Our People

As Principal of Hillcrest Normal School since 2015, I have the privilege of leading a talented and committed team in a supportive school community. Through my leadership, and working with a supportive Board, we continue to work toward our school vision of Growing Creative Learners from Within and providing the best possible learning opportunities for the children in our community.

I thoroughly enjoy my position at Hillcrest Normal School and look forward to working with you in partnership to support your child to achieve success.

Kia ora koutou,

Having been a part of this school community for many years, including the last five as Deputy Principal, it is a privilege to step into the role of Acting Principal.

I am deeply committed to our school vision, Kia puāwai te ngākau – growing creative learners from within. My passion lies in seeing the ‘whole child’ flourish. I believe that when we work together to create a supportive environment, all our learners, staff, tamariki and whānau are empowered to thrive. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. My success is not mine alone, but it is the strength of many.

I am passionate about the arts and love seeing creative expression woven through all aspects of our curriculum. To me, creativity is the key to unlocking a child’s confidence and well-being.

Away from school, I enjoy life in Raglan with my wife, Chris, and our three daughters who keep our lives busy and full of joy. I look forward to continuing our journey together and seeing our learners flourish.

I have been working at Hillcrest Normal School since 1998 and was appointed Assistant Principal in 2005. I have lived in Hamilton all my life and started school at Hillcrest Normal School as a five year old. I love working and learning at Hillcrest, every day brings a new challenge and lots of laughs to share. This year I have responsibility for supporting the kaiako and leading the learning of the tamariki in the kura teina (year 0-3). I enjoy welcoming new students and their families as they transition to school, and every year I am always so proud of our older learners as they move away from our kura having grown and changed so much over their time at Hillcrest Normal School.

As a mother and a grandmother, it is a privilege to watch each generation flourish, be creative and learn new things every day. Outside of school, I visit my family in Wellington as often as I can and spend time in the garden, read good books, watch movies and sing in a choir.

I am grateful to have worked at Hillcrest Normal School for a number of years. I currently lead Kura Tuakana (Years 4–6) and have spent the past few years in a senior leadership role, stepping this year into the position of Acting Deputy Principal. In my role, my core purpose is supporting both kaiako and tamariki to thrive.

I am passionate about creating opportunities that encourage children to step beyond their comfort zones and grow across all areas of their learning, that is academically, socially, physically and emotionally. I particularly enjoy leading and supporting education outside of the classroom (EOTC) experiences, where tamariki are challenged, build resilience, and discover new strengths in themselves. It is a privilege to work alongside our Kura Tuakana team as we nurture student strengths, honour individual identities, and support learners to shine as confident, capable members of our kura.

Kia ora koutou,

It is a privilege to serve our Hillcrest Normal School community as Acting Assistant Principal and to lead Learning Support across the kura. I am passionate about creating inclusive environments where every ākonga feels a strong sense of belonging and knows they are valued for who they are.

My work centres on strengths-based, responsive practice. I enjoy working alongside kaiako, learning assistants, whānau, and external agencies to ensure support is thoughtful, relational, and mana-enhancing. When we truly know our learners and work in partnership, tamariki are empowered to flourish socially, emotionally, and academically.

Hillcrest is a special place to be, a community that honours identity, nurtures growth, and grows creative learners from within. It is a joy to be part of this journey.

I have worked at Hillcrest Normal School for 15 years, ten of these as Team Leader of Year 4. I am privileged to continue this leadership as Assistant Principal, overseeing the Middle Team. I have a passion for creating opportunities for children to find their strengths and grow a love of learning and believe strong partnerships with whanau are an important part of this. One of my roles is helping lead Literacy across the school to create pathways for children who require both support and extension by working alongside students and supporting teacher capability.