An original Sydneysider, Dave’s first teaching job was in 1980 at Cleveland Street Boys High in Redfern, a time coinciding with the Redfern riots. He agreed it was a steep learning curve.

“It was. A very challenging school, but the kids were rough diamonds,” Dave said.

It was at Cleveland Street that Dave met his wife, a teacher’s aide and a native of Broken Hill. They moved from Redfern to Port Kembla for four years, then on to Broken Hill schools for six years.

He has recently come from ten years as deputy principal at Duval High School in Armidale. While with Duval, Dave lent a hand as relieving principal at Collarenebri and Walcha.

The Bieler household is still in Armidale, so in his inaugural term, he has stayed in Bundarra for the week and home on the weekends. In the 2015, Dave said they will be moving to Bundarra. 

Meanwhile, the principal’s chair has become home to the experienced teacher, and Dave agreed it was nice to put aside travelling for a while.

“This has been fantastic. Because basically, (we) can start putting in some long term-plans and just look keep the school moving ahead,” he said.

Challenges ahead for all NSW teachers come from the Department of Education.

“They’re moving toward a more strategic planning base for each school, so we actually now plan a minimum three years ahead, but the view is planning a lot longer and having a lot more collaboration with the community in that.”

Dave felt it was exciting to come aboard Bundarra with the opportunity to add those new strategies, and build strength through each aspect of the school.

“I’ve got an absolutely fantastic staff here, and the whole lot of them have come on board with the idea of planning,” he said.

Bundarra has had a few good relieving principals recently, but Dave has been in the role as a relieving leader, and understood the value of long-term stability in the principal’s office. 

To that, he said Bundarra’s staff and community have been very supportive. The town is close-knit and Dave said he has not lacked for local assistance since his arrival.

“Again, the community here have been absolutely fantastic, and just about every member of the P&C has been trying to look out for places for me to rent and making me part of the community,” he said.  

“It’s just really refreshing to come into the school, be so welcome, and everyone, very keen on looking at how we can work together to improve the school.”

As far as the young ones who struggle, Dave felt it was critical to offer them school as a haven for both learning and constancy.

“A lot of these difficult kids, school is the only stability they have in their life. So the school becomes critical in these kids’ lives and in their development.”

No matter the school or the environment, from privileged kids to those who face life’s challenges, Dave’s opinion of students seems never to have wavered. 

He believes that young people have an innate need to learn, and as teachers, the challenge was identify those triggers to inspire the process and shape the pathway ahead.

“The basic assumption I have is that, it’s our natural state; we want to learn. Every kid coming into school wants to learn.”

Considering the end-of-year presentations, and first Crossing the Divide graduation, Dave had nothing but praise for his new students.

“The kids from K-12, absolutely wonderful students here. They’ve got to get used to me a bit, my sense of humour,” he chuckled. 

“No, the students here, they’re fantastic. They’re all keen on their school work, keen on their sports.

“I wander through the playground and all the kids seem happy. 

“In all, I haven’t come across a school where the kids are so happy to be here.”