Vanessa Murphy

Kia ora,

I am excited to be part of the team at Shotover Primary and look forward to my time working in Hapori D. My family and I moved to Queenstown late in 2023 and are inspired by the opportunities this beautiful part of New Zealand has to offer. My son attends Shotover Primary and my daughter is at Wakatipu High School.

I have spent the last 15 years living and teaching in Central North Island. Prior to that I taught in Auckland and have had various roles around the world in between. These experiences have allowed me to work in rural and urban settings, with a wide range of learners from diverse cultures and backgrounds. 

Education Outside the Classroom is a passion of mine as it offers limitless opportunities for growth. I love supporting tamariki to find a spark that ignites the learning light for them and enjoy learning alongside them. My aim is for all learners to achieve their full potential in a safe, happy and fun environment -  supporting them to be aspirational, kind, creative, contributing and conscious of the world around them. I place great value on building positive relationships with the tamariki in my care, their whānau and wider community. 

When I’m not at school I can be found out in nature exploring, biking, horse riding, skiing with my family or reading a great book. I look forward to meeting you and being a part of your child’s learning journey.

Chris Heald

Kia ora whānau,

Originally from Yorkshire, I have been calling Tāhuna, Queenstown home since 2018. Like most who visit this beautiful whenua, I instantly loved the active lifestyle, friendly people, and opportunities to get out into the backcountry. During my time here, I have connected with our awesome community through various hobbies and teaching the valuable life skill, swimming. After completing my teacher training in 2023, I am very excited to start my career at Shotover Primary School which played a vital role in my studies. The school values of "1% better" and "growth mindset" align perfectly with the culture I hope to foster in the classroom. 

Being dyslexic, I am very passionate about connecting with tamariki to understand how each individual learns, ensuring they feel fully supported on their own journey. Whanaungatanga is at the heart of my practice and I am excited to get to know the ākonga in Kawarau as we learn and grow together. Teaching for me is about celebrating each student's successes and helping them see the mana-enhancing potential in working together. In my free time you will likely find me on the golf course, tramping, swimming, or playing cricket. 

Nicola Stephens

Kia ora, 

My name is Nicola Stephens. I have been working at Shotover since 2021 as a Learning Assistant and have recently taken on the role as Mentor in Manata.

I have three children who attend Shotover Primary, and my husband and I also run an accommodation business. 

I have recently completed graduate diploma in Teaching from the University of Canterbury. 

Maree Wheeler

I have had a connection with Shotover since the day it opened with our eldest daughter starting on the first day... she is now at high school! 

Over this time I have been part of the school community, as parent, board member and also of course, part time teacher. I have enjoyed being part of the journey as Shotover has evolved into an innovative school that values learning for all. 

I have lived in Queenstown for over twenty years returning from overseas work and travel with my now husband for a season of snow - like many before us we never left! Together as a family we still enjoy the mountain in the Winter and  the lakes in the Summer - how lucky to be bringing up a family in this area! 

Emily Forne

Kia Ora, 

My name is Emily Forne. I feel very privileged to be part of the Shotover Primary teaching team. I started my teaching journey in Norway, where I worked as a teaching assistant in an International School. This sparked my passion for teaching, in particular seeing children gain self confidence and resilience in the outdoor environment. 

I returned to NZ and completed my postgraduate diploma of teaching at the NZ Graduate School of Education. I then taught for several years in Christchurch, before moving to Queenstown. The SPS vision of ‘creating a climate of possibilities’ has always resonated with me, as I enjoy trying new ways of doing things, challenging myself and thinking outside the square.

When not at school I am busy raising two small children with my husband Chris. You might see us out biking, tramping or running orienteering events around Queenstown.

Bec Heeley

Kia ora! I am Bec Heeley and I am thrilled to be part of the Shotover team. I am originally from Australia but I have called Aotearoa home for more than 20 years now. After a bit of a stint on the West Coast, we have made Queenstown our home for the past 12 years. 

Before joining Shotover I was previously at Remarkables Primary School where I spent the 8 years teaching in the junior school. I love teaching young children with all their exuberance, humour, and lovely quirks! Early literacy is a particular interest of mine and I am passionate about utilising evidence-based practises which align with how the brain learns to read. 

Out of school I am often found with my nose in a book or planning our next travel adventure. I have two amazing kids, a son who is at the University of Canterbury this year and a 12 year old daughter. We love camping and exploring this beautiful place we live!

Amy Snow

I absolutely love teaching and I am proud to be a member of the Shotover Primary School team. The culture of our school and community is positive- we have great children and they are keen to learn!

I have worked in the teaching profession for over 30 years - my career has allowed me to teach in international, rural and large city schools across a range of age groups. I enjoy learning from others, sharing my experience with others and seeing our children be curious and confident.

