The wonderful thing about being a Principal in the Kimberley is that you get to be a jack of all trades. At first, I believed I was employed for this position because of my contextual knowledge, my hardworking disposition and my willingness to live a life of Witness. All of this is true, and so much more. I realised very quickly that I was also selected because of my ability to wear many hats. Some days I wear the hat of plumber, electrician, housing manager, other days the hat of a social worker, nurse, counsellor and every day I seem to where the hat of the IT consultant. These different roles have me climbing under buildings to locate a leak, searching the school to identify an electrical fault and squeezing in behind the server rack to restart the server in the hope that the old turn it off and on again trick will work its magic. These aspects of the role are the ones I find easiest to deal with, faults in a machine or piece of equipment don’t challenge you as does our care for each child and their family within our community.

It is this side of the role that I find can really tax the emotions. As you work with families to assess and support their child’s mental health, ensure their child’s safety within the community or work with the Department of Communities to advocate for the welfare of our students, you give so much of yourself and separating your emotions from the job is easier said than done. All this takes time, effort, heart and definitely an attitude of partnership. This work can only be done in partnership with our local school community.

So why get up and do it again and again and again, because amongst all that, there is joy. And finding the joy in all the little things is the only way not just to survive being a Principal in the Kimberley but to succeed. There is joy in seeing a student’s attendance improve because of the work that has been done with their family. There is joy in hearing a student share their reading level proudly with all their friends and teachers. There is joy in seeing a student use the problem solving strategies they have been taught to deal with an issue with one of their peers. There is joy in seeing parents become more involved in their child’s education. There is joy in watching the new graduates who come to our school grow into strong and confident teachers. There is joy in the relationships formed between our staff, with our children and families within the community. There is joy in the beautiful country we get to live, work and play in each day.

The role is incredibly diverse and requires resourcefulness and the ability to adapt. The most important lesson learnt is to take time to find the many moments of joy that lift the heart and spirit.