My name is Nancy Nogueira and I am from New Zealand. I am known at the school as Mrs. Nancy, and I have been a part of the PAS family for over 19 years. I am the kindergarten teacher and this is my fifth year as ECE Coordinator. I taught for four years from 1984 to 1987 and returned in 1993. In the interim period, I returned to New Zealand where my son Daniel was born. Daniel was a student at PAS from kindergarten through high school and I shall be eternally grateful to the school, his teachers and the support staff for the wonderful education that he received. Daniel graduated from PAS in June of 2006 and he sat the vestibular the following January and was accepted into the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) where he studies metallurgic engineering.

When I started at PAS, the school operated in one building at the previous site and my class was the three, four and five year olds together. By the time I left four years later, the numbers in the ECE Department had increased significantly and the kindergarten class was separated from the P3 and P4 class thus creating two classes. This pattern of growth continued and eventually led to the need to move to a larger campus and now, in our second year at our new campus, we have a total of four classes in the ECE Department.

I have a Teaching Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Palmerston North Teachers College (New Zealand); and a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning from the Christchurch College of Education (New Zealand). From the age of five, I knew that I wanted to teach young children and I consider myself privileged to have chosen a profession that gives me so much joy and satisfaction. I am passionate about what I do and I love working with children. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child who realizes that his or her teacher was actually able to read what might look like random letters to the untrained eye. I love to sing and firmly believe that music is a beautiful way to express how we feel as well as being an effective and fun way to teach a language.

I am equally privileged to work alongside the ECE Team which is made up of dedicated, experienced professionals who strive to provide a nurturing, learning environment for their students. We share a common belief that children have a natural love and curiosity for learning that we can foster by providing hands-on experiences that incorporate the richness of language and the magic of poems, rhymes and stories; the rhythm of music and song; the excitement of discovering and understanding our world through science and cooking, and by encouraging creativity and self expression through art and drama. We value and celebrate our children’s work by creating classroom environments where the students and the school community can admire and celebrate their amazing creations. By constantly seeking to improve ourselves and to do ‘our very best’ we provide role models that show our students how they too can succeed now and in the future.

After so many years of teaching, it is always with an enormous sense of satisfaction that I encounter my ex-students and their families both inside and outside the school. Like most teachers, I cherish the memories of my students and the experiences that we shared together and it is always touching when we see that they too remember us.


Stuff for a Good Teacher
1. Loves her kids.
2. Helps you out.
3. Always has a smile.
4. Is fair with her kids.
5. Is full of surprises.
6. Takes good care of us.
7. Has smart brains.
8. Tries her best.
9. Likes to laugh.
10. Listens to her heart.
-Allison, age 7