Traveller `chills out' in Kaikoura

Juliet Croucher is no stranger to Kaikoura as her family has been here for the past 10 years, however she is finding it necessary to adjust to the slower pace of life after spending a year jet-setting around the world.

The 26 year old arrived back in the country less than one month ago to take up a new teaching position at St Joseph's School. It is a place she is already familiar with having carried out one of her teaching practices there. However, there have inevitably been some changes at the school since then with a new principal and administration block to name but two.

In her fifth year as a teacher, Juliet has clocked up a variety of experiences already and puts this mostly down to the last year, when she was living and teaching in London, finding work predominantly through agencies which brought her many new challenges.

"There are some very interesting children in London, with a lot of social and educational needs," she says. "But there are also some unbelievably talented kids among them too – and a lot of refugee children who have really risen to huge challenges."

Living in Acton and working firstly in Camden, Juliet describes the work as "colourful" but it was an experience she is very glad to have had, not only from a teaching point of view but also from a social aspect and as a need to cure her call for travel and her "itchy feet".

"I absolutely loved it. I love Camden with the market and London was just a great place to base myself for travelling around Europe."

That was something Juliet certainly made the most of, travelling to a different place at every opportunity.

"Every holiday I was off somewhere. I visited a total of 19 countries around Europe. I went to Mexico and the Middle East too. Now it's back to reality!"

While she may not necessarily want to live overseas again, her OE was something she will remember for a very long time, but she recognises how much she missed her family and friends on this side of the world.

"It's nice to be back and it's really good to see how great we've got it here. I'm more aware of that since I went travelling. In one sense I miss the buzz of London but on the other hand it's nice to just chill."

Juliet's position at St Joseph's is for one year so she is looking forward to being settled in one school for a while and will wait to see what happens.

Kaikoura Primary School welcomes back Mike Judd, who takes up the position this year of assistant principal after a year at St Joseph's. Now in his tenth year of teaching, Mike taught at Kaikoura Primary for two years before joining St Joseph's and is looking forward to the new challenge that the role will bring him.

Another new face, but familiar to Kaikoura, is Kelly Wilson, who joins the staff at Lynton Downs School as principal relief for the year.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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