After six years as principal at Inverell High School, Karen Roberts is leaving.
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Currently on long-service leave and about to leave Inverell, Karen spoke to Michèle Jedlicka about her time at the school...
Some people reach a time when they transition from a career to contemplating what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
Inverell High School principal Karen Roberts defined this “from success to significance”, a title of a book she’s recently read. This reflection has led her to decide to make a change and follow a new road with familiar landmarks, but also some exciting unknowns.
Karen is on long-service leave but will shortly be relinquishing her position as principal which she’s held since 2007.
She and her husband Chris are in the process of moving the Port Macquarie to start the next chapter in her life.
Karen said there is no one reason for her move, but she feels this is the moment and a good time for change at Inverell High.
“There’s a time you believe you do what you can to contribute and then it’s time for the next person to then come in and put their stamp on it; to bring new ideas.
“I think it’s really important to have new people coming in. Stability is great, but I think the new ideas just keep you all energetic and going and alive.”
With a background in special education and welfare, Karen is pursuing study for holistic counselling to eventually work and help people to stay strong in this increasingly demanding world.
“I’m really trying, and I suppose this is also part of my studies, but to live more in the present and just keep moving forward. See where life goes.
“I want a gentler life. And this is a very big job. One that I’ve loved, one that I never thought I’d get to do, but it is a very big job and you spend a lot of time just doing administration.
“I want to maybe continue just doing a couple of days a week casual teaching, get back into the classroom because I really miss that.”
The legacy Karen leaves behind at Inverell High is one of student and staff support.
“She’s a very strong student advocate. She’s always willing to give students a second go, a second chance in life,” Wayne Fowke, deputy principal, said.
“I have what’s termed as a very strong social justice belief,” Karen said.
“The students that I take a special interest in working with are those that don’t automatically,” Karen paused before continuing: “You know a lot of kids just get on with the job and there’s no issues. There’s lots of people to take care of them.
“But I really feel the need to speak up for those that need more and to do whatever I can.”
Karen brought “Dare To Lead” and the Clontarf Program to Inverell High, both structured to secure paths to education for Indigenous students. She also welcomed volunteers from the Indigenous community who mentored Aboriginal students and shared their experiences.
“She brought technology into the school in a big way,” Wayne said. “She’s been big in engaging teachers in professional learning and so she’s changed the way teachers have thought in this school.”
John Foulcher, second deputy principal, agreed.
“She certainly advocated that and the need to try to move forward,” he said.
Karen has pursed her career unfettered by self-doubt.
“In my whole career, I’ve never aspired to be where I am.
“I just sort of did what I had to do to feed my family, to look after my family, and then as I was in that position I thought, ‘I could do that’, and then I made my way there.”
So when it came to her community work she explained: “I think it’s the same. I didn’t see that I couldn’t contribute something.
“By saying ‘yes’ you actually develop yourself a bit and you benefit as much as other people.
“The good thing about Inverell is that I’ve probably had more opportunities to contribute to a community than I ever had before. And I think that’s a reflection on Inverell, more so than me, that people actually ask you, ‘would you like to?’”
As a result of her willingness to meet a need, Karen has been involved with both the Inverell East Rotary and the Sacred Heart Parish.
Taking a step beyond a weekly churchgoer, she responded to requests for help, and in one instance stepped forward to join the Sacred Heart Pastoral Board.
Sister Coral Headley of Sacred Heart said: “I think it’s a matter of her living her faith in the community and she takes her role in the community itself and uses whatever gifts she has.”
Her work with Rotary and serving as club president gave the members an additional resource for helping young people.
“The fact is that because of her position and because of her knowledge of youth, teenagers, and with management skills, lots of things, she was nominated for president,” past president Gary Russell said.
“She didn’t think she was suitable but she picked it up!”
One constant with Karen is her belief that we never stop learning and we all have a chance to be our best.
“I think you should give every opportunity for everybody to be able to do what they can do well,” Karen said.
“And that’s what I’d like to be remembered for.
“You look at where people are good, not where people are bad, and what you can bring up and help them.
“When I’m 99 I’ll be wise. Until then I’m learning. And we expect 12 year-olds and 15 year-olds to have the wisdom of 60- and 70- and 80 year-olds who make mistakes every day of the week.
“And I just think it’s that split second sometimes, that you’ve just got to take that little bit extra time to share with people, to listen and to see what you can do to get them there.
“And 99 percent of the time, they rise right up there.”