Sunnyvale Primary

Charmaine Munro

Principal, Sunnyvale Primary

Charmaine grew up on a farm in rural Taupaki and attended Huapai Primary. At Rutherford High School Charmaine had planned to go nursing and went ahead and had the conventional injections but at the last minute changed her mind and joined the third intake at North Shore Teachers College. Charmaine’s first school was Greenhithe Primary, prior to the upper harbour bridge which meant a long drive every day and then she joined the staff at Henderson’s Pomaria Primary School. In 1988 she moved to Peninsula Primary (then known as Te Atatu North Primary) where she became deputy in 1995. Seven years ago Charmaine moved to Sunnyvale as principal. “I’ve always been passionate about special needs although now with a colleague I am very much involved in curriculum mapping. Teaching clearly is all about our children, their diversity and the need to be resilient. Many of our children will go to jobs that haven’t been invented yet. We’re in an ICT contract with three other schools part of which is orientated to children learning how to learn, that is a really important thing.” Sunnyvale Primary, which began in 1961, is an incredibly diverse and committed community so much so that when they have anything happening at the school everybody comes. “We have an outgoing, warm and fun environment. We love to laugh and we like to use humour so that nothing becomes too heavy. Sunnyvale is painted yellow to represent our sunshine nature.” Charmaine is immensely proud of her staff, many of whom have gone back to university to extend themselves, several of whom have progressed into jobs with the Ministry, or to become deputy principals or principals. Charmaine is married to Kelvin and they have two adult children.