Nita Pond joined the staff at Whanganui Girls' College in 2011 and was appointed as principal in 2022. Photo / Bevan Conley
A year into her tenure as principal of Whanganui Girls College, Nita Pond says she still finds time to be with her students.
Pond quietly became the principal of Whanganui Girls College (WGC) last year after working at the school since 2011.
She had served as assistant and deputy as well as two stints as acting principal after the departures of Tania King in 2019 and Sharon Steer in 2022.
She was officially named the new principal at the start of term 4 last year.
“The board had advised me before the end of term 3 but we decided to wait until the new term to make it official.”
Board of Trustees chairwoman Rachel Pedley said although there had been a number of applicants with impressive credentials, Pond was considered the most suitable candidate
Pond said the past few years had been a demanding time for everyone working in education and she has had a busy first year as principal. Her passion for her profession and dedication to the school are undiminished, however.
“I love teaching - it fills my cup,” she said.
“Now that I’m principal, I still make time to be with students.”
Pond said a focus on well-being had been central to helping students and staff return from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and prior to her appointment last year Pond was one of three lead principals in a Whanganui-wide initiative to encourage education welfare from preschool to high school.
“I worked with principals Peter Kaua [Whanganui City College] and Katherine Ellery [Whanganui Intermediate School] on the growth and wellbeing initiative Takitini Hauora.
“Having had that experience prior to my appointment gave me an added string to my bow and working collaboratively with other schools is something we do well in Whanganui.”
Hauora covers physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs and the collaboration is working alongside iwi to “strengthen and develop the educational outcome of all tamariki in and across the Whanganui rohe, including bringing along with them on their journey parents, whānau, teachers and the wider community.”
Pond’s pastoral care experience came to the fore during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 when she and other staff drove around the district delivering resources to students.
“We delivered hard copy lessons, laptops, and even musical instruments to students who needed them at home,” she said.
Born and raised in Nelson, Pond attended Otago University where she completed a Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Arts majoring in geography.
She then completed her Diploma of Teaching at Dunedin Teachers’ College before moving to Whanganui in 2000.
Her first teaching appointment was at Whanganui High School (WHS) where she taught dance, drama, geography, and social studies.
She was able to employ her talents in theatre and dance as well as sports coaching.
Current WHS deputy principal Nola Todd who mentored Pond as a new teacher said she showed an exceptional ability to work with large groups of students.
“Her warmth and ability to command students’ attention made her so good at the job,” said Todd.
“Students liked and respected her for her ability to include them in goal-setting and decision-making. Those abilities were very valuable when she became a dean practising pastoral care.”
Todd said she had continued to work with Pond since she moved to WGC as they had collaborated on dance productions for Stage Challenge competitions.
Pond said it was former WHS principal Warwick Maguire who first encouraged her to consider taking on a leadership role.
“He definitely planted the seed,” she said.
“I was still quite a new teacher at the time and hadn’t considered that I might be seen as a future principal.”
Pond took a gap year during her tenure at WHS and spent the time travelling overseas and teaching at schools in the UK.
In 2011, she was appointed assistant principal at WGC and took maternity leave for the birth of her daughter Ziva Bunker the following year.
After seven months she returned to work leaving Ziva in the care of her husband who had taken three months off work to take a turn at fulltime parenting.
“I was ready to come back to work and I trusted that my husband and baby were doing well at home so I was able to be fully present at school,” said Pond.
Her abilities were recognised when she was appointed deputy principal nine years ago and former principal Tania King said it was “absolutely the right decision” by the board to appoint her as principal.
“Nita is a fantastic leader and she knows how to lead from the side,” said King.
“Students respond well to her leadership because she has that ability to walk beside them and support them to make good decisions for themselves.”
Pond said King and Vivianne Murphy, who was WGC principal from 2004 until 2014, had mentored her well.
“They both had amazing strengths and they inspired me,” she said.
The school has a roll of around 360 and Pond also has responsibility for the Ad Astra Hostel which houses about 40 boarding students.
“The hostel manager Rochelle Howard does a brilliant job,” said Pond.
“The school lunches are made in the hostel kitchen and they also make lunches for other Whanganui schools.”
During the past year, there have been upgrades to seven classrooms at WGC, an upgrade to the wharenui, and new rooves and windows.
Known as a place “Where Girls Shine” the school has an impressive list of alumni in the fields of academia, the arts, and sports.
Nita Pond is the 15th principal to lead the school which first opened in Liverpool St in 1891 and moved to the current Jones St site in the late 1940s.
Pond is supported by deputy principals Renee Cox and Craig Ritani.
When she is not at school, Pond is often up early driving 11-year-old Ziva, a promising swimmer, to her training sessions.
She has also found time to practise some performing arts of her own and will be on stage at the Royal Whanganui Opera House next month as a cast member of the Sharyn Underwood School of Dance production The Magic is Calling.
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.