Cindy Walsh
Areas of leadership: School Vision and Strategic Direction
Cindy is an experienced school principal. She is passionate about leading Freemans Bay School to engage, empower and enrich students’ learning to prepare them for their journey into the twenty-first century. Through her leadership the school is well placed to deliver quality education outcomes for learners at Freemans Bay School.
Helen Armstrong
Areas of leadership: Professional Learning, Staffing, Partnerships, Literacy
Helen is an experienced leader. She has previously been Deputy Principal, SENCO and Literacy Leader at Oranga School, and prior to that, was a Team Leader, Literacy Leader and acting Deputy Principal at Kohimarama school. She has experience teaching at all levels, from Year 0 – Year 8. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Literacy Education (with Distinction), a SPELD certificate, and has recently completed her Master of Education. Helen’s passion is in empowering students to make a positive difference in our world, and developing confident, resilient life-long learners. Helen is a mother to three children, and in her spare time, she loves to garden, read, knit and camp and explore beautiful remote parts of New Zealand with her husband.
Chelsea Moncur
Chelsea is an experienced Senior Leader. She has led curriculum and collaborative practice in a range of settings and environments.
She has a passion for child centred learning design that uses play, passion and real-life problems to engage, enrich and empower. Chelsea is our SENCO at Freemans Bay School.
Loren Wihone
Ko Panguru ko Papata ko te rākau tūpatapata i tū ki te Hauāuru
Ko Ruarei Ko Raparapa ngā uri i Wharewhare ki te rangi
Tū te rā, Tū te pō
Tīhei Mauri Ora!
Nō ngā pito maha tēnei o Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, Tūwharetoa, Tainui e mihi ana.
Tata iwa tau kua tū au hei kaiako ki rō ngā kura tuatahi o te rūmaki, kura kaupapa, anō hoki te whakahaere i te reo me ōna tikanga ki rō ngā kura auraki.
Ko taku taha māmā e poipoi ana i ēnei tamariki, heoi, ko taku taha auaha, taha mōhio ki te ao matihiko, taha mātau ki te ao tūroa, taha mārama ki ngā mahi o te rēhia e whakaputa ana ngā hua mā ēnei iti kia tupu.
I runga i te karanga o ngā whānau, nōku te whiwhi hei kaihautū mā rātou, te rūmaki reo o whānau Ata ki Waiatarau.
Ko te hā o kui te hoe o tēnei waka, kia rere, kia Māori te reo ki rō ngā uri whakaheke. Tau ana!
Anne Cawley
Nō te tai raki-mā-uru o Aerani ōku tūpuna.
Nō Sligo, nō Areani ahau.
I wehe ahau i Aerani ki Aotearoa i te tau kotahi mano iwa rau iwa tēkau.
I te nuinga o ēnei wā, kua noho ahau ki te puku o Tamaki Makaurau.
Claire Andrews
Ko Pukerangatira te maunga whakahirahira o ōku tūpuna kua ngaro i te ao nei
Tauheke atu ki Hokianga Whakapau Karakia, te wai kaukau o ngā mātua tūpuna
Ko Te Rarawa tōku taura ihorei, tōku mana tuku iho
Kia whai te mana o tō mātou tūpuna waka Ngātokimatawhaorua
Hei whakaoho i taku moe! E kō koia e ara e!
I tērā tau, i tutuki i ahau i taku tohu paerunga hei kura māhita. Ko te puna reo ōku wheako mahi o mua, he māmā hoki ahau e taute ana i āku tamāhine tokorua nei.
Ko tōku wawata nui, kia whāngaia e au ngā tamariki i te reo Maōri me ōna tikanga.
Otirā, te tohatoha i ōku kete mātau kia poipoi a rātou haerenga ako me ō rātou wheako i te kura.
Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.
Mauri ora!
Pāpara Richards
Ko Moehau te Maunga
Ko Tikapa te Moana
Ko Mataatua te Waka
Ko Ngāti Pūkenga ki Manaia te iwi
Ko Manaia ki Pare Hauraki te whenua
Ko Te Kouorehua te Wharetipuna
Ko Ngairihanga te Wharekai
Ko Pāpara Richards tōku ingoa
Nga mihi aroha nui.
