On Wednesday 29 January, our first day back at school, we held a powhiri to welcome new staff and students to St Paul's.

You can view the full ceremony on the St Paul's Facebook page. Here is an introduction to our new teachers: 

Hamilton Campus Teaching Roles

Craig Peebles (Director of Rowing) has been appointed to the leadership role within our Rowing Club. Craig has been living in the United Kingdom and has been working as a Physical Education teacher at Chigwell School in Essex and completing his teacher training.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Craig worked as Assistant Director of Sport and Master in Charge of Rowing at Peterhouse Boys’ School. During that time, he coached Zimbabwean crews at four junior world championships (ie 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015). Craig most recently was his brother’s coach at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Craig also has an interest in rugby and was the coach of that school’s 1st XV and took an active role as a boarding master.

Craig has completed his Masters degree in Applied Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Essex and is married to Elana, who is a highly successful Learning Support teacher in her own right. Elana is pregnant, and their baby is due in March 2020. 

Craig came across to New Zealand to participate in the final Rowing Camp of 2019 and meet up with the coaches and students he will be working alongside in the coming season, before returning to the United Kingdom to pack up his home and accompany Elana back to their new home in Hamilton. He is looking forward to putting his energies into the Rowing Club over the duration of Term One.

Duncan Gundersen (Director of Sports) Duncan was previously the Head of Physical Education and Health at St Kentigern College. Prior to this role, Duncan was Head of Faculty, Head of PE and Director of Sport at Emanuel School in London between 2014-2015, where he also had, for a period of time, responsibility for their leadership programme, was a Head of House and Director of Rugby. Duncan has an interest in Rugby and in 2014, was the Head Coach for Middlesex County and resource coach with London Wasps and Harlequin RFC. He was brought up in Putaruru, attended Hamilton Boys’ High School and gained a Bachelor of Tourism and Sport at the University of Waikato and a Masters of Management at Massey University. His first teaching role was at Onehunga High School between 2006 – 2008, before spending eight years teaching in the United Kingdom.

Duncan will report to Josh Hay in his new position as Director of Extra-Curricular Activities (taking over from Peter Gilbert who retired at the conclusion of 2019 after 40 years of dedicated service to St Paul’s). 

Delwyn Ringle (Director of Instrumental Music) is a specialist instrumental music teacher, with a Bachelor of Music Education from James Madison University in the USA. Delwyn also has a Master of Arts in Worship Studies and Church Leadership from the Liberty University, Lynchburg Virginia, USA. For the past eight years, Delwyn has been the Head of Department Music at Page County High School in the USA and has ten years of experience directing bands in a high school setting and eight years experience directing choirs. She has directed musical/school productions and outside of her interest in all things musical, Delwyn is interested in swimming, having competed herself at secondary school level. Delwyn was born and raised in New Zealand, spending most of her youth in the Waikato, before moving to the USA, where she resided for 22 years.

Sarah Cantlon (Assistant LOC of Social Science and Head of Geography) Sarah will have responsibility for senior Geography and the junior Social Studies programme. In 2019, Sarah was on a one-year secondment with the College of Education at the University of Waikato, where she spent the year supporting Social Science teacher trainees at the University. Sarah gained her Bachelor of Social Science (2001) and her Masters in Education (2017) – the latter with first-class honours, both at the University of Waikato. She has taught for 16 years at Hamilton Girls’ High School, where she has been an Assistant Head of Department and taught Geography and Social Studies. Sarah has significant NZQA experience, including as a Best Practice Facilitator and Moderator and was part of the NZQA Social Studies Alignment Team.

Cameron Stapleton (Head of Economics) Cameron gained his Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from Otago University and has partially completed his Bachelor of Arts (History) and holds a NZ Certificate in Sports Administration (Waikato Institute for Leisure and Sport Studies). For the last eight years, Cameron has taught Economics, Business Studies and Social Studies at Te Awamutu College and following a brief stint of six months in 2013 as Acting Head of Department, he became Head of Department in 2019. For a period of eight years (2000-2008), Cam served in the New Zealand Defence Force in the Royal New Zealand Artillery in the rank of Captain. Cam played rugby for both Manawatu and Otago at age grade level and has coached rugby at both Fraser High School and Te Awamutu College. 

