AN EXCITING change is set to take place at Mount Gambier High School next year with two new assistant principals ready to make their mark on the public school.
Glencoe Primary School principal Sam Leane and current Mount Gambier High School vocational pathways coordinator Sam Brown will step into the positions of junior and senior secondary assistant principals, bringing years of knowledge and new ideas.
“The school has gone out on a bit of a different limb that is quite unique in our region,” principal Chris Edmonds said.
“We will have essentially a new team with incredibly different skills that complement each other.”
Head of Glencoe Primary for the past six years, Mr Leane said it would be a big, yet exciting shift to go from a small primary school to a large secondary school.
“This is part of the challenge for me, but in saying that I do know the reputation of the site and the staff and I think it is going to be a really engaging and interesting year for me,” he said.
“I have always had an interest in upper primary, so it seems logical to go to this next stage – some of those skills I have gained will hopefully transfer across into high school.
“It will be interesting to see what it is like on the other side, the more we learn about what kids need the more it makes me think ‘well, what is next after Year 7?'”
Eager to help primary students transition to high school, Mr Leane said it was a priority to ensure students remain engaged as they prepare for the next stage of their lives and eventual entry into the workforce.
“It is about not letting them dip in the middle and making sure there is optimal engagement and inspiration for the kids to be at school,” he said.
“You cannot do that without a team of teachers working really well together.”
With major re-developments also set to begin early next year with the construction of a new Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building, Mr Edmonds said it was the perfect time for Mr Leane and Ms Brown to come on board.
“Having Sam (Leane), with his skills and experience leading the curriculum in the STEM area, is really exciting as a lot of those effective teaching practices are embedded in primary school,” he said.
“As we are building the facilities, we are essentially building the teaching capacity.”
Meanwhile, he looked forward to working with Ms Brown in a different capacity.
“She is probably one of the most experienced educators in Mount Gambier with connection to industry and business, employment and Vocational Education and Training (VET) studies – her capacity is enormous and she is recognised across the state for the work she does,” he said.
“Her responsibility will be that all of our students have access to a South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) course, whether that be for further education, apprenticeships or employment straight away.”
Also recently announced as one of three schools in the Blue Lake city to receive funding from the State Government for investment in infrastructure upgrades, Mr Edmonds said they have been very fortunate.
“We are exploring the idea that a significant portion of money will be allocated to the construction of a junior wellbeing centre which connects counsellors, youth workers, assistant principals and support workers from the community,” he said.
“There are some very exciting things happening here.”
