EOHS acting principal Keith Fleury has had his tenure extended to term one next year. If you are wondering why he has not applied for the job himself, it is because he is retiring at the end of term one next year.
"Hopefully we’ll find a suitable replacement before then."
He said being principal was a difficult position and there was a lot of work in it, but the school board had given him great support.
"The board has been grateful that I’m staying on, but I’ve been working here 12 to 13 years and I don’t want to let them down."
Mr Fleury said the position had been advertised twice already, and it would be advertised again in term three. He was confident there will be suitable applicants for the role.
"In term three we get a bigger pool of people applying, with people thinking they can step up, having gained more experience. Term one and two is a harder time, as people have just settled into the school year or are working hard in term two."
He said the biggest difference he had noticed since his step up from deputy principal was the broad scope of the role.
"A deputy principal is involved in the day-to-day work and is involved in the ins and outs of what’s happening to help make the school run.
"The principal’s position involves talking with parents, working with staff, helping staff out, working with the board to make sure the school’s policies and procedures are right, working with Ministry [of Education] staff and resolving issues brought up by any of those groups."
Mr Fleury said the board had been fantastic to work with and the school had great staff.
He said for anyone coming in, it was a good community and there was also a very good group of principals in Otago, who had also been a good support to him.
Mr Fleury said, like most schools post-Covid, EOHS had been battling with attendance, but it had implemented some attendance strategies, such as employing an attendance officer and having attendance competitions which had been making headway.
The change in attitude to attendance was definitely a post-Covid phenomenon, but was now improving.
