Lollypop Creek Primary School (interim name) | Introducing Joel Riddle

[Upbeat music plays throughout the video] 

A man appears smiling and laughing to someone off-camera. 

[On-screen text: Meet your new principal] 

The man begins speaking to someone off-camera. 

[On-screen text: Introducing Joel Riddle Lollypop Creek Primary School (interim name)] 

Joel Riddle: Hello, I'm Joel Riddle, your newly appointed principal. 

[On-screen text: What is school community?] 

Joel: For me, school community is all about feeling part of something that's bigger than themselves and that's taking into account all stakeholders. So I like to think about the students, I like to think about the parents and carers, and I like to think about our staff all coming together as one and feeling like this is something that's much bigger than us.

[On-screen text: What was your journey into education?]

Joel: It was growing up having a passion for sport, loving sport, and then really connecting with a number of my phys-ed teachers in both primary and high school and then starting to reflect myself – I started to discover you know, I can see myself in this profession. And then not long after that, I started my educational journey in Wyndham. Feels like I've come full circle at the moment because I'm now back in Wyndham. In regards to the difference between an established school and now having the opportunity to open a new school, it's really building something from the ground up, which is just such a unique and wonderful opportunity – the fact that you get to establish the culture.

[On-screen text: What do you think of the new facilities?]

Joel: I'm just ecstatic. The fact that after viewing the plans for the state-of-the-art buildings and grounds, I just think what a wonderful privilege that, you know, teachers and students alike get to be educated – or educate – in such a wonderful environment. Yeah, I think for me too, just identifying that so many of the learning communities are flexible learning spaces. And what that means is there's that unique opportunity for staff to teach in isolation or individually as well as team teaching. Any single classroom isn't stuck in one space. It's having that unique opportunity to bring different kids together at different times of the day for different curriculum areas with different reasons. And, you know, I've got this desire to see them being able to combine classes, maybe visiting the library space, or perhaps there's buddy classes that are set up, and we have these unique common areas set up where we can be quite flexible or creative in how we combine classes, but at different times to remain in the same space with their teacher.

[On-screen text: Where can we find you on day 1, Term 1?]

Joel: I'm most excited about day 1, Term 1 next year is just standing at the front gate, high-fiving kids and families as they come in for the very first time and it's something that I've always done and prided myself on. And then once they enter those classrooms, the very first time, I'll be going straight around to say another, another hello. And what a privilege it is to be visible inside that school. And it'll be something that I continually do throughout every week that the kids are there.

A red background appears.

[On-screen text: 100 new schools] 

The Victorian School Building Authority and Victoria State Government logos appear on a white background.

[On-screen text: www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au]

A black background appears with white text. 

[On-screen text: Authorised by The Victorian School Building Authority
33 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne] 

[End transcript] 

Updated