Jonathan Cameron (LOC Arts, Head of Visual Arts) Jonathan has for the past six years worked at Epsom Girls’ Grammar School as a Visual Art and Photography teacher, Assistant HOD Art and more recently has been the Acting HOD Art. He gained his BFA (with First Class Honors) and his MFA at Massey University, along with his Secondary Teaching diploma. Jonathan has, in previous years, worked with NZQA as a Level 2 Visual Arts Verifier and a Marker for Level 3 Photography and Scholarship. He has enjoyed working on the EGGS annual productions, fundraising art exhibitions and with cultural groups. Jonathan has also done a magnificent job as the school photographer.

Matt Rees-Gibbs (Teacher of PE and Maths) for the past couple of years, has been an employee of Midlands Hockey and has coached our 1st XI hockey side. With the restructure of Midlands, we have taken the opportunity of securing Matt’s services on a more permanent footing. Matt gained his Bachelor of Sport and Leisure at the University of Waikato in 2013 and then his Graduate Diploma in Teaching in 2017, where he did a teaching placement at St Paul’s and impressed. He captained the NZ U23 hockey side in 2015 and has been a member of the Black Sticks squad in 2015-2016 and 2019. He has played for the Midlands NHL team since 2010, including stints captaining the side in both 2018/19. Matt is looking to re-train as a Maths teacher and as such, will be undertaking some papers at the University of Waikato in 2020 to get this process underway. 

Michael Dodunski (History Teacher) Michael gained his Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies (major in History) at the University of Waikato, as well as his Graduate Diploma of Secondary Teaching. He undertook one of his practicums at St Paul’s and was well received by the Social Science staff. He has most recently been employed as a Teacher of Social Sciences and Physical Education at Hamilton Boys’ High School (2016 – 2018) and in the same role in 2019 at Rototuna Junior High School. However, his real interest is in teaching senior History. Michael is a Level 1 Cricket coach, having played cricket to a representative level and has had involvement in coaching junior elite basketball and football teams. 

Caroline Collie (English Teacher) Caroline was most recently teaching in an LTR capacity at Hillcrest High School in 2019, but prior to that, she taught English across all Year levels (i.e. Years 9-13) at Carmel College (Auckland) from August 2017 through to April 2019. Caroline attended Piopio College as her secondary school, before going on to gain her Bachelor of Arts (English and Geography) at the University of Waikato and her Masters in Teaching (Secondary School) at the University of Auckland.

Caitlin Watson (LTR History Teacher) Caitlin will be a second-year teacher in 2020. As a PRT1, she has been employed at Lynfield College. At Waikato University, she gained her Bachelor of Arts (with first-class honours) in History, winning the Australian High Commission prize for best Australian History essay in 2014, the University of Waikato prize in graduate research and a postgraduate scholarship in 2014. She has an interest in Volleyball and Netball.

Therese Fitzsimmons (LTR English Teacher) is covering the position created by Mrs Stacey Stewart’s maternity leave. Therese has had 16 years English teaching experience at Western Springs College. She gained her Bachelor of Arts (Engish/History) at the University of Auckland. 

Genae Thompson (Part-time Teacher of Maaori) With the growth of seniors taking Te Reo Maaori and the increasing need to have the assistance of Matua Tahau in our professional development and pastoral programmes, we are trialling having an extra resource in this key curriculum area. Genae has most recently been Head of Maaori, Kaiako and Whaanu tutor group at Hamilton Girls’ High School. She has also taught at Rototuna Senior High School, Melville High Schooll and Rangitoto College. Genae gained her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Auckland and is currently completing her Masters of Indigenous Studies from Te Whare Waananga o Awanuiaarangi. Genae will have a 0.4 FTE teaching load and will start either later in Term 1 or at the start of Term 2. 

Sonya Pearce (Speech and Drama) Sonya will take over teaching of NZSB and Trinity Speech and Drama lessons in our school. Not a stranger to St Paul’s, she taught English and Drama here in both 2008 and 2009. Sonya has experience teaching music at Glenfield Intermediate and more recently has been teaching piano at Rototuna Junior High School. She spent six years abroard in China and the UAE. Sonya is currently a Trinity examiner. 

