Kōtuitui
Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako
Waitakere, Auckland
Lifting aspirations and raising educational achievement for every learner in our community
A collaborative relationship between twelve local schools creating a learning community.
Our community is located on the edge of the Waitakere Ranges, with much of its hinterland being native bush reserve which flows down to Auckland's west coast beaches and Manukau Harbour. On our eastern boundary we connect with the rapidly growing and vibrant urban area of New Lynn.
The majority of our students come from the suburbs of Titirangi, Green Bay and Glen Eden, the semi-rural and bush reserve areas of Laingholm and Huia, and the fringe of New Lynn. Consequently our community reflects the wide range of demographic and socio-economic diversity that is one of the defining characteristics of Auckland.
A Community of People Like You
Reaching 7,052 students, our community drives forward learning delivering results for students, parents and teachers alike.
Pia Harre
iCoL & Unique Learning Needs Coordinator
Trish O'Connell
iCoL & Unique Learning Needs Coordinator
Teenae Vaimasanuu
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Erin France
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
D'arcy Norton
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Hine Viskovich
aCoL & Deputy Principal
Amy Russell
iCoL & Learning Suport Coordinator
Annet Woolford
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Michelle Abbasi
aCoL & Deputy Principal
Nichola Leslie
aCoL & Classroom Teacher
Pam Hooper-Corbett
iCoL & Literacy Specialist Teacher
Paula McKean
iCoL & Year 7,8 Teacher
Sara Badawi
iCoL & Learning Support Coordinator
Amber Garrett
iCoL & Maths Teacher
Caroline Andrew
aCoL & Teaching as Inquiry, Science and Maths Teacher
Catrin Hughes
iCoL & Joining both ends of the pathway
Chloe Marsh
iCoL & Yr 12 Dean
Edd James
iCoL & Physcial Education Teacher
Jo Orr
aCoL & Professional Inquiry Coordinator, English Teacher
Jonny Hilditch
iCoL & English Teacher
Mike Cole
iCOL - Junior Progress in Science
Nirtika Niranjan
iCoL & Assistant HOD Technology
Rogan James
iCoL & Head of Visual Arts
Stefan Dale
aCoL & History/Social Science Teacher
Cheryl McElroy
iCoL & Associate Principal
Dan Whiting
iCoL & Whanau Leader
Lorraine Sauvarin
aCoL & Whanau Leader
Wayne Southgate
iCoL & SENCO, Whanau Leader
Erin Namajuska
aCoL & Deputy Principal
Grant O’Connor
iCoL & Yr 6 Team Leader
Hayley Jesperson
iCoL & Yr 1 Team Leader
Madeline Henty
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Nick van Den Borst
iCOL & Yr 5 Team Leader
Anne Gilmour
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Maura O'Shea
iCoL & Learning Support Coordinator
Jess O'Sullivan
iCoL & Junior School Teacher
Laura Robertson
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Zoe Strange
iCoL & Specialist Teacher
Anna Boikov
iCoL
Bobbie Chadderton
iCoL
Marta Morton
iCoL
Lee-Ann McKenzie
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Lisa Sparey
iCoL & Yr 5,6 Teacher
Robyn Cochrane
iCoL & Yr 2 Teacher
Micah Haughton
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Michelle Andrews
iCoL & Classroom Teacher
Your Across School Team
Meet the team you’ll be seeing a lot more of as part of the Kōtuitui Community of Learning
It has been exciting to see Kotuitui build purposeful, inquiry driven relationships between the schools in our community. I can't wait to see the impact of Kotuitui's work to improve student and whanau experiences through ECE transition, investigate student well being, provide support at transition points between schools and provide stability for students with additional needs. Connecting our teachers, connects our schools and connects our work to our community.
Stefan Dale
Teacher at Green Bay High School
stefan.dale@greenbayhigh.school.nz
Kia Ora! I am excited and privileged to be joining the Across School Leaders of Kōtuitui this year. I look forward to working with and learning alongside all schools in our community of learning and watching us grow from strength to strength.