My name is Pāpara Richards also known as Whāea Pāpara. I am a Kaiako in Whānau Ata Māori unit. I have been teaching in Māori Medium schools across Tamakimakaurau for over 10 years now. My experience as a Kaiako has been that of enjoyment, challenge, but most of all very rewarding, to see our tamariki thrive and grow in our culture and customs of Te Ao Māori and that our language lives on for future generations to come. I am very passionate about Te Reo Māori and the major benefits that come from knowing who you are and where you come from. The identity of a child and being surrounded by a loving and supportive environment is what we practice as a whānau in Whānau Ata. I look forward to meeting and greeting whānau throughout the year.
Caroline Cels
Areas of leadership: Whānau Rau – Co-Team Leader
Over the last 20+ years, Caroline has had a diverse educational career having worked in both rural and urban schools in Taupo, Auckland, Napier, Northland and Waiheke Island. She has taught across all year levels and has developed a passion for supporting younger tamariki to thrive in their early schooling years. Her previous school was a shared space school and she strongly believes in the positive impact collaboration has on accelerating student learning. Caroline strives to ensure every child feels safe and valued through meaningful relationships. She loves to support each child to develop their own positive learning story. Poipoia te kākano, I puāwai – nuture the seed and it will blossom.
She is fortunate to have a very supportive family, and they all enjoy reading, sailing and other outdoor adventures.
Jo Watson
Areas of leadership: Whānau Rau Co-Team Leader
Jo is an experienced teacher who has worked in many levels. She is currently a team leader as well as a classroom teacher in the Year 1 and 2 area. Jo is passionate about children’s learning and strives to help them experience success while also having fun.
Dao Evans
Se Yeon Han
Se Yeon graduated with her Bachelor of Education from the University of Auckland. Previously, she taught keyboard and theory classes at a children’s music centre to share her love for music. Se Yeon believes in the importance of helping children develop confidence in themselves as learners and to build a positive self-esteem. Se Yeon is dedicated to helping children flourish with the strengths that they have and support them in becoming lifelong learners. Outside of teaching, Se Yeon enjoys playing the piano, doing arts & craft, and spending time with her family.
Jill Raines
Areas of Leadership: Co-Leader of the Arts
Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Jill tōku ingoa. Nō Kōtirangi, nō Ahitereria hoki ōku tūpuna. Kei te noho au kei Bayswater.
I have been teaching for many years in junior school classes. I am passionate about play based learning and hauora. A real strength of mine is having excellent communication skills which enables me to build strong relationships with children and their whānau.
My most important job is being a mum to my four children, I have three sons and a daughter.
In my leisure time I enjoy many sports, particularly water activities and beach walks. I also enjoy gardening.
Helen Stewart
Helen has a Post Grad in Primary Teaching and a Bachelors’s in Visual Arts. She encourages ākonga to be critical thinkers, persistent, and to embrace a growth mindset. Helen supports safe, creative, diverse classrooms that celebrate ākonga as individuals in a collaborative collective setting.
Kay Stables
Kay graduated with a Bachelor of Education from Auckland University of Technology. She is a beginner teacher who is passionate about teaching and enjoys teaching in our junior school. She started at Freemans Bay School with Kawariki in term 3 of 2023. Outside of the classroom, Kay enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, doing arts & crafts and being at her local beach.
Natalia Sussex
Areas of Leadership – ICCS Co-ordinator
Natalia graduated with a Bachelor of Education from Auckland University of Technology in 2019 and has spent her teaching career in the junior school, teaching years 0-3. She started at Freemans Bay School with Kawariki in Term 4 of 2023 and thoroughly enjoys working closely with other teachers and being part of a diverse school community. Natalia is devoted to building strong relationships and knowing the students individually as learners, fostering a respectful and inclusive learning environment. She is passionate about Literacy, Art, and Physical Education. This year, Natalia is working closely with Year 5 & 6 students in ICCS and supporting our FBS sport teams. Outside of the classroom, Natalia enjoys baking, going for runs, relaxing at the beach, and spending time with her friends and whānau.
Bhavna Varshney
Bhavna is an experienced teacher who started her teaching career in India and taught there for four years. Then she moved to Auckland with her family and continued her passion after completing Teacher refresher program in 2018. Her second inning began with Central Auckland Specialist School.
Bhavna joined Whanau rau team at Freeman’s Bay school in term 4 last year. She enjoys working in a collaborative classroom with other teachers to help young tamariki to use their full potential to achieve learning goals.
In spare time, Bhavna loves to be with her family and friends, travelling to new places and learning about different cultures.
Briana Chapman
Briana is the Whānau Puna (Year 3 & 4) Team Leader and teacher at Freemans Bay School. She has a genuine passion for nurturing young minds and igniting the spark of curiosity within each student, and she is committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. Briana values holistic development, recognising the importance of nurturing social-emotional skills and fostering a love for lifelong learning.
