22 new Catholic schools principals

WELLINGTON — Four secondary principals and 20 primary school principals are new — or relatively new — at Catholic schools this year.
St Peter’s College, Gore
Kate Nicholson is the first female principal of St Peter’s College, Gore. She succeeds John Hogue, who has taken up
a position in the Ministry of Education.
Before coming to St Peter’s as assistant principal in 2011, Mrs
Nicholson spent some years at South Otago High School, Menzies
College and Gore High School. Before she and her husband, Tim, returned to the south, Mrs Nicholson had two, what
she describes as “wonderful years,” teaching at St Mary’s College, Wellington.
Mrs Nicholson has for some time played the organ for Sunday Mass at the local parish church of the Blessed Sacrament. She has strong views on what Catholic schools should be doing. “I believe they must uphold Catholicism in every feature of the school life.”
She sees her appointment as principal as an encouragement
to the girls of St Peter’s College to fulfil their potential also.
Carmel College, Auckland
The new principal at Carmel College, Chris Allen, is thrilled to be back at her old school.
“I have really loved . . . coming back as an old girl and making sure that my experience is the same as for the girls coming through now,” she told NZ Catholic last
month.
Ms Allen said Carmel College was also her first teaching post — staying there for 12 years. After that she taught at Marist
College in Mt Albert, and was then a founding deputy principal at Aquinas College in Tauranga.
“Then I went into IT for a couple of years and then I was deputy principal at Baradene College [Auckland], and then assistant principal at Long Bay College.”
After that she became principal at Sacred Heart Girls College in Hamilton, where she remained for three years until coming back to Carmel College.
As a teacher, her main subject was English, although she also taught religious education.
St Mary’s College, Auckland
Like the new principal at Carmel College, the new principal of St Mary’s College in Ponsonby, Bernadette Stockman, is returning to
her old school.
Mrs Stockman told NZ Catholic that she was previously deputy principal at Baradene College, in Remuera.
Before that she was at Massey High School for about 12 years.
Her teaching career started at St Mary’s, Avondale, she said, followed by teaching at St Mary’s, Ellerslie. She then had a
long break for her family.
Mrs Stockman said she has four children — two boys and two girls — born in Opotiki. She also has a sister, she said, who is a
school principal — at St Francis in Point Chevalier.
At St Mary’s, she hoped to be able “to enhance the wonderful things that are happening there already, particularly our music”.
She also hoped to maintain the diversity that is characteristic of the school and to promote the relevance of special character education.
Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Hamilton
Chris Gunn is the new principal of Sacred Heart
Girls’ College, Hamilton.

Primary school principals

Dunedin
Anne Canny, St Joseph’s, Invercargill (and St Pat’s,
Nightcaps, and St Teresa’s, Bluff)
Jo McKay, Holy Family School, Wanaka.
Christchurch
John Kane, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Sumner
Wellington
Margaret Campbell-McCauley, from Sacred Heart,
Reefton, to St Peter Chanel, Motueka
Palmerston North
Andrew Pozniak – St Mary’s Foxton
Wendie Hildred, St Anthony’s, Pahiatua
Chris Gunn (started 2013), St Joseph’s, Dannevirke
Hamilton
Shelly Fitness (started 2013), St Michael’s, Rotorua
Auckland
Michelle Jadoo, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School,
Avondale
Jane Hahn, Good Shepherd Catholic Primary
School, Mt Eden
Richard Truter, St Joseph’s School, Dargaville
Janice Borsos, Holy Cross Catholic Primary School,
Henderson
Michelle Mill, Monte Cecilia Catholic Primary
School, Hillsborough
Kathryn Carey, Pompallier Catholic School, Kaitaia
Catherine Ryan, Marist Catholic Primary School,
Mt Albert
Ann McKeown, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School,
Orakei
Tracey Kopua, Christ the King Catholic Primary
School, Mt Roskill
Makere Karatea, Te Kura o Hato Hohepa te Kamura,
Kaeo

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  1. Diane Bauck says

    Interested in teaching in a parochial school in the south island. Relocating in a few months. I’ve taught in a parochial school for 25+ years. I’m interested in continuing to teach in a Christian school. I have more years experience in the lower grades. Blessings in all you do. Thanks for any information. Resumes upon request. Peace be with you all. Diane

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