Tess Powell

Kia ora

My name is Tess Powell. I was born in New Zealand and have been fortunate to call Queenstown home since 2013. 

I love being able to teach here and enjoy watching both my children and students have opportunities to grow in such an inspiring environment. 

Creating an inclusive classroom is important to me, as I believe this promotes learning while also encouraging a sense of belonging and community for every student. 

Outside of teaching, I enjoy swimming, travelling, snowboarding, and spending quality time with my family.

Fi Bracken

Kia ora tātou.

My name is Fiona (Fi for short) and I am delighted to be back as part of the Shotover Teaching Team. I come from Ireland where I have a number of years teaching experience, and I have been dipping in and out of the wonderful collaborative learning environment at SPS for a number of years as a relief teacher and as a full time class mentor. 

My passions include my family, music and the outdoors. I am the Music Lead at Shotover and I enjoy all things musical - listening, watching, teaching & performing.  I love to live life to the fullest, embracing every opportunity to learn and grow.

You will see me out and about with my family -  running, biking and swimming in summer, and up on the ski fields in winter. 

I am sincerely looking forward to creating a learning environment in Coronet & with the CRT team that is based on trust, value and respect. I will be building learning focused relationships with children so that they can become the best lifelong learners that they can be. 

I look forward to meeting you all - please come and say hello. 

“If you dream it, you can do it” - Blades of Glory/Walt Disney

Karina Coles

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.

Chris Heald

Kia ora whānau,

Originally from Yorkshire, I have been calling Tāhuna, Queenstown home since 2018. Like most who visit this beautiful whenua, I instantly loved the active lifestyle, friendly people, and opportunities to get out into the backcountry. During my time here, I have connected with our awesome community through various hobbies and teaching the valuable life skill, swimming. After completing my teacher training in 2023, I am very excited to start my career at Shotover Primary School which played a vital role in my studies. The school values of "1% better" and "growth mindset" align perfectly with the culture I hope to foster in the classroom. 

Being dyslexic, I am very passionate about connecting with tamariki to understand how each individual learns, ensuring they feel fully supported on their own journey. Whanaungatanga is at the heart of my practice and I am excited to get to know the ākonga in Kawarau as we learn and grow together. Teaching for me is about celebrating each student's successes and helping them see the mana-enhancing potential in working together. In my free time you will likely find me on the golf course, tramping, swimming, or playing cricket.