Why do I want to be on the board/He aha te take e tū ai au hei mema mō te poari? Hello. I am coming to the end of my first term on the HGSM Board of Directors and look forward to serving another one. My daughters Frederika (y12) and Delilah (y9) are currently at Westlake Girls High School, and Abigail, who just finished y13, is now at the University of Otago. I am always impressed by the different opportunities available to our girls at Westlake Girls, and how they are encouraged to stand up for themselves and what they believe in, pushing them to become strong and independent women. I believe that the distractions of social media and misinformation need to be balanced through real-world interactions, building positive relationships, and conscious perspectives to better prepare our girls for the future. I have been a board member of three of the four levels of our local learning community, Pupuke Kahui Ako. I am retiring from Takapuna Normal Intermediate School Board of Trustees after 6 years, the last 3 with Victoria Mahan (another WGHS candidate who was president of TNIS and in my opinion was very effective). I also served on the board of Takapuna Elementary School for 6 years; There has clearly been some overlap! The celestial landscape and potential population of our region are changing rapidly, putting pressure on our already strained resources. I have seen the real problems of attracting and retaining great teachers for our school, but I believe we have a great team and will continue to improve. I`m currently using Appliance Outlet (the real one) in Burswood with approx. 20 employees who sell and maintain new and refurbished equipment, i.e.
who have extensive experience in the operation and management of employees. I am also a qualified accountant and have served on the finance committees of all the school boards I have served on (including WGHS); Bring financial expertise to the board of directors. Most importantly, I can offer a father`s point of view; To the delight of my daughters! Please give me your vote so that I can help run the school to best meet the needs of ALL students. Kia ora, my name is Challen Wilson. I have been an active parent of westlake girls high school (WGHS) since 2015. I am very motivated to support the overall success and well-being of our school and the girls as an integrative whole. I have enjoyed serving our community within the school board over the past year and supporting our international students if and how we have been able to accommodate over the past 3 years during the pandemic. With a background in strategy, communication, government, community empowerment, creative practices, business and intrinsic knowledge of te ao Māori from a bicultural and intercultural perspective, I believe I can truly support WGHS in our investment in shaping our strategic direction to be innovative, connected, inclusive and friendly and to foster a prosperous future in this dynamic and rapidly changing era. As a WGHS Board Advisor, I would continue to advocate for the vision and goals of our school, the teams that ignite it, our teachers, our office workers, our executives and, most importantly, our many Whanau to achieve the end result, which is to realize the aspirations and successes of our daughters.
I believe that all our students deserve the best education to succeed. For me, WGHS is and should always be a symbol of support for women in a wide range of skills so that each of them can promote leadership through their education. I am 100% committed to achieving this noble goal and ensuring that each of our daughters reaches her highest potential. My experience in governance spans 15 years. I have brought my skills in the international non-profit sector, for member collectives and Iwi authorities, through arts foundations to membership in national women`s leadership groups, to name a few. I would appreciate the opportunity to bring an eclectic mix of high-level administrative knowledge, creative skills and business nou to our school. Tēnā koutou – My name is Paul. I am pleased to be appointed to the Board of Trustees of Puketapu School for the first time. I am married to Briar and have two children, Ella and Rico, at school. Here are the 15 candidates, listed alphabetically by last name, starting with the four current board members running for re-election.
My name is Gavin Busch and I am running for the Westlake Girls High School Board. I am married to Deana, live in a narrow neck and have two daughters currently enrolled in Grades 9 and 10, as well as a son in Grade 5 at St. Leo Elementary School. For the past three years, I have been a board member of St. Leos Catholic Primary in Devonport. This position has given me a good understanding of school leadership and an understanding of the unique issues and challenges facing schools in today`s changing world. I am active throughout our region and currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Takapuna Beach Business Association and have been a member of Rotary Devonport for over 20 years and an associate member of the Institute of Directors.