The beginning of term was a big day for Kaihere School’s new principal, Ngaire Harris.
It was also a milestone moment for her granddaughter Eliza, who joined the school alongside her grandmother.
“We started together,” Ngaire said.
“She’s loving it, and it’s really special to watch her at school.”
Kaihere School is a big part of Ngaire’s family history.
She’s lived in the rural community for 50 years, and her husband, four children, and one of her elder grandchildren have already passed through its gates.
Now, Ngaire gets to share the grounds with Eliza and another of her granddaughters, Charlotte.
The new role is an exciting opportunity to give back to her local community, Ngaire said.
And she brings with her a wealth of experience, having spent 30 years teaching at Hauraki Plains College – 22 of those as principal – and also previously working at the Education Review Office.
“Living in the community for some time, you have a sense of what the community is about and what I would call the school’s DNA,” Ngaire said.
“[And] I had 40 schools with the Education Review Office and most of them were rural primary schools…
“It gave me a really good insight into what works, what makes them tick.”
There’s also an advantage in having come from a secondary school environment, Ngaire said.
“One of the benefits is knowing what the students are going to need, particularly in terms of literacy and numeracy, so that when they do go on to college, they’re well prepared,” she said.
Mostly though, Ngaire plans to focus on the basics.
“We are about good people working hard. We want them to be good, decent human beings, but also working hard at their learning or being a good friend or whatever it is.
“At the same time [I’m] really wanting to expand the curriculum so that even though it’s a small school, the students get really good learning opportunities,” she said.
“We’ve got other staff doing other things, a music programme and looking at a science programme, and just making sure that they get the same opportunities and learning experiences as in the bigger schools.
“I think whatever you want for your own grandchild, you want for everyone’s grandchild.
“It’s something I remind myself often: it’s not just about my grandkids, it’s about everyone’s grandkids.”