Briana loves dancing, as well as anything outdoors. She enjoys going for runs, spending time at the beach and walking her dog, Dakota.
Julia Bradshaw
Area of Leadership – Education for Sustainability Co-Leader
Julia has taught across various age groups since 2014. She believes that a strong sense of belonging and emotional security is the foundation for an effective learning environment – an environment where children want to be, one where they are valued for who they are, where their strengths are celebrated, and where both their academic progress and social/emotional development is closely nurtured. Julia is passionate about evidenced based approaches to learning, as well as the importance of play based pedagogy to facilitate holistic child development.
Petita Cole
Petita has a post Grad in Primary Teaching and a Diploma in Graphic Design. She has been teaching since 2003, including as an Art Specialist Teacher at Otahuhu Intermediate 2012-2015.
Fostered to the Ngāti Hauā Iwi, through the connection her parents had with them in the 1940s-80s, she demonstrates a deep sensitivity and appreciation of the value and importance of embracing Te Reo Māori and Tikanga.
While these days Petita dedicates most of her time and energy to assisting her sister, NZ Artist, Susan Te Kahurangi King, she is delighted to join the team at Freemans Bay School in the capacity as both a part time and relief teacher, saying, “this keeps me balanced. It’s all about the children’s learning, our future generation”.
Shital D’Rozario
Area of Leadership – Co-Leader of Cultural Capabilities
Shital was a teacher in India for 11 years before she moved to New Zealand 4 years ago. She is a fluent speaker of Hindi and Marathi. Shital completed the Teacher Refresher Course in NZ and was a relief teacher in a number of Early Learning Centers and Primary Schools before she started teaching at our school. The inquisitiveness in children motivates her and keeps her passionate about teaching.
Susan Hong
Susan has experience teaching all levels of children since 2009. Susan is an approachable and open minded person who is passionate about supporting children with diverse backgrounds. The most exciting aspect of working with children for her is their energy and enthusiasm for exploring new things and seeing growth in their learning and confidence.
Chander Kumar
Chander is an experienced teacher. She is passionate about literacy and brings a wealth of experience in this area to her students. Chander provides support to our library programme as well.
Catherine Minogue
Catherine has a passion for “mindfulness” and how to encourage our learners to strive to achieve their best through persistence and self belief. She brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge in meeting the diverse needs of our learners.
Sara Oliver
Area of Leadership – Co-Leader of the Arts
Sara is a teacher in the Year 3 and 4 area and has a Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching and a Bachelor’s in Design. She believes all ākonga are capable and creative and is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive classroom environment where learners can express themselves. Sara is thrilled to have joined the Freemans Bay School team and continue her teaching journey.
Sara enjoys drawing, painting, and making polymer clay earrings. She also loves baking, books, and cats. Sara is excitedly anticipating the possibility of adopting one or two of her own this year.
Kuldeep Kaur
Lisa Imm
Areas of Leadership – Whānau Wai Team Leader / WSL Wellbeing
Lisa is an experienced teacher who understands and caters for the diverse learning needs of all her children. She has a BA /Graduate Diploma in Education and a Postgraduate degree in Digital and Collaborative Learning. In her classroom, Lisa engages her students in the inquiry process and incorporates digital technologies in her teaching. Her strength is in teaching literacy, and she enjoys working collaboratively in an ILE. She is passionate about motivating children to become empowered, self-directed, life-long learners.
Genevieve (Gen) Clements
Areas of Leadership – (Enviro Schools Leader)
Creating relationships with true purpose, care and understanding is a key way in which Genevieve teaches and interacts with her School community. She has been in Education for over 15 years from in the classroom, to working closely with diverse learners through to varying leadership roles. Genevieve instils a love of learning, is passionate about pastoral care and brings a sense of fun and humour with her daily. She knows Freemans Bay School is a pretty special place and she is thrilled to be here. Outside teaching she enjoys gardening, keeping active, cooking, reading, being on Waiheke and she loves her dog, friends and family.
Shelley Duncan
Areas of leadership: Digital Technology Specialist Teacher, Digital Technology and eLearning Leader
Shelley is skilled in the area of Digital Technologies and elearning and loves to share these skills with her students across the school. Shelley co-leads the school in this area and supports staff and students with their learning. She also enjoys outdoor education and loves to stretch her students with their thinking.
