Rachel Graves and Kylie Semu joined the board after the AGM late last year as community representatives.

Rachel has a background in teaching and lives in Wellington’s Lyall Bay with her partner and their blended family of three girls. Her youngest, Sophie, attends Lyall Bay and Te Ō Newtown Kindergartens, where Rachel also works as a relief teacher while completing her PhD. Rachel says she stood for the board because she is passionate about making sure that kindergarten thrives and that it continues to be accessible to families.

“I want all communities to have access to high-quality early childhood education and I value the strong connection that kindergartens foster between tamariki, whānau, and kaiako.” Rachel recently completed a master's degree in educational leadership, using Whānau Manaaki as a case study. She believes in placing the voices of tamariki, whānau, and kaiako at the centre of decisions.

Kylie lives in Upper Hutt and she currently has one child attending Irmgard Ritchie Kindergarten. She is very family orientated and has a large extended family highlighted by their weekly family dinners where there can be 40+ attending. She also has a passion for giving back to her community through various coaching and volunteering roles.

Kylie stood for the board as she is passionate about early childhood education and its role in developing children before they head off to school. Going through the journey herself she really values what great early childhood teaching is and is grateful to be a position to be able to represent the community on our board.

Image: Left - Rachel Graves. Right - Kylie Semu