

Welcome

Kia Orana Tatou Katoatoa,
Welcome to Apii Te Uki Ou! We are located on the seaside in Ngatangiia, on Rarotonga’s East coast.
We are an independent school that was formed over thirty years ago as an ECE in a garage based on the Montessori model of education. After several moves due to rapid expansion, we are now an ECE (3 years old) – Year 8 full primary school, recently expanding to Year 9. We have 280 students with 30 full-time staff members.
We pride ourselves on our ‘Inclusive Education’ philosophy and have several students with additional needs who are well supported by our team of teachers and teacher’s aides within the school. We have improved upon this support by employing the expertise of a Learning Support Coordinator full time to improve our ability to meet the needs of those who need a little extra to learn.
As a school, we value Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC), and this features heavily across our programmes, helping learners make sense of their learning by connecting them to real-life experiences.
Like all schools in the Cook Islands, Apii Te Uki Ou enjoys unlimited internet capability, and the Board of Governors and school leaders are focussed on consolidating and enhancing our innovative learning environments through generously funding our hardware, software and infrastructure to enable IT-integrated teaching and learning programmes.
Currently, all of our classroom teachers are Cook Island, New Zealand or Australian-trained teachers and our teaching and learning programmes are always of the highest standard.
Our Te Reo and Cultural programmes are a big part of who we are and we continually feature strongly in all interschool or community-initiated cultural events. We are actively involved in a wide range of sporting activities, and the interschool competitions are always something we look forward to competing in across all codes!
We offer a values-centred education aiming to prepare our children with strong academic and social foundations to be competent leaders of the future.
Do drop by and visit if you’re ever in the neighbourhood, you’re always welcome!
Meitaki Ma’ata e Kia Manuia!
Kim Noovao, Principal, SENCO
Meet Our Teachers

Sophia Panzarella

Carmen Dodd

Saireni Pekepo - Poila
Senior School Assistant Principal
Yr 9 Teacher Tavake

Manon Fleming
Junior School Team Leader
Yr 1 Teacher Kuriri

Stacey McCormack
Junior School Assistant Principal
Yr 5/6 Teacher Ka'oko

Shana Kamana
Teacher Kura

Pearl Cleaver
Culture Leader
Culture and Te Reo Teacher
Natasha Tafa Maoate
Teacher Kura

Kia Orana, My name Aunty Tash and I am a part of the Preschool squad. I am Samoan | Cook Island and have been in ECE for 8+ years.

Lydia Hammersley
Yr 2 Teacher Kakerori

Lucy Marshall
Yr 5/6 Teacher Kuramo'o

Matt Schmidt
Yr 8 Teacher - Kota'a
Yr 3/4 Teacher Kotuku

Naomi Schmidt
Yr 7 Teacher - Kakaia

Mary Bagnell
Support Teacher
Yr 3/4 Teacher - Kukupa

Rachel O’Sullivan
Yr 7 Teacher Kopeka

Hamish Bennett
Support Teacher
Meet Our Support Staff

Tina Mitchell
Office Administrator

Harriet Brown

Tangata Noovao
Caretaker

Mere Ravonu Tearaitoa

Chris Bishop
Learning Support Assistant

Samantha Knowles
Learning Support Assistant

Mereana Atatoa Carr
Learning Support Assistant

Teariki Ra
Performance Tutor
Learning Support Assistant

Miria Kietonga
Office Assistant

Marlina Nicholas
Learning Support Assistant
Learning Support Assistant

Lani Vano
Learning Support Assistant

Emma Carlson
Learning Support Assistant