focusinterview.
Meaghan Cook
It sounds clichéd, but it was really a dream come true for Meaghan Cook when she was appointed as principal of Hastings Secondary College, Port Macquarie Campus, earlier this year. Meaghan herself attended the school as a student, and always hoped to come back one day as principal! Under Meaghan’s stewardship, the school is going from strength to strength - and there are some big plans on the horizon …
H
i Meaghan. It's not a story you get to hear too often ... becoming the principal at the high school you attended as a student! How did you feel when you were appointed to this position earlier in the year? I felt a range of emotions, to be honest: gratitude, happiness, sadness, excitement. Gratitude that I was offered a position that I hold in such high regard. Hastings Secondary College Port Macquarie Campus is a jewel in Port Macquarie, and I am honoured to be one of the many principals who have led the school. Happy to have a sense of purpose. Sadness in knowing I was leaving a wonderful school community at Camden Haven High School, and excitement that we are moving into an even more innovative and dynamic era of public education never seen before. I recall assembly at Port High back in the late 1980s, where Mr Brown, the principal at the time, would address us. I kept saying to myself, one day I want to be the principal here. What are some of your fondest memories from attending Port High School as a student? The senior years, 1986 - 1988, were by far my fondest memories. I was a prefect at the time, and we had a very strong cohort of achieving students who looked after each other and supported you. I flourished thanks to wonderful, dedicated teachers who inspired me to do my best. I recall Maths with Mr Cairns (it was not my favourite subject, by the way, but he tolerated me) Mr Brooks for Geography, who I give credit to for me being able to read maps and understand climate, Mr Wiley for Modern History (don’t tell the others, but he was one of my favourite teachers), and Mrs Evans, who taught me about nutrition and fine cuisine. Your career has taken you to a few 60 Greater Port Macquarie focus
locations - Moree, Tamworth, the Camden Haven. How do you feel your previous roles have helped you develop both personally and professionally? My firm belief is that we all should embrace opportunities for professional and personal growth. I’ve had roles as a classroom teacher, Head Teacher PDHPE, Welfare, PDHPE Consultant supporting primary and secondary schools in implementing new syllabi, SEO2 Quality Teaching Advisor and project officer roles. Each one of those roles has built leadership capacity, communication skills, critical thinking and empathy. My most important role is that of teaching and learning now. It is an opportunity to offer every child a pathway for success. That’s a huge undertaking and one I take very seriously. What are some of the plans currently unfolding at Hastings Secondary College? We are the leaders of innovation in our local area. We are currently expanding our STEM and Robotics team. All our innovative Academies (Sports/Creative Industries/LEAP) are growing, Clontarf and our Sista Speak program for our girls are showing fantastic results, along with the most valuable activity - the quality teaching and learning that occurs in every class, every day, for every child. There will be significant infrastructure works taking place in the near future by way of the recent budget announcement. We are currently in the second phase of the NSW My Community Grant. This project is about developing a community focus within our Agriculture program by providing access for all people to grow produce. We are also looking to redevelop our Aboriginal garden with bush tucker and outdoor learning spaces. We recently had our canteen successfully tendered out. We asked our student population to think of a name for our canteen by way of a guessing competition. The winning name was “Lettuce Eat” by Mia Zimmer.
What do you hope to I would like to challenge bring to your role as some misconceptions of WE ARE COMMITTED principal? the secondary provision in TO KNOWING AND I hope to bring Port Macquarie, that other GROWING EVERY opportunities for my providers may be seen as CHILD AND BUILDING A staff and students to better in valuing and caring CULTURE OF STUDENTS engage in 21st Century for our students. I believe LEARNING TOGETHER learning. Stop and we do an even better job. AND SUPPORTING AND consider what our I made a commitment ENCOURAGING EACH children will need to when I arrived at Hastings OTHER TO DO THEIR BEST. demonstrate by way Secondary College Port of skills from 2030 and Macquarie Campus that beyond. That’s only 11 every child is known, valued years away. and cared for. Every staff Consider your children in Year 4, 5 and member is the same. I know that my colleague 6 now. What type of school setting do you Ian Ross, principal of Hastings Secondary College envisage for them in a world offering so much Westport Campus, shares that same ethos. artificial intelligence and technology? We are committed to knowing and growing We must ensure we have the platform to every child and building a culture of students provide our students with the necessary critical learning together and supporting and thinking, innovative imagination and problemencouraging each other to do their best. We are solving skills like never before. committed to academic excellence and to the At Hastings Secondary College, our students development of the whole person. have the opportunity to make selections from We offer a range of well-established coone of the most comprehensive offerings of curricular programs and clubs. senior subjects in ANY NSW school. Our students are offered an extensive range Under one college, our students can choose of excursions, camps and international tours. a Platinum Pathway (targeted academic There is an amazing range of enrichment program for those wishing to excel in their opportunities in sporting teams; participation ATAR) an ATAR Pathway (students wanting in debating and public speaking competitions; access to University, College or TAFE), a FLEX performances in productions and musicals; Pathway (students who are still not sure what exhibiting original artwork; developing fluency career pathway they want), Industry-Based in languages through overseas exchange and Training - IBT (specifically for students who language programs; exploration of humanities; are looking to enter the workforce with both and developing scientific curiosity through HSC and Vocational qualifications) and finally excursions, events and our STEM programs. our FT2E - Fast track to Employment (designed Hastings Secondary College is on the journey specifically for students who will benefit from to becoming one of the finest secondary intensive support to build employability skills and colleges in NSW. workplace literacies.) Thanks Meaghan. Further, we are continuing to develop a Interview: Jo Robinson. strong sense of the K-12 learning journey in Meaghan pictured with Megsey, the new public education as part of the Hastings Valley addition to the Port Macquarie Campus Ag Community of Schools (HVCS). Farm.