Wisps of Wisdom
by Ross Richdale
In this third novel about Karla Spicer and her teaching career, we find her in charge of a thousand student Joseph Ward Junior High School in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.This is more than a story of Karla’s career as it covers her personal life with her husband Ryan and also life of the teachers and students at Joseph Ward Junior High.After arriving at her new school Karla finds that Deputy Principal Michael White has been selecting more sporty pupils for his own syndicate. Karla stops this but believes the competition between the four school syndicates is at the expense of co-operation. It is as if there are four mini-schools all going their own way. Her hands on approach in melding the school into one identity is a distinct contrast from the previous principal who was more interested in being socially accepted in the business community.Avery Francis, a first year teacher at JWJHS is attacked and stabbed by an intruder late one...