Esther Lauaki
Growth, a culture of excellence and strong leadership have been 10 years in the making at Taylors Hill Primary School.
The school last Wednesday marked a decade since it officially opened and principal Danielle Stella remembers the first day clearly.
“The first students started at the school in February 2010, but Taylors Hill PS was officially opened on October 28, 2010,” Ms Stella said.
“What I remember on that first day was the excitement and gratitude that the families expressed, because they finally had a local school for their children to attend.
“They were all excitedly entered through the gates, where they met their new teacher and classmates.”
Enrollments have grown from 172 pupils on its first day to 766 pupils this year.
“In our first year we started with seven classes and that has grown to 32,” Ms Stella said.
“In 2010, five Grade 6 students graduated from the school and this year there will be 114 graduating.
Ms Stella, who has been at the helm of the school since its first year, said she continues to serve in the role because of the amazing staff that she works alongside every day.
“Three of them have been with me for the whole 10-year journey, including my assistant principal Trudy Smith,” she said.
“We developed a culture of strong leadership for our staff and students, which has blossomed into an outstanding learning community where students are supported to reach their full potential.
“Bringing the school’s vision to life over the past 10 years has been extremely rewarding and I am so proud of what we have achieved for the Taylors Hill Primary School community.”
She said the resilience shown by the students and their families this year has been vital to their success.
“Although this year has meant that parent involvement has been different to what we are used to, importantly in 2020 the Taylors Hill parents have worked in close partnership with our staff to provide a successful flexible and remote learning program for our students,”Ms Stella said.
“What I have learnt is that our strong school culture and values have been critical to keep us united as a community, even though we have been apart.
“The students constantly inspire us and make us smile when they achieve their goals and the parent community works in partnership with us to support the learning and wellbeing of the students.”
Esther Lauaki
