Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Hello there. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year and managed to sneak in a break too.

This is just a quick note to introduce myself and let you know a little bit about your child’s class. As I am sure you are already well aware your child will be in a class taught by Ruth Hooke on a Wednesday and myself for the remainder of the week. We are very much looking forward to getting to know your child and working towards their goals together. We have now known each other for many years and enjoy working together. Over the years we have become special friends and think of her as part of the family. I promise you it will be a great teaching combination and between us we have a good variety of strengths.

Now for a little background information about myself… I have two children that I couldn’t possibly love any more. I have a little boy called Harrison who is nearly six and attends Muritai. I also have a little girl called Hettie. She will be three in March. Hettie definitely keeps us on our toes. She is full of beans and very determined! I live in Eastbourne with my husband Bradley. He is an Essex boy, but don’t hold that against him. In a weak moment he decided to shift his life to New Zealand and follow me. Like many families in Eastbourne we are working hard on renovating the house. We are slowly getting there and looking forward to the time when it is all finished.

For the last few years I have been teaching in year 5 and 6. I loved this age group. I am now ready for a change though and looking forward to teaching year 7 & 8. I also really enjoy working with my team. We all get on extremely well and compliment each other with our different strengths. Previous to teaching in year 5 and 6 I was a year 7 teacher in the senior wing. I taught there for two and a half years after returning from England, which was my home for seven years. This seems like a lifetime ago. While I was there I taught a variety of levels in a school called Winter Gardens on Canvey Island in Essex. I taught from year 3 through to year 7 over the years and just loved it. It was very different to Muritai, in fact the complete opposite. It was fantastic for my behaviour management! I learnt a lot and very fast!

On our way home to New Zealand my partner and I travelled for a year. Travelling has always been a passion of ours. We roughed it through Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Iran, Nepal and India. A trip to Peru was also squeezed in where we walked the Inca trail. Like everyone else we are hoping to win the lottery and travel more but for the moment the mortgage has put this on hold…one day!

Before children, when I had spare time…ummm… I loved to walk, travel, tramp, and read, garden, paint, go to the theatre and enjoy lovely time with my friends and family. These days time is tight but I can happily say I am content spending time with my lovely family.

I adore teaching and get a lot of joy from your children. I especially love getting to know each of them and learning about their needs and how to move them forward. I am enthusiastic about my job and enjoy my time in the classroom.

If we have not already met, I look forward to seeing you at the first interview or as the year progresses. Please feel free to contact me by email, phone or pop in for a visit.

My email address is allen@muritai.school.nz .

Kind regards,

Lisa Allen