Since beginning her journey as a Year 7 student in 1985 and then ‘coming home’ as a staff member in 2013, Chantel Ashley has spent over twenty years of her life at Kristin. Holding roles as a classroom teacher, Year 6 Dean and now Assistant Principal in the Junior School, Chantel lives and breathes Kristin and, to further entrench her love, belief and passion for the school, both of her children have been students here since Kindergarten. Hear from Chantel about what she loves most about Kristin and why she continues to be motivated to work with our young students each and every day. 

Tell us how you first got involved in Kristin?
I was incredibly fortunate that my parents chose to send my sister and me to Kristin. It was such a wonderful education and I remain forever grateful for their sacrifice and for the amazing teachers who shaped us, many of whom I'm still connected with today. After completing university and teachers college, I always knew I wanted to return and teach here. I began my teaching career at Murray's Bay on the North Shore, then moved to St Cuthbert's, which was an amazing experience, before helping to establish ACG Sunderland as Assistant Principal, leading a Year 0–13 school. I always hoped my children would attend Kristin if I could make it happen, so it felt like full circle when I saw a job advertised at just the right moment and they were offered places in Kindergarten.

What roles have you held in your time at Kristin?
I returned to Kristin as a classroom teacher while my children were just one and three years old, quite a busy time! I was then asked to take on the role of English Coordinator, and after a few years, moved to Year 6 Dean. Later, Mrs Patchett (former Junior School Principal) kindly suggested I interview for the Assistant Principal role, which was perfect timing, as my children were fully settled and thriving at the school.

What do you love most about Kristin?
There are so many things I love about this school, from driving in and seeing the trees my dad planted during those many parent-weekend gardening sessions, to watching children I once taught grow and thrive in the Senior School, to being invited to their 21st birthdays. It truly has maintained that special family quality that makes Kristin so unique.

What motivates you to come to work every day?
We have incredible teachers, both past and present, along with wonderful admin staff and students. Every day is different, filled with so many amazing moments. I'm motivated by seeing our children excited about learning, watching them find their place and their tribe here and witnessing our students begin to believe in themselves through so many varied opportunities.

What does your average day at school look like?
What I love about Kristin is that every day is different. Celebrating milestones and pupils' outstanding work is always a highlight, as is talking issues through with children when things haven't gone to plan, while watching them learn from mistakes in a safe, restorative environment. I enjoy identifying challenging opportunities for our gifted students and meeting with parents to discuss the next steps in their children's learning. All these things are important and mean we graduate young people with integrity, compassion, empathy for others and the ability to think from different perspectives.

 

 

 

What are you most proud of in your time at Kristin?
It's not one big thing, but rather the little moments that create lasting connections. When former students come back or send an email to check in – whether things are going well or not - it shows we've built solid, meaningful relationships. Every child is important to us, and we don't stop caring about them when they leave at the end of Year 13. On a personal note, one of our family's proudest moments was watching my sister become Dux of Kristin. That was a very proud moment for us all. And for those of us who were here in the early 1990s, we'll probably never forget the legendary Mr Gifford, who started the first boys' choir. Hearing them sing 'Old Man River' was pretty impressive, and our Boystrous team have carried on those equally spine-tingling moments.

What was your favourite subject at school?
English was absolutely my favourite, though Classical Studies came a close second. (Mrs Woodward was actually in my class at Kristin and beat me to the Classical Studies prize in Year 13! Fortunately for us, she's now leading this subject at Kristin.)

What does your ideal weekend look like?
Our weekends are typically busy, shuttling one child to Scrabble in Mount Albert and the other in the opposite direction for mountain biking. I love walking on the beach with our very bouncy puppy and catching up with friends and family. A sleep-in would be lovely, but with busy teenagers and finishing my second Master's (in Educational Leadership), that's not in the foreseeable future!

Do you have a funny story you can share?
A couple of moments spring to mind! The most legendary story was from our Senior School days when no one was allowed to drive their cars to school; you either got dropped off or took the bus. The principal at the time, Claudia Wysoki, reiterated this at an assembly: under no circumstances were we allowed to drive to school. So, one of the Year 13 boys from a well-known New Zealand family decided to land on the field in a helicopter! 

 

I suppose the other, not-so-funny moment was my very first day at Kristin, when I received a detention in the first hour. We were in the morning assembly in the Auditorium, and I stood up and was given a detention for having the sleeves of my cardigan pushed up. The uniform rules were incredibly strict back then, and coming from the local primary school, I had no idea this wasn't acceptable!

Do you have a favourite Kristin moment?
I think you can't go past the Year 13 Graduation Walk – it brings the whole Kristin community together and is always deeply moving. As an adult, my proudest personal moment was fulfilling my dream of having my children attend Kristin. I know that families make significant sacrifices to prioritise education, but no matter what, Kristin provides so many opportunities, some you don't even realise until long after you've left its beautiful campus.

 

Our people is a regular series where we shine a spotlight on a remarkable individual who contributes to our school and our community, highlighting their unique stories and the passions that drive them. We hope you enjoy as we celebrate the incredible characters who make Kristin a special place of aroha.