An Interview with Mr Cook

By Jamie Overton and Nelson Bagley | Posted: Tuesday April 4, 2017

Mr Cook is the Hard Materials teacher at Casebrook Intermediate and teaches students really cool, creative and useful projects.

He grew up in England until he was nine years old.  When he was nine he came to Christchurch, New Zealand and went to Heathcote Valley Primary, then Linwood High and finally the University of Canterbury, where he studied the art of sculpture and maths.

Mr Cook teaches woodwork, metalwork, electronics and much more. The children he has taught, in our eyes, have all enjoyed learning with him because he is such a good teacher in his specialist area.  He said “I like my job because I can help kids to do things themselves and make them proud of what they have made”.

Mr Cook enjoys making furniture and modifying houses. He also tinkers with and customises motorbikes, if you are lucky you may get to see his rather cool silver motorbike riding into school.

He say’s everything he has made has been a personal goal so all of teaching of woodwork, metalwork and other things are all goals that he has achieved, as well as his creations at home.

Mr Cook had his brother pass away when he was only 37 it was obviously a tragic moment when it happened. He says his only real hero is his dad. He also says his dream would be that everyone in the world has shelter, food, water and also he wants world peace.

Overall Mr Cook is a great and talented teacher, whom we hope will stay here at school for a very long period of time because he is a great part of Casebrook.

By Jamie Overton and Nelson Bagley