Hi, my name is Diana Haxton. My twins, Florence and Charlie, are flourishing and thoroughly enjoying their time at Bucklands Beach Primary School. My children spent their pre-school years in the United Kingdom where my husband and I spent a 10 year ‘working holiday’ whilst growing both our careers and our spirit of adventure. On return to New Zealand in 2016, we chose to settle in Bucklands Beach for the community, environment and facilities it offers our family – one of which is our fantastic school.

I am invested in learning not only from a personal perspective (as a mother of school age children) but also in my career. I studied Human Resources and Psychology at Massey University and have worked in generalist Human Resources and Organisational Development roles both here and in the United Kingdom. My current role as Senior Manager – Leadership and Talent at Westpac New Zealand has responsibility for growing leadership capability and talent pipelines for now and the future. My team and I embrace innovation, technology and new ways of working to ensure we deliver an excellent development experience for our people and greater value for the bank.

I am genuinely excited to bring the various skills I’ve learnt during my career to the board of trustees and to contributing to the future of our community through our children’s education.

B.Ed., Diploma of Teaching, Master of Education

I am enjoying my second year at BBPS. Prior to this, I was at the University of Auckland, Centre for Educational Leadership after winning a scholarship, and DP at Stanley Bay School in Devonport. I’ve swapped one peninsular for another, and enjoy catching the ferry between the two. Prior to that, I’ve taught in New Zealand and the UK, from nursery to intermediate. I grew up in Howick, so am very familiar with our local area.

I am very much enjoying working with such a culturally diverse community. Students are BBPS are so enthusiastic, ready to learn, and are well supported from home. Our committed staff goes the extra mile to provide such a wonderful range of opportunities. We are also lucky to have such a dedicated and hardworking board, with a range of essential skills to drive the school forward. What a great combination.

We are at the beginning of positive change for education, to reflect what our 21st-century employers are looking for. It is an exciting time to be in education, and a challenging time as the traditional education model evolves. I’m excited to be a part of leading this.

My husband is also a teacher, and we have three lovely children. We love the beach and equally embracing all our vibrant city has to offer.

B.Ed. Higher Diploma of Teaching

Post Graduate Certificate of Applied Practice in Digital and Collaborative Learning.

I have been Deputy Principal at B.B.P.S. for several years. Prior to this I was Associate Principal at another Auckland school and have also taught at a number of schools in New Zealand and the U.K. I have taught at all school levels.

I am very lucky to be in a role that continues to inspire, challenge and consume me! We are in a great community with fantastic students and supportive, involved parents. There are always opportunities to grow in teaching, and I have been fortunate enough to work in schools where innovation and creativity are valued and encouraged alongside traditional values and relationships.

I am continually amazed by students’ thinking and love to see the spark and excitement of discovery in their learning. I believe all students deserve the best education, and that the enriched curriculum at BBPS provides challenge, diversity and lots to interest and enthuse our students. A significant part of my role is pastoral care and helping students get the support they need to meet their individual needs.

My own family has a wide range of interests and passions as well, which means I am fortunate enough to be involved in an exciting and inspiring life!

My name is Grant and I am the proud father of two young girls at BBPS, Lottie (Year 2) and Genevieve (Year 1). Over the past 18 months since Lottie started school I have been very impressed with the sense of community fostered through the various school activities and PTA events and with the professional way the school is run by such dedicated teaching and support staff.

I grew up in Hawkes Bay, then studied Engineering in Auckland before moving abroad with my now wife, Hayley. We spent a year in Taiwan where we both worked as English language teachers and then moved to the UK where we lived for nine years. During our time in London, I worked as a structural engineer, designing bridges and buildings before moving into project management of some large-scale public sector infrastructure projects, most notably for the London 2012 Olympics.

Since our return to NZ in 2013 I have worked in the financial services industry in the Corporate Finance team at KPMG and now at FNZC where I work in the Equities Research Team as a Financial Analyst. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the gym, watching sport, running and playing golf.

Kia Ora, my name is Ken Han, I am a proud father of two and husband of a gorgeous baking master.

We moved from Beachlands to Bucklands Beach earlier this year, my younger son has been enjoying going to the BBPS every day.The school is centre of our community, and the board of trustees plays an important governance role to ensure that our school’s value is protected, and the community is engaged.

I like the famous JFK quote (my version): Ask not what your community can do for you, ask what you can do for your community. It has been inspiring me to be a contributor to the community.

When living at Beachlands, I was a certified Te Puru Sea Scout leader for Kea and Cubs; I have also been a local crime patrol member. After moving to Bucklands Beach, I joined BBAFC as a volunteer coach in the 2022 season though our team has been very kind to others.

In terms of my job, I am an IT project manager at GPC Asia Pacific. I have rich experience in project management, resource and budget control, as well as change management.

Personally, I am a foodie who fancies street food from all different cultures, I used to only have pies for a week when first came to NZ a long time ago. Overwhelmingly toothy, and then that was it.

With enough said, I am confident that my expertise at my day job and experience in volunteer work can bring good value to the school and community. Thank you.

Ken Han

My wife Michelle and I have lived in Bucklands Beach since 2009 and we are the proud parents of two children aged 5 and 3. I moved to New Zealand at a young age from South Africa and attended Macleans College before studying at the University of Auckland. We have a strong connection to this part of Auckland and love the Bucklands Beach and wider East Auckland community.

I started my career at Deloitte where I trained as a Chartered Accountant and worked with a number of high profile companies across different industries before specialising in Financial Services. Following Deloitte I joined Westpac NZ where I have been for the last 10 years in leadership positions specialising in audit, risk and governance. I have also previously been involved in Not for Profit profit boards in the roles of Board Member, Treasurer and President. My wife Michelle is a secondary school teacher at Pakuranga College teaching Chemistry.

I hope to contribute my various skills and experiences I have gained over my life and career to the board of trustees and make a difference to our children’s education and future.

Kia ora, my name is Daniel Han, and I am very excited to stand for the BBPS BoT election.

Align with the values of BBPS, my approach to life also revolves around respect, relationship, resilience and responsibility. Know that in me you’ll have someone prepared to listen, communicate, represent and contribute to our school, and to ensure that all of our students are ready to tackle the future challenges.

I am a Dad of 2 who are both part of Whanau BBPS. My oldest, Agnes, is in Year 4 and her little brother Lucas at his 2nd year. They loved their time at school and we’re impressed by the high standard of education and excellent extracurricular activities available. I’m excited about the opportunities that await them in the coming years at BBPS.

I was born in China and my adventure in NZ began when I was 17. I studied Marketing at university and graduated with first class honors in MCom. Later I worked in various industries in China and NZ, as well as running my own business. I recently joined Chorus, where I lead a team to assure the performance of our network and the delivery of service commitments for all customers.

After spending more than half of my life in NZ, I consider myself a Kiwi as well as an Asian descendant. I believe cultural diversity opens up new opportunities for our children and offers them incomparable resilience in this fast-changing world. My experience and ethnic background would allow me to bring a diverse set of knowledge and perspectives to the school. I would also encourage all parents from different cultures and values to involve with our school to provide a safe and vibrant learning environment.

I believe I can add significant value to the school, students and wider school community by applying my professional and personal experiences. I am committed to ensuring our school provides a high quality education so that all students, now and in the future, can excel academically, be proud of who they are, and be empowered to make a difference tomorrow.

Debbie Rist has taken over as Staff Rep effective 29 April 2024, due to Kelly Slater-Brown taking sabbatical leave. Carole Crompton – former staff rep is stepping up to Acting Principal in Kelly’s absence.