The North Otago primary school has been under limited statutory management since September and former principal Julie French resigned last month.
Mr Fraser, who has been principal of Maheno School for the past eight years, said Ardgowan was close to his heart, as he taught there from 2005 to 2013. His wife, Anna Fraser, was a reading recovery teacher at Ardgowan and his daughters, Ella (14) and Georgia (12), both went to the school too.
He was looking forward to taking the school in a fresh direction when he starts in the role in February, he said.
"I want to build a team there. I want kids to be proud of where they go to school and be knowledgeable about their place and space that they live in — those are the things I want to bring into the school and have that community flavour.
"I want to bring the community into the school and take the school to the community."
It was exciting yet sad to leave Maheno but the timing was right, he said.
"When I applied for the job [at Maheno] I remember saying ‘I don’t want to be here for 10 or 12 years’. I think a school will need a new set of eyes and stuff on it."
Rural education was his passion, he said. Ardgowan gave him his first "taste" and Maheno cemented it.
"I love it here. What’s the saying, ‘you can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy’ — that sort of thing fits with me."
Ardgowan’s roll was double that of Maheno’s and while he had taught three days a week at Maheno, the principal’s job at Ardgowan was full time. But he was determined to "find a way to be in the class".
He spoke highly of Maheno’s children and families, citing them as his highlights, alongside visiting Australia’s Fraser Island for the 100th Anzac Day commemorations at the site of the wreck of NZHS Maheno, and hosting the 100th Armistice Day commemorations in 2018.
"They’ve been amazing. I’ve learnt so much and just the connections I’ve made with people all around this community and also the wider community in Australia and stuff has been amazing."
Growing up in Riverton, Mr Fraser studied at the Sports Institute of Otago before going to teachers college and starting his career at Oamaru’s Pembroke School in 2002. He taught there for two years, went overseas for a year, then returned to Pembroke in 2005 and started at Ardgowan later that year.
