Our People

I have worked in education administration for many years and am excited to be part of the Hampton Hill School community working with the staff, the children and their families.  I have lived in Tawa for over 21 years where I help my husband Michael run his plumbing business.  We have two amazing children – Liam (20), Amy (17) and two adorable cats – Kira and Larry. I enjoy gardening, pilates and travel – especially family holidays around New Zealand and overseas when we are lucky enough!

Hello, I’m Rebecca Quirke and I am the new entrant teacher at Hampton Hill School.  I have taught at Hampton Hill for about seven years in a range of different roles.  I love teaching and inspiring children to learn by making the experience of learning as fun and enjoyable as possible. When I’m not at school I love to spend time with my amazing family.  I enjoy being creative – to paint, mosaic, scrapbook and like learning new crafts.  I am also a bit of a back yard farmer and enjoy growing my own vegetables and raising chickens.

I am a friendly person who gets on well with others. I have a natural rapport with children and have always enjoyed working with children of all ages. It is important to me to help children achieve their goals, and I will always go that bit further to find ways to help them develop their understanding and learning. I have the skills and enthusiasm to ensure a fun learning experience and enjoy seeing the excitement in children’s eyes when they master a new activity.

I am originally from Japan, but I have also lived in Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States, so it’s safe to say that I love traveling, exploring cultures and eating cuisines from all over the world.

In my teen years I was a competitive swimmer, so I really enjoy being active.  I also love creative activities such as dance and visual arts.

I am excited to be working at Hampton Hill School because I resonate with the school’s vision to Grow People to Thrive. It is about generating interest in learning through diverse teaching methods and keeping it exciting and engaging by challenging students to think outside the box; forging them into curious and creative thinkers. I  love to work in a school that recognises the importance of teaching our children how to learn and adapt to modern technology in this fast paced, evolving world. Honestly, I cannot think of anything better than working in an environment with people who share my vision and values.

Since starting my career in teaching, I have been involved with Hampton Hill School. As a teacher  I really enjoy helping students grow as they understand what they are learning.  

In 2014 I had the opportunity to grow my own knowledge by being involved with the Primary Science Teacher Fellowship. I focussed my studies on understanding the nature of science and looking at how to be more curious about the world around us. I find Science is a great way to help our kids grow as they understand the world around them 

Outside of school I have taught myself to play  guitar. (I play in my church band.)

I have been involved with the school for quite a number of years, with our two daughters and son having all gone through the school.  As well as teaching my class, I am in charge of Science and was fortunate to spend 6 months at NIWA on a Primary Science Fellowship in 2012.This was an awesome experience and I came away from that with a new passion for Science and for kids to develop a curiosity about the world around them.

I am also involved in our Enviro Schools programme, PE and School Hockey. My interests include walking – the longer the better; music- I lead church singing, play the viola and bass guitar; gardening; and my own gorgeous family (that is growing up way too fast!)

Kia ora Koutou

Ko Leah Merewater toku ingoa, my name is Leah Merewater. I am a part-time teacher and I am so excited to be part of such a great team of teachers and such a wonderful school of tamariki.

I’ve been teaching since 2008 and I love it! I’ve taught from New Entrants up to Year 5/6 kids and I’m still not sure what my favourite age group is. What I enjoy about being in the classroom is seeing tamariki light up with their learning.

I’ve travelled all over the world but now proudly call Titahi Bay home. My husband, Karl and I, have three gorgeous energetic sons and a lovely adventurous dog called Rudi. When I’m not teaching you will find us walking Rudi, visiting parks and play grounds or out in the garden.

I am the ESOL coordinator at Hampton Hill School. I help teachers determine students’ level of English using the English Language Learning Progressions and ensure that the ESOL funding applications are completed at the beginning and middle of each year. I am also available as a resource person to help adapt classroom activities and programmes for ESOL students.

I am passionate about helping and supporting students so that they can reach their potential, and enjoy working as a Teacher Aide.
I am also a parent of a daughter who attends our school and I like to help in her classrooms during the week. I am also involved on the fundraising committee and other ways around the school.
Before having children I trained as a Youth Worker and worked in Lyall Bay, I have supplemented that with admin roles as well as Teacher Aiding in both primary and secondary schools.
In my free time I like to sew, bake, read, catch up with friends and taxi my girls around to their different activities.