
Principal | Mary Woods

Years 0 – 3 | Karen Hamilton
I am creative and I enjoy hands on activities that explore our senses. I come from an Art and Design background and I am passionate about using creativity to access and explore learning across the curriculum.
I believe curiosity is our natural path toward discovery and development. When I walked into Matahui school, I felt at home with the beautiful balance of core learning wrapped in inquiry that encourages the child to flourish in a way that best suits them. The small class size creates a warm and nurturing environment for children to grow.
In my spare time I enjoy dabbling in my garden and DIY projects around the house. I am always excited to take on new tasks and work things out, it is a tremendous feeling when it all comes together.
My goal as a teacher is to help children become confident in themselves and to discover their love of learning.

Years 4 – 6 | Colleen Brink
Hi, my name is Colleen. I am a mother to two daughters and a stepmom to two boys. We are an active family, busy with a wide range of sports including surfing, surf lifesaving and yoga. I love a good book, photography, gardening and spending time with my family and friends. I am originally from Zimbabwe, and immigrated to New Zealand with my family when I was 16. I completed my schooling and worked on a dairy farm in the Waikato before studying primary school teaching. I returned to Africa to build and run a small school in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia for children aged 2 – 10 years old. I managed a safari camp while I was there, as well as teaching and working as a safari guide. I returned to NZ, and worked as a zero waste educator before working as an ECE teacher. I have completed my qualifications as a Level 3 Forest School Leader. I have been working as a forest school teacher in Cambridge for the last three years working with children aged 3- 6 years old. I love working with all the different age groups, watching them explore, discover and create. I especially enjoy teaching children about wildlife and nature, sharing my passion for conservation and sustainability. My goal as a teacher is to help children to become successful lifelong learners, who are confident, independent and resilient.

Years 7 – 8 | Kathryn Burtenshaw

Music & French | Christine Deschamps

Marketing | Kristine Aitchison
Hi, I’m Kristine and I’m the marketing manager/administrator/grants coordinator at Matahui School. I am fairly new to the Bay of Plenty, having moved down from the big smoke (Auckland) to the friendly shores of Omokoroa in December 2019 with my partner – Luke, my very energetic 3-year-old – Gaige, and our equally active Doberman/Labrador cross – Mowgli. So far, we love living close to the beach and are making the most of the relaxed, friendly lifestyle. I have a Bachelor of Communications and over six years’ experience working in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors in marketing and communications. Prior to this, I worked in the tourism industry.
Office Administration | Abbie Buskirk
Board of Trustees
Craig McCullough - Chairperson
Stephanie Hume
Andrew Dallas
Andrew George
Mary Woods - Principal