Hi, my name is Mandy Barber and I am teaching in Room 23. I have been on the T.I.S. staff for many years and am excited about my return to the classroom, after 5 years as a specialist maths teacher and a year teaching in Thailand. Already I have had the privilege of renewing old acquaintances and meeting new Taradale families. My teaching passions lie with maths, science and physical education. In my own time, I am a keen hockey player and coach, enjoy spending weekends out and about with my family and love to run my beautiful boxer at the river.

I have been teaching on and off at Taradale Intermediate School for the past 12 years. Now that I have two small children, I only teach part time every Monday. My day is spent teaching the Performing Arts programme (dance and drama) for two blocks. For the remainder of that day I will be releasing teachers from across the school and taking over the responsibility of the chocolate selling from Mrs Taylor.
I also relief teach on other days when teachers are away on courses etc.

Hello, I’m Heather Beaton, the Biotechnology teacher. Biotechnology is a fascinating and growing area in which students respond to a brief involving the manipulation of living systems or the use of products of living things to develop new products, systems or environments.
The programme also integrates with food technology, with the students being taken on a garden to table journey, where they learn how to grow and look after plants they will later be consuming in food technology!
Many aspects of my career and study have given me the tools to be effective in this role. Ranging from my career in the Nutrition Centre at Ruakura Research Station. My time working in the Biological Sciences Department at Waikato University through to a Ministry of Education Contract to deliver Environmental Education to schools. Another contract as an Environmental Educator with Auckland Regional Council and several years as an intermediate teacher in Auckland and North Shore Schools, some as a classroom teacher, some as a biotechnology teacher and some as a team and curriculum leader.
I have been very fortunate to have always been associated with organisations committed to best practice. This continues with TIS and as an extra bonus I have the pleasure of working with every child in the school.

My name is Leah Breeds and this year you'll find me in Room 1 which is one of our new extension classes! I'm really looking forward to this challenge and to working with this fantastic group of students. Outside of the classroom I am involved in a number of cultural activities at T.I.S. including dance, choir, music groups and tuition and this year's Stage Challenge performance. I am also hugely passionate about using technology to enhance learning opportunities and am a lead teacher in e-Learning.

Hi, I’m Lynley Brinsley and I am currently teaching in Room 3, as part of the Mohaka team. This year I consider myself lucky to be working alongside a wonderful group of children and colleagues who display an enthusiasm for learning. Taradale Intermediate is a fantastic school and I have been teaching here for many years. At this school I have been able to grow as a teacher and have been involved in numerous leadership and learning opportunities I have been teaching for over twenty five years and have always taught at the Intermediate level in several schools in Napier.

My name is Mel Brooks and I have been teaching at TIS for 5 years. I am a classroom teacher based in one of the 1:1 laptop classes. This is my second year in this role and I am hoping to further challenge myself and my students to learn new skills and strategies in this area. I am one of two Science Curriculum Leaders and with my background of nursing before teaching this is a huge passion of mine. I am responsible for the netball at TIS, last year we had 11 teams so over 100 students involved in this wonderful sport. I am the mother of three gorgeous children, two of which have been educated at TIS. They were given amazing opportunities at TIS and both fondly look back at their time here as most enjoyable. This is a wonderful to teach at, the staff and students are very special and there is a welcoming feeling throughout the school. A great place to learn.

Hi my name is Scott Burns and I am the teacher in Room 5. I am an enthusiastic teacher who is passionate about making all learning experiences for my students memorable ones. I feel it is important to teach students how to develop the skills of co-operation, relationship building and communication at this age level. Student voice is prevelant in Room 5 with all our class members being given the opportunity to have their say and feel comfortable to do so. Room 5 are a part of the Takitimu syndicate at Taradale Intermediate. My teaching interests are based around physical education, maths, I.C.T and languages with Italian being taught as an international language. A motivational quote that I have developed in Room 5 is the Latin phrase of, "Fortuna Fortes Aduivat," It means fortune favours the brave. I use this to motivate the students when they are unsure of themselves - if you don't try you will never find out how good you could be. What makes me love teaching is seeing the students develop over time and gain confidence in their own abilities. I feel privileged to be able to assist in the moulding of our conutries future generations. In my spare time I like to play a variety of sports, listen to music, watch a good movie and to travel lots! I also coach a wide variety of sports such as cricket and soccer in and out of Taradale Intermediate.

Konichi wa, my name is Marsha Cardie and I am the proud teacher of Room Four. I have taught at Taradale Intermediate for several years and have a passion for teaching the emerging adolescent. I especially enjoy and have strengths in teaching languages and English. I am involved in several extra curricular activities offered at school including volleyball, dance, Stage Challenge and 40 Hour Famine. My spare time is usually spent with family and friends, lazing around the beach during the warmer months or shopping. You will find me upstairs in the two-storey block right at the front of the school so feel free to wonder through and have a peek at Room Four’s learning.