Waseem Kousar
I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching from Waikato University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Education from AUT. During my education, I worked in FBS, supporting students in enhancing their knowledge of numeracy and literacy. As a teacher, I am passionate about promoting inclusive learning in the classroom by celebrating cultures and working with students to stimulate their learning.
During my free time, I enjoy cooking, baking, watching movies, and shopping.
Ena Lee
Ena retrained as a primary school teacher after a career in business marketing where she honed her skills in communication, project management and problem-solving. As a teacher, she aspires to instill a love of learning in her students and support them to build self- confidence and resilience. Ena has a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching from Auckland University, as well as qualifications in Marketing, Psychology and Education.
In her spare time Ena enjoys spending time with family and friends and being out in nature. Her interests include photography, theatre, art, and travelling.
Ching Liu
Ching’s greatest strength is her love for learning and dedication towards helping young minds discover the same. She actively seeks to motivate students to be brave and curious in discovering their passions. Ching has a Graduate Diploma in Teaching from the University of Auckland and a Postgraduate Certificate from the University of Nottingham in the U.K. She is multilingual and experienced in working with students from different cultural backgrounds.
Daniel Merrill
With nearing 20 years teaching experience, Daniel is now in his 4th year here at Freemans Bay, enriching the Year 5 & 6 students with his skills and knowledge. He believes that engaging with students individually, and creating a safe and caring relationship is essential to learning. Daniel strives to empower his students to be resilient, self-managing and respectful life-long learners. Outside of school Daniel appreciates the simple pleasures of walking, music, cooking and napping on the couch while reading a book.
Rebecca (Becs) Swift
Prior to traveling to Europe and living and teaching in London for four years, Becs taught for 6 years in schools around Auckland where she completed training in Reading Recovery and spent time as a specialist music teacher. On her return from London, Becs joined FBS where enjoys teaching children from a variety of different cultures and strives to build resilience and empathy in all her students.
Poulami Bhandari
Poulami is a part of the learning support team. She works with small groups and individual children on specific programmes developed to support their needs.
Ya Chen
I hold a my undergraduate diploma in Mathematics education. I was working as math teacher from 2009 to 2016 in China. I am passionate about children’s learning and strive to help them experience success while also having fun.
Stella Hart
Stella enjoys working with our tamariki in our Pōhutukawa hub as a learning assistant. Not only does she love the day to day interactions with our wonderful students, she’s also mum to Eli who is in Whānau Wai. Stella enjoys being active with her son and taking time to enjoy shopping at Auckland’s best op shops and finding some real bargains.
Farah McQueen
Vinodini Vinod
I’m Vinodini. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration. I am a mathematics tutor with 5 years of experience in handling little master minds after school. I am eager in making kids work independently which gives them the confidence to grow. I am passionate about learning new things and sharing my experiences and knowledge. My favorite pass time is badminton, basketball, knitting and crochet.
Revathi Muthiah
Revathi is a Learning Assistant and has a Bachelors Degree in Biotechnology. She has had over 4 years experience working in preschools overseas and has undergone training in Montessori methodologies, applying these philosophies when working with our children. She is passionate about working with young children, their energy and enthusiasm is what motivates her. She loves to sing, crochet and cook and is so glad to be a part of Freemans Bay School.
Radha Rani
Laura Tucker
Laura is a part of the learning support team. She works with small groups and individual children in Wai Puna on specific programmes developed to support their needs.
Neelam Upadhyay
Neelam is a part of the learning support team. She works with small groups and individual children on specific programmes developed to support their needs. She was a teacher in India before moving to New Zealand. She has a Bachelor in Economics and a Masters in Political science. She also has a Diploma in computer application.
Sharon Yap
Sharon is part of the learning support team in Whānau Wai . She is also a fluent mandarin speaker and can be relied on to translate information to children and parents when needed.
Annette Hollis
Annette has been teaching since 2008. During this time she has taught both in New Zealand and in North Carolina, USA, where she was based for three years. Outside of school Annette plays hockey at a representative level. She is passionate about travel and likes to bring a broad worldview to the students that she teaches across the school.
Shelley Duncan
Areas of leadership: Digital Technology Specialist Teacher, Digital Technology and eLearning Leader
Shelley is skilled in the area of Digital Technologies and elearning and loves to share these skills with her students across the school. Shelley co-leads the school in this area and supports staff and students with their learning. She also enjoys outdoor education and loves to stretch her students with their thinking.
Richard Naidu
Richard has a bachelor’s degree in English and Media Studies, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, and a Master of Management from the University of Auckland. He has held various teaching roles, including full time teaching, short term contracts and relief teaching within various levels at primary school. He is very passionate about and excited to be teaching STEM.