Erin Namajuska
Deputy Principal at Kaurilands School
erinn@kaurilands.school.nz
Kia ora, I am Caroline Taripo-Keith. I work across our Community of Learning in the area of hauora and wellbeing. I am passionate about developing collective responsibility for equity and excellence across all the schools in our community. I look forward to being a part of building a strong sense of whanaungatanga in our Kāhui Ako.
Caroline Taripo-Keith
Teacher at Green Bay High School
caroline.taripo-keith@greenbayhigh.school.nz
Kia ora koutou, Talofa lava, in the short time that I have been involved as an ACOL I have seen the dedication and efforts of Principals, Senior Leaders and teachers to improve student outcomes. I am very privileged to be working alongside passionate professionals and look forward to continuing this work in 2020.
Michelle Abbasi
Deputy Principal at Glen Eden Intermediate School
michellea@geis.school.nz
Kia ora! Ko Hine Viskovich taku ingoa, ko Fruitvale taku kura, nō te whanau ACOL ahau, ngā mihi nui, ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou. I am the DP at Fruitvale School and I work closely with the Kōtuitui ECE cluster. My work is to strategise and plan collaborations between schools and ECE's, so that together, we can achieve positive outcomes for whānau and tamariki transitioning into school. An important focus continues to be strengthening relationships between ECE's and primary schools. It is a great privilege working alongside teachers at both schools and ECE's as there is great potential in what can be achieved together.
Hine Viskovich
Deputy Principal at Fruitvale School
hineviskovich@fruitvale.school.nz
Kia ora koutou. Ko Jo tōku ingoa. I am an across school leader and it is our role to support the weaving together of people in our community. I work closely with Caroline Taripo-Keith and we are focused on the hauora/well being space. We are focused on supporting a collective and strategic approach wellbeing, leading to improved wellbeing and achievement outcomes for all learners. A whakataukī that captures my heart for this work is: "He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata." What is the most important thing in this world? It is people, it is people, it is people. Connections between people is where all leadership, relationships and learning sits. It is my honour to serve our local community.
Jo Orr
Teacher at Green Bay High
joanne.orr@greenbayhigh.school.nz
Tēnā Koutou Katoa! I feel privileged to be a part of the Kōtuitui Across Schools team and look forward to enacting positive change for the tamariki, rangatahi and whānau in our community. Wellbeing and cultural responsiveness are two areas I am particularly passionate about and I am excited to explore them further in this role. Knowing your learner is at the heart of everything we do as educators and I feel that before we can know who our students are as learners, we need to know who they are as people first and foremost. “Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia ō tātou mahi” Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.
Nichola Leslie
Teacher at Glen Eden Intermediate
nicholal@geis.school.nz
Kia Ora. Over the last three years I have had the privilege of working as an in-school leader, focussing on curriculum. It is a privilege to join the Across School Leaders this year and I am excited to have the opportunity to build relationships across our community. I believe that when we build positive connections between our schools, it provides a strong foundation for open conversations to improve teaching and learning, and thus outcomes for our children. I look forward to working towards making a significant difference in our Kōtuitui Kāhui Ako and supporting our students in their learning journey so they can reach their full potential.
Lorraine Sauvarin
Team Leader at Green Bay School
lorraines@greenbay.school.nz
What the community says
Collaboratively Developed Inquiry Cycles
Using collaborative development techniques we are delivering across our community and yours.
Community members contribute pedagogy (teaching), leadership and new ideas to collaboratively develop improved inquiry cycles specific to our current generation of learners.
Working in conjunction with community schools and individual teachers, the Kotuitui community delivers the latest in inquiry development.
Students and schools benefit from improved educational achievement as we lift the aspirations of our learners to new heights, driving real change in our local communities.
Join Our Community
Keep up to date with the latest developments in the Kōtuitui community