The 48-year-old Mackenzie Country-born and raised rugby fan has admitted (with tongue in cheek), ``Yes, I'm a Cantabrian, so I'm sorry, but I will be supporting the Crusaders, not the Highlanders.''
Her confession came with the promise to wear red and black to school sports days.
While she has a great sense of humour, Ms Rodgers is serious about education and excited about her new position.
She started teaching in 1992 at the former Marchwiel School (Timaru), and went on to teach at Abbotsford School (Dunedin), Kaiapoi North School and Clarkville School.
She then became a maths facilitator at the University of Canterbury for two years, teaching teachers how to teach mathematics.
After that, she became deputy principal at Oxford Area School and, more recently, principal at Cheviot Area School.
Ms Rodgers said she was delighted to be returning to Dunedin.
``We had three amazing years working in Dunedin.
``We only left because my partner [Perry Spicer] is an emergency medical technician for St John, and he got transferred back to Christchurch.
``So we're really happy to be coming back. We're really excited - Perry and I love Dunedin. It's got all the benefits of a city, but it feels more like a town.''
She said she was looking forward to being a little more anonymous in what would be a much larger community than Cheviot.
``It will be very nice to be able to take my principal's hat off now and again, because here [at Cheviot Area School] I am always and totally the principal.
``And that's OK. I love the fact that everybody in Cheviot knows me and I know everybody. That's lovely, but you don't get a lot of time to yourself.''
It was one of many reasons why the principal's position at St Clair School was ``the job of my dreams''.
``It just ticks all my boxes about education and where it's going.
``It's amazing to be in a team of people who already think the same way that I think. They're clearly so passionate about education.''
St Clair School board of trustees chairwoman Louise Garthwaite said Ms Rodgers would take over from the present principal, Richard Newton, on September 24.
``Jen brings with her a real passion and enthusiasm for collaborative learning, and the board of trustees are confident she will lead St Clair School from strength to strength in the years to come.''
