Imagine conducting 4000 interviews with parents and their children.
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This is exactly what Henschke Primary School’s principal, Michael Jones, has done during his teaching career, which spans 40 years.
During the interviews he likes to get the know the family and make the children feel comfortable by singing a few songs.
“That’s a lot of times singing baa baa black sheep I can tell you,” Mr Jones said.
The energy and enthusiasm children have for learning is what has kept him in the profession for so long.
However, a career in education wasn't his first choice.
At the end of year 10, Mr Jones wanted to leave school to follow in his father’s footsteps to work as a shearer and stack hay using Clydesdale horses.
However, his parents wanted him to continue his education and sent him to Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing in his final year of school, tough times at home meant his parents were struggling to pay his school fees.
Every school holidays from then on, he worked full time to pay his way through his last year of school.
Midway through this last year his career vision changed to teaching.
“I realised I had the gift to help others and I thought I could do that best through teaching,” Mr Jones said.
He was offered a scholarship at the Catholic College in Castle Hill from his principal at the time at Red Bend.
After studying he took up his first teaching position back at Red Bend.
From there he took up three other teaching positions all at different schools in different places around Australia.
In 1978 he started teaching at Henschke Primary School but was offered a job as principal in Berrigan which he couldn’t turn down.
Four years later he came back to his roots, taking up the role as principal at the same school he went to St Brendan’s Primary School in Ganmain.
While living in Ganmain he and his wife, Carmel had four children, Benjamin, Emily, Gerard and Timothy.
He also got back into breeding Clydesdales at his stud, Allirmuir.
“I have great support from my family and a balanced life with my horses and music,” Mr Jones said.