Adrian Fastier started this month, replacing Kathy Paterson who had been principal of the school for more than 10 years until she retired at the end of term one.
Fastier has taken over the role at a time when building projects are front of mind for many schools, including Lincoln High.
“It is no secret that the Selwyn area is growing quickly, and with many young families moving to the area, we need to ensure that both our building programme and our school systems keep developing to match our growing roll,” Fastier said.
“As with many schools, the changing goalposts from the Ministry of Education around property has been challenging for Lincoln High School. However, recent meetings with the ministry about our property development have been very positive.”
The building upgrades at the school include new science blocks, administration blocks, and classrooms.
Fastier has been teaching in secondary schools for 19 years. Over the last five years, he has been deputy principal at Cashmere High School.
He began his career teaching physical education and outdoor education.
“It has been great to see both the purposeful learning environment created by our staff and the friendly atmosphere amongst the students.”
He said he chose to take the role at Lincoln due to its strong community.
“Lincoln High School has a strong connection with the local community and there is a strong sense of community in both Lincoln and the surrounding areas,” said Fastier, adding the high school has a strong emphasis on quality teaching and learning.
Fastier said his priority before making any changes was to get to know people.
“My priority is to get to know the staff, students and community and to understand the school as best I can.”
