"Taking over my new role as acting principal in Term 4 gave me a taste of the role and allowed me to get to know the students and the school, but I am really excited about starting a fresh year and seeing our plans and goals for the year come to fruition."
She is excited for the events that are unique to rural schools such as Ag Day and the annual Ngakuru School Pumpkin Roll.
"I also relish the new challenges involved in leading a school and have learnt a lot in my new role already."
There were a number of factors which attracted Rachel to the role of principal at Ngakuru School.
She says after having been deputy principal at Westbrook for 12 years, it was a logical next step to challenge herself by taking on the role of principal.
"They say if you are going to step out of your comfort zone and make a change, make it a big one!"
She says Ngakuru School is certainly different to Westbrook in obvious ways, such as its smaller size and rural location.
"Having said that, there are a lot of similarities between the two schools as well, right down to their very similar mottos - 'Together we Learn' (Westbrook) and 'Together we Succeed' (Ngakuru)."
Both schools have dedicated teachers and support staff who do everything within their capabilities to give students the best possible education they can, Rachel says.
"The children at both Westbrook and Ngakuru give everything a go, love learning and are responsible and respectful of others.
"Both schools are supported by a fantastic group of parents, board of trustees, PTA and wider community. There is a real 'family feel' and sense of whanaungatanga at Ngakuru, as there is at Westbrook.
"In a nutshell, it felt like a good match for me, and I was absolutely rapt to have been awarded the position."
She says Ngakuru School has a great feeling to it - "I felt welcomed and a sense of belonging straight away.
"The kids are fabulous and I am in awe of how hard the staff work. The community is very supportive of each other and everybody knows everybody.
"The school has oodles of space and the students simply love being in the outdoors. I love how we can build our learning around our local rural environment, making it relevant to the country setting that our students live in."
She says they are also fortunate to have a school pool, and she loves the tuakana-teina that is evident in the school.
"Our older students support our younger ones and new students to Ngakuru are welcomed with open arms."
Another thing Rachel loves is the variety in her new role.
"I may be the principal, but at a small school that also includes being a classroom teacher, caretaker, office manager, nurse, pool technician, coach and animal wrangler at times!"
Rachel began her teaching career at Westbrook School in 1994 and has spent her whole teaching career there, apart from a 12-month stint teaching in the United States.
"During my 27 years at Westbrook, I taught across a range of year levels and took on various roles to keep life interesting. Time flies when you are having fun!
"I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my former colleagues, students and community members at Westbrook for playing a role in making the last 27 years so special to me.
"Westbrook School will always have a place in my heart and I am very fortunate to have worked there for so long.
"As this door closes, another door opens and here I am walking through it, gumboots and all!
"Huge thanks also to Ngakuru School for making me feel so welcome."
