Staff Senior Leadership Team
Cindy Walsh Principal   principal@takapunaprimary.school.nz Work: 09 489 6339 Mobile: 021 333 742	Kia Ora. I am proud to be the Principal of Takapuna Primary School, a school focused on high achievement and learning. I began my journey here in May 2008. Previous to that I spent 13 years at Ponsonby Primary School as Deputy Principal and the majority of my last year there as Acting Principal. My major achievements in my three years here have been:- employment and retention of highly effective and engaged teachers, raising of achievement in literacy, extending and increasing enrichment opportunities for our children, provision of highly effective professional development for the teachers, modernisation and improvement to our learning spaces. I have a committed husband, Dominic Blaazer, and a loyal White Westhighland Terrier named Jock. They both support me in my role as Principal. I was born in Taranaki on a beautiful farm under the mountain and most of my family still live there. I have lived in Ponsonby for 15 years since returning from travelling and working around the world for seven years.
Carla Veldman Deputy Principal    Junior Team Leader carlav@takapunaprimary.school.nz 09 489 6339	Bon Jour! I have the privilege of being the Junior School Team leader, Literacy leader and SENCO (Special Education Needs Co ordinator) at Takapuna Primary School. Over my 18 years of teaching I have mostly taught on the North Shore but have also had experience teaching over seas in North Carolina, U.S.A where my husband, Jason and I lived for two years. My journey at Takapuna Primary began three years ago and it is has been wonderful to work with dedicated staff who are passionate about learning and achieving high standards. I have two gorgeous children, Jemma and Liam who both attend Takapuna Primary. Jemma is in Year 2 and Liam has started school this year in Term 3. The other members of our family are our gentle, kind natured dogs called Astro (boxer /lab) and Marley (labrador). Sport is a big part of my personal life. I enjoy snow boarding in Winter and running in Summer. This year I have run the Cathay Pacific half marathon and Wellington Half Marathon. I am registered to run the Devonport Classic in October. The other side I am embracing this year is my creative side including painting in my spare time and learning to speak French to use for that trip to Paris one day. I look forward to a successful, fun and challenging learning year with the wonderful students at TPS this year and achieving personal goals.
Jo Moy Deputy Principal    Senior Team Leader  Y5/6 Teacher Room 3 jom@takapunaprimary.school.nz 09 489 6339
Dianne Mayall Middle Team Leader  Y4 Teacher Room 17 diannem@takapunaprimary.school.nz 09 489 6339

