MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 15 May 2017
Tawa teacher to present at science conference in France
Hampton Hill School teacher, Carol Brieseman, will be travelling to France in June to present at the first ever Ocean
Observers workshop in Brest, France. The meeting will be hosted by the Océanopolis Aquarium from 13-14 June and as a
science educator, Carol will present on ocean observing activities that can be used in the classroom.
Carol has been a teacher for more than 25 years and has been at Hampton Hill for the last 16 years. In 2012, she was a
recipient of a Primary Science Fellowship through the Royal Society and was hosted at NIWA for 6 months. One of the main
projects she worked on then was to do with Argo Floats. “Argo Floats are a very cool technology that keep a pulse on our
oceans. There are nearly 4,000 of them all over the world, measuring temperature and salinity (how salty the water is)
and ocean currents.” Carol was also awarded a Primary Science Teachers Fellowship Alumni Award in 2014 in recognition of
her work in enhancing science education both locally at Hampton Hill School and on a national basis.
For Carol, science is a subject that she just can’t help being passionate about. That passion is something that can be
contagious with the kids and colleagues she works with - she loves tapping into children’s curiosity about the world
around them. “There is an untainted awe about the world that kids display and I love being able to nurture this and give
them an opportunity to explore.”
Carol will present on Argo Floats and the educational programme she has developed for use in the classroom. This
includes adopting an Argo Float, Cartesian Divers, and how Science can be used to improve literacy.
“We are a lucky community to have Carol as part of our teaching team, leading and growing passionate teachers of
science,” says Hampton Hill Principal, Kelly Barker. “We are very proud of the work she has done with NIWA and how she
creates fantastic teaching resources that inspire curiosity, creativity and critical thinking for children, teachers and
leaders in education. We look forward to hearing and reading about Carol’s amazing contribution to the sciences at the
Ocean Observers workshop in Brest, France. She is an inspiration.”
National Primary Science Week runs from 15-19 May.
ENDS