taha o tōku Papa nō Te Waipounamu ahau
Nō Oamaru ahau
Ko Amy Petre tōku ingoa
Ko Ariki Tamaroa Fotu raua kō Maihi Manukura Fotu ōku tama.
Ko Mama mē Paranihi Jim ōku ngēru.
Kia ora Whānau, the tamariki at school call me Whaea Amy or Aunty. I was working as a teacher aid here for about 4 years before being blessed with a teaching job in the Kowhai team. I started in Primary before I had my own children, then went to ECE which I carried on simultaneously for awhile. I am the eldest of 4 children to my parents first marriage, and a middle child in the second. We have a large multicultural whānau, and I was born down South but grew up in the lower North Island in a variety of towns.
I’ve lived in Westbrook for about 13 years now with my 2 sons and 2 cats and love our whole Highbury/Takaro/Westbrook community.
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