Dip ECE, Bed, MEd) is a mother, registered teacher and child advocate for holistic wellbeing and planet kindness.

Raised on the family farm in Sth Canterbury  her love for nature, wellbeing, adventure and a lifelong commitment to bettering education began.She has been educating children and adults for 20+ years in Europe, Asia, and Australaisia and spent her time researching, reflecting and observing what makes children’s hearts and minds sing. In response to this she has founded Talking Tree Hill: an outdoor creative educational facility based on beautiful Waiheke Island AND nature2classroom a creative nature education programme delivered online for schools and homeschoolers in Aotearoa. Her vision is for equal access to creative nature  education for all children.

Nick began his teaching career in 2008 and has spent the majority of his time in West Auckland, teaching across a range of year levels from new entrants to Year 6. Throughout his career, he has also held a variety of leadership roles, developing his expertise in innovative practices, teacher development, and school improvement. In addition, he has worked as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Auckland, supporting and mentoring student teachers.

In 2016, he completed a Master of Educational Leadership and Management (First-Class Honours), with a focus on the vital role of teacher leaders in primary schools. His research was later published, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on leadership in education.

Since 2019, Nick has been the principal of Waiheke Primary School, leading the school with a strong focus on student wellbeing and academic excellence. He also serves as the Kāhui Ako Leader for WaiCoL—the Waiheke Community of Learning—bringing together the island’s three state schools and five early learning centres to foster collaboration and enhance student outcomes.

Beyond his work in schools, Nick is actively involved in the wider education sector as Chair of the Complaints Assessment Committee for the Teaching Council, where he helps determine outcomes for conduct complaints and mandatory reports involving teachers.

Passionate about education and the holistic development of children, Nick believes that achieving the best outcomes for students starts with highly skilled, well-supported, and valued teachers. His leadership is grounded in ensuring that every child has access to high-quality learning experiences that nurture their academic, social, and emotional growth.

BSc, PhD, RGMApplied Clinical Research in New Zealand; Honorary Academic with School of Population Health, University of Auckland; Practitioner of Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM), Music and Movement Therapy

Jaimie is a cognitive neuroscientist specialising in cognition, vision, attention, and leading clinical trials; with a passion for using cutting-edge research to apply to patients and clients in the form of novel therapies or clinical tools. She is an island-based mother of a teen and a tween, and has developed a clinical imagery questionnaire, a visual therapy for the cortically blind and is currently designing clinical trials for RGM and the Talking Tree Hill innovators.