Our new principal, Christopher Walker, is delighted to be here in Margaret River with his family, and he’s excited to be part of our dynamic school. He was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Perth and he leaves Eddystone Primary School where he has been principal for the past four years.
He has a down-to-earth friendly manner and is very grounded, smiling as he explains his leadership style as being a ‘do-er’ who loves to get his hands dirty and be actively involved. He enjoys challenges and will seek them out, pursuing innovation and ‘’success for our students.” He was very emphatic that it’s “relationships and partnerships” which are fundamental core beliefs in his role as principal.
Mr Walker enjoys an outdoors lifestyle and is an avid sportsman. This life-long passion for sport has seen him playing hockey and footy at competitive levels, which included playing league footy; competing in triathlons, including the Ironman; swimming the iconic Rottnest Channel Swim and running the challenging Margaret River Ultra Marathon.
From the age of five Mr Walker knew that he wanted to become a Phys Ed teacher. He followed his dream and realised he just loves working with young people, quickly moving into administrative roles but always keeping the focus on the students. He explained clearly, “It’s all about the kids. Every decision we will make as a school and as a community will have our students at the centre.”
It’s this synchronicity between his competitive sporting career: facing challenges, success and injuries with fortitude, that plays out in his approach to leading a school. He knows that in times of personal crisis it’s friends, family and community you turn to for support, and Christopher Walker applies the same philosophy in his role as principal. He believes in nurturing partnerships, developing community relationships and fostering collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for our students.
When faced with a crisis, he falls back on his sporting protocols where you never give up, approaching the problem calmly to ‘normalise it’, before pragmatically working through it to reach a solution.
These days, Mr Walker is motivated to participate in sporting events to create awareness for causes close to his heart, doing the Rottnest Channel Swim or Margaret River Ultra Marathon as fundraisers or stepping up for ‘The World’s Greatest Shave’ or ‘Movember’, so you’re bound to see him ‘getting involved’ in a range of settings this year.
We welcome Christopher Walker and his wife and three children to Margaret River Primary (two of whom are currently in Pre-Primary and Year 2) and in the meantime, I’m sure you’ll meet him out in the community – either on a run, surfing, competing in a triathlon or swimming with the Prevelly Penguins.
Written, photo and posted by Dawn Veary
Canteen