Therapy Team
Jennya Charomova
Speech Language Therapist
I am grateful for the opportunity to join the team at Parkside. I got my Master’s degree in Speech Therapy from the University of Canterbury last year. I worked at the Ministry of Education as a contractor before coming to Parkside. I was born in Russia and came to Auckland when I was a child. I am passionate about Speech Language Therapy and I enjoy working with other therapists, teachers, teacher aides and parents to support children throughout their journey. Being able to work with children and help them achieve their goals makes my job very special to me.
Givona
Speech Language Therapist
Kia Ora
I am Givona. I am a newly qualified Speech-Language Therapist with a Masters degree in Speech Language Therapy from the University of Auckland. I am also a qualified Early Childhood Teacher and I have worked in the wider South Auckland area for many years. I am also a Mum to two children – one of whom who has additional needs.
I have lived in Pukekohe for most of my life. I feel privileged to be able to work with students and their whanau alongside a great team of specialist teachers, therapists and support staff at Parkside Specialist School. It is so satisfying being a part of helping students achieve their goals in communication, while increasing their self esteem, well being and social skills.
Stacey
Speech Language Therapist
Kia Ora. I am Stacey Graham and have recently joined the Parkside team. I have 16 years of experience working in a variety of settings including the past 10 years at Special Schools. I have worked in Australia and London and now have two small children.
I feel passionate about working with our students and their whanau, and delivering quality speech and language therapy support. I have a special interest working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) such as core boards and iPad’s to ensure our students have a voice and can communicate effectively.
Emily
Speech Language Therapist
Hello! My name is Emily and I am so excited to be a part of Parkside in the Speech Therapy team after becoming newly qualified! I have lived locally the majority of my life and feel incredibly lucky to work in this community.
I chose to work in a school because I believe that communication leads to students being able to access education.
I believe that communication is a fundamental right for all of our students. My passion lies in finding how each student communicates and working collaboratively to help them to express themselves and connect with the world around them.
When I’m not at work, you’ll likely find me out exploring, hiking, taking photos and crafting. I am always happy to stop for a chat if you see me!
San
Therapy / Teacher Aide
San is one of our specialist teacher aides supporting therapy programmes across the school.
Emma
Therapy team Leader and Occupational Therapist
Emma is an Occupational Therapist, clinical supervisor, fieldwork educator, and educational presenter. Emma has valuable experience supporting tamariki and rangatahi with special needs and disabilities to fully engage with the curriculum and actively participate in school life. She is passionate about leading the therapy team to strive for excellence in therapy service delivery.
Emma’s clinical scope includes specialist assessments and interventions to improve students’ fine motor skills, handwriting, visual perception, social skills, sensory processing, and self-care skills. Furthermore, she provides specialised equipment to students who need it to remove barriers to their educational participation.
In Emma’s spare time, she likes to be outdoors with her family and doing crafts.
Feel free to have a kōrero with Emma when you see her next in the classroom.
Isabella
Occupational Therapist
Kia ora, my name is Isabella, but most people call me Bella. I recently joined the Therapy team at Parkside in 2025 after graduating from Waikato Institute of Technology. I love being able to work in my local community of Pukekohe, and to support a range of students who make each day unique and fun. Working as an OT in a school setting means that I am often trying out different activities and finding new ways of adapting the curriculum to support our student's learning and development. In my spare time you will most likely find me at the beach surfing, walking, or swimming (yes, even at winter time!).
sara
Occupational Therapist
Kia Ora, my name is Sara and I am an Occupational Therapist. I am passionate about supporting students as they achieve meaningful goals and build independence in their daily lives. My professional background spans across health, school and community settings working alongside infants, children and their families. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing a student accessing the curriculum and achieving things that truly matter to them. When I’m not at school, I’m usually making the most of the outdoors with my family or settling in to watch a great game of sport.
Jade
Occupational Therapist
Kia ora, my name is Jade and I am one of the occupational therapists working here at Parkside Specialist School. As an occupational therapist I support areas such as sensory regulation, fine motor development, play, independence, and participation within the classroom. I enjoy working alongside staff, therapists and whānau to support ākonga to engage in learning experiences that are meaningful and supportive of their individual strengths and needs.
Trusha
Physiotherapist
Kia Ora, I am a committed, caring person who has a great passion for helping people of all ages. At Parkside I am supporting students with physiotherapy programmes. I have previous experience in supporting a variety of people ranging from children with developmental challenges to adults and the elderly affected by and recovering from injuries and movement disorders.