Ms Bellis brings a wealth of experience and proven leadership to Onehunga High School, with 28 years of teaching and leadership experience in both New Zealand and UK schools. Most recently, she served as Head of Drama and Dean at Rosmini College, Auckland. Her leadership roles have also included Pasifika Mentor, Kāhui Ako In-School Lead, and work with NZQA developing and marking national-level NCEA Drama materials.

This year, Ms Bellis was awarded a TeachNZ sabbatical, during which she completed an undergraduate paper in Media and Communication and conducted a survey on programmes offered to provisionally registered teachers.

At her previous school, Ms Bellis played a key role in planning and implementing the Hauora Mātauranga Programme for Year 11-13 students. This programme supported students' academic and personal well-being, including study skills, future pathways, careers guidance, self-awareness, resilience, and health education.

Ms Bellis has also immersed herself in the extracurricular life of her schools, offering activities designed to foster students' creativity and personal growth. This includes establishing and running an Academy of Performing Arts since 2017—a drama-based programme that has been hugely popular with both junior and senior students in the local community. Other extracurricular activities she has led include facilitating theatresports, managing Under-15 rugby, and serving as the teacher in charge of SCUBA diving.

In her spare time, Ms Bellis enjoys visiting the theatre, scuba diving, and volunteering with the Coastguard in Māngere.

Mr Haines brings over 15 years of teaching and leadership experience to Onehunga High School. He has worked in a diverse range of Auckland secondary schools, including Macleans College, Ōtāhuhu College, Mount Albert Grammar, and St Kentigern College. In 2025, he was appointed Assistant Principal at OHS, where he oversees the Year 11 cohort and serves as the Principal’s Nominee, ensuring the smooth administration of NCEA processes.

In 2024, Mr Haines was awarded a TeachNZ Study Award and completed a Master’s in Educational Leadership, graduating with distinction. His postgraduate research deepened his understanding of leadership practices that bring out the best in others, foster a positive school culture, and drive meaningful student success.

Mr Haines is passionate about high expectations and believes that student attendance is key to achievement. He encourages students to make the most of their learning opportunities at Onehunga High School in order to achieve their goals. Beyond the classroom, he is a dedicated supporter of extracurricular activities. He has coached rugby, volleyball, debating, and badminton, fostering teamwork, confidence, and personal growth among students.

A long-time local to the area, Mr Haines grew up in Royal Oak, and Onehunga has always been close to his heart. His family has strong ties to the community—his father, Colin Haines, founded the iconic local business Ollies, which remains family-owned today. Mr Haines is proud to be part of Onehunga High School and is committed to supporting students on their educational journey.

Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Bula vinaka, Ni hao, Konichiwa, and greetings to you all.

Ms. Mason (Ngāti Porou & Ngāpuhi) is originally from Te Tairawhiti, Gisborne. She trained as a teacher at Auckland University after completing her MA (Hons) in English. This journey fulfilled a dream that began in her grandfather’s garage. She fondly remembers using the blackboard her grandfather created to teach her ‘lessons’ as a child. Living her dream after all these years is a source of great pride for her.

Her teaching career began in 2002 at Southern Cross Campus in Mangere. Since then, she has held various leadership positions, including Head of Department, House Leader, and Dean. In 2011, Ms. Mason became Head of Faculty of English at Mount Albert Grammar School. In the third term of 2023, she accepted the role of Deputy Principal at Onehunga High School, and she is proud to serve her local school.

One of Ms. Mason’s main portfolios is Teaching and Learning, specifically the development of effective pedagogy across the school. She finds it incredibly rewarding to help teachers refine their craft and to create professional development programmes that support them in their teaching journey. Additionally, she has oversight of the Year 9 cohort. It is important to her that Year 9 students are well-rounded individuals who exemplify the school’s values of integrity, resilience, excellence, and respect. She works to ensure they develop positive connections across the school and maintain a healthy attitude toward completing their assessments to the best of their ability. By the time they leave, she wants Year 9 students to have the power of choice and the qualifications to support their choices and dreams.

Ms. Mason loves working at Onehunga High School, where students are at the center of everything. It is a place where teachers and support staff are dedicated and hardworking, and where high expectations are underpinned by an unwavering belief in the ability of students to excel. She is grateful to parents for choosing to send their children to the school and for trusting the staff with their academic and pastoral care.