My name is Anne Fraser and I feel very privileged to have been appointed the Principal of Te Totara Primary School in March 2019. My previous role at the school was Deputy Principal which I had been since the school first opened in 2008. I came to Te Totara six months before the school opened so was able to spend valuable time with Brian Sheedy (our Foundation Principal) planning and preparing for this wonderful school.

I began my teaching career at Hamilton Teachers College, completing my education degree at Waikato University. My teaching experience is at all levels and sizes of primary schooling, in a number of positions including senior teacher into middle leadership positions before becoming Principal of a couple of smaller rural schools, firstly in Waihi, then in Ngaruawahia. I returned to Hamilton in 2000 as Deputy Principal at St Columba's School in Frankton, Hamilton, a large school with a roll of over 400 students from Year 1-8. After seven years at the school I felt I was ready for a new challenge and when the job was advertised as Deputy principal for a new school, this was the exciting opportunity I was looking for.

After 11 years at Te Totara, our foundation Principal Brian Sheedy decided to move to a new area of challenge working with beginning Princiapl's in an advisory role. I decided to apply for the position as I had very much enjoyed the co-leadership model that Brian and I had fostered and I felt this was the next step for me and more importantly Te Totara, as I could continue our successful learning journey and positive school direction.

My role at Te Totara is evolving with the new position, however with the appointment of Jo Stewart, as Deputy Principl last year and the continuing support of Jennie Brokk-Watt as Assistant Principal, we have a strong, purposeful Senior Leadership team.

We have a clear vision for Te Totara set up by our new Charter document for 2020-2023, reflecting the wonderful input of our families, staff, students and whanau community during our consultation process. It is exciting to be working with such a committed team of educators to bring to life our community's wishes.

The Principal is a very busy role, but I love to move through our learning areas catching up with teachers, our fantastic students and their parents as often as I can. The people are the most important focus of my role.

I enjoy having a supportive family. I am married to Greg, who has his own business as an insurance broker and we like to get out in our boat as often as we can, to do a spot of fishing. We are fortunate to have a bach at Ruamahanga Bay on the Thames Coast which we get away to as much as we can. In my spare time I like to read, walk and enjoy a weekly yoga class.

We have three adult daughters; Nicola, who lives with her husband Sam in Auckland. They both work for Air New Zealand and have a shared love of adventure and travel. They are enjoying a new adventure in their lives having just given birth to their daughter, Sophie. She is our first grandchild and we love being her Nana and Poppa!

Michelle is an anaesthetist nurse at Wollongong Hospital. She lives in Wollongong with her partner Jason and they have just purchased their first home there, so they and their two lovely dogs Maggie and Buddy are our 'Aussie connection'.

Our youngest daughter is Andrea, a lawyer who currently lives in the exciting city of London. She works in a law firm that specialises in entertainment law, often working with movie companies in the U.K, and America. She loves to travel in Europe and enjoys life in a different county.

I am very privileged to be Principal of this wonderful school, working alongside our talented and caring staff, inspiring students and a supportive community.