The Board of Trustees of Houghton Valley School is responsible for the governance of the school.
The Board’s role is a strategic one, focused on the big picture and employing the Principal to manage the school.
The BOT is made up of the School Principal, a trustee from the school staff, several parent trustees who are elected by the parents, and other members who are appointed by the BOT.
The board’s role is set by the Education Act and the BOT is required to ensure the school meets the government’s National Education Priorities. These are:
- Success for all
- A safe learning environment
- Improving Literacy and Numeracy
- Better use of student achievement information
- Improving outcomes for students at risk
- Improving Maori student outcomes
- Reporting
Houghton Valley School Charter 2018
Parents are very welcome to attend board meetings. This is a great way to learn about the board if you have an interest in becoming a parent representative. Meeting dates are published in the school newsletter but don’t hesitate to get in touch with the board chair using the contact form below if you would like more information.
If you are a parent and have a question or an issue to raise with the board you are encouraged to speak with your child’s teacher in the first instance. If any doubts remain, our principal makes a point of being highly available. Please do not hesitate to make contact.
Any issues that remain to be escalated to the board should be brought to the attention of the board chairperson. You are welcome to use the contact form below to initiate contact.
Chairperson – Sarah Graydon
Parent Representative – Susan Hall
Parent Representative – Anya Satyanand
Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi.
With the gifts you bring and the gifts I bring, the people will be nourished.
Tenā koutou, namaste, fakalofa lahi atu and warm south coast greetings. My name’s Anya Satyanand, and my partner Ange and I are proud to be mums to the wonderful Leilani (Year 3) and the fabulous Lola VFS (Year 5).
We love living in Houghton Bay and feel lucky to be members of this school community. We believe in Houghton Valley School and I am working on the board to support HVS to inspire our kids to become confident, collaborative, inspired children, who are learners for life. I want my girls to be challenged by learning that is deep, broad and connected to this amazing place we live.
I see our role as board as supporting the school at a strategic level to ensure that the classrooms our young people learn in are inquiring, inclusive, collaborative and actively celebrate diversity.
My professional background is secondary education. I have taught in several schools here in Aotearoa (Christchurch and Wellington), and for three years in South London. I’ve recently left the senior management team of Wellington High School where I was responsible for student wellbeing, curriculum development, health and safety and emergency planning, kaupapa Māori, and community engagement. I’m now working for Ara Taiohi, a not-for-profit organisation (www.arataiohi.org.nz) who are working to make all people working with young people more connected, effective and accountable. I have a range of experience in governance relating to youth development and schools.
No reira, tena koutou, tenā koutou, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.
Parent Representative – Phil Walker
Kia ora tātou. I’m Phil Walker. Our daughter Holly is in Rata, Year 5, and our youngest Sian is in Rimu, Year 2.
Deanna and I have lived in Houghton Bay for many years and feel a real connection with this community and the beautiful landscapes which surround it.
I work in policy/strategy at the Children’s Action Plan, a cross government initiative aimed to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. I’ve got a background in the measurement of social wellbeing, community development and social service design and delivery. I am looking forward to contributing these skills through the board of trustees, to support our children at this very important beginning to their lifelong learning journeys.
I’m keen to see our school retain its special character as it grows and responds to changes both in the valley, and in the national policy environment.
Parent Representative – Richard Carroll
Kia ora tātou. I’ve lived in Wellington for 15 years now with my wife Rona. We have two children at Houghton Valley School (Sean in Nikau and Efa in Ti Kouka) and a third (Joe) who’ll be starting in 2019. In my spare time I like to get out and about on the Wellington walking tracks, play a bit of football, and keep my hand in on the piano and guitar.
We feel very fortunate as a family to be associated with Houghton Valley School. The children all seem so happy, and I love the friendly community feel. I think the current board has done a wonderful job over the last term, and I am really looking forward to playing my part over the next few years.
I’m a hospital doctor and specialise in endocrinology, or hormonal disorders. I mostly work at Wellington regional hospital and Hutt hospital, but have several research interests that frequently take me elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas. I see people with a very broad range of endocrine issues, but particularly focus on tumours that affect endocrine glands throughout the body. Rona is also a local doctor, and our training took us overseas to London, Edinburgh, and Sydney although we always jumped at the first chance to return to Wellington’s south coast.
Staff Trustee – Jos Abernethy
Kia ora Koutou, ko Jos taku ingoa.
I was born in the Netherlands and moved to New Zealand almost 32 years ago. My husband Andrew is a New Zealander and we have three children, aged 23, 22 and 20.
Outside of work I enjoy the outdoor life. My interests include yoga, walking, tramping, fishing, and travel.
From 1990 – 92 I trained as a teacher at Wellington College of Education and worked as a classroom teacher at Lyall Bay School for 2 ½ years. I then took a break to raise my children. When my youngest child started at school I decided to return to work and stay involved in education.
I have been involved with the school for the last 12 years, as a parent, teacher aide, reading recovery teacher and for the last few years as a permanent teacher.
I love working at this school because we have a fantastic environment, a great community, great staff and above all else awesome children with inquiring minds.
I see myself as a lifelong learner, always taking the opportunity to learn from the latest research and philosophy in the teaching profession and implementing it into my teaching practice.
