Meet the Candidates for 2022 WSC Parent-elected Board members

On Monday 22nd of August at 7pm, there was an opportunity for our school community to meet the following six candidates standing for election – either at school or online (via Google Meet).

The recording from the discussion is available here.

 

Meet the Candidates for 2022 parent-elected Board members

 

Alicia Murray

My name is Alicia and I live in Morningside with my husband and 3 children. My stepson was a student at Springs from 2017-2021 and is now in his first year at university. My son is at Pasadena Intermediate and is enrolled to start Springs in 2023. My daughter is in her last year at Mt Albert Primary and will eventually follow her brothers to Springs. We are active in our local community and love living in the area.

I have been on the board at Mt Albert Primary for 6 years. With the kids growing up and moving on to secondary school it is a good time for me to follow that progression.

I believe that I have skills to offer the board of trustees and the wider community and I would like to play a small part in making sure that WSC continues to celebrate diversity and support all students in building foundations for a bright future

I am a practising lawyer and will bring strong analytical and critical thinking skills to the Board. My previous board experience means I understand the role of the board and the governance function it serves. I look forward to deepening my relationships with the Western Springs College community.

 

Jackie Floyd

Hi. I have a daughter in year 11, twin sons in year 9, and a nephew in year 13, at WSC. I have lived in Grey Lynn/ Westmere for over 20 years and I am a firm believer in sending my children to their local school, and in the importance of the local community.

What I love about this school is how well placed it is to help prepare our children for their future, from the collaborative approach between WSC and NPoW, to the way the school embodies the values of fairness, diversity, creativity and sustainability, to the new building (which has many similarities to my corporate work building).

In terms of the value I could bring to the Board, I am an in-house commercial lawyer with significant experience in large organisations, leading strategic projects, and working with governors. Based on my own work experiences, I am a strong advocate of the importance of both academic achievement and the overall wellbeing and all-round development of our children, who are our future workforce. Another focus area of mine is on clear communications, and the availability of easily accessible and up to date information and data about the school and student achievement.

Personally, I grew up in Mt Albert and went to Avondale College, finishing many years ago (1990!). However, I still have extremely fond memories of my high school years, the opportunities I had to learn and grow through a variety of experiences, and how well the public school helped prepare me for life. I am passionate about ensuring our children at WSC/NPoW also have fond memories of their high school years and that they too are well prepared for life.

I fully commit to the roles I take on, and I would be honoured to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of WSC/NPoW.

Jackie

 

James Alex Stewart

Kia Ora. I have recently moved to the area and want to get more involved in the community and my son’s schooling. I am impressed by Western Springs so far and want to continue its success.

I run my own business and come from a legal background. I believe my legal background might be helpful to the board.

 

Sarah Tizard

Kia Ora. My name is Sarah Tizard. I am the parent of Koria, a year 10 student at Western Springs College – Ngã Puna O Waiōrea. Last year I was co-opted onto the Board of Trustees to be the Pacifica Parent Representative. I found this role challenging and rewarding. I learnt a lot of valuable new skills in my time on the Board and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect. I developed a whole new respect for the complexities involved in running a school but also a huge respect for the dedication of the staff and the teams that keep our amazing school up and running

I have lived locally all my life, growing up in Herne Bay and currently living in Ponsonby. Making a contribution to, and building relationships within the local community is very important to me.

I have a background in business and office management in the medical sector. I have a range of professional and social skills that reflect my life experience, and my 14 years as a single parent to my son. I have a strong understanding of what it entails to support children who are neurodiverse/with disabilities and how difficult it can be at times to access and advocate for our children. In my spare time I help run a non-profit organisation that rosters meals with our volunteers to feed the homeless in conjunction with the Auckland City Mission

I am committed to supporting the Staff and School Leaders in doing their incredibly complex and vital jobs to see every student achieve their potential, as well as representing parents and caregivers to understand and access everything our school and this community has to offer our families. I see the need for a parent and caregiver advocate on the Board, who understands the school’s values and processes, who respects the professionals’ expertise and works to enable everyone to feel heard, accepted and encouraged to participate as fully as possible.

Western Springs College – Ngã Puna O Waiōrea has a proud reputation for delivering academic excellence, as well as a wide range of cultural, social and sporting opportunities, to our young people. I would like to see the growth of our Co-Governance moving forward and welcome this whole heartedly.

I would love the opportunity to represent our school community again and thank you for the opportunity to stand for a position on the Board of Trustees in this election.

 

Joseph McCready

I am a born and bred Aucklander of Pacific and Irish heritage and currently live in Grey Lynn with my family. I am father of four, one finished school, one in Y9 at Western Springs and two at Primary/Intermediate School. I am a registered landscape architect by trade, but also have a Bachelor of Commerce degree. I currently work as a Team Leader for landscape architecture and project management in a multidisciplinary consultancy firm located out in Henderson. I am a keen sports fan and coach/support all my kids to play numerous sports – so we are very busy on the weekends! I am seeking election to the Board as I think it is a critical time in NZ for educational reform and the evolution of both curriculum and learning direction in a changing world. I also hope my skills may be of use to the Board in their second stage of re-development to make the school the best place it can be for all the students, teachers and community.

 

Joshua Hosking

My name is Josh Hosking and I am the shamelessly proud dad of a year 10 student at Western Springs College. I am putting my name forward to join WSC board as I am impassioned about continuous improvement and world class opportunities to learn and develop for our growing teenagers.

We’ve spent a number of years abroad with international schools before returning home 4 years ago. We wanted our child to have the opportunity to settle back into New Zealand, attend High School and make their own choice of what the future may hold. I’m a swimmer and ‘part-time’ runner in the hope to balance my obsession of a good cheese board and glass of vino.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve quickly come to realise that High School is not what it was when we were our children’s age. NCEA did not exist (I’m of School C and Bursary era!), social media was not competition for good conversation around the family dinner table or play time at school. Mental health was little talked about but the mental wellness of teenagers and social pressures have never been as dynamic as they are today. New Zealand’s achievement scores in reading, writing and math were not near the bottom of OECD countries either. This is a pertinent time in our education system and shaping the roadmap ahead at WSC will impact the lives of our children for years to come.

WSC is blessed with new, world class facilities, caring teachers, beautiful and diverse cultures with a growing student population which we know will require continued funding and investment to meet their needs. As a school community, we have the obligation to make certain we provide an inclusive culture and an uncompromising position to put our children’s health and educational achievements first.

I have been a member of direct and independent boards for the last 8 years and along with my experience and inquisitive nature, I believe the importance of education, the role that it plays socially and academically will shape our children’s future.

I thank you for considering me in this appointment and look forward to having the opportunity to introduce myself in person.

 

Anna Fatai (withdrew as candidate on Mon 22 Aug 2022)