Kia ora, my name is Miss Emoné Lategan and I am the New Entrant teacher in Matawhero 1.

I am from South Africa and moved to Aotearoa New Zealand 6 years ago with my immediate family. I grew up in a small coal town, very different to Kirikiriroa, Hamilton. I have two younger teina (brothers) who are twins. I completed my Bachelor of Teaching at the end of 2023 at the University of Waikato. Before stepping into my full time role, I use to be a swimming instructor. When I am not teaching, I enjoy being outdoors at the beach or on a hike. I have a great interest in fishing and hunting and enjoy the odd Sunday afternoon baking.
My hope is that you will feel comfortable, respected and a sense of belonging in my presence. My aim is to support you to be the best you, you can be and I hope that you can do the same for me.

Kia ora, my name is Mrs Bridie Carr-Neil.

I grew up in the King Country and attended a very small rural school. We lived on a sheep and beef farm before moving to Hamilton.

My husband is an engineer and we have two children, Keira and Jackson. As a family we enjoy working on our gardens and maintaining our lifestyle block. In our spare time we also enjoy snowboarding, camping, the beach, and travelling.

I began teaching in 2003 and spent many years working at country schools where I also did my Reading Recovery training.

In 2011 I came to Te Totara Primary after starting our family.

I am looking forward to working with the fabulous Matawhero Team as we support your children in their transition to school.

I enjoy the inquisitive nature of young children and how they are excited about the little things in life.

Kia Ora, my name is Ruth Crackett. I am very excited to be a part of the Matawhero team, and to be part of your child's learning journey here at Te Totara Primary School. My teaching experience has been within the Early Education Sector, primarily working for the Waikato Kindergarten Association.

I am a passionate and motivated teacher, and through my experience, knowledge, positive guidance and enthusiasm I can make an impact on your child's transition and school adventures. I want to empower children to be thinkers and encourage them to be curious about the world around them and to further support their individual learning and imaginations and give them the tools to be life-long learners.

I am married to Daniel and we have two children Hailey-Jayde and Beau. We enjoy spending time with our family and friends, going away on adventures in our caravan and we are sports fans both on and off the field.
Please come into Room 4 and say hello, I look forward to meeting you and being apart of the wonderful community at Te Totara Primary School.

Hello everyone,
My name is Nerida Laybourn. I’m from Newcastle in Australia and am in my 11th year of teaching. I have taught in Australia, London and now New Zealand.

In my spare time I enjoy cooking, spending time with family/friends and keeping fit and active.

I really look forward to another great year working with all the children, parents and staff in the Te Totara community.