Our Staff

Meet our vibrant and dynamic team. Making use of their diverse range of backgrounds, interests, skills and abilities, we are confident our staff are able to go above and beyond for our students.

Leadership Team

Shelly Fitness

Principalshelly@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora koutou. I’m Shelly Fitness and I am the proud principal of St Patrick’s Catholic School. I started at St Patrick’s in 2018 after moving to Te Awamutu from Rotorua where I was the principal of St Michael’s Catholic School. Previous to that I had worked in schools in Taupo, Mangere, Howick and England. I grew up in Ngaruawahia and I have a strong sense of whanaungatanga with the Waikato region. I live locally with my little therapy dog, Rosie, who regularly visits the school. I love to travel and have a long bucket list of places to visit! My faith is a big part of my life and underpins all I do. My educational passions are for Catholic education, learning through play, the joy of childhood and authentic, responsive teaching and assessment. 

Aimee McMillian

Deputy Principal
aimee@stpatta.co.nz
Kia Ora! I’m Aimee.  I am a Deputy Principal here at St Pat's. I have been at St Patrick’s since 2010 and during that time have taught a wide range of year levels. I enjoy the challenges that each day brings and being in the classroom with the children. I love finding out what passions and interests they bring to our class and taking those to engage them in learning and I am lucky enough to still teach in a couple of different classes over the year. Part of my role as DP includes ICT, SENCO and Curriculum Lead. 

Linda Hansen

Deputy Principal
linda@stpatta.co.nz
Tēnā koutou! I'm Linda and I'm a Deputy Principal here at St Pat's.  My role is really varied.  I enjoy the tasks involved in property management as well as supporting the learners and staff across our kura as one of the SENCOs (Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator).  

Hub Team

Paula Carr

Team LeaderPukeko Red - Year 0-2
paula@stpatta.co.nz
Hi. I’m Paula. I am the Team Leader and one of the teachers in our Junior Hub. St Patrick’s has been my home since 2004 and I love teaching in my parish community.  I am passionate about Learning through Play and so excited about how we are developing this vision across our school. Working with our youngest learners is always exciting, fun and rewarding. At home, I’m Mum to my two kids and like to keep in touch with my Netball past, but stick to the sidelines now!   

Nicole Voorend

Tui Blue - Year 0-2
nicole@stpatta.co.nz
Hi I’m Nicole. I work in the blue space in The Hub.  I started at St Patrick’s in 2016. I enjoy working with our youngest learners seeing their creativity and inspiration everyday during Learning Through Play, in a collaborative teaching space. I live in Hamilton and enjoy spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, cooking and baking and spending time at the beach. 

Gabrielle Balemi

Piwakawaka Green - Year 0-2
gabrielle@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora, I’m Gabrielle. I am the Director of Religious Studies and a junior teacher in The Hub. I have been at St Patrick’s since 2008 beginning in a Year 4 class. I am passionate about Catholic education and nurturing children's spirituality. I always enjoyed watching my own four children play and so it is a pleasure to be teaching in a  Learning Through Play environment. I love working with junior children who are so open, honest and always make me laugh! I am lucky to get to work with the middle and senior children at various times throughout the year for the Easter and Christmas liturgies and they make me laugh too except I’m not allowed to show it! My husband Mike and I have done a little bit of travelling and would like to do more. We do the cycle trails whenever we get a chance, love going for walks and having family times with our grown up kids. I also enjoy reading and baking. 

Peak Team

Patsy Wisnewski

Room 5 - Year 3/4
patsy@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora koutou! I am Patsy. Originally hailing from the Mighty Taranaki, I moved to Hamilton to pursue my teaching career and have been teaching at St Patrick’s since 2009.  I have a passion about students being given the opportunity to learn through play. Having moved from the Junior School to the Middle School this year, I was keen to see what play looked like in a Year 3 / 4 classroom. Since being given the opportunity, the students' creativity, and the language skills that they have acquired has been amazing. I like to challenge the students’ thinking and provide them with opportunities to develop their problem solving skills.

Sara Ripia

Room 7 - Year 3/4

Kia ora koutou, my name is Sara Ripia and I teach Year 3-4 in Room 7.  I am married to Daniel, and have 3 children.  The Waipa district is such a special place, and I was lucky enough to grow up in Pukeatua, and then settled with my family living in Te Awamutu.  I have been teaching for a number of years on a full-time and part-time basis.  I love to serve others by supporting and helping in any way that I can.  In education I am particularly passionate about literacy, and building positive relationships with the children.  I love to learn new things, and am keen to incorporate learning through play into the classroom in different ways.  I enjoy reading and baking, as well as spending time with family and friends, and staying in my second home of Raglan.  I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the St Patrick’s whanau.  

