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
Meet Our Teachers
Sophia Panzarella
Declan Sheridan
Saireni Pekepo - Poila
Senior Leadership Team
Yr 7/8 Teacher Kaiaia
Manon Fleming
Junior School Team Leader
Yr 2 Teacher Kakerori
Deborah Lyttle
Junior College
Yr 9 Teacher Tavake
Shana Kamana
Teacher Kura
Karen Parker
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 1 Teacher Kuriri
Tracy Katene
Yr 5/6 Teacher Ka'oko
Kim Aylward
Learning Support
Yr 3/4 Teacher Kotuku
Sarah Dean
Yr 5/6 Teacher - Kuramo'o
Mary Bagnell
Support Teacher
Yr 3/4 Teacher - Kukupa
Lynda Declan
Yr 7/8 Teacher Kopeka
Teariki Ra
Performance Tutor
Meet Our Support Staff
Tina Mitchell
Office Administrator
Mere Ravonu Tearaitoa
Tangata Noovao
Caretaker
Samantha Knowles
Chris Bishop
Learning Support Assistant
Marlina Nicholas
Learning Support Assistant
Learning Support Assistant
Learning Support Assistant
Learning Support Assistant
Office Assistant
Learning Support Assistant