Staff – Westport South School

Senior Leadership

Craig Adams

Principal

About Me

My name is Craig Adams and I started as the Principal of Westport South School at the start of this year, 2023. I feel a real sense of pride and believe it is an absolute privilege to be the Principal of this inspiring wee school. As a student, I attended South and now I have my children here. I have been a teacher since 2006 and still thoroughly enjoy the time I get to spend in the classroom.

E: craig.a@westportsouth.school.nz

Alex Finnerty

Deputy Principal

Room 8

About Me

Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Alex tōku ingoa. I enjoy being a part of the Westport South School community. I love teaching and have 30+ years’ experience in education, the majority of this in the junior school. I’m passionate about supporting all akonga to be proud and confident of who they are. I have a love of Literacy, Visual Arts and EOTC and share that love with my akonga, helping them to feel the excitement of learning in the outdoors and through the creative processes. I value diversity and equity and enjoy the uniqueness that each learner brings to our school. When I’m not at school I enjoy gardening, walking, art, spending time with family and travelling. Ngā mihi nui.

E: alex.f@westportsouth.school.nz

Lyn Rodger

Assistant Principal

Room 8

About Me

Whaia te ara whatu manawa. I am currently the Assistant Principal and SENCO. I have taught as high up as Year 5 but prefer to teach the lower levels. The last two years I have worked in a team teaching position with Alex Finnerty at Year 1 & 2. I have been teaching at Westport South School for close to 40 years. Time flies when you are passionate about your work.

E: lyn.r@westportsouth.school.nz

Lisa Halsall

Senior Teacher

Room 1

About Me

Tēnā Koutou
Ko Lisa Halsall tōku ingoa.
I first walked into Westport South School as a five-year-old student way back in 1974. My association continued as a parent from 1997 until 2015 when the last of my four children finished their final year of primary school.
I started my time teaching here in 2009 in the junior school but soon found my groove in the senior school and haven’t looked back since.
I am passionate about teaching and believe the key to working with young people and helping them to reach their potential is in building strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect. I have a strong interest in The Arts curriculum and feel incredibly privileged to have worked with some outstanding young artists and to have led the Kapa Haka group for the past 10 years.
I have recently joined the Senior Management Team and look forward to the new challenges that come with this role. Ngā mihi nui kia koutou.

E: lisa.h@westportsouth.school

Teaching Staff

Julie Shepherd

Teacher

Room 5

About Me

Kia ora, I have been teaching for over 30 years and especially enjoy teaching the New Entrant – Year 1 level. I am very fortunate to be doing a job that I love and am committed to working with whanau to ensure their tamariki have a successful transition to school, and a good start to their primary education. I feel strongly that building good relationships is the key to success. I aim to create a welcoming environment full of varied learning opportunities, ensuring that tamariki feel valued, and excited to be at school!

E: anita.f@westportsouth.school.nz

Sarah Fulton

Teacher

Room 6

About Me

Kia ora! My name is Sarah Fulton and I am excited to be teaching Year 1&2 in Room 6 this year. I moved to Westport and began my career at Westport South School after completing my teaching degree at the University of Canterbury. As a kaiako, I believe that relationships are key to providing students with a safe and happy learning environment, where they can grow, learn, and thrive. I enjoy teaching Literacy, Maths and seeing children’s faces light up when it all just suddenly clicks. When I am not at school, I enjoy being in the outdoors and exploring new places around Buller and beyond.

E: sarah.f@westportsouth.school.nz

Jenny Clementson

Teacher

Room 9

About Me

Kia Ora! My name is Jennifer Clementson and I currently teach a beautiful class of Year 3-4 children in Room 9. I began my teaching career in the early 90’s and have had the pleasure of teaching in several schools here, in Christchurch and in London.I am an avid reader, lover of all things netball and currently oversee the running of our school garden. In my downtime you will find me spending time with friends and family (or with my nose in a really great book!). It is a real pleasure to be part of the team here at Westport South School!

E: jenny.c@westportsouth.school.nz

Jenny Sloan

Teacher

Room 10

About Me

My early teaching years were spent here in Westport South School. It seems appropriate that I will eventually finish my teaching career here as well.I love teaching at South School and enjoy nothing better than talking, learning and laughing with my colleagues, many of whom I regard as family. The long held traditions present at South School and ties to family are a special feature of our school.
I am passionate about teaching. In class I endeavor to build strong relationships with students while also caring for their wellbeing. I see this as a strong aspect of my teaching. Even though I have taught for many years I still enjoy trying new ideas and love to learn myself. I have seen many changes during my teaching career and while some things have come full circle, the NZ education system is now in a phase of transformation.I find this exciting and look forward to being part of a promising future under new leadership.

E: jenny.s@westportsouth.school.nz

Penny Madden

Teacher

Room 12

About Me

Coming Soon

E: penny.m@westportsouth.school.nz

John Herrick

Teacher

Room 13

About Me

My name is John Herrick. Originally, I came down to Westport from Motueka, my hometown, in 1984. After a term at Reefton, I moved to Waimangaroa, where I was for about 5 years (if I recall correctly). I then acquired a job at Westport South and have been here ever since. I have taught at various levels from Year 0 through to Year 8 during my career. For the most part, I have been teaching in the middle school area, that is from Years 4 through to 6. I am currently teaching in Room 13 with a group of 26 Year 5 and 6 children.

E: john.h@westportsouth.school.nz

Justin Hart

Teacher

Room 3

About Me

Coming Soon

E: justin.h@westportsouth.school.nz

Rose Robinson

Teacher

Room 4

About Me

Kia Ora! I am a kiwi. I was born in Hokitika and I was raised on a dairy farm. I am a lifelong learner who loves education and teaching. In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing, going to the beach, taking landscape photos, camping, hiking and travel. I love the West Coast so I am very excited to have joined the team at Westport South School. I look forward to working alongside you this year to help you achieve your goals.

