Stories

I was Principal of St Joseph’s for four years – 1974 – 1977.  In 1974 there were six classrooms and six teachers.  A couple of years later, a seventh classroom was added to the Junior block to cater for growing numbers.

As well as myself, the Sisters on the Staff at that time were Sisters Mary Anschar, Annette Mary, Mary Gemma, Barbara Henley and Laura Dijkmans.

Mrs Ngaire Keary was the DP in charge of the Junior School.  Other teachers were Miss Stella Bohi, Mrs Nola O’Connor, Miss Sarda Ranchod and Mrs Alison Todd. 

Students from Loreto Hall, the Catholic Training College in Remuera, came to us each year for their teaching practicum.

The Parish Priests in those years were Mons Bill Sheeley, Fr Bevan Smith and Fr Michael Daly.

These were the years leading up to Integration and therefore many services available to our schools now were not available then.  Teachers were responsible for the cleaning of their own classrooms and some other area of the school such as a corridor, hall, or cloakroom.  Pupils were rostered to do the cleaning each day and classes took turns to keep the grounds tidy.  Senior pupils made the cup of tea in the morning for the teachers and did the dishes afterwards.  The only paid cleaner, courtesy of the School Committee (forerunner of the BOT), was the person who cleaned the pupils’ toilets.

 I had no school secretary and was a full time Teaching Principal so administration matters were attended to in out of school hours.  There were no photo copiers and computers, and copies were run off on Banda or Gestetner machines which were not always the cleanest machines to use.  The school telephone was in the corridor outside my classroom and in school time, Form 1 and 2 pupils took turns to answer this. 

 Other memories that come to mind:

• In 1975 my class coming to my Final Vows ceremony in NP.  What a surprise that was!
• The strong community spirit around the annual Gala Days.
• Turning part of the Hall into a School Library. Up until then, each class had its own library.  Senior pupils chose the colours for the wall panels.  We had a very colourful room!
• Teaching the recorder and guitar to my class.  Seeing the collection of guitars at the back of the classroom and watching them fall like dominoes if one of them was knocked.
• Playing the guitar at School and Parish Masses, and a wedding.
• The camp we had at Nandina Stud, and Field Trips to the Bay of Islands.
• The end of year Retreat for our school leavers at the Marist Brothers in Tuakau.
• Coaching Netball and watching Saturday sport.
• Sr M Gemma and her rose garden at the main entrance.
• The punishments Sr M Anschar gave –  commit to memory a paragraph from a school journal or write out a page from the dictionary!
• Being the only woman Principal at the local Principals’ Meetings – quite a daunting feeling at first.
• My pupils were motivated and a pleasure to be with. They loved their sport.

 I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at St Joseph’s.