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What do school boards do?

The board has overall responsibility and accountability for school/kura. School board’s legal responsibilities are determined by the Education and Training Act 2020.

 

The Act sets out boards’ four primary objectives. These are ensuring student achievement for all of its students, including for those of differing needs, making sure the school is a safe place for all, and giving effect to the Treaty of Waitangi.

 

As part of its focus on these four objectives, boards’ responsibilities include:

• Setting the strategic direction for the school

• Protecting the school’s values

• Monitoring and evaluating student learning outcomes

• Approving policies

• Financial stewardship

• Building community engagement and support

 

It’s important to note that the board does NOT get involved in the day-to-day running of the school, this is the remit of the school leadership team. 

 

For more information on the role of the board, click here.

Our last election was in September 2022 and the next full election will be held in September 2025.  

 

Board meetings:

Meetings are usually held every four school weeks on a Thursday - please check the calendar on our website or phone app for the dates.  Meetings start at 7pm and normally last for 2 hours.

The agenda for a board meeting is closed the Thursday prior and anything received in the week leading up to a meeting is usually deferred to the next meeting. 

 

Board members spend around 1-2 hours prior to meetings reading the meeting papers and making notes so that they attend the meeting prepared and informed (this also ensures a productive and efficient meeting).  

 

Can anyone attend a board meeting?

Yes.  Board meetings are not public meetings, they are meetings that are held in public.
This means that while anyone is welcome to attend, if you would like to speak at the meeting you need to write to the Board Chairperson to request 'speaking rights' in advance of a meeting. Your request for speaking rights should include information on what you would like to speak about and any documentation that would be relevant for the Board to have ahead of the meeting. 


If your request is related to the operational running of the school rather than governance, your request will be redirected back to the school leadership team. 

 

Contacting the Board:

Members of our school community are always welcome to contact the Board.

 

The easiest way is via email: BOT@pegasusbay.school.nz.  Or you can write a letter and send it to the Board Chair at the school address.  All correspondence (paper and digital) is received by the Board Secretary and forwarded on to the to Board Chair for review and next actions.  

 

Correspondence should be addressed to the Chairperson.  However, please note that issues regarding specific children or members of staff should always be raised in the first instance with those most directly involved, and school management prior to making contact with the Board.  

Current Board Members:

Libby Cunniffe - parent representative

Megan Lovelock - parent representative

Rebecca Mitchell - parent representative

Anna O'Steen - parent representative

​Dedrie Trnjanin - staff representative

Joseph Tyro - parent representative

Greg Van Meer - parent representative & chair

Jared Kelly - Principal
Micky Brosnan - Board Secretary

Libby Cunniffe

Tēnā koutou katoa.  My name is Libby and my husband, Clinton, and I have lived in Pegasus for the last 10 years.  All three of our children attend Pegasus Bay School.

 

I am a qualified, registered Early Childhood Teacher and have worked in the Education sector for the last 18 years predominantly in governance and management.  We currently own and operate three preschools in Christchurch and also own and operate 4E's Consulting, an ECE Consultancy business that operates nationwide.

 

I have had the privilege of being on the BOT for the last 2+ years and have enjoyed the intricate conversations and visible growth of the school in the duration of this time.  I am a strong advocate for our children, and our school, as an evolving environment empowering lifelong learning within the Pegasus and Waikuku communities.

Megan Lovelock

Kia, ora! My name is Megan Lovelock. I am married to Jason and mum to three children, two who attend Pegasus Bay School with another due to start later in 2022. We arrived in this community in 2013 and can’t see us living anywhere else. As a family we love living in Pegasus, exploring the environment around us and involving ourselves in the community and school life.

 

My background is in Physical Education and Health. I graduated from Canterbury University with a Bachelor of Education degree. I immediately went overseas and taught in London for two years. Coming back to Christchurch in the year of the earthquake saw me relief teaching in a variety of colleges, before winning teaching positions at Kavanagh College in Dunedin and then Villa Maria College in Christchurch.  More recently my employment is as an office manager to a financial advisor. This role is very diverse on a day-to-day basis and allows me to better balance family, school and work life more easily enabling me to be involved in coaching sports teams within the community.

