Teachers

Year 0 - 2 Teacher (Room Three)

I have been a teacher at Otamarakau school since 2001, and have also taught in Britain, Canada, NW Territories, USA and Korea. I am married and have four daughters and eleven beautiful grandchildren.I love to spend time with my family and enjoy craft and reading (when time allows!). I like to keep as fit and healthy as possible and would still like to be jogging over Mt Maunganui when Im 90!! I admire people who are honest, caring and work hard.

Principal

It is with great pride that I introduce myself as the Principal of Otamarakau School. The school motto is a school with a view to the future and the future for Otamarakau children is very bright. I am married to the lovely Anna and we have a baby son, Bailey, and two cats, Toby and Sophie. Feel free to pop in, for a cuppa and a chit chat.

Year 3 - 5 Teacher (Room Two)

Hi, my name is Esther and in class the kids call me Miss Geerlings. I teach in Room 2 four days a week and Mr Moore teaches in our class on Thursdays. I grew up in a little town called Edgecumbe. I went to Massey University a long, long, time ago and have been teaching ever since. In my nine years of teaching experience I have enjoyed working with children across all age levels with a variety of backgrounds, needs, gifts and talents. I have specialised training in reading recovery and personal strengths in the arts. My other life experiences that I bring to this profession would be parenting, as I have an 11 year old son that attends our school. I’m also a keen sports person and have played soccer and touch at a variety of senior levels. In summer I have a lot of fun surfing and exploring New Zealand’s beautiful coastlines and this winter I look forward to practicing snowboarding, my new found passion!

Year 6 - 8 Teacher (Room One)

I live in Mt Maunganui with my partner and was teaching at Ohope Beach Primary School last year. Some previous experiences I will bring to my teaching include; English language teaching, qualified chef, qualified surf instructor, school holiday program work, sports coaching, 4 years travelling overseas (Australia, Canada, UK, Europe and Central America). I am passionate about sports (especially surfing), nature, music, art, travelling, children and learning. My goals for teaching this year include teaching children to learn to learn, to inquire and ask questions to develop the skills to lead their own learning. I believe in children’s learning linking to real life contexts and providing a variety of learning styles.