Extension Writing Group

Interview with the Principal

Cameron Blight and Jaiden Heinzmann have interviewed the school principal, Mrs Kelly, to introduce her to the wider school community.

What is your name?

Claire Kelly

What is your role here at McGuire?

I am the school principal.

How long have you been in this role?

3 terms.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

I started off as a speech pathologist, and part of my role was going into schools and working beside teachers and helping them with any students who had trouble with their communication skills. I just loved it and I decided I wanted to be part of a school. I started working in primary schools for about 20 years, and then I started working in secondary schools.

What do you like doing when you’re not teaching?

We have a swimming pool at our house, and I love going swimming with my kids.

What is your favourite thing about teaching at McGuire?

My favourite thing about working here is the kids.

What was your favourite moment in teaching?

When I first started teaching, I worked in a school in Melbourne, and there were a lot of kids who came from a refugee background, a bit like here at McGuire, and there was a beautiful girl in my class called Neewa who came from a South African background and didn’t know any English, and one day she told me that she wanted to be a nurse. When I was having my fourth baby Neewa was the nurse who was looking after me.

What was your funniest moment in teaching?

My funniest moment was probably when I was teaching preps in Benalla. There was a huntsman spider living on the roof, and we thought it was fine because the roof was very tall, and the spider never really came down. And then one day when I was reading a story to them, all these little black things kept falling from the roof, and we didn’t know what they were. And then we realised that the spider was giving birth, and the little things were baby spiders. There were a few boys who ran around trying to kill them, and I started screaming, “Run for your life!” And I thought that was really funny.

Do you teach any subjects?

Yes, I do sometimes. I don’t have a subject that I always teach, I sort of teach as a substitute teacher I guess.

What is your favourite subject to teach?

Definitely English, and anything to do with literature.