Caitlin O’Brien
Area of Leadership – Co-Leader of Cultural Capabilities
Caitlin has a Bachelor of Education and a specialty in Steiner Education. Her strengths include literacy, outdoor education and student wellbeing. Caitlin is passionate about educating the whole child and bringing their social and emotional development into their learning journey as well as celebrating cultural identity. She thoroughly enjoys building strong relationships with students, whānau and the wider community based on trust, respect and kindness. Creating an inclusive learning environment where every child feels a sense of belonging is at the heart of Caitlin’s practice. In her spare time Caitlin enjoys being in the ocean, cooking and spending time with her whānau.
Trina Saxon
Trina is an experienced, innovative, creative teacher who has worked both in New Zealand and Cambodia. She has a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning and has vast experience in creating and working in ‘play-based’ learning environments.
Trina has taught extensively in both Kindergarten and New Entrant settings. Her strength is creating spaces and environments that are safe, inclusive, nurturing for all tamariki and whānau.
Teaching in international settings has accentuated her unwavering belief that all children are individual learners who deserve learning experiences that are adapted to offer support and extension at differentiated levels to reach their full potential.
Susan Maddren
Susan has taught all year levels both in New Zealand and the UK, but most of her experience is with the juniors. Susan loves being a part of the rich diversity here at Freemans Bay School. She gets great enjoyment out of the successes the children make in their learning, and finds it really rewarding watching the ESOL students’ language develop as they become bilingual learners.
Tom Pearce
Tom began teaching in 2011 and has taught a variety of year levels at schools in Wellington, Auckland and overseas. He is passionate about equitable and inclusive education, and believes that school needs to empower students to understand themselves and their place in the world, so that they can change it for the better. Tom holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, a Graduate Diploma in TESSOL and a Master of Education specialising in student voice and language and literacy acquisition. He is currently working part-time so that he can focus on a PhD in Education at the University of Auckland, where he is researching assessment in primary classrooms.
Petita Cole
Petita has a post Grad in Primary Teaching and a Diploma in Graphic Design. She has been teaching since 2003, including as an Art Specialist Teacher at Otahuhu Intermediate 2012-2015.
Fostered to the Ngāti Hauā Iwi, through the connection her parents had with them in the 1940s-80s, she demonstrates a deep sensitivity and appreciation of the value and importance of embracing Te Reo Māori and Tikanga.
While these days Petita dedicates most of her time and energy to assisting her sister, NZ Artist, Susan Te Kahurangi King, she is delighted to join the team at Freemans Bay School in the capacity as both a part time and relief teacher, saying, “this keeps me balanced. It’s all about the children’s learning, our future generation”.
Anne Cawley
Nō te tai raki-mā-uru o Aerani ōku tūpuna.
Nō Sligo, nō Areani ahau.
I wehe ahau i Aerani ki Aotearoa i te tau kotahi mano iwa rau iwa tēkau.
I te nuinga o ēnei wā, kua noho ahau ki te puku o Tamaki Makaurau.
Lucy McAlpine
Lucy is mainly part of the Whanau Rau Team. Her expertise in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) adds value to the classroom. She loves being part of Freemans Bay School’s diverse community.
Priyanka Mathur
Priyanka is our new ICT Assistant. She has a post graduate in Master of Cost Control & Accountancy and loves to play with numbers and maths. Priyanka is also passionate about dancing.
Mike Knight
Mike has been the caretaker of the school for over 30 years. He works tirelessly to make sure that the school grounds are kept clean and safe. Mike can be seen every morning and afternoon on the school crossing ensuring that the children of Freemans Bay are kept safe on the roads.
Renee Ikitogia
With previous experience in admin and accounting, I look after the schools finances to help facilitate the smooth and effective running of the school but am also happy to give a helping hand wherever needed. Freemans Bay School is a great environment for me to see the enjoyment and growth in students which is something I have joy in and am happy to be a part of.
Nicky Ogilvie
Nicky has worked with people in a variety of careers – with previous roles in radio, events and sports within schools. She loves an ever changing work day which is exactly what Freemans Bay School offers. Nicky works with our new domestic enrolments and is also handy with a plaster and icepack in the sick bay.
Catherine Tyrrell
Catherine has a wealth of knowledge that she uses to make certain that the school office runs smoothly. She is also always on hand to help the children. Catherine is reponsible for ensuring the school’s attendance records are kept up to date.
