New principal at St Peter’s College
His new school is twice as big as the one he just left, but Kevin Shore is confident he will quickly learn the names of students at St Peter’s College in Palmerston North.
Shore arrived on Monday from Whanganui’s Cullinane College to replace outgoing principal David Olivier, who had been at St Peter’s since 2009.
Shore said he knew every student by name at the year 9-13 Cullinane College, and even though St Peter’s, which caters for years 7-13, is twice the size, the 59-year-old intends getting to know as many pupils as possible.
‘‘Even here, I won’t be far from knowing everyone by name.’’
St Peter’s, a Catholic coeducational school, has a roll of about 600 pupils.
Olivier tendered his resignation last year to take up an appointment as director of Catholic Social Services for the Wellington Archdiocese.
A spokesperson for the school said Olivier had intended to stay for the first term, but the new job called and the school board released him early.
Shore, who was educated in Whanganui, has spent 22 of his 30-year education career in Catholic schools.
Before making his debut as principal at Cullinane eight years ago, he was deputy principal of Whanganui High School.
‘‘I know Palmerston North quite well. I went to training college here, and was over here all the time.’’
Shore started working life in civil engineering and worked as a design draughtsman, but took up teaching instead of finishing an engineering degree.
He said those 12 years spent working in the private and government sectors were valuable preparation for teaching.
‘‘Cullinane College was 50 per cent Ma¯ ori and we had an emphasis on equal outcomes for all,’’ he said. ‘‘Every community is different and I’m still in the process of finding out how this community works and what the challenges are.’’
Working alongside young people to help develop their selfconfidence, resilience and selfesteem was a privilege and a responsibility, he said.
The challenge was to teach children how to learn so they had the skills to face a constantly changing world.
‘‘Schools are communities and families, and I have a part to play in getting involved in that.’’
His first community engagement is the weekend’s Relay for Life event.