For my family, Queenstown has been our home for the past 22 years. We love to be in the outdoors, and enjoy spending time tramping, skiing and living simply. 

We have a unique learning environment for our children in the Wakatipu- an environment we need to protect and a place that encourages creative thinking and hard work.

I am currently working in Hapori C and welcome you to pop in and see what we are doing- there is always something fun happening and maybe and often, quite a lot of learning!

Ally van Rossem

I am stoked to join the Shotover Primary teaching team! Seeking a change of lifestyle and new adventure, my fiancé and I moved down to Queenstown from Auckland at the beginning of 2023. Prior to this, I taught at Stonefields School and prior to teaching, I worked in marketing. I made the switch to teaching as it was something I had always been passionate about doing.

I hope to provide tamariki with an education that develops the knowledge and skills they need in today's world, while helping them develop critical thinking, creativity and social skills (and to have some fun too). I continuously learn from my students as much as they learn from me. I enjoy working collaboratively with other mentors so that every student can receive the best possible education suited to their learning needs.

When I'm not at work, I enjoy playing tennis, going mountain biking or spending time with my friends and family. I am keen for ski season and to explore the local walks and variety of activities that surround us. 

I look forward to connecting with you!

Emma Watts | DATS Leader

Kia Ora! Ko Emma Watts tōku ingoa.

I am the Shotover Primary School DATS Leader (Design, Arts, Technology & Science). 

I believe that learning is our core business and that everyone is capable of learning. I am passionate about our community developing growth mindsets to cultivate curiosity, inspire passion and foster reflective thinking.

DATS is a fantastic way to grow future innovators and inventors. Through DATS we can foster children's creative problem solving and teamwork skills. It provides opportunities to learn by thinking with our hands, working with readily available materials, getting our hands ‘dirty’, and failing and bouncing back from that failure. It's a great opportunity for our children to practice climbing into and out of the ‘learning pit’, to foster ‘grit’ and develop a growth mindset within real-life and fun contexts. Embracing DATS within our school fosters future-focused learning.

I am passionate about developing our children’s confidence and ability to talk about their learning so that they can identify where they are at, where they are going and how they will get there, thus enabling our children to see themselves as the key drivers of their own learning. I find it incredibly rewarding to work alongside all akonga and to be part of their journey growing into confident, connected and actively involved life-long learners.

In my spare time I can be found outdoors tramping, exploring, snowboarding, kayaking or indoors reading, tinkering and creating. 

Liv Llodra

Kia ora, Hello and Hola!

I am so excited to be part of the Shotover team where building strong relationships is such a crucial part of what we do. I am so passionate about building these relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Children are more willing to take risks and be open to new learnings in an environment where they feel they are understood and valued. With this at the forefront of what I do, I design learning to be purposeful, engaging and to meet the needs of every child. I also consider myself very blessed to be able to do all of this in a team and habitat where we can draw on each others strengths and form new and creative ideas.

My wonderful family and I moved from Auckland to Queenstown at the beginning of 2018 to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle that this part of the country has to offer. My family and I are very happy to call this community our home!

livllodra@shotover.school.nz

Tetli Carey

I feel very lucky and privileged that I can call Shotover Primary School my place of work. It is a fantastic place to come to every day and I am grateful that I get to work and learn alongside such an amazing group of professionals. 

Originally I am from England and my intention was to stay in New Zealand for 18 months before going home, but 20 years later I am still here, and Queenstown is my home. Prior to teaching, my jobs centered around hospitality, tourism and small business management and what I loved about all of those roles was helping people, problem solving and connecting with others. Your child may have told you stories about the “one-legged teacher” and these are true! I had my leg amputated below the knee in 2004 after a random blood clot. This in no way affects what I can do, as I love to ski, swim, bike with my family and take advantage of all the other amazing opportunities we have for getting out and about by living here.

What do I believe?


I believe that in order to grow and develop lifelong learners we need to be teaching children the interpersonal and social, emotional skills alongside the core curriculum areas. Play based learning is one of the methodologies that encourages this. I love seeing children progress in all aspects of learning, from making friends and sharing resources, to conquering the fearsome heights of the spider web. 


Each child comes to us with a unique set of attributes which we can nurture and grow through making the learning authentic and real, finding out what sparks an individual and involving them in the design for learning.My passions include maths, science and technology, and I’m curious about anything to do with learning.

Kirsty Jordan

Hello, my name is Kirsty (Miss Kirsty J at school) and I am over the moon about being a part of the Shotover team. I am originally from a small country town in Western Australia, which is where I began my teaching career. After travelling to Queenstown 6 years ago, with just my skis and a backpack, I quickly realised that I wasn’t just here for the season. I met my husband Charlie here, working for AJ Hackett Bungy and then leaped back into teaching. 

