Staff

About Me

Kia ora
Ko Ray taku ingoa.
I am the Deputy Principal and syndicate leader of the senior school syndicate, Te Hokioi.
I have been at Te Aro school since 2005. Before that I worked in London for four years and Gisborne for three years.
Outside of school I enjoy sports with time spent coaching rugby teams and I love mountain biking on Wellington's many tracks. I also visit Lyall Bay and Seatoun beaches often, walking my rather naughty dog.

E: rteahen@tearo.school.nz

About Me

I am a daughter, niece, wife, aunty, and an extremely proud mother of two awesome kids. I come from a hugely supportive and wonderful family. Family is everything to me! My maternal grandfather came to New Zealand in 1933 from India, and soon after made Wellington his home. I too have called Wellington home since I was born here. The waterfront, south coast, and the Brooklyn hills are where you’ll find my family, that is if we are not at the local hockey turf, cricket pitch or nets!
I have been teaching for more than 20 years. At the end of 2017, I gave up full time teaching and my leadership role, so I could spend more time with my kids and enjoy a better work/life balance! I am very grateful to Te Aro School for taking this somewhat opinionated, highly motivated teacher into their kura. I currently work part time in Pohutakawa alongside Katie and Ray., and have been privileged to work in the garden to table cooking programme with the year 5 and 6 tamariki. I have a wealth of literacy knowledge and love connecting with students, colleagues, and whanau through my teaching.
Outside of teaching, I run Junior hockey for the Wellington Indian Sports Club, I love to read, cook, watch sports, take photos, the South Coast of Wellington, spending time with my family, and travelling although I am not a fan of flying! Go figure!

E: meenav@tearo.school.nz

About Me

E: afsanaa@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora tātou.
Ko Mathew ahau.
I have been teaching at this amazing inner city school since 2016.
I love the diversity of our community and enjoy learning about and celebrating the cultures of our tamariki. I have taught in a number of schools within Aotearoa, as well as Melbourne, London and South Korea. I am very passionate about The Arts and love contributing to our senior kapa haka and providing students with opportunities to express themselves through visual art. In my downtime I love drinking coffee, listening to music, driving, street photography, swimming and spending time with my whānau.

E: mathewq@tearo.school.nz

About Me

I tipu ake ahau ki te tawharau o Matairangi.
Ko te Moana o Raukawa te Moana e rū nei tōku ngakau.
Nō Ingarani, nō kotirana, nō Wīwī ōku tupuna, nō reira, ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi te waka e whakatūhono ana.
Kei te noho ahau ki te Motu Kairangi.
He kaiako au ki a Rūma Mānuka.
I'm Tess and I teach year 5's and 6's in Rūma Mānuka with Mathew. I started teaching at Te Aro in 2015 as a relief teacher, and was lucky to be offered a full time job a few years later. I feel so lucky to work at the coolest school in Wellington, with some of the most fabulous teachers and the coolest kids in the city.
When I am not teaching I like doing lots of different things. I'm passionate about learning te reo Māori, and even though learning a language is a challenge, I love it. I love getting outdoors on the weekends when the weather lets me. I like rock climbing, tramping, swimming, and riding my bike.

E: tessad@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora Koutou,
Ko Anna toku ingoa.
I am the Deputy Principal responsible for the Tuatara Syndicate our Year 0-4 whānau. I also teach in Rūma Nīkau at Y 3 / 4.
Outside of school I am a keen practitioner of Karate. I train with Seido Karate and have done so for the last 30 years.
I love being outside gardening, swimming in the sea and generally hanging out with my family.

E: annam@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora koutou.
Ko Kristin toku ingoa.
I've had the privilege of teaching at Te Aro since 2009 and have been a class teacher in both the Tuatara and Te Hokioi Syndicates in that time. I am currently the teacher in Rūma Tarata. When I'm not at school I spend time hanging out with my family, trying to tame both my house and my garden, going to movies and concerts, riding my bike and walking and I do lots of reading.

E: kristinh@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora Koutou, Ko Serah Mehrtens tāku ingoa, Nō Te tai Tokerau ahau. My name is Serah and I teach the new entrant students in Tawa. Last year I moved to Wellington from the Far North. I am enjoying being part of the Te Aro School community and learning all about the diverse range of students we have here. I love the schools unique position on the Terrace and I think it is a beautiful setting for us to be working in. I am excited about the year ahead and I look forward to meeting all of you. When I am not at mahi I am usually walking my dog, cooking, being near the water or reading. Mauri Ora!

E: serahm@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora koutou Ko Te Arawa te waka Ko Waitaha te iwi Ko Claire tōku ingoa I am so blessed to be able to combine two of my passions to be Te Aro schools beekeeper and teacher. As well as teaching at Te Aro, I also relieve at a local school in the Northern suburbs. I live in Johnsonville with my husband and 3 children, two cats and 3 bee hives. In my spare time I’ll be in the garden, at the beach or in the kitchen whipping up treats for whānau and friends.

E:

About Me

Kia Ora,
I’m Cathie and my main teaching role here at Te Aro is working with our English language learners, both in their classrooms and in smaller groups. I am responsible for our ‘First Language Time’ programme which encourages students to share, maintain and be proud of their home languages and cultures.
I also help with organising our library and promoting book related events, which gives me the chance to feed my passion for children’s literature!
I love that Te Aro has such a diverse group of learners and I feel really lucky to work with students, whānau and colleagues from around the world.

E: ccahill@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora koutou,
Ko Katie tōku ingoa.
I am a teacher in Pōhutukawa teaching the Year 7/8 students. I have been working back at Te Aro School this year after two years living in the UK. Before that, I worked at Te Aro for 8 years and also taught in London for four years. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the beach and baking.

E: katien@tearo.school.nz

About Me

Kia ora koutou, Ko Hannah toku ingoa. I teach in Rūma Ngaio and I am the Deputy Principal responsible for the Tuatara Syndicate - our Year 0-3 whānau. I have taught at two schools in Wellington for the last 14 years and in the UK before that! I am so looking forward to getting to know everyone at Te Aro School. Outside of school I enjoy spending time in nature - going camping, walking along the Skyline, tramping and visiting Ōtari Wiltons Bush and Zealandia. I also love reading and playing board games and visiting the theatre with my friends.

E:

About Me

Kia Ora, I’m Moana My pronouns are she/ her and I whakapapa to Kāi Tahu & Kāti Māmoe. I’ve been teaching since 2015 mostly in Wellington & in junior classes. I’ve split this year between my parents (in Pahiatua) and my partner’s family (in Wales) so our baby could have some whanau time and we could have a bit of sleep! We are super excited to be moving back to Aro Valley for 2026 and I can’t wait to join Te Aro school. I love teaching because I get to learn new things constantly and working with awesome young people. Outside of school I like hiking, reading, playing with my daughter, music and cooking. To answer some commonly asked questions: I do like the movie ‘Moana’, my favourite book is the paper bag princess, my favourite dinosaur is the diplodocus and my favourite colour is green.

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