Principal dedicated her life to generations of girls

Ateacher b September 6, 1940 d November 13, 2021

commitment to inclusiveness and a keen interest in every student were the hallmarks of Janice Campbell’s 43 years as a teacher at Wellington East Girls’ College.

Campbell spent 26 years as principal and was one of the first principals to adopt greetings at school assemblies in the languages of the students. She also made sure the school’s small Muslim community felt included, by providing a prayer room in about 2002.

Janice Roberta Campbell, QSO, died earlier thismonth, aged 81, having suffered a stroke a few days earlier. Born in Napier in 1941, she lived in Island Bay and was a student at Wellington East from 1954 to 1958.

Her father, Douglas Archibald Campbell, was an agricultural scientist who pioneered many improvements in farming, and as head of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, conducted early aerial topdressing trials.

As the eldest of her family, Janice was frequently in charge, from a young age, of her four siblings. That responsibility, and subsequent sense of duty towards her wider family and the community at large, stayed with her the rest of her life.

As a young woman she dated the son of finance minister Arnold Nordmeyer, and also Alan Gibbs, the entrepreneur and art collector. After completing amasters degree at Victoria University, she returned to Wellington East, as a teacher, in 1963.

It was the beginning of a long and productive relationship. By 1975 she was head of English, and four years later became deputy principal. In 1981, she got the top job – spending an impressive 26 years as principal.

Amessage on the school’s social media page summed up her influence. ‘‘Janice’s philosophy was that school should provide a broad education giving students social and moral responsibility and a sense of community.’’

It also noted her ongoing influence. ‘‘She has always maintained a keen interest in the success of the students here and has always been a strong supporter of the college; attending every prize-giving following her retirement.’’

A former student and longtime friend Dawn Sanders said her impact on generations of girls and later with her involvement with the Globe Theatre was immense. ‘‘Her wit, wisdom, care and consideration, advice, advocacy, mentoring, enthusiasm, grit and determination have inspired and influenced the vast number of people’s lives she has touched.’’

Having gone to the school and then latter teaching their throughout her career, she was in a unique position to comment on the school.

In a 2009 interview she noted how much the school and local community was influenced by the ethnic make-up. ‘‘After World War II, there were the Greeks and the Romanians when I was attending the school. Later, there were more Indians and Chinese. The Indian kids adapted very quickly and became modern New Zealand kids.

‘‘As there have been various crises and families have fled their homelands, we’ve had more overseas students – the Vietnamese and Cambodians, and more recently the Sri Lankans. They all add to a school.’’

She nominated meeting Nelson Mandela, in 1995, as a career highlight. ‘‘We happened to have a particularly good choir. There were quite a few Samoans in it, and their singing and harmony was wonderful. So the Wellington East choir was chosen to perform for him at the town hall after he’d addressed the press club.’’

Sanders says that one of the things that really made her stand out as a principal was her commitment to students and her ability to take an interest in every girl. She ‘‘cared deeply’’ about her students and had a remarkable ability to recall names.

Tributes posted on her memorial page speak of a woman who dealt with everybody fairly and who made an impression that stayed with students all their life. Persefoni Harvey had a simple message: ‘‘Thank you for leading with such grace, passion and style.’’

MonicaMercury (ne´e Thompson) knew Campbell as a student, before working with her on the Teachers’ Refresher Course Committee in 2010. ‘‘Although she could be formidable, she was also very gracious, kind, generous and caring. I always felt empowered by her, and she instilled belief and confidence in us as young Kiwi women to achieve anything we put our minds to.’’

Susan Bell and seven ex-students posted a lengthy tribute, including: ‘‘She treated us like young adults and we respected her for this – no-one pranked Janice. Janice was an empowering and inspiring teacher, which is just about the best thing you can be for young people.’’

Speaking from Auckland, actor and director Jennifer Ward-Lealand said Campbell appeared to have been born to teach. Campbell taught Ward-Lealand English and left a ‘‘deep impression’’ on all her students, she says. ‘‘She had a natural spark and curiosity, and a keen interest in the girls doing well.’’

Retirement did not signal the end of her public life. She frequently appeared in the media, commenting on education. A supporter of NCEA, she argued that the previous system based around exams set some students up to fail.

‘‘I’m a fan of NCEA. It has something for everyone. It’s not easy to achieve excellence for every subject in NCEA. Some people wrote it off as being too simple, but that’s a load of cobblers,’’ she said shortly after retiring.

Her sharp mind and desire to improve the plight of all saw her appointed as president of the Government Superannuitants Association in 2016. She also chaired the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association.

In the 1990s, she had become aware of the endeavours of Sam Wanamaker to reconstruct Shakespeare’s Globe in Southwark, London. Despite the distance, she became an active supporter of the project, working with Sanders to garner support from schools all over New Zealand.

She visited England many times, as the project evolved from a hole in the ground on the south bank of the Thames to its full glory. Wanamaker also encouraged Sanders to establish the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, which she did in 1991. Campbell became an inaugural member and supporter, offering the college as the home of its regional Shakespeare festivals.

She became a close friend of Patrick Spottiswoode, a former director of Globe Education, when he came to New Zealand as a festival assessor and guest speaker, as well as seeing him regularly when in London.

He described her as someone who was always good to be around. ‘‘Janice was a force of nature, with a wicked sense of humour. I enjoyed so many laughs as well as meals and drinks with her.’’

In retirement, she enjoyed travelling. She shared many of these trips with Colin Macintosh, whom she met after his first wife had died.

They married in 2014, with the reading of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, endorsing the ‘‘marriage of true minds’’.

Sources: Dawn Sanders, Janice Campbell’s tribute page, Lesley Maxwell, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Stuff Archives.