I have been teaching at Omokoroa No1 School for ten years, at first part time and now full time. I have three teenage boys and live locally.

I believe in creating a fun, stimulating environment which fosters in children a desire to learn whilst feeling safe and secure. Nurturing both their social and academic wellbeing is paramount.

Along with Chris Broadhurst and Rae O’Hara I am responsible for organizing our annual Pet Day and usually end up looking after anywhere between 50 and 120 day old chickens! I am also responsible for organizing the Peer Mediators within our school and coordinating our Values programme, both of which I feel add to the wonderful, positive and supportive feeling of our school.

Community contact is also an area I feel strongly about and, in this role, I am responsible for our articles in the Omokoroa Omelette, our foyer displays and other art displays. I am coordinator of our Gifted and Talented resources and am at present coordinating our whole school Whoppatunity Day as a lead in to enabling children with a passion and talent for visual arts to participate in an eight week extension drawing programme.

I am extremely interested in any way in which children’s learning can be enhanced. This has led me to having a very keen interest in our handwriting, reading and spelling programme THRASS, and becoming a resource person for this. I also coordinate our art supplies within the school.

Until this year, I have been teaching in the middle school here at Omokoroa No1, particularly in the Yr 6 area. This year I have had a change and have gone back to my previous area of experience, the New Entrant class. I believe that change is healthy for us all and provides the opportunity to revise and refresh our teaching. As much as I miss my relationships with the older children I am really enjoying the enthusiasm and ‘spongelike’ attitude of this age.

I think we are all very lucky to be involved in such a positive and dynamic school.