I am privileged to be one of the Junior School Mentors at Shotover. I am focused on building a positive relationship with each and every student. I am dedicated to teaching and learning and together we can create a safe, supportive learning environment where students know and feel that they belong. 

When I’m not at school, I love getting out and about, making the most of the snow in winter and the amazing hikes and camping spots in summer. I love that there are no snakes to worry about here!

If you see me around the school, please feel free to stop me for a chat. I look forward to meeting you!

Kirsty Mee

 

After spending the last few years in Canada and Australia, it is exciting to be back home in New Zealand. My partner  Daniel and I are excited to make Shotover Country our home with our puppy Lila.

I spent the first 5 years teaching down in Southland and I am very excited to be back, doing what I love as part of the team, at Shotover Primary. I think that working with kids is one of the most rewarding jobs, each day is a surprise!

In my spare time I enjoy baking, reading and making the most of our beautiful surroundings in Queenstown.

Kate Burns

Kia ora, my name is Kate. I am originally from the UK where I began my teaching career working in a new entrants class. After three years teaching in a primary school setting in the UK I decided to embark on some new experiences and travel opportunities.

My travels took me to Australia and New Zealand.  I have spend the last two years teaching a kindy class here in Queenstown and developing my knowledge of Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum.

With an early childhood teaching background I advocate learning through play and recognise the importance of providing a stimulating, innovative learning environment. I have an interest in nature play and outdoor learning and can’t wait to take advantage of our stunning local environment. I am excited to be part of the Shotover team and a culture that values others to learn and grow.

Jonny Davies

I am an experienced educator who has taught in schools ranging in size from two teachers to a large year 7-13 college. I have leadership experience and have enjoyed my career path to Shotover Primary School. Post-quake Christchurch has been a learning experience, and Fendalton Primary has been brilliant for the last two years, but Central Otago has called me.

Lauren Sherriff

Kia Ora, I’m Lauren Sherriff (Ms Lauren).


I joined the Shotover team in 2021 for a 12 month maternity cover, but like it so much I haven't left. This year I am continuing a Year 2/3 group in Coronet.


I began teaching in the Hutt Valley before having a change of careers and moving to Broadcasting. I worked for TVNZ in Wellington, then moved to Hong Kong to work for Star TV. My journey continued to Singapore, Dubai and Qatar, before returning to Dubai and then Singapore. I returned to teaching along the way, and spend the last 12 years teaching in Dubai and Singapore, across a variety of age groups from Kindergarten to Year 2.


My husband and I had always planned to retire in Queenstown, but having arrived I realised I wasn’t quite ready to stay at home, so have kept myself busy and am excited about working with the lovely team in Coronet.


In my spare time I love skiing and cycling with my husband and grownup daughter, going to the movies, and I hope for some more international travel one day.

Vicki Elliott

I feel extremely privileged to be part of the teaching team at Shotover Primary. I moved to Queenstown from the UK in 2016 with my partner and our son, Ollie, who attends Shotover. I’ve spent the last 15 years working as a software engineer in the UK, but I have always wanted to teach and decided the move to NZ was the the perfect time to re-train. I took the plunge, and spent a year completing my teaching qualification, which included placements at Remarkables and Queenstown Primary schools.

I have always believed that we should give children as broad an education as possible to maximise the opportunities for them to discover their passion. If a child finds something that gives them that spark, it will be with them for life. I think it’s important to provide authentic learning experiences for children that reflect the real world and I’m really excited about exploring the opportunities we have here in this unique environment. 

Outside school, I can be found exploring the local walking and swimming spots in Summer, snowboarding in Winter and always trying to involve myself in various singing or theatrical activities!

Kate Walker

Kia ora! My name is Kate Walker and I am very excited to be joining the Hays teaching team this year. I moved to Queenstown from Gisborne at the end of 2020 and already feel a great sense of belonging to this area. 

I have over 15 years experience as a junior classroom teacher and reading recovery specialist. My aim as a teacher is to provide students with a stimulating and rewarding environment where they can grow socially, academically, and culturally. 

I am looking forward to building meaningful learning relationships with the students, staff and the wider Shotover School community. 

In my spare time I enjoy exploring the beautiful environment that Queenstown has to offer with my husband and son.

Nadine McCulloch

Kia ora. My teaching career began over 20 years ago in Invercargill. Since then I have been teaching a variety of age groups in different schools. I also specialise in Music and Literacy support.

I am passionate about building children’s confidence, fostering creativity and providing authentic experiences and  opportunities for children to become connected, life-long learners.