Mrs Collie joined the staff at the start of the term after relieving principal Bob Norrish finished his time at the school.
Although she grew up in Invercargill she really enjoyed teaching in the country, Mrs Collie said.
"I love rural schools."
Rural schools tended to be smaller and teachers got to know not only the students well but also their families, she said.
"You become not just a teacher or a principal — you become part of the community."
There are 77 students and four teachers at the school. Mrs Collie had always wanted to be a teacher but a career’s adviser at high school had put her off the idea.
"He told me I was too good to be a teacher."
Instead she did an extramural business degree at Massey University. Her husband Shane, is the fourth generation of his family to farm at Waianiwa.
Later when their youngest child was about 18 months old, she was thinking about returning to work.
She decided she still wanted to be a teacher and started training. Her first permanent position was at Heddon Bush where she taught for 16 years. It had been hard leaving there because she had become part of the community. However, she was ready for a change and to move into school governance. "It was time to step out of my comfort zone and grow my career." She had felt very welcomed by the Lochiel school community which was similar to Heddon Bush.
She wanted to help build a school environment where the students were excited to come to school, where staff felt valued and motivated and parents felt welcomed and included.
"Rural schools are such a big part of the community — the real heart of the community."
Her favoured area of the school to teach was years 6 to 8 but she was not teaching a class while she settled in.