Staff Teaching Staff
Robyn Cox Y0 / 1 Teacher Room 9 robync@takapunaprimary.school.nz	A very warm welcome to you. I am the room nine teacher. All new entrant children who come to Takapuna Primary School spend at least their first term with me. I am passionate about giving all children the opportunity to enjoy early success in school and providing the best possible start to school life. I am very fortunate to be part of a school culture that supports this. In 2005 I produced and directed an educational video called ‘Get Ready for School – Be in the Know’. I produced this video as a resource for parents and educators to help explain the ‘Foundation Skills’ that underpin all formal learning. The DVD was well received by both New Zealand and International audiences. Encouraged by it’s success I updated it and added new chapters. The update was released in 2008. To find out more about the DVD and to view the first chapter online visit www.getreadyforschool.co.nz The foundation skills programme that we offer in room nine is based on the theory from the ‘Get Ready for School’ DVD. The success of the DVD has opened doors for me to speak to groups, both parents and educators, to share information about the video and to talk about how we do things at Takapuna Primary School. We have had a number of teachers follow up with a visit to our school. If you are interested you are most welcome to visit with us. Another area of special interest for me is in helping parents help their children with their learning. I am very excited about using the new updated school website and the classroom wiki to show video footage of how we learn in room nine. I think that parents will enjoy seeing how we do things. Parents are invited to come and help in the classroom. Having an extra pair of hands is always much appreciated.
Abbe Wahhorn Y1 Teacher Room 12  abbew@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I have two children, Kaia my daughter is 6 years old and Kaeden my son is 4 years old.  We love getting out in the weekends and going on adventures as a family,  our latest new hobby is fishing which has been a lot of fun. I feel very fortunate to be part of the staff at Takapuna Primary School and I am looking forward to a fantastic year in Room 12 for 2012.
Bernice Hunt Y1 Teacher Room 8 berniceh@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I am proud to be the classroom teacher in Room 8. I have taught at this level for the past 7 years at this school. Literacy is one of my professional interests, having previously trained as a Reading Recovery Teacher. I am married with two teenagers and enjoy skiing as a pass time in Winter.
Glenis Penny Y1 Teacher Room 7 glenisp@takapunaprimary.school.nz	What a pleasure it is to be part of the T.P.S community. It is wonderful to be working alongside a hardworking, dedicated group of professionals. I am delighted to be teaching a Year 1 and Year 2 class. Teaching has made me aware of being a lifelong learner. It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from my students. Wow! what a privilege to be part of the children's learning environment. My areas of responsibility are Technology, Social Studies and the Library. I enjoy spending time with my beautiful family.
Pat Cox Y1 Teacher Room 7 patc@takapunaprimary.school.nz
Megan Versalko Y 2 Teacher Room 6 meganv@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I am delighted to be the teacher of Room 6. I have taught at Junior school level for more than 12 years. I am very excited to be beginning the school year with a Year 1 and 2 class. It is always so special to be working with young minds so open and ready to learn. Literacy and Numeracy are my main professional interests, having held responsibilities in these areas previously. I am married with three older children, all of whom attend Auckland University. When I'm not at school I can be found out walking our dog Toby or swimming at Takapuna Beach.
Helen Lares Y 2 Teacher Room 16   helenl@takapunaprimary.school.nz	Kia ora.  I’m looking forward to teaching at Takapuna Primary School. What a wonderful school, hard-working staff and BOT on board.  After teaching for decades, I’ve recently finished another round of study and can appreciate what it is to be a learner, never easy, but very rewarding.  My particular strengths include writing and The Arts among other things and in my spare time, I sing choral music with a large choir.
Katie Hitchcock Y3 Teacher Room 10 katieh@takapunaprimary.school.nz
Janet Belton Y4 Teacher Room 11 janetb@takapunaprimary.school.nz	Kia Ora, Bula Vinaka, Sawubona, Hola and Namaste. Although born in Auckland, a significant part of my life has been spent in Colombia, South America where most of my immediate family still live. For the past ten years, I have lived by the sea in a historic Villa in Birkenhead Point with my husband and beloved pussycat 'Bogota'. I have been teaching across Auckland for ten years, where I have found children's thirst for knowledge a constant inspiration. In teaching, I try to meet this need by working towards making my classroom environment a dynamic place where students are involved and engaged in their learning. I aim to provide activities that promote higher level thinking cooperative problem solving and communication. I am delighted to now be a part of the teaching team at Takapuna Primary School and look forward to seeing the students in Room 11 develop into self motivated learners.
Nikita McSporran Y5 / 6 Teacher Room 4   nikitam@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I am privileged to be part of the team at Takapuna Primary and feel fortunate to have worked with amazing teachers over the years I have spent at TPS. The staff and community work together to create an exciting learning environment for all students. Prior to completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching I majored in Psychology and Sociology at Massey University. I love many sports including Netball, Touch Rugby, Tennis and Running. I have really enjoyed working with teachers from other schools in establishing the Pupuke Sports Cluster where TPS and three other schools co-ordinate inter-school sporting competitions including Swimming and Athletics events.
Tjitske van Tol Y5/6 Teacher Room 2 tjitskevt@takapunaprimary.school.nz	This is my second year at Takapuna Primary School and I am very excited about working here. When I came to visit the school, I had a great feeling about the school and since then, all the staff have been very warm and welcoming. I returned to New Zealand in November 2009 after working as a Classroom Teacher and Music Specialist in London for 4 years. I aim to provide children with an exciting and vibrant learning environment where they are encouraged to be active and engaged learners. Before completing my Graduate Teaching Diploma I spent 4 years doing a music degree at Victoria University. My specialist instrument is the cello but I do love to sing, play guitar and I have also started learning piano. I worked as a swimming instructor whilst at university so I am really looking forward to getting involved in swimming related activities. This year I will be contributing to music around the school, helping out with the school choir, teaching recorder and taking the Culture Group with Sarah Reid. Outside of school I enjoy playing badminton, eating and cooking good food and socialising with friends.
Jane Cleveland Y4-6 Teacher Room 1 janec@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I am lucky enough to work with a large team of dedicated people in the Learning Support classroom. I enjoy the challenge of my current position and the buzz of seeing students achieve what they have worked so hard to do. This year I have taken on the responsibility for ICT within the school. I enjoy discovering online tools or sites to support our learning and recognise the power ICT has to assist student engagement and set them up to be lifelong learners. We have a very supportive staff here at Takapuna Primary. Previously I taught in primary schools at a variety of levels, both here in New Zealand and overseas in London and Dublin. I am not originally from Auckland but grew up way down south in Invercargill. I enjoy spending my time outside of school with friends sharing good food, wine and conversation!
Sarah Ochtman-Corfe Reading Recovery Teacher saraho@takapunaprimary.school.nz
Trish Pellett ESOL Teacher trishp@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I started at Takapuna Primary School in 2000 after seven years of early childhood and primary work in Wellington. The teaching English to second language learners is the major part of my day now . This is busy and enjoyable and I find working with the children interesting and satisfying.

Staff Part-Time Staff
Rebecca Hurdley rebeccah@takapunaprimary.school.nz	I love being a part of the warm and vibrant TPS community. I have always taught in junior school classes and have previously taught in Tauranga, Christchurch and Ponsonby. I enjoy learning new and effective ways of teaching. I have completed a Master of Education that focused on junior school literacy and am relishing the opportunity of leading the staff in our Assessment for Learning professional development. I am also thoroughly enjoying learning to use an ActivBoard to enhance student learning in my classroom. I love to spend time at the beach and actively support the NZ surfboat series, which my husband Scott competes in. We have a lovely Cocker Spaniel called Maddie who also loves the beach and enjoys coming into TPS to spend time with the children in Room 16.
Lisa Inggs
Natasha Giles

Staff Support Staff
Sandra Cheetham Office Manager	Dee Jones Office Assistant	Deon Boonzaier Property Manager
Maree Pearson Librarian Teacher Aide	Sherylee White Teacher Aide	Kate Dobier Teacher Aide
Arzu Ozyurteri Teacher Aide
Tracy Coates Teacher Aide