Terry Hamilton
Terry was a hugely respected teacher and friend of many. He instilled a love of geography and English in many unsuspecting students. Terry soon rose to the position of Head of the Geography Department. He had empathy and affinity with his students and a masterful ability at getting his message across. His nature was soft, kind and caring.
As well as all the usual involvements as a teacher like coaching the Tui Juniors, Terry, with the help of Ms Kiri Turei, established the first Maori Kapahaka group at the college. They won an award for the novice level competition. The group had a great trip around the East Coast as a ‘reward’.
Terry and his then wife Jennifer left Matamata College at the end of 1979 and worked in India, Israel and UK on short projects, some educational, others not. They then worked for a full year teaching at St Julian’s School (British School of Lisbon, Portugal) teaching geography and history. When they returned to NZ in 1982 they brought home their first child, daughter Vitoria.
Their last year of teaching at Matamata College was in 1984. With number two child, son Christian, they headed back overseas where Terry moved into the International school system and has remained in it ever since. They went back to St Julian’s School in Portugal for 12 years. Then came a number of interesting positions in Sandford International School Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, International School of Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Bali International School (Indonesia). Now Terry is in his 9th year as Principal of Hanoi International School in Vietnam. All of these schools are both Elementary or Primary Schools and Secondary Schools which is typical of the International School system.
From early on Terry moved more into administration which took him out of the classroom. In Portugal he became Head of Secondary, Deputy Principal and ever since has held Principals positions. Terry has always kept some classroom teaching in his programme and this year has Grade 12 (Year 13 NZ) Theory of Knowledge and Grade 9 Global Perspectives classes.
Terry has been very involved in the development of International Baccalaureate curriculum programmes, not just Diploma Level (Grade 11 and 12), but also PYP (Primary Years Programme) and MYP (Middle Years Programme). All his schools overseas have been IB curriculum school and most also Cambridge (IGCSE) schools.
When asked “What I have achieved and what now,” Terry has a host of achievements. “Running a number of international schools and sometimes in difficult circumstances like the post-bombing time in Bali (Kuta), War between Ethiopia and Eritrea and communal riots in Cambodia.
Terry has helped develop IB programmes in a number of schools and has had input in other ways eg curriculum development, staff professional development and marking diploma examinations. He has been very active working for the Council of International Schools (CIS) in leading accreditation/evaluation teams for CIS to a number of other international schools, often jointly with one of the US accreditation bodies, and sometimes with representatives of the Ministry of Education – especially China and Thailand. These have included schools in Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Cameroons (West Africa) and Germany. In 2011 he lead teams to Doha College Qatar, and this year he has lead two teams; one to Bendigo College, Australia and another to South India.
His current school, Hanoi International belongs to a regional group of similar International Schools called MRISA (member schools come from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand). It is a great means through which many of their sports teams can compete and cultural groups can come together for festivals and for workshops.
Terry already knows his next two years will be even more busy as he is now President of MRISA, a really interest for him.
Terry’s two children returned to NZ and both attended University in Dunedin. Terry now has a four year old grandson in Dunedin and he has inherited three more children and five more grandchildren from his second marriage. Jennifer sadly passed away not so long ago after battling cancer. Terry still calls NZ home – he visits often. They have a house in Matata and also one on Bali in Sanur.
Hanoi International School is a great school in downtown Hanoi. They have about 32 nationalities in the student body with many coming from Asia. Since August 2011 Terry has as his Head of Elementary School an ex-Matamata College student – Warren Bowers. Warren was actually taught geography by Terry at this school.
Terry travels heaps and has been to a vast number of countries. He still loves rugby and a total follower and supporter of the All Blacks – yeh for the Bledisloe Cup victory …. Again!