Our People: Mel Taite-Pitama
A catch up with the principal of Tuahiwi School Mel Taite-Pitama.
1. Tell us a bit about your self - where are you from, your family and what are your hobbies?
My father is from Tauranga and my mother from the Waikato. They raised me in Woodend where I did my primary schooling and then attended Rangiora High School. I lived in Tuahiwi most of my adolescent years. I have a brother who is a painter and owns his own painting business, The Paint Boss.
I am married to Mathias Pitama and we have three children: Sheldon, 22, lives in Brisbane and is a semi professional rugby league player doing his apprenticeship in Civil Construction. Jadah is 19 and is at university studying Māori Indigenous Studies and Te Reo Māori hoping to be a teacher, and Halle, 14, who is at Haeata Community Campus hoping to be a journalist and professional rugby player.
My 3 year old grandson Te Koha is the most beautiful boy. I'd walk across coals for him.
I play touch rugby for Canterbury. We are about to go to Auckland for Nationals in March.
I love sport, I rode horses for a long time, good food is important to me and so is travelling, but I'm a girl too...I love dressing up and putting on a great dress and red lippy!
2. What is the best thing about living/working in North Canterbury?
I love that work is close to home and that where I work is like being at home. I have always lived in NC, my husband and I decided when we had children we would never move them away from their grandparents.
It's important to us that our children know who they are and where they belong.
3. What are the three best things about Tuahiwi School?
The whānau and tamariki - they are super cool.
We are unique - There is no other school doing what we are doing in NC and I would say in Chch. Ask me what we do differently and the list is infinite.
The committed, dedicated staff who come to work every day to inspire and motivate our learners whilst nurturing them alongside their whānau.
4. Tell us something wonderful about Tuahiwi that we might not know.?
In the 80's, at the time my husband was about 8 years old, his mum and dad would drop him off at the 5 Cross Roads and he would walk from one end of the pā to the other. He would end up at Aunty Patricia Silk-Anglem's house on the corner of Bramley's Road.
On his journey about 27 of the maybe 35 houses he passed were relations. He would visit aunties and uncles, taua, poua and cousins while his parents were at the marae.
5. What is the best, most rewarding part of your job?
I love creating extraordinary opportunities for people. I'm always looking to see what and how I can help young people succeed.
When you have been in education for as long as I have you cross many people's paths and when they come back to you when they are adults and they still have a love for you, that's cool....you know you have been a positive influence in their lives, and for many made a massive difference.
Every day is different when you are in a kura, I love that...I never know what the day will bring or who I might meet.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.7% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.3% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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