After a good career working at schools across the Sutherland Shire and St George, Gerry O’Brien will take on her first permanent principal role in 2017.
Ms O’Brien, originally from the deep south of New Zealand, has been appointed as the new principal for Tharawal Primary School in Illawong for 2017.
She is one of seven new principals taking over at a government school in the shire or St George this year, according to the NSW Department of Education.
She said she was really looking forward to getting stuck into her new role, especially as pupils make their return to school today. “I’m so excited. I will be out there meeting and greeting the parents and children on Monday morning,” she said.
Ms O’Brien has worked at schools across the region over the past 16 years, with her most recent position being a relieving principal job at Jannali Public School.
She said she decided to make the move to Tharawal after a permanent principal position became available.
“I heard so many wonderful things about the school and the staff here. Also, I was a relieving principal and I wanted to get something permanent,” she said. “And the school’s ethics and principles were something I could relate to.”
Tharawal Primary School has a roll of about 340 pupils, as well as 24 staff, and Ms O’Brien said one of her main goals early on in the top job was to get to know everyone.
“One of my plans is to take each class at least once a term. I don’t want to be removed from the children, that is the sort of thing I really enjoy [being involved with the pupils].”
She said the school had a really good foundation and she would not be changing much.
“There is not a lot to change. The school has been running well, it is about keeping the status quo and tweaking a few things here and there. But I wont be changing a lot. The staff and teachers work really well together.”
She said there was a great network of principals in the shire which would really help her as a new principal. She said she hoped to remain in the position, at Tharawal Primary School, for many years to come.
Ms O’Brien takes over from former principal Sue Roach who was in charge at Tharawal for almost eight years.
- List of new principals at primary and secondary government schools, in the shire and St George region, for 2017:
- Mark Steed, Hurstville Public School
- Natasha Eaton, Peakhurst South Public School
- Susan Orlovich, Miranda North Public School
- Sally-Lea Kelly, Bundeena Public School
- Damien Field, Heathcote Public School
- Kate Drury, Menai Public School
- Gerry O’Brien, Tharawal Primary School
