The sound of cattle and sheep at James Sheahan Catholic High School were one of the first things Mark Pauschmann noticed with he moved from Sydney to take up the principal’s position seven years ago.
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However, at the end of the year, Mr Pauschmann will swap green spaces for high rises when he takes up a posting as principal leader of Parramatta Marist High School at Westmead.
He will be replaced as principal in January by Peter Meers who has been assistant principal at the school 2009 and before that was the English coordinator.
Mr Pauschmann said he has enjoyed his time at the school and is proud of the students’ attitudes and achievements.
“As you can imagine, it has been a very emotional process for me in making this decision, but in the end, I feel that this is the right decision as it will bring me closer to my family in Sydney,” Mr Pauschmann said
“My father is 86 and he is not well.
“It’s just much easier than continually travelling to Sydney, it’s closer and I think he’s at an age where I’d like to spend more time with him.”
However, there will be some compromises, which he discovered during a recent visit.
“It’s about a 40 minute drive, 20 of that was in traffic and not driving so I’m going to miss the traffic report each morning for Orange,” Mr Pauschmann said.
“It’s a nice school, it’s got excellent facilities but I felt claustrophobic [being surrounded by high-rises] … I came from that when I came from Sydney, I will miss the [school] farm.”
He said, like James Sheahan, the all-boys’ high school will have more than 1000 students, so will neighbouring all-girls’ school Catherine McAuley Westmead and there will also be a primary school nearby.
Mr Pauschmann is from Sydney and was deputy principal at Marist Brothers at Maroubra then the Marist Sisters College in Woolwich before the principal’s position came up at James Sheahan in 2010.
Mr Pauschmann said the school’s principles of faith, learning and growth were similar to his previous schools and in the past seven years he’s seen new learning techniques be embraced.
He’s been impressed by students’ commitment to mercy and fundraising, leadership, and humility.
“I have so many wonderful memories of my time at Sheahan and it will be sad for me to say goodbye.” he said.