Our Team
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to St Mary’s School, Gore, a primary (years 0 - 6) state integrated school with a proud special Catholic character.
Our school was founded in the Mercy tradition of Mother Catherine McAuley in 1890 by the Sisters of Mercy. Our school values of faith, hope and love come from the Gospels, these guide us in our learning, faith journey and relationships with others. The Mercy Charism empowers our children to be a channel of God’s love through hands-on, practical deeds of service and compassion.
We aspire to provide our ākonga (learners) with a safe and supportive learning environment where they feel that they can share and grow their talents and contribute to our school and wider community.
From our school vision: ‘Tamariki (children) leave St Mary’s School with confidence that they can manage themselves, carry who they are wherever they go, and achieve their goals, seeing themselves as lifelong learners.’
Our staff look forward to meeting you and your children and welcoming you all into our school community.
Ma te Atua e manaaki - God bless,
Mallory Hood
Tumuaki | Principal
Staff Directory
St Mary's Board
We are a Catholic School and so our school board is made up a little differently from a State school board. We have eleven board members:
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5 elected members
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4 Proprietor’s representatives (including our Parish Priest)
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1 elected staff member
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the school principal
Board elections are held every three years, with the next election being September 2025.
Boards of Trustees are accountable to parents and caregivers, their local communities, the Minister of Education and the Ministry of Education, other government agencies and the public, for their actions and performance.
The Board is the employer of all the school’s staff and is responsible for:
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setting the school’s strategic and policy direction in consultation with parents, staff and students.
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ensuring that the school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students.
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overseeing the management of curriculum, staff, property, finance and administration.
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constantly monitoring and reviewing progress against targets to inform future planning.
The board’s role is to oversee the governance of the school and to ensure that everything that needs to be done gets done – legally, ethically, and as well as possible in the best interests of its students. We are lucky to have the great people we have that help steward the school, protect our Special Character and support our progress and success.
If you would like to know more about the board or access the approved minutes from previous meetings please contact the school office.
