Building up working relationships with the staff, pupils and the East Otago community were all priorities.
Mr Geerlofs (49) has been deputy principal at Menzies College in Wyndham for 11 years, and has taught there for 14 years.
A graphics and mathematics teacher, he previously taught at Gore High School and Kings High School, Dunedin.
He will take up his position as the East Otago principal on May 5, the start of term two.
Mr Geerlofs said he had entered teaching partly because of his enthusiasm to see young people do well and partly because of the enthusiasm of a teacher friend with whom he went kayaking.
Helping to ‘‘shape the lives of young people'' was very important.
The strength of country high schools such as Menzies College and East Otago High School were considerable, Mr Geerlofs said. Classes tended to be smaller.
Teachers often knew the pupils' families and could work with them.
The good-average pupil who was often lost in a large city school could shine in a country high school, Mr Geerlofs said.
He was passionate about teaching outdoor education, which he had taught at Menzies College.
Outdoor education programmes were often the only opportunities many pupils got in their lives to try outdoor activities.
Asked about the good NCEA results East Otago High School pupils had gained, Mr Geerlofs said he was a great fan of NCEA.
Pupils in a range of subjects benefited from internal assessment which allowed work to be completed to a high standard over a longer period than the three hours allowed in the exam room.
The recent addition of merit and excellence awards were ‘‘very positive'' steps.
Mr Geerlofs said he would like to lift the East Otago High School roll by working closely with the contributing and full primary schools in East Otago.
He would be living in Palmerston and hoped to get involved in the community.
