Board of Trustees
OAS Board of Trustees 2023
Every state and state-integrated school and kura in New Zealand must have a board of trustees.
The board of trustees is a crown entity – it is part of the public sector.
Read more about the role of boards of trustees in New Zealand schools
Current Board Members
Ashlea Murphy - Co-opted Member - Presiding Member
Hi/Kia ora, my name is Ashlea Murphy.
My partner and I are sharemilkers in Onewhero. As well as being a sharemilker, I work as a legal consultant at a HR consulting company. I have two children, one of which attends Onewhero Area School.
I am looking forward to bringing my skill set to the Board to assist, develop and progress the important work that the Board carries out for the teachers, students and community.
I believe it is important that our children are given the best environment to learn in, both at school and at home. Education is an important journey for our children. I look forward to working alongside the other trustees to ensure we are making this journey an easy, progressive, fun and rewarding one.
He waka eke noa.
Email: a.murphy@onewhero.school.nz
Amelia Morgan - Parent Representative - Deputy Chair
I am an active, engaging member of the Board of Trustees for OAS, focused on monitoring and adding value to the strategic direction of the school, in line with our vision of being the best we can be, with no limits. With 5 years as President of Pukekawa Playcentre, I am experienced in governance processes, working within a public organisation and within the New Zealand education system. I have a Horticultural business in its infancy establishing a commercial
orchard, and 3 children under 10, at OAS whom I passionately support and encourage.
Over the last 12 months I have been taking Te Reo Maori classes to improve my pronunciation, and cultural understanding, as part of my commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in my role on the board. I have also completed two NZSTA governance workshops, to cement the fundamental principles of being a Trustee. In the work that I undertake, I pride myself on my rigorous review of board documents, thoughtful consideration and non-partial opinions. I believe bold visions are needed for our school but with detailed plans with thorough investigations. I believe that a strong team and an outstanding leader will see our school thrive, with the support of our whanau and the wider community.
Owein Greaves - Parent Representative
Kia ora koutou katoa, I’m privileged to be serving my second term on our BOT (having joined September 2019). Onewhero Area School provides quality education and offers a diverse range of opportunities for our children across sporting, academic, and cultural pursuits – which as a BOT is at the forefront of our minds.
I’m a father of five (four of whom currently attend the school), teacher trained and currently work in the finance sector. I enjoy utilising my experience harnessed over the previous years to support the OAS team to be the best we can – no limits!
Corinne Anderson - Parent Representative
Hi, I’m Corinne Anderson, originally from the King Country my family and I moved to Te Kohanga in 2014 where we manage a dairy farm.
I have 3 children 15, 10 and 3.
I have been involved on School and Playcentre Association boards since 2007.
I have a good understanding of the role of a board member to provide governance support to the school. I aim to have bipartisan views on issues, working with all stakeholders to find the best solution or way forward. I am reliable, organised and able to balance my time across family while managing our dairy farm.
Derwyn Fail - Parent Representative
Graham Eskdale - Parent Representative
Graham Eskdale is currently employed by Ravensdown Fertiliser as a Programme / Project manager for the National distribution network.
Born and raised on a Sheep and Beef farm in the West Otago area, and obtaining a degree in commerce and farm management, rural values are core to how he operates. These are well balanced by skills and experience obtained with over 28 years of experience in various corporate roles from customer-facing roles through to managing multimillion-dollar logistics and construction projects.
Working with people and understanding that each has a perspective to offer, keeping an eye on the future, and maintaining a sense of humour are all part of ”getting the job done.”
TBC - Whaanau Rep - Co-opted Member
Details to come.
Gayle Bovill - Staff Representative
Gayle has been a member of staff at Onewhero Area School since 2014 and has
lived in the area for most of her life. Many years ago, Gayle was also a
student at Onewhero Area School. Originally taking on a long-term relief
position in 2014, she was then appointed Head of the Mathematics Department
in 2015. Two of Gayle’s children also attend Onewhero Area School. She is
passionate about teaching and hopes to make a positive contribution to
the Board
of Trustees during her term as the Staff Representative.
Rebecca Bills - Principal
My name is Rebecca Bills and I am the Tumuaki or Principal at Onewhero Area School.
Welcome to our school. Our school was founded in 1891 and goes from Year 0 through to Year 13. It is the heart of our rural community.
Here at Onewhero Area School, we teach the whole student, supporting students to develop the skills they need not just to thrive and succeed here at school but in their lives.
At Onewhero Area School we extend the learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our students see learning as part of everyday life and contribute to learning in our community. They learn the skills to be proactive members of society so that as adults they are confident to lead change. Whether it is the change in themselves, their families, their communities, or the wider New Zealand society.
Lei Clarke - Student Representative
Kia Ora, I’m Lei Clarke, a fourth generation student here at Onewhero Area School. I have been attending Onewhero ever since new entrance, this being my 12th year here. I aim to provide a positive contribution to our school, and bring student voice to the board, to ensure that the best interest of the students at Onewhero Area School are kept in mind. I hope to have a meaningful change to our school and community. I will strive to make sure we are doing the best we can, no limits!
Upcoming Meetings
2023 Board meetings are scheduled on these dates (mostly Tuesdays):
- January – no meeting this month
- February – Tuesday 21stFebruary
- March – Tuesday 21stMarch
- April – Thursday 27th April (Thursday due to Tuesday being ANZAC day)
- May – Tuesday 23rdMay
- June – Tuesday 20thJune
- July – Tuesday 25thJuly
- August – Tuesday 22ndAugust
- September – Tuesday 19thSeptember
- October – Tuesday 24thOctober
- November – Tuesday 21stNovember
- December – Tuesday 12thDecember
Meetings are held in the school staffroom and start at 6pm.
