By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
AFTER 33 years as a teacher and principal – 13 at the helm of Fountain Gate Secondary College – Vicki Walters is calling it a day.
Tomorrow (Friday) the 57-year-old, who has spent most of her career teaching throughout Melbourne’s south-east corridor, will sit in the principal’s chair for the last time.
Mrs Walters, who lives in Emerald with her husband Charles, remembered how she wanted to be a teacher since her own early days in high school.
“I’ve always said to any young person – we understand they make mistakes, but as long as they learn from them,” Mrs Walters said.
“Education is not just about the academic process; it’s really about developing the whole child, and their social and emotional wellbeing,
“The teenage years are difficult years not just for the children but for their families. Education is a partnership between the school, student and family.”
Mrs Walters began her teaching journey at Cranbourne Meadows Technical School in 1983. Now known as Lyndhurst Secondary College, Mr Walters taught home economics at the school before becoming the year level co-ordinator for Grade 7.
This tale of teaching then saw Ms Walters move on to different roles at a range of schools in the City of Casey and Greater Dandenong, including Noble Park Technical School as an advanced skills teacher.
When that school merged around 1992 – while the Kennett Government was in power – to become Noble Park Secondary College, the mother-of-two continued working there.
Mrs Walters then picked up a leading teaching position at Gleneagles Secondary College and three years later was promoted to assistant principal, before moving to take on a job she couldn’t refuse – campus principal of Eumemmering College’s Fountain Gate Campus.
When Eumemmering College separated into four separate schools in 2009 after a state government review, Mrs Walters was instrumental in shaping Fountain Gate Secondary’s new identity.
“It’s been the best thing that happened to all the colleges,” Mrs Walters said of the split.
“It was a very exciting time. We went through rebadging and developing our logo and building our sense of identity during that time.
“The principal’s position had to be advertised again in August 2009, and I was successful.”
Mrs Walters said the college’s multiculturalism underlined the identity she has worked so hard to help it build.
“I grew up in the Northern suburbs with newly arrived migrants and I find myself in a school with a significant number of newly arrived immigrants to our country,” she said.
“It’s great to see them really value education, working hard to do their best.”
In retirement Mrs Walters looks forward to traversing Australia alongside Charles in their caravan.
But more than a thought or two will be had about the lives of many students, and parents, that Mrs Walters has nurtured and guided.
“Yesterday I had flowers delivered from a parent who in the early days I had quite a few arguments with,” she laughed.
“But I’ve always had the children’s best interests at heart, and now that person has become one of my biggest supporters.
“And that happens with a number of families.”
Head of Commerce at Fountain Gate Secondary College Rhonda Johnstone – a long-time colleague of Mrs Walters – summed up her dearest friend as a great listener, confidante and mentor.
“Everyone will remember Vicki being the one who is generous with her time, humour, and support, and believes everyone has the right to a good education,” Ms Johnstone said.
“As long as people were prepared to put in the hard work and give it their best, she was there to support you.”
