The end of this term marks the conclusion of
their time at PNBHS for Mr. Richard and Mrs. Julie Fogarty.
Mrs. Fogarty joined the teaching staff and
Palmerston North Boys’ High School Art Department in January 2002 as Miss
Alexander. She immediately proved to be
a passionate and committed teacher of Art and Photography and frequently ‘went
the extra mile’ to assist the young men in her classes. The Head of Visual Art, Mrs. Pfeffer-Marshall,
noted that Mrs. Fogarty “is a
passionate teacher and a creative thinker with a strength in Printmaking,
Ceramics and Art History. The boys under her care are always challenged to
think creatively and to consider their work in context.”
Mrs. Fogarty’s teaching career has been
interrupted by maternity leave as she and Mr. Fogarty started their family, as
well as a period spent living in Australia in 2018.
Mrs. Fogarty has supported a range of
co-curricular activities during her time at Palmy Boys, including set painting
for the annual PNBHS/PNGHS Senior Productions, managing Hockey teams and most
recently as a basketball team manager.
Mr. Fogarty joined the Palmerston North Boys’
High School teaching staff in 2004 and quickly made his mark as an extremely
passionate and dedicated staff member.
Mr. Fogarty has fulfilled many teaching, pastoral and co-curricular
roles both at school and at College House and has made a significant
contribution during his time here.
As a qualified builder Mr. Fogarty brought
considerable expertise to his teaching and was able to provide an industry
insight for the young men in his classes.
He was appointed to the position of Head of Technology in 2016 and has
been instrumental in the review of teaching programmes to ensure that they meet
industry requirements so that there are appropriate pathways into employment
for our young men. The next stage of
this process will be evident in 2020 with the introduction of a joinery course
at NCEA Level Two. In 2016 Mr. Fogarty
sought approval from the Board of trustees to begin an incredibly ambitious
project – the construction of a classroom to replace the crumbling 50 year old
‘temporary’ classrooms of P block. After
negotiating a series of hurdles put in place by the Ministry of Education,
construction was begun in 2018 and used as a teaching space from the beginning
of the 2020 school year. Approximately
120 young men were involved in the project, completing all elements of the
classroom construction under the guidance of teaching staff in the Technology
department. This has been a significant undertaking and has helped to provide
young men with a very practical project on which to develop their skills. The classroom will be a lasting physical
legacy to Mr. Fogarty’s considerable contribution as the Head of Technology.
Mr. Fogarty was a Year Level Dean at Year 10
and Year 11 between 2009 and 2015 and had a genuine desire to work in young
men’s best interests. He was
instrumental in the introduction of student tracking so that pastoral issues
could be identified early and parents more involved in their son’s
education. He also drove the
introduction of mentoring programmes for young men who were struggling and
these have evolved into the Academic Support Programme. Mr. Fogarty worked to strike a balance
between upholding the standards and expectations of PNBHS as well as looking
after the best interests of young men.
Mr. Fogarty was appointed as a College House
Master in 2014 and was the Assistant Manager from 2015 to 2017. He worked to form positive relationships with
young men and their families and freely gave a significant amount of his time
to support hostel activities. With his
construction background Mr. Fogarty made valuable contributions to the College
House Board in terms of the redevelopment and modernisation of hostel
facilities.
Mr. Fogarty took a year’s leave in 2018 after
being appointed to a senior management position at a school in Charters Towers
in Queensland. He never developed a
fondness for the large snakes and spiders frequently found around the school
and his home and returned to PNBHS in 2019.
In 2019 he has coordinated the introduction of teacher aides into school
classrooms to work with a wide range of young men. This initiative proved very positive and was
expanded further this year.
Throughout his time here Mr. Fogarty has been a
very willing contributor to the school’s co-curricular programme. As the Teacher in Charge of Basketball he
played a significant role in growing the sport within the school. He also managed the Premier A team, a
significant role with one of our top sporting codes. Basketball was not a sport that Mr. Fogarty
was particularly interested in, but he willingly gave his time and effort in an
area that was identified as requiring an administrative overhaul.
In 2019 Mr. Fogarty took responsibility as the Teacher
in Charge of Hockey – a sport that he is passionate about – and has applied his
usual enthusiasm and genuine interest in the opportunities for our young
men. He managed the 2nd XI team
that won silver at the Galletly Cup tournament in Oamaru.
An enthusiastic tramper, Mr. Fogarty was a
regular contributor to the Year 10 Outdoor Education programme, often with
tramps through the Tararua and Ruahine ranges.
He also provided logistical support for the Year 13 Mountain Trip,
another example of his willingness to give up his time to help provide
opportunities for the young men of the school.
Mr. Fogarty has been appointed to the position
of Hostel manager at Timaru Boys’ High School and we wish him, Mrs. Fogarty and
their children Mabel and Harriet all the best for this exciting next step in their
family life.
