Year 8 Big Sister interview

QA & Interview with Kerry Oldman

Year 8 students interview Miss Oldman

Beth Wheeler and Grace Steadman are Year 8 students who have an interest in writing and journalism, and so together form the Year 8 Big Sister Writing Team. They led the following interview in early August...

Beth and Grace: Miss Oldman, what school did you attend? Miss Oldman: I attended John Paul College in Rotorua and just loved it. In particular I loved the community feel there was in the school and I loved the camaraderie in playing team sport too.

Beth and Grace: Was there anything you didn’t like? Miss Oldman: Overall I really enjoyed everything about school although I have to admit, I did find Year 10 (or Fourth Form as it was known then) a challenging year.

Beth and Grace:

Can you tell us more about the schools you taught at when you lived in England? Miss Oldman: I taught at three schools in the 18 years I lived there: Eaton House, an all boys’ school; Thomas’s Kensington in London which was a co-ed school; and The Study Prep, which was an all girls’ school in Wimbledon (and I love tennis), so I had a huge range of independent school experiences to draw on when I moved back to New Zealand. Each of these schools were located in old Victorian houses which were full of history which was so interesting but the down side was there wasn’t much space for the students to run around in… we had to go to Hyde Park for playtime. What I loved about my time there was the amazing culture and huge range of teaching experiences, and yes, I even taught some rather well-known names…

Beth and Grace: You’ve been Head of St Cuthbert’s Junior School for nearly two years now, what do you most enjoy about the school? Miss Oldman: The best part of my day is coming into St Cuthbert’s Junior School and being surrounded by the most exceptional teachers that go the extra mile, and the happy learners. I’ve been made to feel so welcome and love the families I’ve come to know and so appreciate the amazing community that I found here. It’s hard to imagine being anywhere else now!

Beth and Grace: As you started off pursuing a teaching career, was there a particular moment you decided you wanted to become a Head of School instead? Miss Oldman: From all of the experience I have accumulated from teaching at a variety of schools around the world, I realised I wanted to combine different aspects of all of them into one, and am excited St Cuthbert’s Junior School is the place I get to do this.

Beth and Grace: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? Miss Oldman: I love travelling and am enjoying seeing parts of New Zealand that I haven’t seen before. I also enjoy sport – especially Tennis. In fact, I was lucky enough to train the ball boys and girls for the Wimbledon Championships while in London which was great fun (that was as close as I got to playing at a Grand Slam). I am also fascinated by people and love people watching – I think airports are fascinating places to watch people. Beth and Grace: If you could have any sensible pet, what would it be? Miss Oldman: It would have to be a dog. They are your best friend and you get the challenge of training them!

Beth and Grace: And, if you could have any crazy pet what would it be? Miss Oldman: It would have to be an elephant. They are incredibly intelligent animals and I have been lucky enough to go on safari with them; searching for the Royal Bengal Tiger. And I love how playful they are too which I experienced in Nepal; playing elephant polo and having water fights (the trunk won!).

Beth and Grace: Knowing how much you love Gilbert’s visits each Tuesday we wanted to ask, do you have any pets? Miss Oldman: I had a lot of pets growing up but haven’t had a pet since coming to St Cuthbert’s. I love Gilbert joining us in the Junior School each week and I know the girls gain so much from having him as part of our Junior School team. Beth and Grace: Thank you Miss Oldman for your time today, we really loved finding out more about you. Miss Oldman: Girls, thanks to you both, it was lovely to spend time with you and I wish you well with your passion for writing – I look forward to seeing your articles in the newspaper one day soon!