There’s no doubt that Chris Pocock is a popular principal and it’s a certainly big task leading 377 students and around 30 teachers with plenty of daily surprises
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Halfway through our interview about his latest role as Acting Head of the Spinifex Senior Campus, we were politely interrupted by a boy carrying a plate of spaghetti.
“Holy goolies! Good on you Dan, that’s awesome. Thanks mate,” Mr Pocock said. It’s not from the cafeteria, this meal is courtesy of Spinifex’s special education class.
“Part of their goal setting includes being able to live independently and cook nutritious food,” Mr Pocock said.
“That was really nice, they look after me,” he said.
Acting Head of Senior Campus since the start of this year, Mr Pocock took a small jump from Deputy Principal which he’s held down for 11 years.
He explained that as of this week Spinifex State School’s new Principal across two campuses is Phil Sweeney, also Head of Junior Campus.
Mr Pocock says the hardest thing about leading a school is not having opportunities to teach, which he loves doing.
“No one gets into teaching to move up the ladder, it’s all about getting in front of a classroom and teaching kids.”
“I’ve been very lucky that for the last 10 or 11 years I’ve been able to take a group of students to Year 11 camp, we go to Magnetic Island.
“It’s the highlight of my working year,” he said.
The Head of Campus role will be permenantly filled in Term 3, and Mr Pocock is a strong contender.
“My job is setting the strategic direction and setting the tone of the school, which is different to what I was doing.
It’s a team effort though, and Mr Pocock clearly appreciates his teaching staff.
“I have great teachers who often give up their time to run after school tutorials, they are just amazing,” he said.
Mr Pocock came to Mount Isa for his first teaching position after studying in Brisbane.
Twenty years on he remains enthusiastic about the town, where he lives with his wife and two children.
“I don’t know where else I’d go to! We’ve got everything we need right here,” he said.
His wife is a teacher and Acting Head of Department for Senior Schooling, overseeing the comprehensive vocational training program Spinifex offers.
When the time came for a photo in the courtyard, students showed no fear in complimenting Mr Pocock on his ‘modelling’, and suggested he do a duck face.
Mr Pocock declined the suggestion with a laugh, the model he prefers being is that of a role model.
