Meet our team of experts facilitators and kaiako

We are a passionate and highly experienced team who are dedicated to delivering high quality professional learning and development for schools across New Zealand and internationally.

Leadership Team

Stephanie Mortimore

Programme Director & Facilitator

Stephanie taught Japanese for 25 years at Rangitoto College, 10 of these years as HOD Languages.

Yvonne Lim

Director

Yvonne has over 10 years senior leadership experience in education, and over 20 years experience across corporate New Zealand.

Simon McGinley

Project Lead & FRENCH National Language Adviser

Simon began his career in education first working as an English Language Assistant in New Caledonia and later in Wallis-and-Futuna.

Kara Morrison

Project Lead & Facilitator

After completing a Masters in Spanish in Auckland, Kara has spent the last decade teaching primary through to secondary levels.

National Language Advisors

Paola Iasci

SPANISH National Language Adviser

Since September 2024 Paola has been in charge of the Education Advisory Office in New Zealand while training as a Spanish teacher in Aotearoa.

Beate Weinhardt

GERMAN National Language Adviser

Chisato Yoshioka

JAPANESE National Language Adviser

As a Japanese education specialist, Chisato has been dispatched by the Japan Foundation to work in various countries, including Indonesia, Brazil, Germany, and Hungary

Simon McGinley

Project Lead & FRENCH National Language Adviser

Simon began his career in education first working as an English Language Assistant in New Caledonia and later in Wallis-and-Futuna.

Dr Jiwei Fu

CHINESE National Language Adviser

With over 30 years of experience in the field of international Chinese language education, Dr. Fu has been engaged in both teaching and administrative work in multiple countries.

Support Team

Courtney Hopman

Operations Specialist

Courtney is an Operations Specialist, supporting the wider Language Circle team across systems and operational support.

Kath Doody

Project Coordinator

Kath’s professional journey, spanning events, marketing, tourism,and customer service, equips her with a diverse skill.

Facilitators

Afamasaga Tofilau Niulēvāea Dr Siliva Gaugatao

Facilitator

Dr Siliva is an experienced facilitator with sixteen years of experience leading school-wide professional learning & development.

Fiona Yen

Facilitator

Fiona is an experienced teacher with a passion for languages, she worked as a Chinese language teacher in Christchurch.

Florence Lyons

Facilitator

Trained in the United Kingdom, Florence brings two decades of teaching experience to the pedagogical landscape of Aotearoa.

Paula Kasper

Facilitator

Paula's background is across all sectors of language teaching in Primary and Intermediate levels.

Tracey Dykstra

Facilitator

Tracey has most recently taught Japanese at Years 7 & 8 in Northland and continues to learn languages.