At our final assembly for 2017 the Rector, Mr Bovey, thanked staff members who are leaving Palmerston North Boys’ High School at the end of the 2017 school year:
Mr Fogarty, Mrs Fogarty and Mr Grayson have all been granted leave for the 2018 school year and we hope to welcome them back to Palmerston North Boys’ High School in 2019.
Mrs Hadley-Jones has been on maternity leave during 2017 and has advised that she is going to continue further study and has subsequently resigned her teaching position. We wish her well with her study and her growing family.
Mr Stephenson joined the staff in January this year. As an old boy of the school and former College House student he had an excellent understanding of the requirements to make a positive contribution. Mr Stephenson has worked across a diverse range of subject areas – Social Studies, Science and Woodwork – and has been fully involved in all aspects of school life as a College House master, rugby and rugby sevens coach and through the Year 10 outdoor education programme. Mr Stephenson is going to continue his teaching career in Australia and we wish him all the best for this.
Mr Lane joined the Technology teaching staff in January 2015. He has worked across both the Wood and Metalwork departments. Mr Lane has been fully involved in school life through canoe polo, swimming, and in February this year organised and accompanied the first PNBHS team to compete in the Coast-to-Coast multisport endurance race, where the team came second in the secondary schools competition. Mr Lane will continue his teaching career at Queen Elizabeth College from 2018.
Mr Rehutai also joined the staff in January 2015 as a Mathematics teacher. Mr Rehutai will be remembered for the very positive relationships he has formed with both students and staff. In 2017 he has been the Club master of Phoenix and has overseen a successful year for them. He has been extensively involved in our co-curricular programme, as the manager of basketball teams, but mainly with his passion, rugby. Mr Rehutai and has been extensively involved in coaching both rugby and sevens rugby teams. As coach of the under 15 Colts rugby team he has been responsible for the development of our future 1st XV players and has taken the team to the national tournament, while last week he took the under 15 sevens team to the national tournament. Mr Rehutai leaves us to continue his teaching career in Wellington, where he will be closer to his family.
Mr Parrott has been a Mathematics teacher at Boys’ High since July 2012. His ability to form positive relationships and work constructively with young men from all backgrounds was immediately obvious. He was appointed to the position of Year 10 Dean in 2014 and held this role for two years. Mr Parrott relinquished the Dean’s role this year when he gave early notice of his intention to travel and live overseas with his family, and this act speaks volumes about the manner in which he has put the school before himself. As club master of Phoenix, Mr Parrott was passionate about pushing the importance of the club competition for our young men. This year Mr Parrott has been involved in setting up and delivering the Year 13 Employment Pathways Programme, a new course to assist us better meet the needs of our young men. Mr Parrot has been a keen co-curricular contributor, in particular as a cricket, rugby and football coach, and through his involvement in school camps.
Mr Campbell joined the teaching staff in August 2011. His encyclopaedic knowledge of all sorts of matters has been enjoyed by both his colleagues and the young men in his classes. Mr Campbell was appointed as the Head of the History Department in 2014 and to the position of Year 11 Dean in 2016. As Club Leader of Albion since 2013 Mr Campbell has been passionate about ensuring that the club competition retains its rightful position of importance in school life. He has been a hockey coach and manager and has been involved with outdoor education camps. Mr Campbell leaves us to take up the position of Head of Social Sciences at Otago Boys’ High School, a well-deserved promotion for him.
Mrs Neale joined the Horticulture and Science departments in 2009 . Young men in her classes will have recognised the passion she has for teaching horticulture. In the last couple of years Mrs Neale has played an important role in the introduction and development of the Level Two General Science course. Mrs Neale has been enthusiastic in driving the school environmental group, and the young men involved in this activity have had a wide-range of opportunities to engage with various community groups. Mrs Neale has also been involved with the PNBHS teams contesting the Manawatu Secondary Schools Orienteering championships and has managed school football teams. Mrs Neale leaves us to continue her teaching career at Nelson College for Boys and we wish her all the best for this.
Mrs Fletcher was at Palmy Boys’ as a student teacher in 2006 and made such an impression with her subject knowledge and teaching ability that she was employed on a limited authority to teach – essentially an exemption to allow us to employ a teacher who was not fully qualified – for the remainder of that year. She officially joined the Chemistry and Science departments once fully qualified in February 2007. Mrs Fletcher is well known for her subject expertise and the high standards of behaviour and academic endeavour she expects from all young men in her classes – she holds her students to the very highest of standards. The young men in her classes regularly achieve excellent academic results and she has been as adept at teaching scholarship and Massey level classes as she has been with Learning Assistance Classes. Mrs Fletcher has been a keen contributor to our co-curricular programme, in particular driving student interest and entries in the annual Manawatu Science and Technology Fair. She has also coached and managed basketball and football teams, assisted with the administration for water polo, and has been involved with a range of school camps. Mrs Fletcher has completed eight years service at Boys’ High, alongside stints of maternity leave with her growing family. She leaves us to take up a position on promotion to Cornerstone Christian School.
Mr Paul King joined our staff in January 2006 in the newly created position of Leadership Director. With the exception of 12 months leave in 2011 to undertake military service in Afghanistan, Mr King has held the role of Leadership Director since that time. In this role Mr King has been responsible for the creation of a range of new leadership opportunities for our young men, including the introduction of the very popular Waiouru experience as part of the annual Year 13 Mountain Trip, the introduction of the Tama Tu Tama Ora outdoor challenge and the Y-Lead programme at Year 12. The teaching of leadership, in a deliberate manner through leadership seminars in Years 9 to 12 was, we believe, a first for any secondary school in New Zealand, and Mr King has been responsible for the implementation of this programme. The individual mentoring that Mr King has provided to hundreds of students through the Barrowclough Award, has had a significant impact on the character development and the progress of those young men both at school and beyond. Mr King has demanded high standards and worked tirelessly to ensure that our young men have been both challenged and nurtured in terms of their leadership development. He has supported our co-curricular programme as a rugby coach, basketball manger and through his involvement in a wide-range of outdoor education activities. Mr King leaves us to resume his career in the New Zealand Army.
