"There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears gone into the centre from when I started in 2018, but there's been lots of progression and great results coming through.
"I'm very happy with the state of Awhina moving forward. I know I've left it at a good position."
This will be Kairo's first principalship, and he says it will be all about relationships for him as he goes into the role.
"I will be really listening to all the staff, children and whānau, and observing."
He says he wants to cater to the pupils' academic, social and emotional needs, and help to remove barriers, "because they deserve the best possible educational outcomes".
Looking back over his time at Awhina Activity Centre, he says there have been a number of highlights.
These include the successful transition of pupils that have come through Awhina and transitioned back to their home school or on to further education/jobs, and in 2019 being the first activity centre in New Zealand to take part in the National Secondary Schools Waka Ama competition where they finished third in the U16 mixed teams.
Others include being the pilot school in Rotorua for the last three years of the Dirt Bike encounter programme, and securing a full-time whānau support worker for the past three years through a contract with Ministry of Social Development and Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust.
Kairo will be taking over the principal role from Debra Harrod, who has been at Aorangi School since 2003 - 19 years in total - and 11 of them as principal.
Debra is semi-retiring. She has moved to Whakatāne and her plan is to work three to four days a week.
However, in the meantime, she will be acting principal at Otakiri School - just out of Edgecumbe - for one or two terms.
She says this is a caretaker role while the Board of Trustees moves through the appointment process for the new principal.
"I have planned this move for a couple of years now and I know it is the right thing to do for me.
"However, this term I have given a lot of thought to what Aorangi School means to me.
"I'll miss everyone enormously - our tamariki, our staff, our whānau, our board.
"They have been amazing to work alongside over the years, and I will always be wanting to hear the news from Aorangi and how everyone is going."
Debra says a highlight for her over the years as principal of Aorangi School includes being finalists in the Prime Minister's Awards in 2016.
"This came about as we were the first school in New Zealand to achieve Gold Accreditation as a Health Promoting School.
"Hauora, physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual health has been a focus for us."
She says there have been many changes at the school in the last 19 years.
"Our uniform is different now and we painted the school different colours. The IT equipment we had in 2003 was very limited compared to now.
"Some staff have moved on but there are still two staff members here who have been at Aorangi longer than I have."
She thinks Kairo will be a wonderful addition to Aorangi School.
"He has so much enthusiasm, he has a strong network around Rotorua and he is a lovely person.
"Every school needs some new ways of thinking from time to time, and it is now time for someone else to steer the waka."
