Brendan van Oostveen

When I arrived at LAC nine years ago I had been teaching for 18 years at Tamatea High School in Napier, a state co-educational school. I began my teaching in the early 1980s, taking on a number of roles including a year level Dean and a Head of Department (Business Studies). In education my special interest has been the growing need for pastoral relationships and values. In hindsight coming to LAC, as the Deputy Principal, was a natural progression of that special interest. Ultimately, helping students and colleagues ‘succeed’ is what gives me my greatest joy. It is important to note that ‘success’ or ‘excellence’ is different for different people, and always a stepping stone to the next piece of learning. LAC has a special place in my heart as it is where I am able to live and grow in my faith. It is the individual stories that are really special, and something I treasure. Historically we have a rich legacy. Many students have found their husband or wife at Longburn; the majority have made life-long friends. This is particularly true in the dormitories, which are a special part of our school. I just love the way so many of our students succeed while they are at college and when they move on. This is due to the extraordinarily high number of students who reach the end of Year 13 successfully and the work ethic they have developed along the way. I think this is due to there being very few places to ‘hide’ at LAC, and the staff will make it their mission to get students ‘on track’ when the need arises. I often think of LAC as being an extended family, a church as well as a school. My ambition for LAC is that we learn together, grow together and change our world.