Our People

I have worked in education administration for many years and enjoy being part of the Hampton Hill School community working with the staff, the children and their families.  Originally from England, I have lived in Tawa for over 22 years where I help my husband Michael run his plumbing business.  We have two amazing children and two adorable cats! I enjoy gardening, walking, pilates and travel – especially family holidays around New Zealand exploring our beautiful country!

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 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.

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!)

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 joined the Hampton Hill School team in 2019. Twelve years ago, Hampton Hill played a key role in my final year of training to become a teacher and I am looking forward to giving back to the students, staff and community.

I have eleven years teaching experience, including six years as a deputy principal. I am passionate about creating an engaging, fun, learning environment that promotes learner agency and enables my learners to be active participants in their learning. Every member of our class is a teacher and a learner; we all have things we can teach to and learn from each other and this is something we will draw on within our class.

I live in Tawa with my husband, Brad, and my two girls –Amy and Poppy. When I am not at school or running around after my girls, I enjoy spending time with family, baking, cake decorating and crafting.

You are welcome to visit our classroom at any time and I encourage you to pop in and share in our learning journey.

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.

Hi I’m Lisa and I’m a mum to three boys.

I have been part of Hampton Hill since 2009, when my eldest child started school. I started volunteering in my children’s classes, then decided to train as a Teacher Aide, as I loved being able to help the children.

I am passionate about helping children to become the best learners that they can be. I especially love reading and I love being able to help the children to learn to read also.

My interests are spending time with my family and friends; reading; baking; and walking.