Shelly Fitness

Shelly is a principal advisor with Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga, working with beginning principals in the Waikato area.

Shelly has worked in leadership positions in a number of schools over the last 20 years, most recently as principal of St Patrick’s Catholic School in Te Awamutu. She is passionate about supporting principals in their complex, challenging and rewarding roles so that they can thrive in the job, whilst enjoying a healthy work-life balance.

Shelly has a Bachelor of Arts with postgraduate and diplomas in both primary and secondary education. She has worked in both integrated and public schools and in a range of socio-economic contexts. She has presented at both local and national conferences on principal well-being, first-time principalship, learning-through-play, and Leading to the North East (Russell Bishop). She was awarded a travelling scholarship for her sabbatical in 2022 when she travelled around Aotearoa researching sustainable coaching models.

Shelly has a particular interest in

• leadership coaching (principals, deputy principals, middle leaders)

• evidence-based teacher coaching

• primary curriculum design

• inclusion of students with additional needs, particularly those with high needs

• positive content management for schools (websites, social media etc.)

• internal review systems.

Shelly lives with her wife and very cute chihuahua, Rosie, in Te Awamutu. She is a qualified yoga instructor and also enjoys reading, painting and writing. In their holidays Shelly and her wife love travelling to new places, or soaking up the atmosphere of the South Taranaki beaches.