Kathryn Picard

Room 6 - Year 3/4
kathryn@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora my name is Kathryn Picard and I am the teacher of Room 6 in The Peak Team. Before coming to St Patricks I  taught at the Te Awamutu Primary for 12 years.  I am married to Steve who works in the farming sales industry. We  have 3 sons and one daughter.  I love the outdoors and in particular all things enviro. I led many  Enviro projects at my previous school including school beehives, chickens, worm farms and gardens. I also have a passion for teaching literacy. I have done Professional Development in Structured Literacy.  In my spare time I go to the gym and spend time at my favourite beach, Mount Maunganui. I grew up in Te Awamutu and attended St Patrick's school myself as did 3 of my 4 children and my own dad. 

Aoife Deeley



aoife@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora! I’m Aoife. I am the Peak Team Leader. I started teaching at St Patrick’s in 2019. As a past pupil of the school, it is wonderful to come back to teach in this special place. I live locally in Te Awamutu  and I feel blessed to be teaching in my parish community. I love developing students' creativity and integrating the Arts into our classroom programme as much as possible.  

Quad Team

Shelley Kennerley

Room 7 - Year 7/8
shelley.kennerley@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora, I’m excited to have joined the St Patrick’s team, teaching Year 7 & 8 in Room 4 this year.  I have taught this age group for the past nine years and love it!  I strive to create a fun, vibrant and inclusive learning environment.I live in Kihikihi with my husband Leon, and three daughters, our two cats and two dogs.  I enjoy the outdoors, playing the piano and spending time with friends and family.I enjoy teaching all subjects, and integrating learning with authentic contexts and experiences.  I believe in growing students as people; instilling and encouraging strong values and sense of self alongside building communication, self management and relationship skills.

Steve Coulam

Room 3 - Year 7/8
steve@stpatta.co.nz
Kia ora! My name is Steve Coulam and I am the classroom teacher for Room 3. I joined the St Patrick’s whanau in 2022 having come from St Mary’s Catholic School in Putaruru. I believe that school should be a place where all students no matter their background can feel safe, learn and have fun. I love sports and the outdoors, and am currently in charge of organising sports here at St Patrick’s. I was born in Matamata and have spent most of my life living in the Waikato region. Catholic education is also very close to my heart, because as a child I attended both primary and secondary Catholic Schools. Presently, I live in Cambridge with my wife Kara, daughter Rosie, and cat Rupert. 

Nicola Prescott

Room 1 - Year 5/6
nicola@stpatta.co.nz
Hi I’m Nic and I have been teaching at St Patrick’s School since 2005 and have taught Year 0-6 during that time.  I enjoy developing strong relationships with my students and their families, making learning fun and engaging,  and supporting students to express themselves creatively. Seeing students achieve their goals and grow in confidence, whether it be in the classroom, or outside, is hugely rewarding.  I was born and raised in Otorohanga. and live locally with my husband and 3 children. I enjoy being creative, playing  netball and socialising outside of school hours.

Haidee Pennington

Room 2 - Year 5/6
haidee@stpatta.co.nz
Kia Ora, I am Haidee and I have been a part of St Patrick’s since the beginning of 2018. I am married to Ash, and have three teenage children. I come from a large family and farming background, growing up near Taumarunui. I like animals and the outdoors and spend many of my weekends doing trail running events with my family and friends.  I am a friendly, down to earth person and love to have fun with my students. My greatest pleasure as a teacher is the quality relationships I build with my students. I really enjoy getting to know them personally and helping them to reach their full potential in a happy, relaxed and creative learning environment. 

Additional Teaching Staff

Felicity Kay



felicity@stpatta.co.nzKia ora - Ko Felicity tōku ingoa. I am the ORS Teacher at St Patrick’s School, working with students with special needs. I started working at St Patrick’s School in 2017 and discovered early on that this is a school that has a passion equal to mine, for making all children feel valued, and that encourages students to be curious. My husband Edward and I farm out at Kōrakōnui. We have two grown up children, Michael and Olivia. When I am not teaching, I am an avid reader, traveller, gardener, walker and animal lover. 

Amy Knight

Teacher Release
Hello, I’m Amy.  I have been part of the St Patrick’s teaching family since 2011, teaching a range of year levels mainly in the senior school. I had my daughter Milly in 2017 and have been working part time since then. At the moment I am teaching three days a week. relieving teachers for their release time. I enjoy building positive relationships with the students at St Patrick’s, providing them exciting and engaging learning experiences to help them grow into lifelong learners.

Anita Bailey

Teacher Release Hi, I'm Anita. Originally from Hamilton, I started my teaching career in Te Kuiti at St Joseph's. My husband and I moved to Te Awamutu in 2019 and have 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. I started working part time at St Patrick's in 2020 covering teacher release and enjoy working with various age groups across the school. Our eldest loves attending St Patrick's and all that it offers. In my spare time I enjoy sports, games and holidays with my family; tramping, camping and exploring our beautiful country.  

Support Staff

Dianne Ngapo

Executive Officer
accounts1@stpatta.co.nz
Hello, I’m Dianne.  Having raised our children here at St Patrick’s I am very happy to now be working in the office and continuing my relationships with our school, parish and the people who work here.  I handle the “money” such as student accounts, accounts payable, payroll and banking. I also help out in reception, the sickbay and manage some sports administration. If you have any inquiries your call is always welcome. 

