Kelly Watkinson
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education (ECE), Full Registration
Centre Coordinator
Kelly is a firm believer that children learn best through a play based program where teachers support and foster children’s play. When Kelly joined the Gems team (back when they were known as Little Rockets), she was drawn to the centre's philosophy of encouraging children to develop as independent thinkers, who hold on to their curiosity and embrace the love of nature. Kelly loves working with the teachers at Gems in her role as Centre Coordinator and supporting them to achieve the best for the children.
Aino Kokkonen
Bachelor of Business Administration, Information and Communication Technology
Lead Administrator
Aino is our well-organized Administrator who is usually your first point of contact at the Shotover Country Centre. You can see her either concentrating on something on the computer or chasing up missing parent signatures. Aino came to New Zealand in 2010 after travelling in Australia and studying in Finland and Spain. She fell in love with the natural beauty and the friendly lifestyle of Queenstown. Now she enjoys spending time with her young family and various outdoor activities and walking tracks around the area. One of her children has fun at Gems and the older one is at the Primary School next door while mum is at work.
Sue Clyma
Background in Hospitality and Cafe Management
Lead Cook
Sue is our charismatic lead cook based in our Shotover Centre. Sue comes from a background in business ownership, having previously owned and run her own cafe in Queenstown for a number of years prior to joining Gems. Sue consistently produces nutritious food for our children and team. Her Friday treat special for the teaching team is an absolute hit (good old Southland cheese rolls!). Sue enjoys working in an environment where she is able to interact with her own mokopuna on a daily basis.
Shawn Barron
Graduate Diploma in Teaching
Head Teacher, The Nest
Shawn (better known as Shawny) is from Minnesota in the USA, where she grew up loving the wild outdoors, camping, cross country skiing and swimming in the beautiful, warm lakes. She always enjoyed school as a child and her love of learning is what drives her passion for teaching. After finishing her degree in Communications in MN, she came travelling to New Zealand for a summer and ended up building her whole life here. After several years she went back to uni for a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning Primary and has been with Gem's since shortly after it first opened in 2012. Shawny has a busy and happy life with her husband, 3 year old twins and her 1 year old daughter who comes to work with her in The Nest.
Wakako Toya
Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Japan), Qualfied Nursery Teacher (certified in Japan), Preschool Teacher Level 2 (Japan)
Teacher, The Nest
Waka is from the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, where a lot of elderly people, and families with children live. Her hometown is small but very convenient to live in with everything in walking distance. She grew up with lots of outside activities during her childhood, especially with her grandpa who took her for a walk to her kindergarten every single day, which is one of her fondest memories. Walking for 3 kms return wasn't easy for a 3-4 year-old, but she loved the time with her grandpa and enjoyed finding treasures on the way. She strongly believes that this was where her love for hiking/tramping started from.
Waka studied Early Childhood Education in Japan in 2007, and worked in a childcare centre in Tokyo for over seven years. In 2014 she moved to Australia for a volunteer program in a local childcare centre. While in Australia she also attended a college to gain an Australian ECE Certificate. She learnt how beautiful and multicultural childcare centres in Australia are. After two years in Australia, she came over here to New Zealand to explore her passion in ECE. Waka fell in love with this country and especially Queenstown.
In her spare time she often goes bike riding, hiking, camping and road tripping. She hadn't done much of that in Japan, but NZ's incredible landscape brings out her adventurous soul. She found that it's never too late to try new things!
Joella Farrell
Bachelor of Design (Fashion), Diploma in Interior Design
Teacher, The Nest
Joella is from Dunedin and moved to Queenstown at the start of 2016 with her husband Nathan and their two daughters Luciana and India-Valentina. She began working with children when she was 19 and has had various jobs nannying, running an after school care group, relieving in pre-schools and a full time position in the under 2’s age group. In between this she has followed her other passions of fashion and interior design. After her daughters were born she became a stay-at-home mum until they started school. This was very rewarding and filled her with further valuable knowledge about the under 5 age group.
After this she began relieving work again in pre-schools and realised how much she enjoyed working with this age group and helping them to realise their potential. She bases her teaching philosophy on the research of Nathan Wallis, on how infants brains develop by providing caring, attuned, responsive and predictable relationships with the children, so they feel secure to explore their interests and through this she will extend their knowledge through play-based learning. Joella started working at Gems in February 2019, relieving in the Hive and the Nest and began studying a Graduate Diploma in Teaching in Early Childhood Education. She is now working permanently in the Nest and is loving getting to know the children and families. In her spare time she is with her family, walking their little dogs, cooking vegan food, camping in Wanaka, spending time at the lake and socialising with friends.
Lara McGregor
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Teacher, The Nest
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Sarah Fletcher
Bachelor or Arts (Hons), Teaching Assistant Diploma Merit
Teacher, The Nest
Sarah came to Queenstown in 2005 from England for 3 months, but ended up meeting a kiwi fella, becoming a NZ resident and has never looked back! Later on she went back to UK to get her Teaching Assistant Qualification and to start her teaching career. In 2015 she returned back home to Queenstown with her kiwi partner. At Gems she has a fun attitude towards teaching which the kids love: play, play and more play. She values personalised play in her teaching methods and celebrates individuality. Sarah finds it very important to build and maintain strong relationships with children, parents and whanau.
