Stepping down as principal of Te Miro School after seven years is “bittersweet”, says Michaela Phillips.
Te Miro School principal Michaela Phillips with students (from left)
Ada Pevreal, Isla Taylor and Maverick Thompson.
Always a nature lover, she admitted it would be hard to leave the small rural school in its tranquil hill setting above Cambridge, where tui and kereru regularly flit in from nearby native bush.
“It’s a wonderful school and a hard place to leave,” she said.
“We have an incredible teaching team that work really well together, the school is growing, and we have a really strong board and supportive community. But it’s just time for a change.
“I’m not leaving because I’m unhappy, I’m not leaving because I want to do bigger and better things – it’s just seven years is long enough.”
Looking forward to expanding her vegetable garden and spending more time with family, she said the move was “scary and exciting all at once”.
“I won’t be retiring, I will be looking for new opportunities and they may or may not be in education, I’m not sure yet,” she said.
“I’m keeping my options open and hopefully something will come my way.”
Phillips lives in Matangi with her husband Mark. Their daughter Holly, her partner Ruia and their one-year-old daughter Twiggy have recently moved in while they save for their own home.
“It’s nice to have my little mokopuna at home.”
Phillips said the biggest challenge during her seven-year tenure was managing the school through Covid.
“But we were so well supported through our community it was probably the easiest it could be,” she said.
She believes the biggest issue facing New Zealand schools is a lack of funding to support neurodiverse students.
“We don’t have teacher aides paid for; we have to find the money to employ them, so it’s really difficult because only very high, high-needs children get any financial support from the Government,” she said.
“It’s hard to explain what a huge difference it would make to have a learning assistant in every classroom.”
Phillips worked in early childhood education before becoming a primary school teacher in 2002. She worked at Goodwood School for 10 years, Waikato Waldorf School for four years and Tokorima School in Taumarunui for two years before moving to Te Miro School.
She said it had been a privilege to work at Te Miro School, which was “pretty much the best kept secret in Cambridge”.
“I’ve been supported by the most amazing humans,” she said.
“It’s been a really, really great part of my career.”
She will hand the principal role over to Te Pahu School deputy principal Luke Willis.
Te Miro School principal Michaela Phillips with students (from left)
Ada Pevreal, Isla Taylor and Maverick Thompson.
