A move up country

New school principal Karen Goodall has turned a "drastic" career corner with her shift to the small country school of Wainuioru.

Miss Goodall's move comes after being deputy head at Wellington High School, which has about 1000 pupils.

She started at Wainuioru in April, where there is a roll of about 100 pupils, and said she welcomes the change in duties as a teaching principal.

"It's a very drastic change going from 1000 pupils at a city secondary school to a 100-pupil school in the country, and I'm loving it."

She had earlier this year visited the decile 9 school east of Masterton and found it "absolutely gorgeous. I knew in January it was going to be great.

"I wanted something different - I saw a cow wandering up the road when I looked outside my window the other day - and I wanted to be at a school where community was very important."

Miss Goodall now lives in Carterton and travels 25 minutes to Wainuioru School, instead of her three-minute commute to Wellington High School, where she had specialised in physical education and taught for 12 years.

But a welcome trade-off, she said, is taking her five-month-old cat Victor to school each day as a classroom companion, which would not have happened in the city. Victor was bought in Greytown when Miss Goodall first arrived in the region.

"No way could I have taken him to Wellington High. But all the kids here are great with animals, so I can take him with me."

Miss Goodall said she had taught at several primary schools before working at Wellington High School and said the shift to Wainuioru is a return to her career roots.

An official welcome is to be held for Miss Goodall on May 29 at Beetham's Farm. Miss Goodall succeeds former principal of four years Rob Cameron, who earlier this year had been farewelled with bagpipes at a crowded Wainuioru Hall.