E: rose.r@westportsouth.school.nz

Deb Forsyth

Reading Recovery

About Me

After 20 years of classroom teaching, I was offered the opportunity to teach Reading Recovery. I work daily, one to one or with small groups of six year old children to raise their level of achievement in both reading and writing by means of an individualised programme. I find this challenging but also very rewarding to see the individual progress achieved. I am also an ORS teacher for one child and I release a teacher for her class release once a week. I love spending time at the beach and relax by reading, gardening and mountain bike riding.

E: deb.f@westportsouth.school.nz

Teacher Assistant

Ameena McBride

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Hi, my name is Ameena McBride. I have been working at Westport South School since 2017.I had previously come from an industrial background and am loving working and interacting with children again! I enjoy helping and supporting them in their learning and development. Throughout the years, this has given me great pride and I feel very privileged to get the opportunity.

Amelia Grant

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Coming Soon

Carmel Bone

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Coming Soon

Jenny Evans

Librarian & Teacher Assistant

About Me

My name is Jenny Evans and my connection with South School started in 1968 as a student. I left for High School in 1976 and returned in 2012, initially as a Teacher Aide and then taking on the Library as well in 2014. I really enjoy my job, working with some amazing children who just need a little help to improve in areas of the curriculum. The Library has always been a passion, it is so fulfilling to help a child embrace the love of reading.

Karen Villarroel

Teacher Assistant

About Me

I have worked in various community and government organisations - from the bureaucracy of Wellington to basic kids' camps in South America. Society needs education; we need to teach the fundamentals of mathematics, reading and writing, so we can all make informed decisions for our own lives. Helping children see and achieve their potential in the classroom is a great privilege I enjoy. With my Bolivian husband and two children, we are often supplementing our education with adventures camping, tramping, biking, skiing, surfing and general outdoor fun.
"Great literature and great mathematics satisfy the same deep yearning in us: for beauty, for truth, for understanding." * * (Sarah Hart, "The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature", The NY Times, Aril 7, 2023.)

Melanie Ratcliffe

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Hi. My name is Melanie Ratcliffe. I went to school here and now I’m Teacher Aide here at Westport South School. I’ve been working with the lovely students at South School for the last five years. I work in a few classrooms throughout the school with a variety of children. As children all learn differently it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to help a child who has been struggling finally get it.

Rebecca Smith

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Hi. My name is Rebecca Smith. I was born and raised in Canterbury. I moved here 25 years ago and raised three wonderful kids. I started working as a Teacher Aide here at Westport South School eight years ago. I feel I make positive connections with every student I work with. I’ve loved my time here and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Teresa Smith

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Hi my name is Teresa. I was born in Dublin, Ireland. I have been a Teacher Aide at Westport South School for 13 years. Having a son with learning difficulties and autism helps me everyday in my role as a Teacher Aide. To have a student learn anything small, to some people may be exactly that, but for me and my student it's like conquering Mt Everest. Whether a student is having a good or a bad day, they always seem to inspire and encourage me to return everyday.

Tina Greiter

Teacher Assistant

About Me

Hello, my name is Tina Greiter. Having been a student myself at Westport South School, I was happy to enrol my own children here and a few years later, was excited to be able to join the amazing team that work here. I have now been here for 16 years. I have the privilege of working alongside our caring staff, and enjoy supporting our wonderful students through the many challenges they can face at school. Everyone learns differently, so I love seeing confidence grow in children as they make progress, no matter how small. Their smiles and pride in their achievements make all their hard work worthwhile.

Release Teachers

Jan Blackburn

RT Lit

About Me

Coming Soon

Dida Scanlon

Release and ORS Teacher

About Me

Coming Soon

Ange Smith

Release Teacher

About Me

Coming Soon

Barry Townrow

Release Teacher

About Me

Coming Soon

Vicky Chandler

Release Teacher

About Me

Coming Soon

Jo Duston

Release Teacher

About Me

Coming Soon

Support Staff

Taryn Knudsen

Office Manager

About Me

I started at Westport South School when I was 5 as a New Entrant. Leaving as a Year 8 to go onto Buller High School. I worked at Postie inputting orders for the mail order side of things. I returned to South School as a Teacher Assistant and then became Office Manager, a position that I have held for the past 22 years. I enjoy the bustle of the role and interacting with so many different people. No two days are the same. Juggling different jobs and different deadlines, then dropping everything to put a plaster on a skinned knee. I have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. I like to keep busy with family and friends. You should never stop learning! I feel I am a jack of all trades and a master of none.

E: taryn.k@westportsouth.school.nz,office@westportsouth.school.nz

Veronica Cockfield

Office Assistant

About Me

Hi, my name is Veronica Cockfield, I have lived my whole life in Westport. I am married with two children, and have two grandchildren I work at school as an office assistant and love it. In my spare time I love to ride through the amazing tracks that are around Westport and swim and spend time with my grandchildren.

E: veronica.c@westportsouth.school.nz,office@westportsouth.school.nz

Steven Anderson

Caretaker

About Me

Hello, my name is Steve Anderson and I am the caretaker at Westport South School. I live at Waimangaroa and have been at South for 32 years. Every day is a different day in my role. Some tasks that I have completed of late include cleaning, exterminating wasps, mowing lawns, doing the gardens and all in all making South School look like a wonderful place.

Phil Kilkolly

Assistant Caretaker

About Me

Coming Soon

Donna Mordecai

Cleaner

About Me

Coming Soon

Diana Rowan

Cleaner

About Me

Coming Soon

Dylan Muir

Relief Cleaner

About Me

Coming Soon