Terence joins the school after six years at ACG Parnell, where he taught middle school Science and Computer Science and senior level Physics. His passion for his subject areas, and well-honed expertise in teaching the Cambridge curriculum, saw his ACG Parnell students attain exceptional results.
“Seeing my students achieve their goals, and become inspired to push themselves beyond what they thought they could, will always be among my proudest moments,” says Terence, who has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours majoring in Mechatronics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, and a Masters in Educational Practice.
“I’ve also been lucky enough to take students to Greece, America and Japan to show them what Physics and Engineering is like in a real world context. This offered the opportunity to immerse students in different cultures and give them a new perspective on other people and places.”
Now, in his first Deputy Principal role, Terence is excited about having a positive impact not only on the lives of his students, but also on the day to day running of the school, and its long-term growth.
“I’m looking forward to building strong relationships with the staff throughout the year so that I can best support them in doing the amazing job that they do, and getting to know our students so that I can be a role model for them each and every day.
“I relish the challenges that come with learning something new, and the personal and professional growth that comes as a result. Also, the chance to have an impact on growing our school and making a difference in the lives of our students is exciting!”
In addition to supporting Principal Thea Kilian, Terence will be teaching Year 7 and 8 Computer Science, AS Physics, and Maths Support.
But teaching hasn’t always been his prime focus. Born in South Africa, he moved to New Zealand in 1998, growing up in the City of Sails.
“When I graduated with my degree, New Zealand was still emerging in the mechatronics field and the jobs I was looking for were primarily based overseas. Not wanting to leave NZ, I took on some casual projects and started a web-design company. I ran this for a couple of years and then decided I’d like to move into a new field. That’s where teaching came along!”
Auckland was a great place to launch his career, but as a lover of all things outdoors, Terence says a move elsewhere was always on the cards.
“I love being outside and in the water. Whether that’s hiking, swimming, being out on my boat, or scuba diving, if I’m outdoors I’m happy. Auckland is a wonderful city to live in but it doesn’t offer the closeness to the outdoors that Tauranga does.”
And although he has only been here for a short time, he couldn’t be happier.
“I’m absolutely loving it! My partner and I still feel like we’re on holiday in our weekends with regular trips to the beach. The pace of things down here is a welcome change too.”
And the new role?
“ACG Tauranga is wonderful. The school is underpinned by a sense of belonging and this is evident wherever you look. It’s so great to see senior students working with younger students, or spending time with them at break times. The staff are also incredible, and each staff member cares deeply for the students.
“Being a smaller school, everyone has a hand in multiple jars. This keeps the days interesting and gives a unique sense of variety, as well as valuable learning opportunities.”
