On The Up: Cherie Heeney was a pupil on Flaxmere College’s first day – now she’s the new principal

Cherie Heeney, who has been appointed principal (tumuake) at Flaxmere College. As Cherie Poahtu she was a foundation pupil when the suburb's intermediate school became a college in 1993. Photo / Supplied

Cherie Heeney arrived for school on the first day of Flaxmere College’s existence as a Year 7 girl.

Now she’s been appointed principal.

Heeney (née Pohatu) is deputy principal and was announced the sixth principal of the college on Thursday by the school’s board of trustees.

She was a foundation pupil when the campus opened as a high school in 1993, effectively as a Years 7-13 recapitation of Flaxmere Intermediate School (Years 7-8, or Forms 1-2, as known in the earlier years).

Born-and-bred Ngāti Kahungunu, she had been at Peterhead School (now known as Te Whai Hiringa), one of the college’s four contributing schools in the suburb.

She obtained a degree in business studies but the call to teaching was too strong, and after further studies in the delivery of education she returned to the school, as a teacher, in 2008.

The appointment is another chapter in the whānau ties to the school.

Mother Pauline was a founding member of the PTA and continues an active role with the school, and younger sisters Aroha and Lisa were pupils – Aroha is now an AI legal specialist for the Commonwealth Bank in Sydney, and Lisa a local Justice of the Peace and a senior consultant for Kahui Tautoko.

Board of Trustees presiding member Lisa Price said: “Cherie’s strong ties to the school, community and iwi, combined with her passionate leadership, make this an exciting new chapter for Flaxmere College.”

“My mission is simple: to create a school where every student feels seen, every teacher feels valued, and every dream has a place to grow,” said the new principal.

She succeeds Jim Hay-Mackenzie, who succeeded Louise Anaru in 2020, has seen the school through its rebuild and who started at the start of this term as tumuake at Mangakōtukutuku College in Hamilton.

“I’m excited for what we will build together on this new journey for Flaxmere College,” said Heeney, who will lead a school with a current roll of 305.

When made a deputy principal in 2021, she said: “I’m so honoured to have been given this opportunity. I believe in stepping up when you have to, and looking at the core purpose of why we’re here and why I’m here is to make a difference for our students and set them up for success.”

A pōwhiri to celebrate the appointment will be held in the next few weeks, although a date is yet to be confirmed.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.