School Community Group

If you are looking to get more involved with our school, Takapuna Primary School Community Group (SCG) is a great opportunity to meet other parents and to make a stronger connection with your school community. The group helps bring unity and a strong community spirit to our diverse school. It organises fundraising events to support the school financially in meeting the needs of our students, as well as community events that bring students, whānau and friends together.

There are various ways to get involved with the group, on whatever scale you feel comfortable. You could:

• Attend a SCG meetup for parents and caregivers
• Volunteer at a specific event
• Get involved in organising an event
• Liaise with local businesses on behalf of the SCG.
• Sponsor prizes for SCG events
• Donate food or cash to support SCG fundraising efforts
• Become a member of the SCG organising committee and help shape the future of the group.

SCG events that are coming up include: The Disco, the first SCG Meetup For Families at TPS, The 2022 SCG AGM, TPS Spellathon, end of term lunches, TPS Spring Clean, and our Annual Sports Event.

If you or someone you know would like to be involved or would like to know more, please contact scg@tps.school.nz or have a friendly chat with Zeenie McGowan, or any of the the SCG team.

Parent Rep

 

1. Lisa Dalton

Lisa is mum to Siena (Year 3) and is a regular helper at our school – assisting with swimming and our school water polo team. She has generously donated prizes for a number of our school fundraisers through her work with the NZ Warriors.

2. Kimberly Harpur

Kimberly has been a parent at TPS for a long time . Her older daughter Isobella went through primary school here and now Summer (7) is a student too. She is a huge supporter of the positive role the school has in the students lives, and Kimberly herself has an active role in the school community and helps with a sponsorship role for various events. She knows the ins and outs of TOS and has a positive relationship with the other parents and many of the staff here at the school. As a parent helper she aims to engage with students, teachers and parents alike to bring a sense of community and togetherness.

3. Lonnica Van Engelen

My name is Lonnica Van Engelen. I’m mum to Dannika (year 3). As a parent rep I would help the SCG find sponsors for donations and prizes to help with fundraising. I’ve previously donated prizes through my connection with The Warehouse (and this year for the Spellathon).

4. Jo Murray

My name is Jo Murray. I have a daughter in year 4, Elise. Something I really love about our school is the community feel and the support we all give each other. I want to keep fostering this and make sure everyone feels it. I am currently managing the TPS year 4 netball team.

5. Helen Kilding

Helen is mum to Tom (Year 5) and Ella who left TPS last year. She is passionate about sport, health and wellbeing and strives to increase the focus on this at TPS. She has been an active participant in the PTA (now SCG) for a number of years, fitting this in around her role as a Research Scientist with the New Zealand Defence Force. She regularly organises and supports sports events for the school, such as the Weet-bix TRYathlon and the Shore-to-Shore run.

6. Cherrie Gao

Hi Cherrie here with Elias Gao in Tui F Year 4 and Ethan in TGS Year 9. I am glad to have the opportunity to be part of my boys’ school life and to help out as much as I can in school activities. To see more kids enjoying and thriving brings me great joy.

OFFICE BEARERS

Mandy Holten | Secretary

Mandy is a mother of three, Jacob who has left TPS, Molly in year 5 and Emma in year 3. Mandy has been the PTA secretary for a number of years and enjoys being a member of the TPS community. Mandy wants the school to have all the resources they need to provide a great education and happy environment for our kids. Mandy’s background professionally is working in business support services.

Emily Hancox | Treasurer

Born & raised in Takapuna & Milford and attended St Joseph’s Primary but when deciding between there & here (Takapuna Primary) for our daughter, Meadow who started last year, I felt a stronger connection to Takapuna Primary. I loved the facilities and Devika’s vision on collaboration and reference to ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.

Whilst still new to school life I want to try and support the best I can and enhance not just my own daughters education and life skills development but her peers and those around her.

Providing a safe, clean, well resourced and supportive environment is something I’m fortunate to experience everyday as Head of The Hits Network at New Zealand Media & Entertainment so it’s something I want to help the school continue to achieve for our tamariki.

Dan Dalton | Vice President

Born in Gisborne, but raised and lived on the North Shore for the best part of 40 years.

I am a graduate of Forrest Hill Primary, TNIS and Westlake Boys and then headed into the corporate commercial media world. On early visits to Takapuna Primary we always felt very welcome, immediately felt part of the community and were impressed by the learning environment, facilities and the diversity within the school which seems to replicate a modern day New Zealand.

My application to be Vice President stems from my desire to give back to our rangitahi and ensure they have the best possible environment to learn and create a positive experience for all students and their families. I believe my commercial experience will help in connecting Takapuna Primary School with local communities and businesses to raise much needed funds and also build back connections and relationships between families and school staff in a post-Covid world.

Zeenobiyah McGowan | President

My name is Zeenobiyah McGowan (Zeenie), and as a mum to two children at TPS (Saraiah – Year 4 and Zahayvah – Year 2) I am passionate about creating a “village” for my children and other children in the community to thrive in.

My previous career was in the University environment as an academic researching and lecturing in Management and Organisation Studies. I have a particular interest in equity and social justice and founded a charitable organisation focused on enhancing education opportunities for children in Kenya. In more recent years I have been running my own company in the hospitality industry whilst developing deeper roots in our local community.

This year, while managing the transition from the PTA to the SCG, my focus has been on creating a strong working relationship with the school management, the BoT, the SCG committee and our TPS families. I love being involved in organising events and seeing our beautifully diverse community coming together. Creating this sense of belonging and togetherness is what ultimately drives me.

End of term celebrations

On the Thursday of every end of Term (last week of term) we celebrate the term together. We have:

• Special lunch treat for children to purchase
• Wheels day (scooters and bikes – with helmets). Children can scoot around a marked track, with lots of teachers out watching them!
• Gold coin donation – non-uniform day

The next day, we finish the term with our full school uniform!