Our Team
Sarah
Owner and Teacher
BA English Literature; Graduate Diploma of Teaching; LTCL Speech and Drama Trinity College London.
Sarah started Ten Feet Tall with a passion to empower students with a variety of communication skills that contribute to school and career success.
Having worked in both education and corporate settings Sarah is passionate about teaching students to stand tall, speak and perform confidently and enjoy an audience.
Sarah teaches from Year 1-13, designs and oversee's the Ten Feet Tall curriculum. Sarah is on the West Auckland Performing Arts board and loves to create opportunities for her students to perform.
When Sarah is not teaching she is jumping on the tramp with her kids, baking anything sweet, gardening or planning the next camping adventure.
Stephanie
Teacher
ATCL Speech & Drama, Adv ASB Public Speaking.
Having been involved in the North Shore and National Speech and Drama community for over 40 years, Stephanie knows that excellent communication skills and qualifications give students an edge over others, making them stand out in the crowd.
Stephanie teaches Year 6-13 Public Speaking and Speech and Drama. Stephanie is a Competition Adjudicator and Speech NZ Oral Communication Adjudicator. She is the Speech NZ, North Shore Secretary.
When Stephanie is not working she is going for a walk along the beach, followed by coffee at a cafe with family or friends.
Stephanie doesn't have a dog of her own but loves them and helps out Guide Dogs for the Blind and Low Vision, by looking after puppies while their handlers have a holiday.
Sabi
Teacher
Sabi has a BA in acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and has built a career acting for stage, film and teaching drama.
Having recently arrived in New Zealand we are very keen to take a long time to show her all the wonderful things about New Zealand - it's not a secret, we want her to stay!
Sabi has taught at RADA and The BRIT School in London as well as on other weekend and half term courses for various performance academies.
Sabi teaches Speech and Drama and is able to help our students prepare their performance skills for the stage and screen.
When she is not working she is enjoying tramping through New Zealand and catching up with family.
Laressa
Teacher
- B. Soc. Sc (Double Major in English and Political Science)
- CELTA (Cambridge University, England)
Laressa has taught English as a Second Language to children and adults in language schools and educational institutions, and as a private coach, in New Zealand, Asia and Europe over the last 25 years.
Laressa teaches oral language, public speaking and ESOL to students in years 1 to 10 with a focus on both the accuracy and fluency aspects of oral language in English. She places particular emphasis on developing pronunciation skills and grammatical accuracy while also being passionate about encouraging her students to have the ability and confidence to communicate fluently.
In teaching students to present to and engage with an audience with clarity and ease in English, students are also equipped with language skills that effectively transfer into everyday life.
Laressa’s interests outside of language include nutrition, health and design. She enjoys our beautiful beaches and coffee culture; preferably together!
Natalie
Administration Wizz
Natalie is an experienced administrator with strong project management and organisational skills. She works behind the scenes of Ten Feet Tall making sure everything runs smoothly.