St Paul’s Collegiate School teacher, Martin Holmes, was awarded an Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) Honours Award on Friday 28 June, in Queenstown, for his outstanding achievement in the education sector.
The award was presented to Mr Holmes for his service to accounting, which includes his success in running one of the highest performing commerce departments, in terms of NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship examination results, in New Zealand.
Mr Holmes, whose commerce department’s pass rates were estimated to be 10 per cent above the national average in 2012, described winning the award as a pleasant surprise.
Executive Director, Independent Schools of New Zealand, Deborah James, said there was a number of high-calibre nominations this year and that Holmes was a favourable candidate because of his commitment to the sector and his achievement and contribution to St Paul’s and the wider community.
“Martin was awarded, first, because of his contribution to St Paul’s and, second, because of his role as head of commerce at the School, which is one of the highest performing departments in New Zealand,” Mrs James said.
Further to his success as one of New Zealand’s leading accounting teachers, Mr Holmes is also being recognised for his services beyond the classroom, coaching sport and marking NZQA examinations.
“What came through clearly in his nomination is that Martin goes above and beyond what is expected as part of his employment; this was demonstrated through his community involvement, national involvement and his participation in NZQA and sport.”
Mr Holmes has coached the athletics and cross country teams at St Paul’s for more than 15 years, achieving sporting success both nationally and regionally during this time.
The ISNZ Honours Award aims to celebrate outstanding staff in the independent school sector, acknowledging and celebrating people who make a significant contribution to the education.
