Megan Waters, presenter:
Welcome to Torquay. We are on Wadawurrung country, which is just an hour and a half outside of Melbourne, on the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road.
And I'm so excited because today I get to meet Simon, who has made the sea change to help grow his family and his teaching career.
Simon, you have such a beautiful school here. How long have you been teaching for?
Simon, Assistant Principal:
I’ve been teaching for 14 years now and really enjoying every minute of it. Especially the last 3 years down here in Torquay.
Megan:
What was it that really inspired the sea change to move to Torquay?
Simon:
I’ve always had strong connections to Torquay. We wanted to make sure that we were raising our kids in a great spot. Back in Melbourne, you're going from the next thing to the next thing to the next thing. I think being down here allows everyone more time to be more human.
Megan:
What do you say when you look at your kids growing up in a place like Torquay?
Simon:
It’s everything I wanted for them. My three kids are Aboriginal, and it’s really important for me and my moral purpose for them to have a close connection to the country that we’re on. I just knew it was the place for us.
Megan:
What ways are you integrating culture in this school?
Simon:
We’re really fortunate, our connection to our environment is a big driver here. So we’re one of the few schools in the state, probably the country, that has a STEM program based on the nation's indigenous people, in terms of the first scientists.
Megan:
Have you always wanted to end up in an assistant principal role?
Simon:
I always looked at it as a classroom teacher, basically impacting 25 kids. But now as a school-level leader, I can impact 650 kids.
Megan:
And what does an average day look like as a teacher here or as the assistant principal?
Simon:
I think the day starts for me fairly early. Within my assistant principal role, I do a lot of the nuts and bolts behind the scenes. And then as I get here, it's making sure that the community feels settled. I’m making sure that the community and all key stakeholders are feeling calm. So it’s students are feeling calm, our families are feeling centred and calm, and our staff is feeling centred and calm.
Megan:
Torquay and the Great Ocean Road are right up there with some of the most famous spots in Victoria. How do you spend your time soaking up these iconic locations?
Simon:
Surfing’s probably a big thing and it’s something that brought me down here. My wife’s people are saltwater people. It is something that I'll just get a sense of calmness.
Megan:
And what about when you've got friends and family that come and visit? Where do you take them?
Simon:
Our first port of call is the Salty Dog Cafe, positioned right on the beach, and we can’t go past it.
Megan:
If you are drawn to the ocean and coastal community, a town like Torquay is exactly where you want to be.
To find out more about teaching opportunities in regional Victoria, search Teach the Future.
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