STAFF

Mrs Madelene Field - Principal & SENCo

​​​​​​​I have been at Pātoka School since 2017 and along with wearing the Principal's hat, I look after the SENCO role and Learning Support. You can also find me in the classrooms where I provide the teachers with CRT, PRT and Management Release. I have taught at several schools across Hawke's Bay and love being at Pātoka.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Mr. Mike Tolley - DP & Teacher

Mr Tolley is our Deputy Principal and you can find him in Room 2, where he will either be gardening or building with the kids! Mr Tolley brings a vast range of expertise to the team, with a background in IT he particularly enjoys involving our students in  Robotics and the annual DigiAwards Competition. Mr Tolley teaches Years 3-5 in the middle classroom.

Mrs Adrienne Hurley - Teacher

​​​​​​​​​​​Mrs Hurley teaches our wee ones in Room 1 and you will find her in the Year 1-2 classroom. She is a very experienced junior teacher and we are very lucky to have her teaching at Pātoka School.

Mrs Nina van Rooyen - Teacher

Mrs van Rooyen joined us partway through 2024 from South Africa. She has extensive experience teaching in the senior area of the school and brings her sporting expertise to the team. Mrs van Rooyen teaches our Year 5-8 students in the Senior classroom.

Mr Steve Driver - Relieving Teacher

Despite attempts to retire, we have been fortunate to add Mr Driver to the team. As an ex-principal, thespian and musician, Mr Driver brings a specific skill-set to the team. He works across all our classrooms as our reliever and supports us with productions, Kapa Haka and the end of year Prizegiving performances.

Mrs Alice Nelson - Office Administration

Mrs Alice has been part of the team since 2018 and you can find her in the office, running the ship and keeping everything on track. She is also usually the first person you will have contact with when calling the school. When not at school, Alice, Tim and their two children are very busy doing jobs in and around their farm.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Mrs Lisa - Teacher Associate

Lisa joined our team four years ago and she does learning support across all three classrooms. Lisa, and her family live close to school and when not involved with school activities, they support their girls' interests outside of school.

Mr Calvin Jose - Groundsman

Calvin joined us after several years as a Groundsman elsewhere. He brings years of experience to the job and we love having Calvin on the team.

Brown Bear

Brown Bear arrived at school the same time as Mr Tolley and they are inseparable. His main task is to keep Room 2 on track, and he takes his job really seriously. Usually, he prefers being in class however, he sometimes sneaks out to the sandpit or the playground when no-one's watching, to hang out with Cousin.