Principal's Patch

Wow what a great school I have walked into! I must say I was pretty nervous as I started today just like the students who shared this special "first day" with me. It was not too long before I felt right at home with the many students, staff and parents welcoming me to your beautiful school! You tell the quality of a school usually in the first 5 minutes as you walk through the gate and Palm Beach just showed me we have an awesome place here for our children to get stuck into learning.

I'll just take a quick moment to give you an idea about Andrew Cummings and his personal history with Palm Beach State School, my career and an insight into what counts for me.

I had the great fortune of having my Father teach instrumental music here in the 1980's and I would often come to the school to see what was happening and gradually I became a volunteer in the younger classrooms. It was here at Palm Beach that I found a real drive and enthusiasm for wanting to be a teacher myself. I later qualified in 1998 to be a teacher and I did my final school practicum here at Palm Beach. It feels a little like I've come home! I commenced my teaching career on Palm Island with my wife in 1999 and since then have been a Principal across the state in many places for the past 17 years. I truly love my job, I am blessed with the best job in the world - A time where I spend my time growing children, teachers and communities to develop the very best learning opportunities for us all. There is no greater buzz!

I have 3 children of my own who attend a local Gold Coast high school. My experience as a parent and father provides me with the focus that I use to to assist me in running the school. I basically use a filter of whatever wouldn't be good enough for my child, definitely isn't good enough for yours! I work predominantly through a family focus because I believe we all have a role to play in getting the very best from our children.   

I will share more with you as our time together goes by. I just want to say thank you for the welcome and I'm so excited about being here to work with you all.

Kind regards,

Andrew

Andrew Cummings

Principal