New principal eases into Wangaratta life

Moving from the Tweed Coast to a wintry Wangaratta was quite a climate change for new Cathedral College principal Jeremy Godden, but he is acclimatising to the North East and enjoying his role at the Murdoch Road school. "The only big difference has been the weather - it was minus three on our first morning in town," Mr Godden said. "But it's been a really warm welcome, and has been great to meet everyone." Settling into different environments is not a new concept for Mr Godden, who attended 10 schools as a student while following his father in the Air Force, and then joined the Army himself after school. With his wife Louise and children Stephanie, Claire and Michael, Mr Godden has eased into community and school life, and his children's experience as Cathedral College students has offered another layer of knowledge for the new principal. "It's been really positive to see how my own children have been welcomed, which is testament to the school community," he said. Mr Godden joins the college from Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, and has also previously worked as a principal in regional Queensland. He has been a teacher since 2004, having spent time in the Army and working in Queensland, before stepping into the career. "For me, teaching has always been about having an impact - taking those things I'm interested in, legal studies and English, and sharing them with students," he said. "My career has taken me to diverse places, and I've loved having the chance to teach subjects like manual arts, maths and French. "Now I'm ready to put down roots in Wangaratta." He said he aimed to be as visible a leader as possible for both students and staff, and relished the chance to work with the Cathedral College community, including its 1147-strong student population. Mr Godden said the connection to AngliSchools (Cathedral College is one of 16 schools in the network across Western Australia, Victoria and NSW), and the collegiality between secondary principals in Wangaratta were other drawcards to the role. That's in addition to exploring all the region has to offer. "Wangaratta is well set-up for exercise and activity, with so many paths and facilities around the place," he said. "I've always enjoyed being part of a community, and have definitely felt the warmth of the people here." Mr Godden's commissioning ceremony, installing him as the sixth principal of Cathedral College, was held on Thursday.

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