Logan Park Co-Principal Appointed

Nearly a year after one of its beloved co-principals died. A Dunedin secondary school has hired her replacement.

Logan Park High School has appointed Kirsty Sangster co-Principal with Peter Hills and they will begin leading the school together from the beginning of June.

Ms Sangster was appointed assistant principal in charge of pastoral care at Logan Park at the start of last year, a few months before former co-principal Kristan Mouat died.

“I did only manage a couple of terms with her and I do selfishly feel pretty ripped off by that because I did have a lot to learn from her,” Ms Sangster said.

She saw Ms Mouat as a role model and she had massive shoes to fill, she said.

However, she was different from how Ms Mouat had been and the school’s community recognised that.

“I’ve had a good introduction. I haven’t come into this role completely cold as an outsider.”

“I’ve grown to know how things work around here and what the community needs so I’ll do my best.”

Ms Sangster is from Cromwell and trained as an art teacher.

She was excited to join the Logan Park staff because she considered it a “hub of creativity”, she said.

Before coming to Logan Park Ms Sangster taught at Taieri College for six years, and at Kaikorai Valley College and Tahuna Normal Intermediate, she also taught In Japan and in the early childhood sector.

She was happy to be hired as a co-prlnclpal with Mr Hills because she was an emerging leader, Ms Sangster said,

“Having somebody to work with, alongside and guide me Into my leadership capability, I think it’s a really good set-up.

“It’s future-proofing.”

Mr Hills surprised her every day with new ideas, she said.

“He’s willing to take risks and I love that because it makes me think anything is a possibility.”

Mr Hills said he was glad to be returning to the co-principals’ model after nearly a year of being the acting principal.

“Having to do it last year on my own reminded me why I really liked the co-principal model.”

It was a good way to maintain a work-life balance and make better choices as a leader, he said.

Mr Hills said Ms Sangster was a great candidate because of her work ethic and the school had not been trying to find someone just like Ms Mouat.

“This is Kirsty, who Is her own self, and we couldn’t be happier about that  because that would be unkind to anybody because there will never be another Kristan.

“There was only one. We were lucky to have that one.”

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