This year we welcome Mary Ellis to our staff, teaching Science and Mathematics in the Secondary School.
Mary has been a teacher for nearly 20 years teaching Science, Maths and Religious Studies. She has also had roles as a Boarding House Mistress, Year Group Patron and Mathematics Faculty Head of Department.
After the birth of her son, Mary took some time out from teaching and worked in the sales and marketing department of a company which sold cookery books where she organised events and book launches for the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, both of whom Mary says are “interesting chaps!”
Over the past fourteen years Mary has been teaching in independent schools in the U.K, with twelve of those years spent in the north of England, near Manchester. Mary and her family arrived back in Sydney on the 21st of December last year, spending Christmas and New Year in quarantine before heading to Port Macquarie.
Mary’s early career was spent in Bathurst and Tamworth in boarding schools, which she really enjoyed. She is finding the students at St Columba absolutely wonderful and is enjoying teaching in a regional centre again. She is also appreciative of the time everyone has given to help and get to know her.
Outside of work, Mary loves to spend time with her family and friends, having a nice long lunch or watching Rugby or Cricket. Her family spend time fishing, swimming and bushwalking. She is an avid Manchester United fan having attended many matches at Old Trafford. If she appears in a very good mood on a Monday morning you can assume Manchester had a good win on the weekend!