Tainui School principal Shelley Wilde will retire at the end of this week. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON After more than a decade at the helm, a Dunedin primary school principal is excited for her next chapter — retirement. Tainui School principal Shelley Wilde, 66, will retire on Friday after 12 years in the role and more than 35 years in education. She had also served as principal of Portobello and St Clair schools. ‘‘It feels timely ... but also sad. “Running a school is like holding a baby and looking after it, and now you’ve got to pass the baby over to someone else.” Mrs Wilde said it was a mixed bag of emotions, but she would very much miss the pupils, staff and school. The children were always at the heart of everything she did. The pupils she taught were always “fabulous”, she said. “They’re imaginative, they’re creative, they’re problem solvers — childhood is such a short part of their life, but such an important part.” She will be farewelled by the local community, pupils and staff at an assembly at the school this afternoon. After some rest and relaxation, Mrs Wilde, her husband and some friends plan on travelling around the world. It would be a strange feeling to not have to wake up for school in the morning, she said. But her ties to education will remain. She will continue as the president of the Saturday morning music classes for Otago and she recently joined the board for Be Heard — a charity that offers free one-on-one counselling in select Dunedin primary and intermediate schools. Taking over the role as principal is Susan Dennison, who has been the principal for Mataura Primary School for 20 years. She will begin midway through next term. Mrs Wilde could not be more pleased to have Mrs Dennison filling her shoes. “I have nothing to do with the appointment process, of course, but when I found out Mrs Dennison was going to be the new principal, I was just thrilled. “I know she is somebody with a good heart, she is experienced, and she’ll be here for the children and the staff and the community ... she’s that sort of person.’’ laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
