Release Teachers

Hayley Kilday

Hayley lives in Prebbleton with her husband and 2 children. When she's not in the classroom she enjoys getting out into the outdoors, especially tramping and camping. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and relaxing with a good book. Hayley has been teaching for over 20 years loves teaching across all the different learning spaces and getting to know the children.

Michelle Russell

Michelle has a lot of teaching experience, graduating many years ago from Dunedin College of Education, teaching in Auckland, then in South East London, and teaching in Brighton and Hove on England’s Southern Coast. It was 16 years before she made it home to live, settling in Christchurch in order to be close to family in Central Otago and Southland after a lot of travel and the formation of lifelong friendships.
Michelle's family consists of two children, one at High School and one at University, her husband Gavin, and their cat Walter, (who is essentially their third child). Michelle has a love of interior design, spending much of her non-working hours redesigning, planning and making changes to their home. Gardening also occupies a big chunk of her time, along with reading historical novels and pilates.

Anna Wilson

Anna grew up in Christchurch. After travelling around Australia and the UK for three and a half years, she decided to return to NZ and complete a Bachelor of Primary and Teaching Degree. After completing her degree in 2008, she secured a job at Burnham School. I have since taught in various schools around the Selwyn and Christchurch area.Anna lives in Rolleston with my partner Wayne and their 2 children, Noah and Ayda and their dog Ghost. When she is not in the classroom, Anna enjoys spending time outdoors, reading and creating pottery. Anna enjoys working in the different spaces at Lemonwood and meeting all the students and their families. 

Hannah Herries

Hannah grew up in Wellington and studied for a Bachelor of Arts before completing her Graduate Diploma of Teaching. After graduating, she taught for four years at a South Auckland intermediate school before moving to Christchurch in 2018. Hannah is passionate about inclusive education and preparing learners for a digital future. She lives in Lincoln with her husband and daughter.

Sarah Lockett

Sarah grew up in Auckland and has recently moved to Kirwee with her husband Andrew and two children Ginny and Felix. She attented the University of Auckland and gained a Bachelor of Education (Primary) and has been teaching since 2009 across a range of year levels and a variety of schools within Auckland. Sarah loves to teach, especially the performing arts and can usually be found with her guitar close by. In her spare time she enjoys going on adventures with her family and they can often be found exploring the fairy forest in Darfield. 

Mel Dravitski

Mel has been a member of staff since 2022 at LWG. She has taught across many year levels and enjoys interacting with learners of all ages.

Melissa Aarsen

Melissa was born in South Africa and came to NZ when she was eight years old. She spent her childhood on a farm in the Waikato and attended Matamata College. After university, she headed overseas and taught in the U.K for 5 years. This instilled her passion for travel and exploring different cultures. Over her 20-year career Melissa has taught in NewZealand, as well as the UK and Samoa. She met her husband in Auckland and then moved to Whangarei, where she has been living for the last 8 years. Melissa has two daughters, Emily and Heidi. She enjoys the beach, travel, and family time. Melissa is looking forward to exploring more of Otuatahi and getting to know the staff and whanau of Te Uru Tarata | Lemonwood Grove School.

Nicole McCutcheon

Nicole grew up in Dunedin before moving to Christchurch for her first teaching position in Rangiora in 2016. She spent a year teaching in Dubai before joining us at Te Uru Tarata in 2020. Nicole lives in Rolleston with her partner Daniel and their daughter Remi. In her spare time she enjoys playing or watching sport and spending time with her daughter, friends and whānau. After having 2024 off on maternity leave, Nicole is looking forward to returning as a release teacher in the junior teams. 

Miko Franzmayer

Scarlett Norton

Scarlett grew up in Queenstown and Christchurch and has always been interested in health and wellbeing. She has a degree in Human Nutrition, with a special passion for children’s nutrition. Scarlett also loves to explore new places and has travelled through Asia and Europe. She has worked in Early Childhood Education and completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Teaching in 2025. In her spare time, she enjoys being involved in different sports, such as athletics and running. She also enjoys spending time with whānau and friends. Scarlett is committed to creating a fun, positive, and supportive classroom. She is excited to start her teaching journey at Te Uru Tarata | Lemonwood Grove School in Term 2, 2025.