Please see the candidate profiles for the 3 nominations received for the 2 Trustee positions. Voting papers are in the process of being posted out now and voting closes on Friday 14th November.

Philippa IRELAND – My name is Philippa Ireland and I am standing for the Board of Trustees for St Martins School. My husband Michael and I have lived in Christchurch for 21 years. We have Noah at St Martins School (Year 6) and Greer starting school in November. I also have another little man, George who is 2.

Our family moved to St Martins after the earthquakes and have never looked back, we love the “St Martins” community. I was a committee member at Burwood Oscar group for many years and continued as a member even after we left the area until it closed down recently as the school merged with Windsor.

My last two positions working for the Families Commission (Christchurch) and more recently the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, have given me the opportunity to support social networks in the community and enjoy meeting many people and groups.

I believe that every child should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and I have a desire to support staff and families at St Martins School.

I have the knowledge and skills to make a useful contribution to St Martins School. I am a logical thinker; have excellent problem solving skills; great communication skills; and easy going and approachable personality; a good sense of humour and a strong work ethic.

Jo MALCOM – My name is Jo Malcom and I am standing for re-election onto the Board of Trustees for St Martins. I am a journalist with 15 years experience and I now teach Broadcast Journalism at the University of Canterbury. I also work as a Media Manager for top level sports teams, like the All Blacks. I am passionate about education and inspiring children to enjoy learning and do their best. I am also very passionate about sports and the arts, in particular music and drama. I have loved being on the BOT and feel I can add real value in shaping the future direction of St Martins.

Mel OPIE – My name is Mel Opie and I am standing for the Board of Trustees for St Martins School. My daughters Rosa (11) and Grace (8) have attended St Martins School since they were five. My husband Matt and I have lived on Huntsbury Hill for 17 years.

I’ve been privileged to be a parent representative on the St Martins School Board of Trustees for the past three years, working with a team of very talented, dedicated and passionate people. This has been a real learning curve for me – understanding the role of the Board, the jargon, and how things work at school ‘behind the scenes’.

I’m proud of what our Board has achieved, and particularly my involvement in a couple of key projects: the new school uniform and website. I’m also proud of the environment that we have at St Martins School – our values, the opportunities available to our children, our wonderful teachers and staff, and the ‘safety nets’ we have in place to support our children and families in need. I think St Martins School is a pretty special place!

Being present in my daughters lives, and an active member of our community, is a priority for me. I also work part time in a marketing communications role for a local engineering company. I enjoy keeping fit, coffee with friends, listening to live music, and family adventures in our classic cars!

Being a parent representative on the Board is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I enjoy the challenge and value having the opportunity to make a difference and be a strong ‘parent voice’ on the Board.

The Board has some big projects coming up, including redeveloping our five year strategic plan and the rebuild of our school. We’ve put a significant amount of time and effort into these projects already and I’m really keen to continue my role and see these projects to fruition. I want to be part of making our school the best place it can be for all of our children.