Enjoy your retirement Mr Bullock!

One chapter finishes as another begins.......

Friday 30 November saw Cowra High School with much laughter and tears, celebrate the retirement of Mr Paul Bullock, our Deputy Principal.  

With the assembly beginning at 1 pm, students, staff and community members gathered in the Hall to listen to contributions and be entertained by students from each year group.  Musical performances included Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and "It's a Long Way to the Top".  Year 8, with the aid of Mrs Bullock providing a collection of ties, performed a skit talking about mobile phone policies and "Respect and Responsibility".

Mr Gauci spoke about Mr Bullock's teaching career and presented him with his official retirement medal. 

“Paul’s reputation reaches far beyond the gates of Cowra High School.  His incredible knowledge, experience and passion for teaching never ceases to amaze me.”

Mr Gauci said Mr Bullock always had an incredible rapport with students, staff and families. 

“Regardless of how bad a day we’ve had, how  challenging the behaviour of a student is, Paul never loses sight of the fact that we are dealing with a person.  Paul has never forgotten the fact we separate the behaviour from the person.  He has never moved from the true belief that we don’t have bad people in our students.”

Here is an excerpt of Mr Bullock's speech.

Wow I'm really overwhelmed and it's great to see so many of you here today.  The kids of course have no choice!  Maybe they want to be sure I’m actually going!  I’ve been quite anxious about today and I still am.  I didn’t want a big fuss made and whilst I’ve been assured that it isn’t a big fuss, it looks like a big fuss to me.  I'm quite emotional and I don’t know what to say or where to begin.

You’re going to hear some words repeated many times....

Opportunities:  it's what we provide

Engagement:  it's how kids learn and

Outcomes:  what makes the future and kids, why this school exists.

I've had 38 wonderful years in education and have seen massive changes in schools, across society and the world in general.  The world is not the same place as it was even 10 years ago.  Technology has revolutionised the world and had a huge impact on education but also on our society in general and we live in the land of connectedness.

I started my job in a school in Moree in 1980 with no computers, moved to Gilgandra High School where there was one Apple computer which the Head Teacher Maths guarded with his life.  There was no internet, no email, no Facebook Instagram or Snapchat.  We connected by actually talking to each other.  Try doing my job or any other job in education or try being a student in a classroom today without being online and connected at some stage.

I’ve had 23 wonderful years at Cowra High School and It’s hard to quantify the experiences I’ve had and the memories I’ll take away into a few words.  I’ve worked with the finest people, both adults and kids and will leave here with huge satisfaction for the job I’ve done.   I’ve got some amazing memories but also carry a sense of loss which is profound and very personal.

I started out as Head Teacher Maths in 1996 and was then promoted to Deputy Principal in 2007 after about 3 years of relieving in the position on and off.  They are two vastly different roles.  I left the planned safety of the classroom where I could pretend to be in control for the randomness of the DP's office and have embraced that randomness and the challenges it poses.  I’m currently responsible for the organisation and day to day running of a workforce of around 80 adults striving to achieve the best for our kids.  It’s a very satisfying job when I reflect on the organisation that I have in place that provides opportunities for our kids both in and out of the classroom. 

It’s not all laughter and smiles however and there have been many difficult conversations over the years with both adults and children but I appreciate the opportunity I have been given to contribute in any small way to the growth and development of the next generation.

It's been a pleasure to be an integral part of a small rural high school where we punch above our weight in everything we do.  We have produced students that have gone on to study medicine, dentistry, engineering, pharmacy, IT, the list goes on.  Many years ago I taught a student Extension 2 Maths in Yr 9.  He went on to win a gold medal at the international Mathematics Olympiad, I think in Korea, and he then went on to study Mathematics and Physics at the very prestigious Massachusetts Institute Technology Boston USA. My own kids, Chris now in pharmacy, his wife Liz works in the Department of Primary Industries and my son Joe, a  network engineer  in Sydney, were all educated here at Cowra High School.

So being a  small high school does not equate to small opportunities.  Our academic results are always better than most rural high schools but we should never attempt to quantify the success of education by academic results alone.  It’s the opportunities that we provide to students here to give them a multitude of experiences and a broad education that is a real stand out.  We've done some amazing things.

I worked alongside Ian Pattingale as he turned our school structure upside down to maximise the opportunities and curriculum offering for our kids and we now have a sustainable curriculum offering that is the envy of similar sized schools.  I regularly enrol students from other schools who are amazed by the depth and options that our curriculum provides.  We are not one dimensional either and aim to provide the broad type of education that develops and grows the citizens of tomorrow with an abundance of sporting and cultural offerings.  We send kids to Europe and Japan and immerse them in the culture of other countries, the list goes on.  So Cowra High School students, I encourage you to engage in every opportunity that is made available to you.   As I often say, it’s hard to see the future from the point of view of a teenager still in school, but believe me from my point of view as a 60 year old moving forward and seeing the direct results of disengagement from education, you need to trust me that I know what I’m saying when I say that your future lies in the classrooms of this school and the experiences we provide.  It will be a far better one if you come to school every day and engage in the opportunities that Cowra High School provides you.

A school is not just buildings, and let’s face it, this old one is exactly that, old! But we do a great job at delivering 21st century education in 1960's buildings.  Schools are the people and it’s the people that have been the most important part of my career.

I’d like to acknowledge some of those people and this, of course, is dangerous but apologies that there is not enough time to mention you all.  I'd firstly like to sincerely thank Charles for the last 9 or 10 years.  When Geoff retired, I applied for the job and so did Charles.  Well it’s no secret as to who came second!  This situation has caused some real issues in other schools but not so in this school.  Charles and I have had a fantastic working relationship and he has allowed me to continue to do the things that I do, the things that I’m good at and that are important to me.  He has provided a strong and visionary brand of leadership to Cowra High School.  Thanks Charles.

Ian Pattingale, you are an amazing person and an extraordinary strategic thinker.  We shared a lot of years together in the DP offices and some very funny moments.  Best wishes Ian for your future career and thank you for your support and sharing a common interest in fast cars and cricket and the 4000 hours we shared solving the problems of the world while on bus duty. 

Meg Robinson, you too are amazing.  It’s been really good to feminise one of the DP offices and Meg has done this with style.  I have sent some of the worst jobs her way (crying girls) and she has never complained, carrying out a difficult role with fairness and with the wellbeing of the kids always as her first priority.  We’ve had each others backs always Meg and I wish you well as you move forward in your career and likewise for your wise input to the bus duty hours.

To my colleagues both past and present, principals, Deputy Principals, teachers and SASS, I thank you all for being a part of my journey.  Geoff, we had some amazing times over a cool drink and Led Zeppelin turned up to 11.  The office la