Mike and Nic Pettit
Cambridge Primary School celebrated the end of the school year with a James Bond themed awards night.
Heath Camson, 10, received the Cambridge Primary School Dux Award from Waipā mayor and former principal Mike Pettit. Photo: Laurenţiu Heath
Bond fan and former principal Mike Pettit was invited back to present the dux award to Heath Camson. The 10-year-old won reading, maths, and science cups.
Pettit, who left the school after 17 years in October after being elected mayor, spun an elaborate story about receiving mayoress chains for his wife and acting principal Nic Pettit from gadget master Q in Te Awamutu at the awards ceremony.
“It was great,” said Nic Pettit.
The mayor loves all Bond movies, but is particularly fond of the first Bond movie Dr. No released in 1962 starring Sean Connery.
Pettit’s transformation of the school was celebrated last week as he was presented with a bar leaner by immediate past presiding board member Kate Paine.
“He’s grown the school from around 200 pupils to 400. He’s a peoples man, and he puts real trust in people to grow their leadership,” Nic said.
“The teams of people who have come through the school have made it what it is,” Mike said.
“We have done some great things physically.”
Staff rolled up their sleeves to make physical alterations to the buildings to accommodate growth in Pettit’s time as principal.
“The whole family have put a lot into it,” he said.
Eight members of his family had ties to the school.
Mike and Nic Pettit
