St Raphael’s School Principal Emma Fowler has taken out two of South Australia’s top education honours, earning recognition as both Leader of the Year and Innovative Educator of the Year at the 2025 EdTechSA and Educators SA World Teachers’ Day awards.
The double win caps off a standout year for Fowler, whose focus on technology, wellbeing and creativity has reshaped teaching and learning at the Parkside school.
Since stepping into the principal role, she’s built a culture that champions curiosity and connection — and it’s clearly paying off. Fowler was one of more than 70 educators celebrated for their impact on South Australia’s schools, but her back-to-back wins mark a particularly proud moment for the St Raphael’s community.
Below, The Educator speaks to Fowler to find out more about her awards, the pillars of effective leadership and how innovation, curiosity and wellbeing are transforming learning across her school community.
TE: A big congratulations on being named Leader of the Year and Innovative Educator of the Year recently! What do you consider to be the top pillars of an effective principal in 2025?
First and foremost, it’s about human connection and that begins with empathy. We are hardwired for connection, and in 2025, more than ever, people are seeking meaningful relationships not just in their personal lives, but also within their professional environments. An effective principal is one who is present, who genuinely values the relationships they build with staff, students, and families. When this happens, the rewards flow abundantly through a culture of trust, respect and collective care.
The second pillar is understanding that people are not motivated by carrots and sticks. They thrive on autonomy, mastery and purpose. Great leaders see the unique strengths in every individual and create the conditions for those strengths to flourish. It means trusting in the intrinsic motivation of others and believing that people are inherently good. When you consistently see the best in people, they start to see it in themselves and that’s when they begin to truly thrive.
Finally, an effective principal prioritises mental health and wellbeing. In a demanding profession, creating space for joy, connection, and laughter is essential. At St Raphael’s, we dedicate one staff meeting each term entirely to staff wellbeing and connection. Sometimes that means going bowling, other times it’s a paint-and-sip session or an escape room. The activity doesn’t matter as much as the intention behind it. To laugh together, build relationships, and remind each other that we’re in this together. This kind of investment pays off when the pressure mounts because people feel connected, supported, and able to lean on one another when they need it most. It doesn’t just reduce burnout, particularly for early-career teachers, it fosters long-term sustainability.
TE: You’re leading a school that prides itself on putting kids — not tech — at the centre of everything. As AI becomes more common in our classrooms, what have you found works best in keeping that ‘human touch’ front and centre while teaching with tech?
Technology, especially emerging tools like coding, 3D printing, and immersive experiences through VR and AR has an important role in education. But at St Raphael’s, we believe tech should never replace the human connection at the heart of great teaching. It should amplify creativity, not create passive consumers.
That means tech shouldn’t be in the hands of our young people every lesson. Instead, we focus on helping students build a healthy, intentional relationship with technology. One where it’s seen as a tool for creating, problem-solving and exploring, rather than simply consuming.
As AI becomes more prevalent, it’s vital we equip students to understand both its potential and its limitations. This includes teaching them to discern what’s real and what’s synthetic. By doing so, we empower students to remain critical thinkers as well as ethical users of technology.
At the end of the day, technology must always serve human learning, not replace the human experience of it. The most powerful learning still happens through relationships.
TE: The ‘Reading Revolution’ has clearly struck a big chord with students and families. In your view, what has been the biggest contributing factor behind the initiative’s success?
As a new parent, you’re often told about the importance of reading but the reality of daily life can make it hard to prioritise. As a working mother of two, I completely understand the challenge. That’s why our Reading Revolution was designed not as another task to add to families’ to-do lists, but as a realistic, supportive guide to weaving reading into everyday routines in ways that feel natural and enjoyable.
The success of the initiative comes down to two key things: practicality and visibility. First, we’ve offered families practical strategies to make reading part of home life. Whether it’s bedtime stories, reading in the car, or turning off the TV for ten minutes of shared reading after dinner. It’s about progress, not perfection.
Second, we’ve intentionally shone a spotlight on reading at school. When children see reading celebrated through events, displays, peer sharing and teacher enthusiasm they start to see books as more than just a school task. They begin to see stories as an escape, a way to find solace in shared experiences, a tool for exploring their interests, or simply a source of joy. Reading becomes a meaningful alternative to screens not a second-best option.
TE: St Raphael’s has built a strong culture of wellbeing. For principals watching from afar, where’s the best place to start without stretching people and/or budgets too thin?
Start with connection. You don’t need big budgets or elaborate programs to begin building a strong culture of wellbeing you need intentionality in the everyday moments.
At St Raphael’s, we’ve focused first on creating space for people to connect staff, students, and families alike. Whether it’s through shared events or small daily rituals, wellbeing begins with how people feel when they walk through your gates. As a leader, ask yourself: Did I make someone’s day better through our interaction today? A warm smile. A genuine hello. These gestures are so often overlooked, but they carry incredible power. Positivity is contagious and when leaders model that it creates a ripple effect throughout the school.
Too often, we rush to the “what.” The latest social-emotional learning program or which external expert we can get but as Simon Sinek reminds us, we need to start with why. Why does wellbeing matter? Because we know that when people feel safe, happy, and connected, that’s when true learning can happen. When wellbeing becomes part of your school’s “why”, it stops being an add-on and becomes a shared value; embedded in your culture, not reliant on external funding or big initiatives.
TE: Looking ahead to 2026, Australia’s principals are clearly juggling a lot. If you had to narrow it down, what should school leaders be paying closest attention to right now?
Yes, principals are juggling a lot but so are our families, and so are our young people. The pressure on everyone has intensified, especially with the rapid pace of change. However, if I had to narrow it down, I believe the most urgent issue school leaders must address is the growing mental health crisis among young people.
Too often, in our desire to protect children, we remove every obstacle in their path. But those small everyday challenges are exactly where children learn resilience. How to cope, how to problem-solve, how to bounce back. Without those opportunities, they arrive at adolescence or adulthood without the tools to manage bigger life challenges.
The result? We’re seeing sharp rises in anxiety, anger, risk-taking behaviours, school refusal, and disengagement. This isn’t just a school problem; it’s a societal one. But schools have a unique opportunity to lead the way.
We need to focus on building mentally healthy kids from the start not by shielding them from difficulty, but by supporting them to develop the emotional strength and coping skills they’ll need for life. That starts with brave leadership, strong partnerships with families, and a clear commitment to putting student wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.