My name is Jolene Foster. I grew up in Dargaville where I attended St Joseph’s School and then travelled to Whangarei each day to attend Pompallier College. I spent three years living and working in Whangarei before moving to Opononi in 2000.

My entry into teaching began when I started going to Omapere Playcentre after the birth of my daughter in 2006, here I spent seven years learning how to engage young children in learning through play. My time working alongside young children at playcentre inspired me to take the next step into teaching in primary school.

An important part of my teaching philosophy is developing strong relationships with my learners to enable me to be an effective teacher for each individual. I will continually work to develop and adapt my classroom programme to reflect the needs of my students.