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Leader Wellbeing Thought August 1st, 2025, Principals of All

by APPA President Angela Falkenburg

                                      Celebrating Primary Principals Day

Today, communities across Australia will raise their coffee mugs, schoolbags and ideally their awareness in celebration of Primary Principals Day, a day to honour the steady, skilled, and slightly sleep-deprived humans who keep our primary schools standing, running, and thriving. But let’s be clear: calling them “principals” hardly covers it.

These school leaders are not just the Heads of Learning. They are the Wildgraves of Wellbeing, the Baronesses of Bell Times, the High Stewards of Staffroom Harmony. They are community leaders, project managers, curriculum experts, behaviour strategists, parking lot negotiators, and playground peacemakers, all before morning tea.

They are, in short, the Keepers of the Chaos and the Calm.

Principals are not just educational leaders, they are community builders, mentors, crisis navigators and advocates for every child’s wellbeing and success.

On any given day, a school leader might be:

 Knight Commander of the NAPLAN Front, defending calm under standardised fire.

• Warden of Wandering Socks, overseeing the kingdom of Lost Property.
• Lord of the Lunch Queue, dispensing justice (and the lunch orders) with dignity.
• Viceroy of Volunteers, managing rosters, rosters for the rosters, and the existential crises that come with biscuit shortages.

Yet beneath the humour lies an unshakeable truth: these leaders build the foundations that last a lifetime. They champion inclusion, nurture community spirit, grow confident teachers, and ensure that every child is seen, known, and valued. They lead with courage through rising complexity, growing needs, and never-ending change.

And while the title “Principal” might sound suitably formal, it could just as well be ‘Moral Compass-in-Chief’ or ‘Architect of Aspiration’.

So, on this day, APPA has asked Australia to choose gratitude. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a thank-you shoutout at assembly, a coffee delivery, or a chorus of “You’re the best!” from Year 2s, we hope that you as a school leader know you matter.

Because thanks to your leadership, our schools stay strong, rising above the chaos of unwritten audit reports, dog-eared furniture catalogues, and three-day-old unwashed coffee cups.

Long live the principals.

Today may your emails be few, your Wi-Fi strong, and your value acknowledged.

Angela