ACG Tauranga Appoints New Principal

Tauranga, 2 July 2018: Independent school ACG Tauranga in Pyes Pa is delighted to announce the appointment of Thea Kilian as Principal from 1 August 2018.

Ms Kilian replaces Shawn Hutchinson who will stay within the ACG family of schools as principal of ACG School Jakarta in Indonesia.

Ms Kilian joins the school from her position as Deputy Principal of Long Bay College in Auckland, where her responsibilities include curriculum development, quality assurance, strategic leadership and student leadership.

She is also Learning Lead Principal of Oneroa Community of Learning, working with the principals of seven schools on Auckland’s North Shore to improve and accelerate student achievement.

Previous to this, Ms Kilian held a number of senior leadership positions at Western Springs College in Auckland.

She said she was excited to be part of the ‘phenomenal’ potential of a young school within a fast-growing environment and stressed the importance of community for today’s students.

“Visiting the school, I experienced a real sense of care and community which fits well with me as a person and as an educator. In order for our children to achieve success at and beyond school, they must feel safe, connected and engaged. Only then are we able to inspire and challenge them to develop as people and learners.”

She said mental well-being was a crucial part of ensuring young people’s future success and she had a personal interest in developments in this area.

“Moving forward we will need to carefully consider what it means to live in a 24/7 world and how we enable our young people to take control of their own journeys within this.”

ACG Education CEO Schools & Early Learning, Clarence van der Wel said he was delighted with the appointment of such an experienced and academically focussed leader.

“Thea has a deep understanding of education and knows what high-quality learning looks like. She is the right person to continue the great work that’s going on here, with the focus on academic excellence within a supportive environment that offers a range of opportunities outside the classroom.”

He said she also had a great sense of community which would help her integrate quickly into the Bay of Plenty.

Ms Kilian holds a BSc degree with a double major in Mathematics and Botany and a BSc Post Graduate Honours degree in Mathematics. She has previously been the recipient of a National Excellence in Teaching Award.

She and her family are looking forward to enjoying the weather, beaches and wide open spaces of Tauranga.

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