Karl Metzler, the chair of the board of trustees of St Peter’s College, Gore, has announced the appointment of Tara Quinney as the new principal of the school for Mrs Quinney is currently deputy principal at Chanel College in Masterton.

The previous principal at St Peter’s, Kate Nicholson, is now principal at Kavanagh College in Dunedin.

According to Mr Metzler, Mrs Quinney “is a visionary, transformational leader with fifteen years experience supervising staff, allocating resources, transforming school cultures and implementing effective programmes”.

He added that “Tara has a passion for curriculum development, professional development, Catholic character and student and staff well-being”.

He also noted her personal qualities, strong organisational and administrative skills, her interest in all curriculum areas and her commitment to remaining up-to-date with new developments in many aspects of education.

She recently completed a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management.

“These qualities permit Tara to bring a positive learning energy with resourcefulness and zeal to the principal role at St Peter’s College. Leading and being part of successful teams is a strategic strength of Tara’s and she looks forward to the challenges involved in working in a new but familiar environment.”

The chair wished Mrs Quinney “every success” in her new role and welcomed her return “home”. She is a born and bred Southlander, who hails from Central Southland with the maiden name of “Langford”. This is a family prominent in Southland and Catholic circles for several generations.

Mrs Quinney is looking forward to coming home to her origins with her
husband Dean, a Wellingtonian, who has a passion for diving and fishing, which he is looking forward to pursuing while discovering what Gore and its local surrounds have to offer.

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Recently Kate Nicholson resigned as principal of St Peter’s College, Gore, to take up a similar position at Kavanagh College in Dunedin. On August 30, which was Mrs Nicholson’s last day at the college, St Peter’s farewelled her.

She took up her new position at Kavanagh on September 2 and while the St Peter’s board has implemented the procedures for appointing a replacement for her, a new principal is unlikely to take up the position until next year.

In the meantime, Darren Jack, who has served as deputy principal at St Peter’s for the last four years, has been appointed acting-principal by the board.

He will remain in that position until a new principal of the college has been
appointed.

In farewelling Mrs Nicholson on August 30, Mr Jack said, “Today is a hugely
significant day in the life of St Peter’s College, with our principal Kate Nicholson moving on to her next adventure as principal at Kavanagh College.

“She leaves a huge hole in our community and has been instrumental in the
development of so many of the highly successful initiatives here at St Peter’s over the years.

“Within the community and the wider Kahui Ako, Kate, at all times demonstrated a high degree of professionalism, integrity and compassion,” Mr Jack continued.

“Her dedication, and unconditional positive regard of our staff and students
have been and will always be a measure of Kate as a person.

“We thank her for the many hours of tireless work she has given to the school and we wish her and her family all the very best in their new endeavours in Dunedin. God bless.”

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St Peter’s College, Gore, was the first Catholic, co-educational and Form 1-7 boarding school in New Zealand. It was also the first school in New Zealand to offer Japanese as an option and did not impose a prefectural or monitorial system.

Despite prophecies of doom, the joint management of the college by the Rosminian Fathers and the Sisters of Mercy proved very successful.

However the college is quietly rejoicing at another first. This is the first place earned by year 13 student, Grace Turipa, in the English section of the Mana Korero Secondary School Speech Competition for Otago/Southland.

Grace’s winning speech placed her second overall in the competition, which was held in early June at Taieri College in Mosgiel.

The national secondary speech contests are in their 53rd year and the national finals this year will be in Palmerston North in September.

While St Peter’s College (Gore) students have been entering this competition since the late1980s, this is the first time a student from the college has won a division in this prestigious competition.

Kate Nicholson, the retiring principal of the college, said there is special joy in that Grace has spent the whole of her
intermediate and secondary education at St Peter’s and before that at St Mary’s, the local parish primary school.

The judges of the section won by Grace were impressed with the content of her speech and its delivery — she was awarded 99 marks out of a possible 100. It was also well received by the large audience.

Grace said she felt compelled to build her speech around living in a Pakeha society as one of very few Māori. In doing
this, she felt further compelled to speak publicly about her pride in being Maori and in Maoridom itself.

In 2020, Grace intends to go to the University of Otago, where she plans to study for a double degree in psychology and the performing arts.

Grace said she is alarmed at the extent of mental illness among young Māori people. She hopes to set up her own operation after graduation, aimed at restoring personal worth to young Māori people, using Māori methods to do so.

She believes a degree in psychology is imperative for this, as is qualification in the performing arts. She believes this is often the key to restoring self-worth to young Māori people.

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The current principal of St Peter’s College in Gore, Kate Nicholson, has been appointed as the new principal of Kavanagh College in Dunedin.

The previous Kavanagh College principal, Tracy O’Brien, died earlier his year.

Mrs Nicholson, who has been the principal of St Peter’s since
2014, after joining the college staff in 2011, will be the first female principal at Kavanagh, where she starts in September.

Before taking up a senior position at St Peter’s College in 2011, she had taught in secondary schools in Wellington, Otago and Southland.

Before taking up teaching, she was educated at Villa Maria College in Christchurch and, after study at Lincoln University, graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Horticultural Science.

She followed this with study at the Christchurch College of Education where she gained the diploma of teaching (special needs) at that institution. Her teaching career began at Gore High School in 2003.

Since her appointment to the role of principal at St Peter’s College, Gore, Mrs Nicholson had been elected as chairwoman of the Southland Rural Principals’ Association
and the Eastern Southland Kāhui Ako support principal.

Kavanagh College board of trustees chairman Trevor Thomson said Mrs Nicholson had led significant change in curriculum, in the development of contemporary teaching
practices and in the effective, balanced use of digital technologies.

“Her skill set is underpinned by her strong, inclusive Catholic
faith and by her commitment to social justice and action. She will be able to build on the work of the late Tracy O’Brien in enhancing the supportive and positive environment at the college.”

Mrs Nicholson said she was looking forward to the move to
Dunedin.

“I have truly enjoyed the privilege of leading St Peter’s College, and after many years of raising a family in Eastern Southland, my family and I are looking forward to making Dunedin our home.”

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The chapel at St Peter’s College in Gore is to receive an upgrade and extension.echo $variable;

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