A TEMPORARY appointment as lead teacher at the Ouse District School is a homecoming in more ways than one for Wendy Holdsworth. Standing in for principal Nigel Smith who has been seconded to Westerway Primary School this term, Mrs Holdsworth has only a short drive to her new workplace from her home just outside town.
Her connection to the school is deep-seated, going back to about 1977 when she started high school there. It’s where she met husband Ricky and she later returned as a parent-help volunteer after enrolling her children there. This led to paid work as a teacher assistant and then a decision to study education with the University of Tasmania.
Mrs Holdsworth taught briefly at Ouse before transferring to Brighton Primary School and later to Westerway where she has worked since 2014. Since graduating with her bachelor of education Mrs Holdsworth has completed graduate certificates in early childhood and inclusive education.
She said it was a strange feeling, being back where it all began, but she was enjoying the homecoming and the opportunity to support the staff in her role as lead teacher. The school this year has 13 students in two classes.
