A NEW principal will enter the schoolyard at St Catherine's Catholic College Singleton on Monday, October 14.
David Crawford has taken the reins from acting principal Lauren Carlson and says he's excited to return to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
The appointment comes more than 12 months after long-term principal Niamh Marzol left the school.
Mr Crawford has been a teacher for 28 years, with 14 years of those spent between acting principal at Lumen Christi Catholic College in Pambula Beach, in the Canberra-Goulburn Diocese, and assistant principal at St Joseph's Catholic College in Lochinvar.
"I was looking for an opportunity to move back up this way. I've lived in the Hunter Valley all my life up until the last four years. When this opportunity came up it was too good to refuse," he said.
He says having worked in a K-12 school in the state's south had equipped him with fresh skills he hopes will benefit the Singleton school.
"I think my experience down at the south coast setting has opened my eyes and I will hopefully bring some of that knowledge and experience back to Singleton to help carry on with traditions and make new ones," he said.
When he enters the gates on Monday he said his first plans were to get to know his new school community.
"I want to meet the students, the parents, the staff and the local community to gauge what they're proud of and what they're goals," he said.
"I want to work with them in developing plans moving forward."
Mr Crawford also plans to keep teaching a class in his role as principal, never forgetting the reason why he wanted to become a teacher.
"It's definitely being with the kids, whether it's in the playground or in the classroom. I intend on keeping a class as principal because originally why I got into the game was to be a teacher, and that will never change," he said.
The Herald understands Ms Marzol had been a popular principal at the school since her appointment in 2018 and remained employed by the diocese. The Herald asked about the circumstances of Ms Marzol's departure, but the Maitland-Catholic Diocese was unable to provide a response by deadline.
