Deanne Thomas

Deanne recently joined the CORE team as one of the TMoA Regional Co-ordinators. She also owns her own company in partnership with a good friend and colleague, Kotaretu is their trading name.  Kotaretu is contracted to the Ministry of Education and other education associated groups, they deliver curriculum services including Te Whakapiki i te Reo Māori programmes to Māori medium teachers across the country. Deanne has had a long association with Te Hiringa i te Mahara and the Ministry of Education. She is the writer of a number of resource materials published for Maori medium schools and teachers.

Deanne lives in Palmerston North,  but travels all over the country.  She particularly loves Taranaki and has worked up there for the past 15 years – commuting from Palmerston North.  She hails from Ngati Kahungunu in a small beach township called Porangahau.  Deanne has 2 adult children and 3 gorgeous mokopuna. 

Deanne is particularly interested in Maori language, history and present day developments.  She also enjoys reading and writing, visual music and performing Maori arts. Deanne says she enjoys her mokopuna and her whanau but says she hates flash electronic toys, and has no love of rugby either, they both confuse her.

Deanne keeps very busy at home, she and her husband, along with their daughter, own and manage a motel in Palmerston North. This is suited to her personality as she enjoys meeting people (most people anyway!), and also loves to travel and see other parts of the country and the world. She also has an interest in other indigenous cultures, their history struggles and successes.