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Dear Colleagues
A warm welcome to Term 4 and to my first update as your new President of the Northern Territory Principals' Association. I am excited to build upon my decade-long involvement with NTPA since 2012.
I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Robyn Thorpe for her exceptional leadership as President over the past three years. Robyn's dedication has strengthened our association's voice and support for school leaders across the Territory. Special thanks also to Jo Poulter for her invaluable guidance in supporting her third President's transition.
Throughout my 40-year career in Northern Territory education, I've experienced firsthand the unique challenges and rewards of school leadership across diverse settings. My journey has included principalship roles in urban and rural primary schools, as well as specialist secondary education. Most recently, I served as the Foundation Principal at Zuccoli Primary School (2019-2024), and prior to that, as Principal of Henbury School, a specialist secondary school in Darwin (2009-2019).
My leadership philosophy has always centred on developing and nurturing future school leaders, guided by Sir Kevin Collins' principle: "You are not a leader until you have produced a leader, who has produced a leader, who has produced other leaders."
Recent Activities
As your new President, I've already begun representing school leaders' interests in key stakeholder meetings. A significant recent engagement was my participation in the Term 4 Finance Roadshow which focused on:
* 2025 School Priorities and Territory-wide resourcing
* Implementation of Better Fairer Schools Funding
* Government school priorities and Department of Education and Training (DET) foci areas for 2025
This session included comprehensive presentations from:
* Susan Bowden, Chief Executive
* Saeed Amin, Deputy CE
* Rebekah Stapleton, Brian Uy, Dianne Scannell
* Lisa Hirschausen and Kylie Davis
I'm pleased to report that NTPA's strong advocacy has contributed to significant changes in school funding. The removal of effective enrolment in favour of needs-based funding will be implemented in 2025. While many Territory schools will benefit from these changes, we understand some schools will require closer budget examination. We have received assurance that no school will be worse off under the new model. I encourage all school leaders to speak up and raise any concerns or queries they may have about these changes.
Regional Engagement
The regional meetings have provided me with valuable opportunities to meet NTPA members and engage in individual conversations about local issues. What an amazing and diverse territory we work in! On World Teachers Day, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work that each of you do in your unique context, I take my hat off to you and the work that you do.
Top End AP Day
I recently attended the Top End Assistant Principal Day to discuss NTPA's support for aspiring school leaders. The session focused on the various ways NTPA can support Assistant Principals, including guidance on the transition to principalship and information about employment options - whether as ongoing appointments or on contract. This engagement with our future leaders is crucial for maintaining the strength and quality of school leadership across the Territory.
Leaders' Summit
I look forward to seeing you all at the Leaders' Summit. On Thursday, we will be having a photographer take photos of NTPA members. We would like to encourage you to have a photo taken, as we are updating our website and would love to see our amazing members represented. On Thursday afternoon, I would like to take a group photo of as many NTPA members as possible. This will happen as soon as the day ends.
World Teachers Day
I wish you a great day on Friday. Enjoy the regional WTD presentations. Best of luck to Jo Alford, Cindy McLaren and Carolyn Edwards, in our eyes you are amazing leaders.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held Friday afternoon at 3pm at the Convention Centre. We encourage as many members as possible to attend this important meeting. The specific room location will be announced soon, please stay tuned for this information.
As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day, we stand in admiration of your unwavering commitment.
We celebrate your resilience, your creativity, and your boundless capacity to care.
Here's to the Principals - the teachers who never stopped teaching!
Now you're not just teaching students - you're teaching, mentoring, and inspiring entire school communities.
Every day you guide young teachers to find their wings, help experienced educators soar higher and show students what inspired leadership looks like.
You lead by example, proving that once a teacher, always a teacher.
To every teacher who has ever made a difference – and you all have – we say thank you.
This World Teachers Day, we tip our hats to you - the teachers who became leaders!
We hope you enjoy our video below:
Please join us directly after the conclusion of leaders' suimmit for a quick AGM then a networking function hosted at the waterfront.
All welcome
Under the theme Together Leading Learning, the Trans-Tasman Principals’ Conference 2024 in Christchurch presented a program of stimulating speakers and enriching cultural experiences, showcasing Māori heritage through school displays and acknowledgement of speakers through song and haka performances.
NTPA were represented by Carolyn Edwards and Penny Weily.
Thank you to Penny for providing a comprehensive summary of the programs. Please find this below to read at your leisure.
Read the latest news from ICP here
Australian school principals often find themselves navigating complex legal terrain when it comes to suspending or expelling students.
Indeed, balancing the duty of care to protect the broader student body with the rights of individual students requires a solid understanding of the legal obligations involved. With each State and Territory having its own set of rules and expectations, principals need to stay informed to avoid potential legal pitfalls.
Have you ever found yourself in a sudden conflict, where strong emotions take over and a professional discussion quickly escalates into personal attacks?
In those moments, it can feel like we can’t keep up with the adrenaline, leaving us with a "deer in the headlights" look. Words seem to vanish, and time feels frozen while those around us appear to carry on.
This is what we call a Difficult Conversation.
Fortunately, with a few techniques, you can regain your composure and handle even the toughest situations with confidence.
While we can't control how others behave, we can certainly control our responses.
My dad taught me to breath low when my emotions were high as a child, and it's a concept I still carry with me to this day. Together, we provide valuable tools to help you regain control over your breathing, ensuring that your brain receives the oxygen it needs to think clearly and respond effectively.
We can use both proactive and reactive non-verbal strategies to navigate these challenging situations, allowing us to focus on positive outcomes while maintaining respect for everyone.
