East Narrogin Primary welcomes three new teachers to school community

Three new teachers have joined the East Narrogin Primary School community. Newton O’Dea, Ryan Fawell and Julie-Anne O’Donoghue bring a wealth of experience and passion to classroom. “I’ve spent 15 years teaching,” Mr O’Dea said. “I was born in Boddington and used to come here to play footy so I’m familiar with the Wheatbelt. “This is the first time I’ve been in a country school in WA but I’ve been looking forward to it.” A former policeman, car salesman, business owner and realtor, Mr O’Dea decided to commit to study and teaching once his own children had grown up. “I always wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t go to university until I was 42,” he said. “I was late coming to it, but I wanted to be a teacher and when the opportunity came along to go to uni full-time I took it. “I love the job, it’s great fun.” Mr Fawell comes to East Narrogin Primary with 20 years of teaching behind him. “Last year I taught in the Kambalda, I did 12 years in Denmark, a year on Christmas Island,” he said. “I enjoy teaching. When I was in Boddington 15 years ago I used to come to Narrogin a lot, I’ve always liked this area.” With family in Albany and Perth, teaching and living the quiet life in Narrogin suits Mr Fawell well. “I’m pretty boring, I like doing my job and that’s about it,” he said, “I really like primary teaching, it’s rewarding seeing the kids progressing, not just academically but socially if they go away at the end of the year and they’re better people than they were when you got them, I reckon you’ve had a bit of a win.” Like Mr Fawell, Mrs O’Donoghue has also spent a lot of her career teaching in rural and remote WA. East Narrogin Primary’s new Kindergarten teacher, Mrs O’Donoghue comes to Narrogin after having taught in the Pilbra, the Goldfields and the South West. An avid bushwalker and gardener, Mrs O’Donoghue said that she was looking forward to her Wheatbelt experience.