Our Therapy Team

Therapy Team 2025 

Kia ora, we would like to introduce our therapy team for 2025. 

At Waitaha school our therapy team supports students based on their Individual Learning Plan (ILP), good life plan (GLP) or transition goals. 

These goals are set in terms 2 and 4 during meetings with family/whānau, therapists and teachers. This collaboration ensures that the goals are meaningful in the students everyday life. From these goals, we work closely with the classroom teacher to support your child to practice new skills in their regular classroom activities. This could be through advice and guidance, group programmes and/or specific individual intervention. 

We also work closely with other health and education agencies where appropriate/requested, including: BLENNZ, the child development service, adult community therapy team, Nurse Maude continence service, Talklink, Lifelinks, Explore and Enabling Good Lives.

Please feel free to get in touch anytime if you wish to discuss your child/young person.

• Shannon Everts (Specialist Services Coordinator)

Shannon@waitaha.school.nz 

The team includes: 

Occupational therapist/ Kaiwhakaora Ngangahau:

Supporting daily living skills, equipment provision and review, participation in the classroom environment and managing self.  

Shannon: Shannon@waitaha.school.nz (Full time) - All classroom spaces.

Mallory: Mallory@waitaha.school.nz (Full time) - All classroom spaces.

Speech and language therapist/ Kaiwhakatikatika reo Kōrero: 

Developing everyday communication skills verbally and/or through using a communication system and managing safe eating, drinking and swallowing. 

Ruth: ruth@waitaha.school.nz (Monday - Wednesday) Classroom spaces - Te Tupu Harakeke and cluster.

Brenna: brenna@waitaha.school.nz (Full time) Classroom spaces - Kōwhai, Te Rito Harakeke, Te Tupu Harakeke. 

Madi: madisonc@waitaha.school.nz (Full time) Classroom spaces -  Te Pa Harakeke, Kahikatea.

Hamimah: hamimah@waitaha.school.nz (every day except Wednesday) Classroom spaces - He Kākano, Rāta.

Music therapist:

Using musical-based experiences to promote social interaction, emotional regulation, communication and to elevate physical skills with a little bit of FUN. 

Renata: renata@waitaha.school.nz (Thursday - Friday) Classroom spaces - works across the school. Consult Renata for individual, targeted group, or classroom options. 

Physiotherapist:

Physiotherapy supports our students with physical needs to improve their health and function through one-to-one interventions, exercise programmes and equipment provision. 

Lucie - lucie@waitaha.school.nz works on a Wednesday. Classroom spaces - works across the school. 

Psychologist:

Our team are supported by an educational psychologist who works collaboratively with teachers, parents and students to support their success and wellbeing at school.

Rose- rose@waitaha.school.nz - works Monday/Tuesday. Classroom spaces - works across the school. 

Specialist teacher (Blind and Low vision):

A teacher specialising in visual impairment who works to provide individualised education, adaptive techniques, and assistive technologies to empower students with vision loss to achieve academic and life skills independence.

Jasmine - jasmine@waitaha.school.nz 

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Team email: therapists@waitaha.school.nz 

Specialist services coordinator - Shannon Everts: shannon@waitaha.school.nz Please get in touch with any queries or concerns. 

We look forward to working alongside you.