Nadeeka Idamegedara is a mathematics kaiako at Hagley College and moved to New Zealand from Sri Lanka in 2007.

Nadeeka first came to Hagley on section as a trainee in 2008 and then as a reliever in 2010 and said, “I absolutely loved it from day one. Hagley has something special.” Nadeeka feels very lucky to have two places in the world she can call home and, although she loves going back to her beautiful country to be reunited with her family, she loves returning to New Zealand to her work and home here. Nadeeka started teaching part-time at Hagley in 2011. She loves working at Hagley and in her words, “Here I feel I am my own person. I have a lot of freedom to do the teaching that suits me.” Nadeeka loves the diversity of the Hagley students and has taught mathematics to a wide range of classes: adult and adolescent, English as second language speakers, Certificate of University Preparation (CUP), Homework Centre and lots of Year 9 to 13 mathematics classes.

Nadeeka’s family is made up of Mum, Dad and two boys and of course we can’t forget the Golden Retriever called Daisy. Nadeeka likes to encourage and model to her boys that service to the community is important so she always helps with collecting for the SPCA. Nadeeka enjoys baking, cooking and eating the yummy things she makes, and sharing her baking with others. Maths staff often get to enjoy her baking 🙂. Having Daisy keeps her fit and she walks Daisy most days, sometimes twice a day.

The lifestyle the Idamegedara family has established in New Zealand works for them and Nadeeka would have it no other way. Nadeeka loves the people, both staff and students, at Hagley - the people are non-judgemental and accepting.