Sarah Bland
Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), Outdoor Leadership and Management Studies, Full Registration
Head Teacher, The Hive
Sarah dreams of world where everyone has a deep sense of purpose and authentic self-appreciation, especially kids. She has worked with children for 18 years across social work, as well as primary and early childhood teaching. Sarah loves the beauty, happy vibes and tranquility of Aotearoa. She was born in Dunedin, and has lived all around NZ, in Switzerland and in France. Sarah gained a Bachelor of Education (primary), then taught at a (residential) primary school that re-educated NZ's most behaviourally challenging children for a few years. She studied Outdoor Leadership at Otago Polytechnic. Combining her formal training, Sarah took up a leadership and mentoring role in early childhood education and totally lived it! Sarah and her partner moved to Queenstown mid 2018, before joining Gems.
Morgan Clode
Diploma in Teaching ECE, Forest School Leader Level 3, Provisional Registration
Teacher, The Hive / Gems Farm School Coordinator
Morgan is originally from Southland and moved to Queenstown in 2009 to complete her Diploma in Teaching (ECE) through field based study. In 2014 she moved to London where she spent just over two years teaching and travelling neighbouring countries in Europe. Her time as the Nursery Leader (3 & 4 year olds) in a South East London primary school provided her with incredible opportunities for professional development on the schools journey of rapid progress and improvement, using her strong understanding of early childhood development to provide the best learning environment with a unique kiwi influence. Morgan has a passion for nature education and believes that every child should experience the benefits of learning through and with nature. She has completed a Forest School Leader (Level 3) qualification, developed an Urban Forest School in London, and is now the Farm School Coordinator for Gems Farm School.
Avi Ortiz
Masters Degree in Educational Management
Teacher, The Hive
Avi began her teaching career in Singapore before seeking new adventures by coming to New Zealand. She has thoroughly enjoyed her experience in Queenstown and has learned a great deal about the culture and people as well as about herself. She particularly enjoys spending time hiking, camping and cooking. Avi believes that the willingness to devote considerable time in acquiring the trust of a child is key in getting them to become confident. She is keenly aware of the great importance of being able to read and react appropriately to non-verbal signals from children.
Ruth Chapman-Olla
Bachelor of Arts in Education Psychology, Papers in Business Communication and Personal and Occupational Learning
Teacher, The Hive
Ruth was born in Shropshire in the UK and travelled to NZ nearly twenty years ago on a working holiday visa. After spending a year travelling the country, she realised a year was not long enough and never left! She moved to Queenstown nine years ago with her partner Giulio. The active lifestyle Queenstown offered sucked them in with its’ challenging sporting events. A few years later they had an awesome little boy Franco, followed by his equally awesome little brother Luca. They really can't think of a better place to bring up their boys.
Ruth has been working in early childhood education for eight years. She has loved building trusting and respectful relationships with the families she has met and children she has worked with. After having her first son Franco, her eyes were really opened to how important the care a child receives in their first few years is as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of quality care for our children. "It's not enough that babies receive good care, the care must be excellent" (Magda Gerber).
Linda Hodgkinson
Bachelors Degree in Early Years Education, Level 6 Supervision in Childcare with Special Needs & Level 5 Special Needs Training.
Teacher, The Hive
Linda was born and raised in Cork, Ireland into a large family with 7 children. She spent the first 5 years of her life in England, then moving to Ireland where she started school and picked up her very strong accent. Having a big family and older siblings meant she had lots of nieces and nephews when growing up. She has always admired the spirit that children bring to everything they do. The wonder that they find with an empty box, the endless possibilities of a stick, the awe of new discoveries and especially the sound of laughter as they play. It is these moments that inspired her to teach.
Linda holds a degree in Early Years Education and certificates and diplomas in Childcare and Special needs training. She worked for ten years in an array of different settings in Ireland before moving to New Zealand. She originally came out for a month’s holiday and loved it so much she stayed. Five years on she found her way to Gems Kōwhai.
“Slan go foil” (Bye for now in Irish).
Carrie Lindsay
Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Early Childhood Studies
Teacher, The Hive
After leaving high school Carrie went to university in Belfast to complete a degree in Early Childhood Studies. Her study introduced her to a wide range of international perspectives on Early Childhood Education and she spent a lot of her study focusing on the Reggio Emilia approach; the 100 languages of children. After graduating, Carrie spent a year travelling; backpacking around Asia, Australia and New Zealand. She also worked in France for 5 months in a ski resort. After that, she moved home and worked as a nanny for some time before deciding to make the move to New Zealand. She initially began working in The Nest at Gems Lake Hayes Estate in June 2016. She is very excited about her move to the new centre at Shotover Country. “I feel like Gems provides the perfect fit for me as a teacher.”
Emily Li
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Teacher, The Hive
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Shelby Berry
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Teacher, The Hive
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Kris Christenson
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Teacher, The Hive
Kris moved down to Queenstown 3 years ago From Auckland. She has a 5 year old boy who is her Miracle baby, the best thing that ever happened to her. She has been a teacher for 13 years working with all age groups. Kris has had the privilege to work in different Centres and gaining a variety of experiences, which ended up in leadership roles in the prime of my career. This has all developed and refined her skills as a teacher and a person.
Kris loves being outdoors at the beach, in the nature, hiking, etc. Nature is where she gets her tranquility - a sense of freedom and the zest for life.
She has always adored and admired children and the purity and the zest they have for life, and how they question the working theories of how the world works around them. She feels very lucky to be a part of the Gems Team and looks forward to growing and learning alongside the Team, children, and whanau.
Kate Stoddart
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Teacher, The Hive
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