I am passionate about teaching the emerging adolescent and making a difference in the lives of the students that I come in contact with. My interests involve movies, reading, multisport, canoe polo, cycling, E.O.T.C and spending time with my family and friends. I am lucky enough to work with the students from all 3 learning teams with my different roles within the school.

Sports Coordinator: If you need to know anything about the variety of sports on offer at T.I.S, then I can help you. I am sports mad and enjoy getting children hooked on sport to help keep them fit and healthy. I am the liaison person between outside agencies, teachers, coaches and parents. We pride ourselves on providing a variety of sports for children throughout the year.

Sports Challenge: This Year 8 Sports Extension programme is now into its fourth year at T.I.S. The students participate in a variety of modules to develop their skills as leaders, coaches, athletes, referees, event managers as well as learning more about the human body and exposure to top coaches from a variety of different sporting codes.

Release Teacher: I enjoy my role as a release teacher for the team leaders and lead teachers, working across the 3 learning teams and teaching most students within the school. You will also see me teaching Maths on Fridays as well as running a Text Exploration Class daily.

I loved my intermediate school days in Havelock North and this certainly fuelled my desire to be a teacher. I trained at Massey University and have taught at Te Puke Intermediate, Napier Intermediate and now I’m heading into my fourth year at Taradale Intermediate. Wow…TIS is an awesome teaching and learning environment. I enjoy the opportunity to teach at such a fantastic forward thinking school, with a great team of people and fabulous students. I am genuinely excited about teaching one of our Extension/BYOD Classes this year –we are going to have so much fun! 2013 looks action packed as we all continue on our journey of being the best we can be!

My name is Meredith Ellingham and this is my fourth year teaching at Taradale Intermediate. I am thoroughly enjoying my experience as Team Leader for Takitimu and working with such an enthusiastic bunch of kids and teachers at TIS. I enjoy all aspects of school life especially Kapa Haka, dance and drama , PE and Art. I am looking forward to another exciting and rewarding year. Ka kite

Hi my name is Greg English and I am the Team Leader of our talented Tech/Arts team! After spending the previous 2 years teaching in a 1-1 laptop classroom I am looking forward to new and exciting challenges ahead. This year I will be teaching Multimedia as part of our Tech/Arts rotation. Students will be learning skills and techniques to create quality digital content to be shared with an audience. This could take the shape of various forms including being aired on our Radio Station or recently updated TV Studio.

Other roles I have fulfilled in the school have included being a Classroom teacher, Video Technology teacher in the Tech/Arts team, Future Learner (Schoolwide ICT) and coordinating our schools TV studio, Taravision. In 2007 with the help of some talented students we created Blog Central, a place for students to share and celebrate some of their digital content. This has grown over the years to include our own school Youtube channel and many classes publishing their own blogs. Our videos have now had over 200,000 views combined! Check out http://taradaleint.com and http://youtube.com/taravisiontube to help us celebrate our success!

I also enjoy working with groups of students developing short films for competitions and giving students the opportunity to share their talents and expertise.

Hi I'm Angela Fraser and have been a teacher at T.I.S the last 12 years. I'm proud to be a part of this incredible school and all the opportunities it offers. It is a special place. I'm a keen triathlete and a member of the Hawkes Bay Multisport Club. I am a mother of 2 gorgeous boys, and live in Taradale with my wonderful husband. For the last 3 years I have been employed as a part- time teacher. My role involves teaching or ORS students and working with their teachers and families. I am also part of the Board of Trustees which is an exciting role for me. I look forward to sharing all the learning success 2012 brings.

Hi there, my name is Bryson Frost and I have been the Visual Arts teacher at Taradale Intermediate School for the past four years. I also take a maths class. Prior to Taradale Int', I taught at two other primary schools; here and in Christchurch. I was originally born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, but attended high School in Christchurch, where I remained until 9 years ago before coming to Napier for reasons of work and family. I have been married to my amazing wife for 18 years. We have 3 beautiful children. Outside of school hours I paint for a gallery in Akaroa in the South Island, I like to read, listen to motivational speakers, fish, walk, and we are very actively involved in our Church at 'Bay City Outreach Centre' in Hastings. I have had the privilege of travelling to many parts of the world, including climbing Mt Everest to 21,000 feet, riding elephants on Tiger Safari, driving a Combi' in Europe, and watching Moose walk by in the Rocky Mountains. I have also spent time with my father in the South China Sea, picking up 'Boat People' in the late 70's on a World Vision medical ship, before taking them to the many Refugee camps around Indonesia. I have lived a full and blessed life and try to pass on all the good things I have learnt to the children that I teach.

