Welcome to Terang College

Dear Families and Community Members,   

I have been in education for over twenty-five years. Initially I began my career as a shared music specialist in a rural school in the surrounding district of Mildura. Following that I was a classroom teacher at Lismore Primary School for three years; before starting my family. After this I began a twenty-year association with Mortlake P-12 College, starting with a day a week teaching music and finishing as the P-4 leader. 

I am a passionate lifelong learner. In 2010 I completed a year long Bastow course titled ‘Leaders in the making’.  This sparked an interest in study, so in 2011 and 2012 I completed my Master of Education in School Leadership at Melbourne University.  It was during this time I learnt about Positive Education from an international expert, Assoc Professor Lea Waters.  Although this was a relatively new field of psychology, there was a lot of evidence regarding the positive outcomes it provided in the social and emotional development of students.  So, in 2014 I went back to Melbourne University, whilst working full time, and completed a Professional Certificate in Positive Education. 

In 2017 I started the year at Lismore Primary School as the Acting Principal.  It was an amazing experience to be back after twenty years.  In June I successfully applied for the role of Principal of Port Fairy Consolidated School. I spent the next four years at PFCS and together with the staff, implemented a six-week reporting cycle as well as the Explicit and Direct Instruction as a model for teaching. We also strengthened our teaching of reading through the systematic, synthetic teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness.  

I also introduced Positive Education to improve student wellbeing.  I worked closely with a vibrant and supportive Parent and Friends group to build strong connections between the school and its families.  One of my passions is to create a sense of belonging, I want everyone to feel connected and part of the College, echoing the sentiment that it is ‘our school’ or ‘my school’.   As the Instructional Leader of Terang College, I am committed to ensuring all children are inspired to achieve their potential. I believe in providing optimal learning environments that focus on learning growth for all and reflect the ever-changing world around us.  As the Principal I encourage reflectiveness, feedback and lifelong learning so as to foster a high-performance culture. 


Kath Tanner
Principal