The Staff

Mr Andrew Wilkinson

Principal

Ms Rebecca Speden

Deputy Principal

Miss Lee-Anne Waho

Assistant Principal & Teacher in Te Ara Takitini

Miss Samantha Corry

Teacher and Teacher in Te Ara Whakatau

Miss Nicole Harris

Teacher in Te Ara Whakatau

Mrs Joanne Park

Teacher in Te Ara Whakatau

Mrs Kathleen Ryan

Teacher in Te Ara Whakatau

Penny Osborne

Executive Officer

Mr Clayton Boyd

Teacher in Te Ara Takitini

Kayla Templeton

Teacher in Te Ara Takitini

Ms Mel Raisin

Teacher in Te Ara Takitini

Mrs Brenda Abernethy

Learning Assistant in Te Ara Whakatau

Mrs Dot Palmer

Learning Assistant in Te Ara Whakatau

Hamish George

Learning Assistant in Te Ara Takitini

Mrs Kathy Duthie

Learning Assistant in Te Ara Takitini

Natasha Bovey

Learning Assistant in Te Ara Whakatau

Mrs Belinda Ngaata

Reading Recovery Teacher

Mrs Alison McAllan

Release Teacher

Wayne Aldridge

Caretaker

Samantha Corry

Te Rōpū Kura Pounamu Teacher New Entrants

I love being at Gilberthorpe School because of the amazing children and their supportive whānau.

Nicole Harris

Te Rōpū Wawata Teacher Years 1 and 2

I love being at Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School because it is such a family-centred environment. Staff, students and whānau all care for each other and work together to make it a fun and positive place to be.

Joanne Park

Te Rōpū Auaha Teacher Years 2 and 3

I love working at Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School. When I come to school I am surrounded by people, young and old, who teach me new things every day. They inspire me, are enthusiastic and compassionate. All the people at school make me feel valued and supported.

Kathleen Ryan

Te Rōpū Māia Teacher Years 2 and 3

I love coming to Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School each day because it is such a fun and warm environment. Each day is different and I’m so blessed to work with such amazing students, their families and staff.

Clayton Boyd

Te Rōpū Ngākaunui Teacher Years 4 and 5

Ara Tu Whakata is a place for all to come together. It is a brilliant school with a vibrant feel. I am grateful to have the privilege to work with such beautiful human beings and I enjoy instilling the fantastic Gilberthorpe values that we hold firmly onto. Go Gilby!

Mrs Kayla Templeton

Te Rōpū Ngākaunui Teacher Years 4 and 5

I love working at Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School because of the friendly, family atmosphere. The amazing children, families and community that support each other to make Gilberthorpe School the incredible place that it is.

Mel Raisin

Te Rōpū Manawaroa Teacher Years 4 and 5

I'm passionate about striving to hook kids in to being passionate about their own learning and finding their niche in the world. Here at Gilberthorpe, there's a fantastic "how can we..." approach that puts the learner at the forefront and drives everything we do.

Miss Lee-Anne Waho

Te Rōpū Whakamanawa Teacher Years 5 & 6

I love being at Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School because we have a great community with a real sense of whānau and belonging. Our kids, families and staff all help to make this a very special place.

Penny Osborne

Executive Officer

I love the feeling of connectedness here, whether you are staff, students, whanau or visitors. Together we work to make this a place people want to come.

Mrs Brenda Abernethy

Te Ara Whakatau Learning Assistant

I enjoy the happy family atmosphere at Gilberthorpe School. The new buildings we have, have helped the children and staff feel like we are a team working together.

Mrs Dot Palmer

Te Ara Whakatau Learning Assistant

I love being at Gilberthorpe School because of the children. I love the kids.

Hamish George

Te Ara Takitini Learning Support

Great to be here, working with some amazing children. I also enjoy the enthusiastic staff. It is a pleasure to be contributing to the Gilberthorpe School experience.

Kathy Duthie

Te Ara Takitini Learning Support

I love working with the children and get great pleasure when I see them achieve something they have worked so hard for. Gilberthorpe School has a caring, empathic staff who work very hard. They are the best.

Mrs Belinda Ngaata

Reading Recovery

The best thing about being at Gilberthorpe is getting to know the children and whanau. It is so rewarding being part of the team, guiding their learning journey.

Wayne Aldridge

Caretaker

Alison McAllan

Release Teacher

I love being at Gilberthorpe School because I enjoy the energy of the children. It is awesome how they love the unique opportunities and programmes that their school offers. I love the congeniality of staff, parents and family.

Natasha Bovey

Te Ara Whakatau Learning Support

Kaitlyn Moylyn

Pikorua Youth Worker

I love working at Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School because of the privilege of working alongside passionate staff and connecting with and developing our awesome tamariki!

Mr Andrew Wilkinson

Principal

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata! People, people, people. I love working with a wonderful group of staff, curious and enthusiastic students and their caring, loving whanau. We have a fantastic community that look out for each other and work together to ensure the wellbeing of all is at the forefront.

Ms Rebecca Speden

Deputy Principal

Being a part of this wonderful school and community means a lot to me. I love working with such a supportive staff, children and community, who know who they are and work together to make this a great place to learn and grow.

Miss Lee-Anne Waho

Assistant Principal and Takitini Hub Leader

Samantha Corry

Whakatau Hub Leader

I love being at Gilberthorpe School because of the amazing children and their supportive whanau.

On our Board of Trustees, we have our principal, a staff representative and five parent representatives.

Emma Geldard

Board of Trustees Chairperson

I enjoy being able to step back and look at the big picture of how our school nurtures, educates and develops children along with their families and the wider community. I appreciate being able to have input into the details that make the big picture happen.

Mark Wells

Board of Trustees Finance Representative

I find getting involved in what kids are doing shows them that they are valuable and what they do matters. Whether that is serving on the Board or joining in with trips or having a play on the playground, we can all make a difference.

Scott Hancock

Board of Trustees Health and Safety Representative

Being on the Board at Gilberthorpe School gives me great satisfaction that I am making a contribution to not just my children's learning but to the children of the whole community. I am looking forward to the journey our school is on with the rebuild, the different teaching strategies being undertaken, technology in the classroom and being both a part of it and contributing to it

Rebecca Hawkes

Parent Representative

Chrissie Tait

Parent Representative

Andrew Wilkinson

Principal

Being on the Board of Trustees goes hand in hand with being the Principal. It is great working with the Board of Trustees. The best results come from working with others and this group are ultimately responsible for everything that happens with the school. Planning for the big picture offers exciting challenges to ensure that Gilberthorpe school is the best school in town.

Lee-Anne Waho

Board of Trustees Staff Representative

Being the staff representative on the Board has helped me to further my understanding of governance and management. I enjoy being part of the decision making that is based around the needs and aspirations of our tamariki and whānau.