The purpose of this article is to inform you around staff changes for 2020.

Over the last 2 months we have worked hard with the Ministry of Education to increase our staffing entitlement for 2020 due to our rapid roll growth. We are pleased to announce that we are staffing the school on 450 learners (our current role is 353). This will mean our whānau groups will be smaller at the beginning of the year. It also means increased funding for resources.

At the end of the year we will farewell Jennie who has decided to relocate back down to Central Otago. Jennie is one of our foundation teachers and has made a big impact on our school since she started back in 2017. We thank her for the passions she has introduced to Lemonwood Grove especially in the areas of Science and Technology and wish her all the best for the future. We will farewell Jennie at our last Celebration of Learning.

New Staff:

Paige Bowler - Berendt

Kia ora, ko Paige Bowler-Berendt toku ingoa.

I am so excited to be starting my journey at Lemonwood Grove school in 2020. I am originally from Nelson but moved to Christchurch two years ago with my daughter, Maddie and husband. I enjoy reading, cooking and spending time outdoors with my family and dog Willis.

I am looking forward to building relationships with the Lemonwood Grove community and sharing my love for environmental education. I also have a real passion for the Arts, in particular Dance and Drama. I can't wait to meet you all and share in this exciting learning journey together. 

Amy Lock

Tēnā korua e hoa ma, my name is Amy. I grew up in the Christchurch and love this growing city we live in. I absolutely love anything outdoors. You'll find me either at the beach, going for a run, or hiking! My other hobbies include spending time with my much-loved family and friends. One of the many things I am excited for when I start teaching at Lemonwood Grove School is the whanau groups and the whanau that make LWG as awesome as it is. I am excited to meet everyone when I get the chance whilst teaching and learning alongside the great team at LWG. I am a very passionate, enthusiastic, positive and bubbly person with a motivation for teaching and can not wait to get into 2020.

Caitlin Hapeta 

Kia ora! My name is Caitlin Hapeta and I am a recent graduate from New Zealand Graduate School of Education. I feel incredibly privileged to start my teaching career at Lemonwood Grove school. I’m looking forward to fully immersing myself within the culture of the school, integrating my growing knowledge of Te Reo Maori within the classroom and teaching using the play-based learning approach. I am an intrepid traveller, having been all over Europe and am currently writing this from Kandy in Sri Lanka. While I enjoy discovering what the world has to offer, I also love exploring New Zealand through hiking the great walks and learning more about our own culture. 

Emily Simpson

Emily has taught in Christchurch schools for the past six years. She is passionate about wellbeing and emotional regulation as tools to help children be the best they can be. Emily comes from a Selwyn-based farming family and now lives in Lincoln with her husband Scott and their 3 year old spoodle Baxter. She is looking forward to starting at LWG and joining the wonderful community feel it offers. When not at school Emily enjoys sewing, baking and creating new things (and lots of mess!). 

Ruby Clayworth

Kia ora friends and whānau of Lemonwood Grove School! My name is Ruby Clayworth and I am originally from Australia, where I studied Law/Arts. However, after moving to the UK for 18 months and working as a nanny and teacher’s assistant, I realised that working with kids in education is my passion! I moved to New Zealand in 2018 and I love it here. In my spare time I enjoy exploring my new home, and I also love music, dance and reading. After completing my final placement at Lemonwood Grove School, I am very excited to begin my teaching career in such a supportive, passionate and creative environment, where everyone is actively encouraged to be themselves. I am thrilled to be joining such an inclusive team and I can't wait to meet lots more friendly faces! Ngā mihi, Ruby

Chris Goldsack

Kia ora koutou. My name is Chris Goldsack, and I am married to Daz, and have two children, Sammy and Max. I love the outdoors - walking in the hills, strolling along the beach, biking and swimming. My favourite place in New Zealand is Fiordland, and I love Emperor penguins. At home you would find me tending to the vege garden, reading, watching Master Chef, or playing games.

Teaching learners is one of my passions, and I have been doing this for a lot of years. Seeing others lead their own learning and developing skills to manage this is exciting! I am looking forward to learning with the Lemonwood Grove community who are already on this journey.