Kia ora, my name is Karina Coles (Miss Karina at school) and I feel very privileged to be part of the Shotover team.
I grew up in Arrowtown for the majority of my childhood, before relocating to Dunedin with my family when I was 11. I completed my bachelor of teaching at the University of Otago, and then boarded a jet plane to start my teaching journey in England. I spent almost 4 years teaching in the UK before returning to New Zealand and settling in Queenstown.
I have been teaching for several years and have experience teaching a variety of age groups, however I have been mainly based in junior school and preschool. My inspiration to become a teacher grew from my own experience as a pupil in primary school. I was fortunate enough to have a very engaging and nurturing teacher. It had such a positive impact on my learning and my experience at school.
In my spare time I enjoy exploring Queenstown and going on family adventures with my husband Joe and my 3 year old son Ollie.