Hi, I'm Leanne. I have been teaching at TIS since 2008 - 5 years in the Mohaka team before changing to Takitimu this year. I find the Year 7-8s a great bunch of students - there is never a dull moment with them! I'm passionate about helping students with their reading and writing skills and helping students become independent learners. I help out with volleyball, drama, book club and anywhere else I'm needed. In my spare time I enjoy being with my family, catching up with friends and relaxing with a great novel.

Hi, I’m Karen! (Yes, I’m still here!). My teaching career started at Mayfair School in Hastings in 1997 where I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the delightful students of Year 3-4. In 2000 I made my move to Taradale Intermediate and now teach a class of humourous Year 7-8’s. I love to teach and interact with this age group and find it extremely rewarding to see the progress and successes they make. Starting as a class teacher I am now Team Leader of Mohaka and are thoroughly enjoying the challenges and experience this role brings. I have been involved in coaching netball and volleyball and organising the school science fair. My spare time is spent with my family, catching up with friends and watching a good movie!

Kia Ora, I have the privilege and pleasure of teaching the exceptional students of Room 15! I’m excited about teaching a Laptop class this year as I believe meaningful integration of technology in our everyday lives is a key focus in education today. This is my fifth year at TIS – and I love the dynamic of intermediate level. I am new to the Mohaka Learning team this year and am looking forward to working with the fabulous students in our team. Outside of school, I love spending time with friends & family, enjoy reading, shopping, the outdoors and fitness.

Kia-Orana, I am Ben Martin and the classroom teacher of Room 22. 2013 will be my seventh year as a teacher, all of those being here at Taradale Intermediate. The thing I enjoy most about my job is working with people, both students and adults. The people at Taradale Intermediate are what make it such a special school and why I am so happy to be a part of the team.

At school I am the Team Leader of the Kaweka team and the leader of the Mathematics Curriculum team. This has been a role I have really enjoyed, as it allows me to work alongside all students, and teachers, on a regular basis. My other real passion is sports and outdoor education. I have coached a number of different sports teams here at school from Ki-o-Rahi to Table Tennis. I also love getting involved in playing games at lunchtime, when the body lets me. I have had the pleasure of being a facilitator in our Education outside of the classroom programme, allowing me to take groups underground into caves, over cliff faces and through gorges out at Opouahi.

Outside of school I enjoy catching up with mates, listening to music, gaming and sports – mainly watching these days. So if you’re in our neck of the woods, don’t forget to drop by and check out what Room 22 is up to.

I started at Taradale Intermediate in May 1980 and yes that is 32 years ago. I spent 20 years teaching sewing and thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of sewing for productions, dance costumes, sports uniforms and Kapa Haka. At the beginning of the year 2000 I took a sideways step (literally), into the Food Technology Room. Because children are always excited about coming into this classroom it is a very pleasant place to work. Pupils arrive thinking that they are in Food Tech solely to cook and are surprised to learn that Hygiene, Safety, Nutrition and Life Skills are on the top of the list.
Taradale Intermediate has been part of my life for such a long time and I truly believe that it is a great place to be for both Teachers and Pupils. My husband and I live on a 6 acre lifestyle block and spend a lot of time looking after a large garden which provides our 9 grandchildren with much enjoyment. Our other passion is Art Deco, Vintage Cars and 1930's fashion, all of which we share with our family and friends.

Hi My Name is Nikki Shakeshaft and this is my 9th year at TIS. 2012 was a busy year and 2013 will be no different. I am a classroom teacher first and foremost however I am also involved in the creative arts programmes in the school where I teach the Culinary Arts programme and Textiles programme on a Friday. This year brings an exciting new opportunity with the EIT Bachelor of Teaching degree and TIS as a partnership school. I am fortunate enough to be a mentor teacher for this programme and will be working alongside the candidate teachers from the EIT. Outside of school, yes there is an outside, I am a keen cook and love to travel. At the moment I have a bit of an infatuation with Disneyland and the world of Walt Disney and animation. I have a very understanding husband who allows me to indulge in my passion for shoes and a Labrador named Buster who rules the roost at home. When thinking about why I have been teaching here so long I would have to say it is the staff, student and opportunities (for both teachers and students) that has kept me here so long.

Hi. My name is Kerry Hinton and I will be relieving in Room 2 while Mrs Martin is away on Maternity leave. I am originally a Hawkes Bay girl who has recently returned to live back in Hastings. Prior to coming to TIS I was living in New Plymouth and before that I spent 18 years teaching at Maidstone Intermediate in Upper Hutt.
My main interests are Science and Social Sciences – especially getting students to be inquisitive about the world around them. I’m looking forward to being back within an Intermediate and working with new colleagues who share an interest in education at this level.