Ruru Team

Our aim in Ruru Team is to ensure that children are ready for Intermediate School and we also want our students to know the importance of being a good citizen. 

The Ruru team is a BYOD (bring your own device) team. This provides another avenue for students to work at differentiated levels and with a degree of self-directed learning. The Year 6 students enjoy the opportunity to participate in leadership roles such as Student Leaders/student voice, Road Patrollers, Librarians, and PALS where they have support and guidance from members of our school and our community.

Room 5 - Sarah Moffat

Whaea Sarah is Ruma Rima's teacher. She began working here at Pukete in term 3 of 2023. Whaea Sarah enjoys photography, painting, reading, gardening and spending time with her whanau. Blue is Room 5’s class colour.

Room 3 - Emerson Taylor

Mr Emerson Taylor is in Room 3. His many interests include outdoor recreation, technology and sport. He loves harnessing the engagement power of games to teach new skills. Mr Taylor also has two young boys that attend Pukete School that he is very proud of. He loves organising and training our Kapa Haka team. The class colour for Room 3 is PURPLE.

ROOM 4 - Erica Andersen (Team Leader) & PIP HERRON

Mrs Andersen Is both a parent and a teacher here at Pukete School. Her passion is for The Arts, Music, Reading and all things admin. You may often hear Mrs Andersen before you see her as she is often singing. WHITE is the class colour, so come prepared to represent Room 4.

Kia Ora everyone I am Pip Herron. I work part-time, Monday - Thursday in the Ruru and Kakapo team. I am a Mum of one. I recently got married but will still continue to be known as Miss Herron or Mrs Herron. I love teaching all areas of the curriculum but especially literacy where students can extend their vocabulary, articulate their language and develop a sense of creativeness through a corresponding art activity using a variety of textiles. In my spare time I love to go mountain biking with my son and husband in Rotorua as well as wakeboarding in a secret location (otherwise you’d all be there) over the summer months. I love to run and enjoy training the Pukete kids during Cross-Country. We spend a lot of time at the beach and our favourite spot is Langs Beach. I look forward to an exciting 2025.

Room 6 - Cameron Edsall

Mr Edsall is the classroom teacher for Ruma Ono! Mr Edsall is passionate about all things literacy and technology. Mr Edsall loves incorporating his student’s passions into the class and his teaching. Outside of the classroom he is interested in chess, technology and media. The class colour for Room 6 is GREEN.

Room 7 - Sandra Hanks

Mrs Hanks is the teacher of Ruma whitu. She enjoys the arts, inquiries and sports. Sandra is co-ordinating the Year 6 Student Leaders and PALS (Physical Activity Leaders) this year. She is also on the PB4L (positive behaviour for learning) team along with the Health and PE team. Sandra enjoys supporting her class into being critical thinkers, collaborators, communicators, resilient, self-managing individuals.  ORANGE is Room 7’s class colour... ‘GO ORANGE’.

Teacher Release

Mrs Michelle Tomlin

I have been teaching part time as a release teacher at Pukete School for over 15 years in all levels of the school, occasionally working full time in my own classroom when opportunities arise that suit my own family needs. My most recent full time experience was taking the year one class in term 4 2023. I will now be working 1 day a week releasing classroom teachers across all levels and enjoy doing this to become familiar with all children in our school. My strengths are in Art, Reading and Writing. Outside of school, I enjoy reading, spending time with my family at the beach, and travelling to create new memories. I have two daughters who are both attending university, one doing her Masters in Dietetics, and the other beginning her degree in Architecture.

Jackie Phillips

I have been teaching at Pukete for over 19 years. I have taught in all areas of the school, and my last full time position was as the Kea team leader. I now teach for 2 days of the week and am privileged to be able to work in a lot of wonderful classes across the school as the curriculum release teacher. Outside of school, I am kept busy living on a lifestyle block in Tauwhare with 3 grandchildren, 4 cats, 5 sheep, a cow and numerous chickens.