Kia ora,

My name is Reuben O’Sullivan and I have been teaching at Morrinsville Intermediate School since the start of 2018.

I was raised in Edgecumbe in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, before moving to Ireland where I lived for four years, finally ending up in Morrinsville in 2010. Here I attended college and later the University of Waikato, studying a Bachelor of Teaching.

I have spent many years leading at kids holiday camps, and I am actively involved locally at my church. I am very passionate about seeing people reach their potential, overcome challenges, and do well in life. My interests include music, performance, woodworking, hiking, water skiing, travel, and language.

I look forward to meeting you.

Hi, my name is Trish Thurston, and I am delighted to be part of the team at Morrinsville Intermediate School, as Food and Fabric Technology Teacher.
I previously worked with Life Education in Hamilton, I am keen to involve students in creating healthy balanced meals, with largely whole foods. My passions include gardening, and art, and I am very excited about merging of all of these areas in to the Food Tech programme.
I am an experienced teacher, who has taught across primary, secondary and tertiary areas, as well as having been involved in the food and catering industry, and feel right at home in a kitchen.
I hope to inspire students to experience confidence through success and to think about what opportunities there might be in the creative and technology areas for the future.

Kia Ora, my name is Anita.
I am originally from the Bay of Plenty, where I grew up in a dairy farming family. I went to Tauranga Girls' College then onto Otago University where I studied a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology. At the end of my degree I wanted to use my love of Science to teach young people, so I completed my teaching degree. I have taught Secondary Science and Biology in Waikato, Christchurch and London over the years and absolutely love it. I now live in Morrinsville with my young family. I enjoy playing golf, badminton, hiking, spending time at the beach, travelling and being outdoors in nature.
I have a passion for teaching young people about the world around them through a science lens, using a foundation of positive relationships. I am looking forward to working with students in the local community to foster an inquisitive and engaging learning environment as the Specialist Science teacher.

My name is Penni Houghton and my teaching journey is a varied one working predominantly with emerging adolescents in a variety of city and rural schools across the Waikato.

I look forward to encouraging our students to explore their creativity with a range of experiences in the art technology space.

I studied at Waikato University and we have raised our two children in the Waikato with one of our daughters attending Morrinsville Intermediate. My husband and I farm in the Morrinsville area and I'm excited to be part of the Morrinsville Intermediate School community again.

The outdoors plays a significant part in my life with snow skiing, tramping, mountain biking and water activities featuring in my time outside school. I'm also an avid knitter and enjoy dabbling in a variety of artistic media.

Kia Ora
My name is Belinda Duncan. I am passionate about providing students with opportunities to explore their artistic potential and discover the joy of music and dance. It brings me immense joy to create a safe and supportive environment for the children where they feel confident and inspired.

Having lived here all my life, I have strong hononga to our community and am a past student of Morrinsville Intermediate myself. After schooling, I pursued a bachelor's degree in teaching from Waikato University.

Over the years, I have taught in several kura around our community, including Tauwhare, Springdale, Tahuna and Motumaoho Schools. I have developed skills in creating engaging and age-appropriate performing arts lessons that are entertaining and educational, catering to children of all abilities.

My interest in teaching traditional dances, such as folk and social dances, along with contemporary dances, has further fueled my passion for teaching. Besides being a teacher, I run my own business, Wildflower Education, as a private tutor. In addition, I am a Marriage celebrant, foster carer, and a proud mother of two children.

Kia ora,

I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm about creative learning through Music, Art, Drama, Poetry and Writing with students at Morrinsville Intermediate.

As a child I grew up in the Waikato, Glen Murray, went to Wesley College and Wanganui Boys’ College before training as a teacher at Ardmore. My first teaching position was at Rangiriri school, I later moved to Taupo, where I specialized in Art and Music and became resident Musician at Wairakei hotel in the weekends. Since then I have completed specialist teaching courses in Educational technology as well as Art and Music before moving to secondary teaching where I became HOD Art at Fraser High School.

My teaching and music careers have taken me to cities and towns in both Australia and New Zealand, I also exhibit my Art work which is now in several countries as well as Te Papa in Wellington.

My wife Shelley and I enjoy living beside the Waikato river in Northern Huntly. We have five children, as far away as Sweden and Japan as well as New Zealand, and six grandchildren.

I look forward to a creative year ahead!

Kia ora,
Over the past twenty-five years, I’ve been involved in leading learning and teaching across diverse regions including Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato region. I’ve also extended my teaching experience to Australia, specifically in Brisbane and at Montejini Station within The Outbacks (School of the Air).
In addition to the core curriculum, I enjoy teaching ākonga the sciences, including computer science as well as languages. I hold a Transforming Language Teaching certificate in both French and Mandarin from Auckland University. Furthermore, I’ve also had the privilege of leading travel groups to Noumea and Vanuatu, providing students with immersive language, cultural and humanity experiences.
Beyond the classroom, I nurture a passion for the arts, encompassing music and dance as well as a profound interest in science and technology which plays a pivotal role in shaping healthy citizens in a digital era. I relish spending quality time with my family during our travels, engaging in adventures and perpetually seeking knowledge. Visiting observatories, art galleries, and museums as well as attending diverse performances makes my heart sing. You might also spot me on the sidelines, cheering on sports teams or at the gym, enjoying walks or bike rides along trails with friends.
I am thankful to be a part of this awesome Morrinsville Intermediate crew and I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

Kia ora,

My name is Raewyn McCracken, and I have been a teacher at Morrinsville Intermediate in many different roles since the middle of 2017.

I was born and raised in Morrinsville where I attended David Street, Morrinsville Intermediate and Morrinsville College. After completing my bachelor of Education at the University of Waikato I moved up to Whangarei where I taught at many schools including Hukerenui School and Tikipunga Primary School. I am passionate about the arts and started the hobby of photography in 2022.

I look forward to meeting you all.