Kaya Butterfield

My name is Kaya Butterfield and I am standing for the Board of Trustees for Matua Ngaru School. I am married to Mathew, and am Mum to Lydia and Evie who are in Year One this year, and their little brother Archie who has just turned three. I have a Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Imaging. Prior to having children, I enjoyed a career as a Radiographer, both in New Zealand and the UK, predominantly Auckland City and Starship Children’s Hospitals in Auckland, and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London. I have always enjoyed working with children. I have a genuine belief that investing deeply in their early development plays a crucial role in nurturing the adults of the future into becoming the positive changemakers of their generation, particularly in this world of such swift change in technology and society. Since having children I have become more engaged in exploring my whakapapa Māori, especially as we regularly visit family in Te Tai Tokerau. I am pleased that my children will benefit from Matua Ngaru’s recognition of the bi-cultural heritage of Aotearoa. It is a rare and wonderful opportunity to be involved in a school right from its very beginnings. I would be honoured to have a chance to be part of the team responsible for helping Matua Ngaru develop and grow to its utmost potential, and to help create a strong history for the school. I am a member of the Friends of Matua Ngaru, and I am excited to be helping to plan our first event next month, as I think it will be a great way of strengthening Matua Ngaru’s community spirit and character. I am also manager of the Year One and Two netball team. My work history within multidisciplinary hospital teams, and my rich life experience to date, has taught me many skills, and I thoroughly enjoy working as part of a team. I am a good listener, a logical thinker and an articulate speaker. I feel blessed to have been able to put my career on hold and focus on being a stay-at-home parent while my children are little, and I am very invested in the journey all three of my children will make at Matua Ngaru. I believe that given the chance I can make a positive impact to our school in the future.