Gabrielle Duykers, Naracoorte Community News

Naracoorte High School has gained a new principal who says she is passionate about inclusive education and helping students link their learning to future pathways.

Lynette Corletto joined the establishment earlier this month in preparation for the new school year, which saw all students return to face-to-face learning on Monday.

A high school teacher by trade, Ms Corletto has worked in numerous education roles over the past 18 years, most recently managing Student Support Services within the Department for Education. 

Ms Corletto said she had missed being in a school setting and was excited to take on the role of principal.

“I am passionate about regional schools and every child or young person’s right to an excellent education within their local school,” she said.

A proud Boandik woman with her family based in Mount Gambier, Ms Corletto has lived and worked right across the Limestone Coast. 

Throughout her time in the education sector, she has consistently advocated for and helped deliver inclusive learning.

“I work closely with school-based teams and teams across the system toward innovative solutions and system-wide reforms to remove the barriers and address the complexities facing schools,” Ms Corletto said.

“This has meant rethinking how we do education for our most vulnerable students.”

She said her greatest achievement throughout her career was the children and young people she had had “the honour of teaching, inspiring and supporting” over the years.

“Ultimately it’s all about kids and their learning,” Ms Corletto said.

“I am passionate about keeping them connected to school, supporting them to progress in their learning, and linking into a future pathway that enables them to access their life choices.”

When asked how she planned to improve the educational experience at Naracoorte High School, she said it would be guided by the students, staff, and broader community. 

“Over the coming months my intention is to begin the conversation and engage in consultative processes that will facilitate the identification of our key priorities moving forward,” Ms Corletto said.

As part of the State Government’s return to school plan, students in year 7, year 8 and year 12 were in the classroom from February 2, while all other students were made to learn online until Monday, February 14.

Ms Corletto said the staggered start to the year in addition to COVID-19 restrictions had made building relationships with faculty and students more difficult. 

She said she planned to meet with every staff member individually to get to know them over the first few weeks of school.

“It is less than ideal but hopefully in a couple of weeks we can have some social activities and begin to invite families back into the school as well,” Ms Corletto said.

This article appeared in Naracoorte Community News.