Languages

Maria Marquez
Teacher of Spanish

PGDip Tchg
Phone: 04 388 0850 ext 518
Email: marquezm@scotscollege.school.nz

Maria is a Spanish teacher in the middle and senior schools. She is a native speaker with 11 years’ experience teaching Spanish and English. She joined Scots in 2016 after living in Vancouver while on maternity leave. 

Prior to her maternity leave she taught for 10 years at Hutt International Boys’ School with a stint before that teaching English in South Korea. 

Maria has a heart for the Latin community in Wellington often involved in many of the events happening around the city. 

Her philosophy for teaching is to create good relationships with her students so they can open up to learning the Spanish language and all the good things the culture has to offer. Her strengths are having first-hand experience with the 20 Latin American countries that speak Spanish and taking service language trips to Chile and Argentina to bring her philosophy and language teaching together. 

Maria believes that language learning goes hand in hand with learning about culture and history creating global citizens with passion and kindness.

Leila Sadat

Teacher of Spanish and French

BA, PGCE
Phone: 04 388 0850 ext 809
Email sadatl@scotscollege.school.nz

Bonjour à tous! ¡Hola!

Leila Sadat is a French and Spanish teacher at Scots College. She is a native French speaker with 10 years’ experience in teaching French as a foreign language in secondary schools in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Leila has a degree in English and American Civilisation from the University of Nanterre (Paris X) and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education completed at Goldsmith’s University (UK).

She worked in a secondary school for 8 years where she taught French up to A Level and Spanish up to Year 9.

Prior to joining Scots College, Leila was a French and a Spanish teacher at Onslow College. She also had the opportunity to work at Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and St Mark’s Church School in Wellington.

Leila thoroughly enjoys teaching her love and passion for her language and her culture to students here in New Zealand. She believes that it is important to open our students’ eyes to a different language and way of life and most importantly encouraging understanding and tolerance of others.

Glenn Wilson

Teacher of French

MTLS; BA
Phone: 04 388 0850  ext 898
Email: wilsong@scotscollege.school.nz

Glenn is a teacher of French and English as a Second Language in the middle and senior school. He joined Scots College in 2016 after completing a Master of Teaching and Learning at Victoria University. He is also a Mackenzie House tutor and looks forward to taking an active role in the cultural and sporting life at Scots College.

Prior to training as a teacher, Glenn worked for two years as the office manager at the Alliance Française Wellington, a not for profit French cultural and language centre. In this role he met learners of French from many walks of life, giving him a broad knowledge of different social, cognitive and professional benefits that can be gained by learning a language.

Glenn’s own passion for language learning was kindled when learning French at secondary school. He has since lived in France two times, firstly as an exchange student in the Midi-Pyrénées, then as an English language assistant at a secondary school in Poitou-Charentes. More recently, he has continued his own language learning journey by studying Te Reo Māori and Spanish.

Gerald Yang

TiC Chinese Mandarin

B.PhED, Grad Dip.Teaching (Secondary), Cert.TPDL
Phone: 04 388 0850 ext 506
Email yangg@scotscollege.school.nz

Originally from Shanghai in China. Gerald gained his first degree from Shanghai university of sport. He has taught at tertiary institutions and was a government officer for a while in Shanghai.

Gerald moved to New Zealand in the mid 90’s and has taught at another three New Zealand schools before joining Scots. He loves his teaching job and always wants to see his students obtain excellent results.

Gerald believes that learning a foreign language is a powerful way to open up your mind and brighten your future.

In his spare time, he loves to play volleyball, listen to classical music, cook nice meals for his family and read a book. He has never missed watching AB’s game and is a great supporter of the All Black and Hurricanes teams.

Emerson Nikora

Te Reo Maori (Language and Culture)
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools

DipEd (Prim); BEd; DipPE
Phone: 04 388 0863
Email: nikorae@scotscollege.school.nz

Emerson has previously taught at Te Puna Reo o nga Kakano, a Maori based Early Childhood centre to Year 13 as a release Teacher in Aotearoa and in NZ Schools and the UK. Much of his teacher experience is in Primary Schools as a Kaiako of Maori language and culture. Emerson’s experience is also based in emotional literacy with teenage student.

For Emerson the decision to teach Te Reo Maori and culture here at Scots was based on genuine and honest conversations with the Principals of the Junior School. Their korero centred on Scots long term vision of strengthening Maori language throughout the College. A Korowai, cloak of support for students, Teachers, whanau to have an appreciation for Maori as tangata whenua, first people of Aotaeroa, New Zealand. Extending Maori tikanga, bi-cultural, Pacifica values to the rich tapestry of diversity at Scots.

Ako in Maori means to teach as well as learn. Emerson describes his responsibility as a Kaiako is to provide engaging and interesting programmes for students of all levels in Te Reo Maori. The motivation and passion to teach his culture derives from Te Atiawa and Maniapoto Whakapapa and also a personal educational goal of supporting and protecting an essential cultural taonga in Aotearoa.

Alongside his sisters Emerson was privileged to learn through Maori based education. He has two boys, Rawiri the potiki (youngest) and Tama the mataamua (oldest). Outside of teaching Emerson’s interests include Health and fitness, rugby, Kapa Haka, tennis, water sports and Kaitiakitanga of Papatuaunuku for our mokopuna.

Angela Garrity

Teacher of Chinese and Religious Education

GradDipTch (Sec); GradDipTheo; BSc
Phone: 04 388 0850
Email: Garritya@scotscollege.school.nz

Originally from Taiwan, Angela has been in NZ for more than 25 years. She has a background in psychology, Chinese, theology, and youth ministry.

Angela is passionate about helping students to realise their full potential and seeing them become well-rounded people. In her previous schools, she has developed Chinese programmes from scratch and loves introducing the richness of Chinese culture and language to the school community. Knowing different languages and cultures not only facilitates understanding and inclusiveness, but also opens the opportunities for us to have a closer look at our own values and culture, and thus appreciate our own identities more.

In addition to teaching Angela has been a victim support volunteer and studied from and worked for Bible College of New Zealand (now Laidlaw).