Donna Watson has been a teacher for almost 30 years and began her first principal position at Stirling Primary School on the first day of Term 3, Monday, July 23.
"I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age," the Invercargill-born mother of four said.
"I was the fifth of seven children.
"I loved teaching my younger brother and sister spelling and what I had learnt.
"I was very proud they could read before they started school."
Mrs Watson trained in Christchurch, met her husband in Methven, and took her first teaching position in Arrowtown in 1996.
"By the time we had our third child we were in Ashburton ... It’s a great place to teach and bring up children.
"I was at Wakanui School for 11 years then we went to Rarotonga and I taught there for two years.
"We came back to Ashburton in 2021 and missed the ocean and the small community feel, and decided to find a new home and position that could fill that and make use of my management skills and training.
Mrs Watson now lives in Romahapa and said she would love to move to Kaka Point.
"We had a principal’s breakfast to get introduced [and] there’s a beautiful collaborative feel to this community, with a lot of support.
"There is a nationwide focus on the wellbeing and retention of principals, as many are leaving the profession.
"We have many good projects here to enhance the learner under a strong PTA and board of trustees.
"At this point it’s about watching and learning and seeing how can I add to this and help us move forward together. "For me it’s making everyone feel important and valued [and] facilitating the strength and passion and leadership skills of the staff to help drive that area so they can lead develop and grow themselves."
Stirling School opened in 1879. At present it has 61 children with three teachers and principal Mrs Watson also teaches a range of subjects on Fridays
"I remember, when I was at school, we did learn but it wasn’t a lot of fun.
"With writing for example, if you can make the subject enjoyable, then the basic skills of the lesson — spelling, structure, grammar, creativity — is something that just happens while they’re engaging and having fun."
