Lorna Gillespie

Mema Mō Te Ora
Life Member

My physical education career began in secondary teaching in Christchurch.

During this time (1994 – 1996) I had three years of leave to work as a lecturer at the Christchurch College of Education. In 1997, I returned to Riccarton High School as a Physical Education teacher until 2009, when I moved to the University of Waikato as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education. This marked a continued contribution to physical education teacher education.

While teaching, I was heavily involved in leadership in Physical Education in relation to NCEA development, senior school assessment, scholarship leadership and development, and critical thinking in HPE (Canterbury and national workshops for students and teachers).

My commitment to PENZ was evident throughout this time. I was a member of the Canterbury PENZ Branch committee, became the South Island Vice President of PENZ, and later took on the role of National President and Senior Advisor for PENZ.

While I was honoured with awards from PENZ over time, becoming a Life Member was definitely a humbling highlight. For me, fighting and working hard for positive outcomes in curriculum, assessment and, in turn, for ākonga were a given. Life membership enables me to stay ‘in the loop’ and make contributions when appropriate. I value being part of the PENZ whānau as a Life Member and trust I can continue to offer support and experience to ensure PENZ continues to thrive.