Olivia Roberts

Office Administrator
Hello, I'm Olivia, Receptionist/Administrator at St Pat's and LOVING it. My role includes managing reception, attendance, enrolments, and among others sports admin. I live locally in Te Awamutu with my husband Michael and two kids, Rocco and Eva who attend St Pat's.  I love sports and you'll often see me or hear me on the sideline at sports events. I enjoy weightlifting, hiking, and socialising.  

Jaime Taniwha

Learning Assistant
Teenaa koutou, ko Jaime tooku ingoa. I am one of the learning assistants here at St Patrick’s. My husband Cam and I moved our whaanau to Te Awamutu in 2019. We have a very busy householdwith 5 children, our twins Avah & Theo, and Arlo currently attend St Pats. I love the community here at school, the whole team of staff and students are an awesome bunch to work with. I enjoy thevariety this role offers working with a diverse range of year groups and students to support their learning. The most fulfilling part as a learning assistant is the positive relationships I form with students, as well as seeing both their educational and personal growth. In my spare time I love camping with my whaanau and friends, travelling around the motu supporting my children in theirsporting endeavors and any place with sun, water and sand I’ll be there!

Megan Ericksen

Learning Assistant
Hi I'm Megan and I have been a Teacher Aide at St Patrick's since 2018.  I really enjoy working with the children and watching them grow and develop. I find it very rewarding assisting the teacher in the classroom and love being part of the school environment.  I live in Pirongia with my husband and three children. I like to spend time with my family and friends, read and walk my dog.

Nicola Goude


Learning Assistant

Hi! My name is Nicola and I’m a Learning Assistant here at St Patrick’s school. I have two children, Eloise and Ava, who also attend St Patrick’s. I enjoy working with the fantastic team of teachers, support staff and the wonderful hard working students here. It is awesome to see the students strive to learn and progress in their studies. I especially enjoy helping students with literacy and maths. I love the varied roles within my position and every day provides something a bit different!
I am also a member of the school PTA and in my spare time love reading, gardening and spending time with family. 


Michelle Bos

Learning Assistant
Hi I'm Michelle, I started working here at St Patrick's in 2021 as a Learning Assistant. I have worked as a LA for four and a half years now and absolutely love what I do. I enjoy supporting children in all areas of learning, seeing them grow, develop and finding their own passions. I have three children, William who attends here at St pats, my daughter is at Sacred Heart, my eldest son has Cerebral Palsy and attends TA College. I also attended here at St Pats, so did my mum and my grandad. I feel very lucky to be part of this school and working with an awesome team! I enjoy getting creative with art & gardening projects, a good book, and spending time with the family. 

Rhoda Lugtu

Learning Assistant
Kia Ora. I am Rhoda Lugtu, started working at St Pats as a Teacher Aide start of this year 2022. We have been a local of Te Awamutu for five years now from Auckland and we just love it here. Going Back to the work force after 8 years of being a Stay At Home mum and wife , everything became new again, thank God for the warm reception and full support on my first day. One of the best decisions me and my husband did from our children settling here in school and starting work again. I always look forward to meeting the children everyday. That satisfaction you feel when you make an ample contribution to child’s learning in your own little way is just immeasurable. I have a big passion in cooking and a bit of baking and just love feeding the people I care the most; one of my love languages. 

Natalie Ching

Learning Assistant


Hi! My name is Natalie and I am a Learning Assistant here at St Patrick’s School.Previously I did teacher aiding at TAPS and managed Safe And Happy Club at Pekapekerau School for ten years.  I have two grown up children and care with my partner Glenn his three children here in Te Awamutu. I enjoy working and supporting children in their learning, watching them grow to the best of their abilities. Children are fun. My interests are in art, music, and science. In my spare time I like to garden read and enjoy time with family and friends.

Fr Joe Stack

Parish Priest
parishpriest@stpatta.org.nz
Father Joe Stack is our parish priest who has been with us since 2013. His Pastoral area includes Kawhia, Otorohanga, Te Awamutu & Te Kuiti 

Sharon Braithwaite

Sharon has been coming to St Patrick's every Thursday since 2010.Sharon has many jobs while she is here. She helps out in the office as well as doing jobs for the teachers in their classrooms. 

Bibi Nasilasila

Caretaker / Cleaner
Bula.I am Bibi Nasilasila.  I am the caretaker and cleaner and I have been at St Patrick’s since 2000. I like keeping the school tidy and knowing that, when the school looks good, it has been my work.  I am married to Amanda who teaches at Pirongia and have two teenage boys.  Obviously I come from Fiji and I am the chief of my village. Whenever we have had a crisis - e.g. cyclones etc, the school has supported my village with goods or,  last time, installed solar power for mobile phones. I enjoy working in such a supportive school community.