High-Performance Sporting Roles

Lynaire Williams (Premier Netball coach and Director of Netball) Lynaire is a PE teacher who gained her Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies at the University of Waikato and has taught at Western Heights High School (2012-2013) and Hamilton Girls’ High School (2014-2019). At HGHS she has been both a Dean of 350 girls in Edgecumbe House and Assistant Head of their PE department. Since 2018, she has been on maternity leave. At HGHS she was the premier coach 2014-2018, with the 2018 side finishing 5th in the NZSS Championship. Lynaire was a finalist for WBOP Netball Coach of the Year in 2019. An active Sevens Rugby player, she has managed the HGHS side in 2016 and 2017. Lynaire will also do relief teaching as required and offer her mentoring support to our elite female sportswomen. 

Kale Herbert (1st XI Football coach and Director of Football) Kale gained representative honours playing in Auckland and in Wellington, has been the Head Coach of the Taupo Mens’ Football team and more recently the Hamilton Wanderers, Men's Northern Premium league side and the Wanderers U19 national tournament team. Kale is currently completing his Football B Licence.

Lincoln Churchill (Director of Hockey) A trained PE teacher, Lincoln has had a successful Hockey playing and coaching career, having been the Development Officer of Bethlehem College Hockey from 2008-2015 and the Director of their Hockey programme from 2016-2019, as well as being a Midlands Hockey Higher Performance Coach from 2008-2018 and a Black Sticks men’s analyst from 2017-2018. Lincoln gained his Bachelor of Education at Canterbury University and his Diploma of Teaching at Christchurch College of Education.

Tihoi Venture Campus

Gerard (Gee) Pascoe (Tihoi Catering Manager) Gee worked in the same role as the Tihoi Catering Manager from January 2012 to March 2016 where he proved able and popular. (Although, he initially joined the campus in June 2005 when the catering for the Venture campus was outsourced to Alliance Catering/Spotless Services.) For the past three and a half years, Gee has been the Head Chef at Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, where his wife, Mel has had a responsibility in the boarding community. With the recent birth of their baby boy, the Pascoe’s are looking for a lifestyle move, having really enjoyed living in the Tihoi community in the past.

Ryan Malcolm (Chief Instructor) Ryan joined our Venture School team in 2016 as an instructor experienced in caving and the outdoors. He is well qualified with an excellent depth of NZOIA qualifications in Rock 1, Bush 1, Cave 2 (where he is an assessor for Level One) and is a NZOIA Mountain Bike leader. With his wide skill set in the outdoors, Ryan will take on the oversight of the outdoors programme following Damien Firth’s departure at the end of 2019, to take up a role in the new ‘Green School’ in Taranaki. Ryan’s wife Emma is also a teacher at Tihoi.

Hilary Munro (Outdoor Instructor/Tutor) Hilary has spent the last year at the Dilworth rural campus as an outdoor instructor and cabin coach. Graduating from Ara Institute Canterbury with a degree in Sustainability and Outdoor Education. Hilary is a keen tramper and climber in the outdoors with a range of instructional experience from working as a freelance instructor for a range of businesses including - Fergs Kayaks, Adventure Specialities.

David Lourie (Outdoor Instructor/Tutor) Dave attended St Pauls as a student (Sargood House 2002-2004) and completed the Tihoi programme in 2003. He is a qualified electrician who has moved into outdoor education recently, working for the past 18 months while at Dilworth Rural campus. David is a keen outdoorsman - snowboarding, hiking and sailing in various roles around the world. His passions are tramping, caving, hunting and snowboarding.

Andy Furminger (Outdoor Instructor/Tutor) Andy grew up as a child at Tihoi and attended St Paul's (Williams House 2000-2004 ) Building in Hamilton for the past decade Andy is looking for a change of lifestyle and career. He will tutor Villa house at Tihoi, instruct in the outdoors and see if this is the life for him. He brings his wife Sarah and son Jackson to Tihoi with him.