 

The skills I bring to the Board are: An understanding of the Education Sector, particularly the importance of forming effective relationships between school and home, and school and the wider community. I have a genuine interest in the workings of our Kura and ensuring the welfare of all tamariki. I look forward to giving back to our community and making a positive difference to children’s education via the Te Kura o Manga Kawari | Pegasus Bay School Board.

Rebecca Mitchell

Kia ora koutou

 

I have lived in Pegasus since my husband and I moved here as new parents in 2013.

 

In terms of the skills and experience I bring to the board - I am a corporate/commercial lawyer with over 15 years’ experience both in New Zealand and the U.K. This has included, among other things, advising boards on corporate governance and regulatory compliance and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts. I currently work part-time at Duncan Cotterill Lawyers in Christchurch.

 

Most importantly, I’m the mum of two children who attend Te Kura o Manga Kawari | Pegasus Bay School. I love our kura and the community of which it forms part.

 

It’s an honour to have the opportunity to contribute my skills to the Board in the interests of our kura, tamariki and staff.

Anna O'Steen

Kia ora, I live in Waikuku Beach with my husband and three children. We have been involved with Pegasus Bay School since 2012. My association with the school began in my own primary school years as I attended Waikuku School having grown up in Waikuku. The beach, river, estuary and our local mountains are our absolute happy place and I am so grateful my children are growing up with such a spectacular environment at their fingertips. 

I am keen to take ‘parent helper’ one step further and become more involved in the future growth of Pegasus Bay School with a particular interest in representing the wider Waikuku community. 

My youngest child is in Year 5 in 2022, so I have a solid understanding of how our school works at each year level and have witnessed first-hand some of the challenges and positive changes that have been made over the years. Sport and recreational opportunities to benefit health and the wellbeing of our school community is also a strong interest of mine. I am proud of my association with Waikuku/Pegasus Bay Schools and look forward to giving back to my community by being a parent representative on the Board.

Dedrie Trnjanin

I started working at Waikuku School in 2013 as a teacher aide.  With the move to Pegasus, I worked in a number of learning communities and enjoyed my time working alongside the teachers supporting different children and their needs.  Over time I started working part-time in admin/reception while also working as a teacher aide.  Now working solely as admin/receptionist I believe that over the last 7 ½ years in various roles within the school, I can use the knowledge and skills learned to represent all staff as a member of the Board.  

 

I am confident that I have the skills and assets to assist with the governance of the school and to ensure that the school meets the needs of the children as well as the staff.

Joseph Tyro

Tena koutou katoa, He uri ahau no Ngai Tahu ratou ko Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi ko Ngati Rangi oku iwi, ko Joseph Tyro toku ingoa.

 

I was raised in Ohinehou (Lyttelton), close to my grandfather’s hapu Ngati Wheke. I have strong whakapapa connections to mana whenua, Ngāi Tūāhuriri through my great grandmother Anihana Tau-Briggs.

 

I have lived in Pegasus for the past 7 years with my wife and 2 beautiful children, who attend Te Kura o te Manga Kawari | Pegasus Bay School.

 

I have been a registered social worker for the past 20 years and currently represent a number of national, regional and local boards. Currently I am employed by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) as Director Maori Health and Te Aka Whaiora (Maori Health Authority) as Principal Advisor Maori Health.

 

I hope to support the schools vision of applying a bicultural learning environment, whilst placing whanau and tamariki at the centre of everything we do.

 

Mauri ora.

Greg Van Meer

I have served on the board since 2013.

 

I live in Pegasus with my wife and three children. My youngest daughter Rose attends Pegasus Bay School, while my oldest two have now moved through to the local High School. I work as an Accountant.

 

In my time on the Board, I have been committed to ensuring the school continues to grow from strength to strength over the years, and I am enormously proud to see it has become a high-performing school as evidenced in our most recent ERO report, our continued prestigious Apple Distinguished accreditation, and the ability to attract and retain amazing staff, all wrapped up in a beautiful place and environment. Despite our achievements to date, we need to continue to look to improve and evolve our practices to ensure they remain relevant and support our children’s learning and growth in an ever-changing world.

 

Ultimately however, a school is all about creating an amazing space for our Tamariki, where they don’t not just learn, but thrive and create magical life-long memories. I remain committed and passionate to ensuring the Kura retains a child-first approach to everything we do, that is fun, friendly and family inclusive.

Board Documents

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