From the Principal

I am extremely grateful for the kind words, congratulations, and best wishes that I have received this week.

 Being appointed Principal of Auburn High School is a privilege and an honour for me. I thank the members of the interview panel for trusting me with the responsibility of leading this wonderful school.

From the time I arrived at Auburn High in 2020, I have immersed myself in the values and programs of the school and as an educator, I related to the fundamentals embedded in the corridors, classrooms, and staff offices. Every day I observe outstanding leadership, exemplary teaching, and student learning. The community is united in providing quality educational opportunities for our young people. I commend everyone on the pride they show in the school. 

I would like to acknowledge Maria Karvouni’s principalship. Every aspect of Auburn High has her touch on it. Her legacy of high expectations, strong values, vibrancy, and sense of belonging and team, live with us every day.  The School is well prepared for the future due to her tireless commitment and her ability to build the capacity of others. 

Role models are important in life, and Maria was a most significant mentor, friend and colleague for me, and countless others. Students and staff new to Auburn High will go about their day thinking that school life is ‘normal’, and, it is better than that and we have Maria, and her many staff teams to thank for that.

The Principal application process was rigorous and allowed me to reflect on my learnings over decades of teaching and educational leadership. It also provided clarity for me about my core values, principles, and aspirations for the school. My childhood was spent in the country where the local high school was the centre of the community. It provided a base for academic, social and emotional development.

 Adults and young people worked together to present a school that the town could be proud of. There was job satisfaction for the staff, and many opportunities provided through school that otherwise, many of my classmates would not have had access to. My high school was more to us than just marks; Auburn High has this feeling to me. 

During the selection process I was required to analyse the opportunities and predict some of the challenges over the next six to twelve months, and five years. These included: adapting our systems to cater for increasing student numbers, managing new facilities, maintaining a sense of connectedness, ensuring that our curriculum is relevant and adaptive, innovating regarding technology and AI, engaging parents in our programs, expanding our Alumni, and of course the fundamentals of high expectations in teaching, learning and the wellbeing of our staff and students. 

Auburn High School has a history of being responsive to community input, and I am excited to spend time to create a shared vision for the next phase of the School’s history. In the short term the School will be completing a review process that signals the completion of our four-year Strategic Plan (2019-2023). Parents, students, and staff will be asked to provide feedback on our programs and will be able to celebrate the milestones of the last four years.   

For now, I will conclude by once again expressing my thanks and excitement to start my tenure as Principal. 

Kind regards and best wishes,

Ross Pritchard