Acting Lead Principal
Across School Lead/Teacher - ASL
Mina Voight
My name is Mina (Hermien) Voigt. Our students call me Whaea Mina or Mama Afrika. As a mathematics teacher I've always had a problem that we try to fit our students into this "assessment box", and all must fit this box, or else it is not achieved. I've even, when I was at school myself, thought: "there must be other ways to assess whether a student has understood all the concepts of a certain topic". Like putting all the animals of the animal kingdom in front of a tree and saying: “Right today we are all doing a test : how high can you climb that tree. Now we all know that the elephant, the hippopotamus etc. WILL FAIL THIS TEST…”
My passions in life are to teach and to learn. I love the challenge of being a life-long learner. I've been teaching since 1985, and still love every second of it. I believe: A day in which I haven't learnt something, is a lost day.
My motto in life is:
Learn all you can
Love truly
Laugh insanely
Leave a legacy
I believe that teaching Mathematics is a performing art. Creative skills help students become better problem solvers, communicators and collaborators. As teachers our ultimate goal should be: a world full of playfully, creative people, who are constantly inventing new possibilities for themselves and their communities.
“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” John Dewey
Across School Lead/Teacher - ASL
Stephanie Burke
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I believe that by working together within our kahui ako we can provide our akonga with the knowledge and skills they need to be world changers. I am passionate about science education and hope to be able work with both kaiako and akonga across our Kāhui Ako, providing any support I can to help build citizen scientists who are ready to face the challenges of the future.
Over the past few years I have developed a keen interest in Matauranga Māori and finding ways to implement this into the classroom. I look forward to working with kaiako from across our Kāhui Ako as part of the Matauranga Māori CAKE group to build competency in this area, thereby honouring our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu.
Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.
Learning Support Coordinator - LSC
Joanna Helby
Originally from England, I've been in New Zealand for 20 years with the majority of that living and teaching in Otago. My daughter Merryn is at BMC and we have a pony and a springer spaniel. I trained in England and NZ in specific learning difficulties and literacy. Neurodiverse learners are a passion area for me.