Board Of Trustees

Rikki Solomon

BOARD CHAIR

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

My name is Rikki Solomon. Renee, my wife, and I are the parents of two wonderful children.  My daughter is a current student of Ormiston Junior College and is a Year 10. My son is currently attending Te Uho o te Nikau and is a Year 5. Being of Māori descent and a multi-cultural family, I feel I provide the board with a better understanding of the obstacles some our children face when engaging with the school and education.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

I am a business owner, league enthusiast, a jack-of-all-trades and am also currently in the processes of doing a Doctorate Degree in Indigenous Development and Advancement. I am currently a member of the Pakuranga Heights School Board of Trustees and have served as a board member for the past several years. I am also a member of the Lay Committee of The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, specifically focused on the Maori and Pacific Islander people.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

As a member of the board, I would give every effort to have the board, teachers, students and principal empowered to provide the best learning environment for our children. I value the diversity of the Te Uho o te Nikau community and am dedicated, reliable, loyal and trustworthy.  I will continue to provide the representation our parents and children deserve and need.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself with our community?

I believe that education is one of the most essential parts of a child’s life and more importantly, a love of learning develops from their first years in school as well as at home. Planning should be proactive, not reactive with the focus on providing a safe environment with quality education for all students despite their differences.

Roneil Dutt

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

Being on the Board allows me to use my experience in corporate leadership and governance in a non-corporate environment in a give-back manner. I also look forward to increased collaboration and engagement with the staff, children, parents, other Trustees and the wider community of Te Nikau, having lived in Flat Bush for over 15 years and recently moved to within a few streets of the school.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

Technology and leadership skills. I have over 15 overs of Corporate experience in New Zealand, over several organisations; government, local government and corporate. I have had hands-on and leaderships roles, have supported other staff and being supported myself by others.

I also run a religious based Registered Charity in Auckland. This has given me several years of exposure to non-profit governance and leadership.

I am passionate about learning, having spent several years in post-graduate study in New Zealand. It is very exciting to be part of the early childhood to lower primary school which is a new experience for me.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

Learning more about the school system all the time, the challenges and wins for the school and the community and being able to play an active part in the journey.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself with our community?

You’ll see me around most events at the school, feel free to talk to me about anything I can do to support you all as a Board Member.

Evelyn Chin

BOARD TRUSTEE

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

I have a daughter that is currently in Year 1 and another two that are of pre-school age so I have a very long term invested interest in the performance and growth of the school.

Being on the Board of Trustees will give me the opportunity to be part of a team that will help guide the school to meet its visions and goals.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

I have an interest in being a voice for the parents in our school community as I believe having a good and strong relationship between parents and the school is vital to its success.

I respect everyone’s different point of views and I am not afraid to ask the challenging questions (if needed) in meetings.

With my background being a Chartered Accountant I am also able to utilise my business acumen in my role as a board member.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

I am very honored to be part of the Board of Trustees and to be able to be a voice on behalf of the parent community in the school. I love being able to play a contributing role in our community.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself with our community?

You will always find me doing the school pick-ups and I am usually at all the school activities. Please do feel free to come up to me to have a chat. It will be great to get to know more parents in the school and to hear all about your thoughts.

Stephanie Lin

STAFF REPRESENTATIVE

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

By actively working and contributing as part of the Board of Trustees at Te Uho o te Nikau School is a way of giving back to the wider school community for me. I can use my skills, education, professional background and broad community networks to support Mel, the Board and our school by being the staff voice on the board.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

My journey in Education took me across four different schools, different decile and different age groups from different parts of Auckland in the last 20 years. The different roles I take in various local community groups also brings different experiences and perspectives to my role as a board trustee.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

The most rewarding thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees is to work alongside other trustees to ensure Te Nikau’s continuing growth and success for our children.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself with our community?

Not really………………….. LOL

Jean Ihimaera

BOARD MEMBER

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

Giving all the children the encouragement and support to reach their full potential. Acknowledging the Tiriti.

Providing resources and training to upskill staff and management to their full potential.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

I am a Māori woman and mother of three children.

Passionate and skilled in sport.

I have access to a large network of multisport codes and current President of Aztec Sports Club and current Sport Coordinator at Ormiston Junior College.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

All children are given an equal opportunity.

Shamini Naidoo

BOARD MEMBER

Why did you want to be part of the Board of Trustees for Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School?

I have 2 children attending the school, Vuarya in Year 6 and Davian in Year 2, this has given me the opportunity to build a long term relationship with the school and the staff. I can use my skills and experience to support the growth and development of the school, whilst also learning more about the school system.

What are some of your skills and passions you bring to your role as a board trustee?

My skills lie in leadership, continuous improvement and assurance. My biggest passion is helping people in any way I can, as a board member I have the opportunity to do this by being a voice for our parents our community as well as our children.

What is the most rewarding or important thing about being involved on a Board of Trustees?

Being a member of the board is an absolute honour. The rewards are many however it has been particularly fulfilling to be able to collaborate with other board members to set inspiring goals for our school, staff and children and to play an active role to ensure those goals are achieved.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself with our community?

“Don’t limit your child to your own learning for he was born in another time”. Happy to have a chat at any time