What is the Board of Trustees?

The Board is a group of interested citizens (not necessarily parents/caregivers) who have been elected or appointed to act on behalf of the community to ensure the successful education of all children enrolled at the school. In Lyall Bay’s case our Board is made up of 7 elected parent representatives, 1 elected staff representative and Melanie Dean the Principal.

 

What is the Board of Trustees for?

Every state school, or state integrated school in NZ has a Board of Trustees, who act on behalf of the school’s community to ensure that the school continuously improves student progress and achievement outcomes. The board is a separate Crown entity charged with controlling “the management of the school” and as such is accountable to its parents, the community and to the government.

 

What does the Board do?

The board provides strategic leadership and direction to the school. Lyall Bay has a well developed policy framework which gives direction to guide all school activities.  The board needs to ensure the school’s policies are maintained and relevant at all times. The board is also responsible for providing a Charter for the school – which outlines how we will ensure the school is managed, organised and administered properly.

 

What doesn’t the Board do?

An important point to understand is that the Board is not responsible for the day-to-day running of the school. Our Principal (Melanie Dean) has overall responsibility for day-to-day management of the school, within the policies and delegations established and approved by the Board.

The Ministry of Education defines the difference in roles as: Primarily, the board governs, providing overall direction and control of the school, while the principal – as the school’s ‘chief executive’ –manages school operations.

 

Who are the Board of Trustees?

The current members of the Board of Trustees are as follows:

Melanie Dean (Principal)

Karl Emson (Presiding Member)

Julie Blackburn (Deputy Presiding Member)

Amanda Luxford (Willis)

Johnson Witehira

Vito Lo Iacono

Matt Hunt

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How Can You Get in Touch?

The Board of Trustee meetings are “open” meetings – that means that any of you are welcome to come along and join us to observe the meetings any time you want to. 

We have also created an email address just for the Board of Trustees. So if you would like to drop us an email, please feel free to send it to: bot@lyallbay.school.nz

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School Policies

Lyall Bay School Policies are available for you to view at www.schooldocs.co.nz.

Please contact the school office (email or phone) for the user name and password.

Copyright: Except where stated, the content on this site is the copyright of SchoolDocs Ltd. It may not be reproduced without written permission from SchoolDocs Ltd.

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BOT Member Profiles

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Karl Emson

Kia ora! My name is Karl Emson, and I have the privilege of serving as the Presiding Member of the Lyall Bay School Board of Trustees. As a passionate advocate for quality education, I am committed to supporting our school’s vision of Waihangatia Ngā Ākonga Tino Pai – Building the Best Learners.

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I have been a member of the Lyall Bay School Board since 2019, when our eldest daughter started in Ahu. Before that, I served on the Board at Evans Bay Intermediate School (EBIS). Currently, I am the Deputy Principal at South Wellington Intermediate School, and I bring both professional experience in education and a deep appreciation for the dedicated staff, engaged whānau, and wonderful tamariki that make Lyall Bay School so special. With three children now at Lyall Bay School, I feel even more connected to this fantastic community.

 

As a Board, our focus is on strong governance, fostering student achievement, and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and forward-thinking learning environment. We are committed to working closely with our school community to support our teachers and staff in delivering the best possible educational outcomes for our students.

 

Vito Lo Iacono

Vito Lo Iacono is a proud parent of 3 beautiful girls. 

My day job is supporting people to understand the effect of what they do and say has on other people, coaching and mentoring them, and providing them with tools to become better individuals.

I have been a Lyall Bay Board of Trustees member for the last 4 years.  I am committed to helping the Board and  the Principal in providing our children with the best possible environment in

support of their growth. 

My humble view is that, in today's society, the future will flourish if we provide our children with, not only the best school education, but also, a meaningful understanding of cultural diversity and the need to create and maintain the foundation for all cultures to live in harmony with each other. 

With our youngest just having started school this year, I hope I’ll be allowed to continue my personal commitment to supporting the school in creating an environment of cultural cohesion a few years longer.

 

 

 

Julia Blackburn

 

Tēnā koutou, my name is Julia Blackburn, and I have been a Board member since September 2020.

 

I believe every child deserves equal access to a good education and is supported in the right way to get the best outcomes for them as an individual.  I see the role of a Parent Trustee as an opportunity to help Melanie and her great team of teachers and support staff to continue to provide the best, safe, and happy learning environments for all our tamariki, regardless of their background, experience, or capability.

 

My husband and I live locally and have two children attending Lyall Bay School.  I work part-time as a Human Resources Manager and have a background in leadership development.

 

Amanda Luxford

 

My name is Amanda Luxford.  I am the Staff Representative on the Board.  I am also the Deputy Principal/Senco, Huetepara Team Lead, and sometimes New Entrant teacher! 

I have two sons, one studying at Otago and one at Wellington College.  I have been at Lyall Bay School for many years and really enjoy working alongside others to make Lyall Bay a wonderful place for our tamariki to be the best they can be. 

If you see me out and about I am always happy to have a chat.