Jo Hine | Kyilla Primary School Principal - North Perth

One of our other little community projects is People of North Perth featuring stories from local people of North Perth. Happy reading and be sure to follow the page to hear more great stories from great people in the future.

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Here is Jo's story

I grew up in Perth in Shenton park and went to Rosalie primary and Hollywood high school. Rosalie reminds me of Kyilla because it is a small school with a strong sense of community, with everyone feeling welcome and knowing everybody. I am married to another principal, who I met when I was teaching in the desert up north.

How she became a principal

I’ve been teaching for 28 years and I started in 1990 as a special education teacher. After the first few years of teaching in Perth, I went out to the country and was teaching in Kalgoorlie. I was only twenty-six when the principal there became ill, so I had to do her job, winning the position of principal at a very young age.

Why she became a teacher

The whole time I was at school I was not really sure what I was going to do. I went to UWA and was doing a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in pre-history and linguistics when my parents told me to do something that would get me a job. I then converted my degree to a teaching degree and I knew at that point in time I wanted to work with kids with special needs.

About Kyilla

I came to Kyilla primary school after teaching at another school in Perth, winning the position as principal here in 2017. Kyilla is a small school, and the most important thing for me is getting to know the children and the families. Relationships are key to kids and families having a positive education experience.

Kyilla Community

One of Kyilla’s biggest strengths is the community. The community’s strong bond is why I wanted to come and work here. For me, because I’ve worked in the country, it feels like a country school in the city. The parents are all so connected with the school, running a Kyilla farmers market every Saturday, with funds coming directly back to the school. It is a way for our school community to connect with a wider one.

As far as I know, I will continue teaching my whole life, and I am staying at Kyilla. I love waking up in the morning and driving to work. For me, it is all about community, and here at Kyilla I could not talk more highly of it. My favourite part of the job is seeing kids enjoy school, watching them learn, grow and succeed. It’s the best thing in the world to watch that happen, kids achieve their learning goals.

Thank Jo for all the hard work you do for our community and for putting your heart and soul into it. It is much appreciated. 

Interview by Josie Trent.

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