Tumuaki/Principal's Message

I was thrilled to have been appointed as Principal at Omihi School in 2017.  It’s so special for me to be able to work with amazing children in my own community and to work alongside such dedicated teachers, parents and support staff.

I grew up in Rangiora with three brothers and studied at Canterbury University.  My first six years of teaching was in North Canterbury at Leithfield School, Broomfield School and Rangiora Borough, teaching from Years 1-8.  I then taught in London for three and a half years, whilst spending all my holidays travelling around Europe.  After that, I headed to Auckland for three years and was the Year 5/6 Syndicate Leader at Victoria Ave School in Remuera.

In 2015 I decided I wanted to move home to be closer to my family. I became the Assistant Principal at Oxford Area School, then Deputy Principal at Elmwood Normal School. When I saw this job come up at Omihi, I knew it was the perfect school to be a part of.  I love the opportunities that arise, and being able to share my knowledge and experiences with my own community and continue learning along the way.  My husband George and I live just up the road in Greta Valley on a sheep and beef farm with our daughters Delilah and Ada.  Outside of work, George and I are often found running, biking, skiing, kayaking, and introducing Delilah and Ada to the beautiful outdoors, as well as spending time with friends and family.  We are also big foodies and love trying out new restaurants.  

For me, variety is the spice of life.  During my teaching career, I have also run my own dancing school, been a TV presenter on Small Blacks TV and Crowd Goes Wild, run my own events company, created fashion shows for Ronald McDonald House, been a Big Sister mentor and travelled the world.  I believe that the opportunities in our lives are endless.  I love inspiring and encouraging students and teachers to take on new challenges and to think outside the square.  I truly believe that the academic side of school is very important, but it is also about the experiences the children have and the values they learn along the way.  It’s important to cater for individual learning needs and offer a diverse range of opportunities to engage and inspire our tamariki on their own learning journey.

I love engaging with students, parents and our community.  Feel free to email, call or pop in and see me.  My door is always open.

Maree Lucas
Tumuaki/Principal
principal@omihi.school.nz
03 314 5857