Amelia Meertens, left, receives her award from National Excellence in Teaching Awards Foundation chair Catherine O’Sullivan.
Mātangi School teacher Amelia Meertens has been recognised as one of New Zealand’s standout educators with a $5000 professional development grant as part of her prize package.
Amelia Meertens
Meertens won the National Excellence in Teaching Apple award which celebrates creativity, leadership and commitment to empowering young learners.
The community-centred awards honour teachers and leaders who demonstrate excellence in their profession through contributions that advance education at local, regional and national levels.
She plans to use the grant to start a Master of Educational Leadership degree at Waikato University.
“I teach for love and to provide the best learning opportunities for my students. Teachers work long, hard hours. The award is recognition from my peers that what I do matters. It’s wonderful to be noticed.”
The Year 3 and 4 teacher leads the school’s Enviro and Production programmes and is known for placing student empowerment at the heart of her classroom.
Clear routines, visual supports and explicit teaching help students understand not just what they are learning, but why it matters.
“It’s about giving students the skills and confidence to make meaningful decisions,” said Meertens.
“We talk about our successes of the day. Sometimes it’s academic, and sometimes it’s something like, ‘I didn’t give up when the puzzle got tricky.’ Both matter.”
Her leadership of Mātangi’s environmental programme provides rich, hands-on learning. Students plan gardens, sow seeds, track growth and contribute produce to the school’s Community Vege Stall.
“Kids feel such pride when they grow something from seed,” she said.
“They’re not just learning about plants. They’re learning responsibility, planning, science, teamwork, all through real, meaningful work.”
Lysandra Stuart (Glenbrook School), winner of the Founders’ Principal’s Award for Leadership, left and beside her Mātangi School teacher Amelia Meertens with the official party at the awards. Photograph: Paul Jeffers
Each day ends with reflection time, celebrating academic progress and personal growth alike.
Meertens, who is the teacher representative on the school board, also directs the school’s musical production, ensuring every child has a role.
By weaving school values into daily activities, whether in the garden, the classroom, or during play, she helps students see learning as something bigger than tasks or tests.
“It’s so important they see themselves as capable, responsible learners, not just in reading or maths, but in how they treat each other and take care of our environment,” said Meertens.
The awards have been held since 1994 and since then there have been more than 42,000 nominations with 1110 teachers recognised and $1.5 million in professional grants distributed.
National Excellence in Teaching Awards Foundation chair Catherine O’Sullivan said educators like Amelia Meertens illustrate the power of exceptional teaching.
“As an extraordinary teacher, Amelia is leaving a lasting mark on the lives of countless students.”
Lysandra Stuart (Glenbrook School) was awarded the Founders’ Principal’s Award for Leadership, reflecting her thoughtful, future-focused leadership and her work strengthening professional learning across her community.
Amelia Meertens and Lysandra Stuart
