COHUNA Consolidated School students will be encouraged to become community-minded life-long learners under new principal, Daniel Nemtsas.
The former Mildura-based teacher will lead the school until at least 2020 after former principal, David Laidlaw retired at the end of last year due to ongoing health issues.
“I am excited to lead a dynamic leadership team and experienced staff and teachers, all whom are very dedicated to their responsibilities,” Mr Nemtsas said.
“I hope to build on that instructional core and enjoy the strengths of data in literacy and numeracy.”
A strong advocate for community engagement and strengthening of the public education sector, Mr Nemtsas said peer mentoring and pastoral care are key initiatives in his portfolio at a school that is “very well placed”.
Mr Nemtsas arrived at Cohuna following a stint as acting principal at Tyrrell P-12 College, Sea Lake, and more recently at Merbein P-10 College.
He has led projects in developing teaching and learning, the use of information and communications technology in the classroom, developing effective pedagogy and student engagement.
“The students are hugely respectful here and this will put them in good stead as we look to engage more within the community and create new opportunities,” he said.
“I arrived with excellent data already maintained and strong leadership in place; I am just bringing the icing to the cake.”
Mr Nemtsas will look to the student body to provide a voice in decision-making processes.
“It’s more than just students rubber stamping decisions, they need to build connections and follow the journey that leads to decisions,” he said.
Mr Nemtsas will also provide input into curriculum development, enabling students to research “what is happening down the road”, such as the upcoming Bridge to Bridge event.
“Children should be life-long learners, not just sponges to new pieces of information they receive,” he said.
Mr Nemtsas has a leadership background in small schools of fewer than 27 students to larger schools with more than 700, including an acting principal role at a time when four schools merged together.
The father-of-three grew up on a dried fruit farm in the Mallee near Wentworth and worked as general manager for two years at the Murray River Organics processing plant.
“After two years, I wanted to return to teaching because I missed working with kids,” he said.
“That business sense outside of the classroom gave me an understanding of student growth, not just academically but with a set of life skills with individualised learning.”
Mr Nemtsas enjoys quality family time, cooking Italian and Greek cuisine and joining his wife, Maria, on the sidelines and being involved in his children’s junior sports of athletics, soccer, netball and football.
