In the 18 years Matthew Mann has been principal of the school, he's kept one solid philosophy: spend as much time as possible with the children.

However, following a three year battle with prostate cancer, Mr Mann is stepping down from the role after nearly 40 years of teaching.

More news: La Trobe University casual staff 'inadvertently underpaid', union fights for back-pay

"I have to focus on my health," Mr Mann said, "and being a principal is demanding, intense and time consuming."

"Obviously I love it because I've done it for so long. But the time has come when I just have to take care of myself and my body - I'm still fighting."

In a moving school assembly on Wednesday morning, staff and students presented the long-standing Principal with a farewell video featuring students from prep to Year 6 holding signs reading 'we'll miss you Mr Mann' - as well as a musical performance from the school choir.

Other stories:

While born and raised in central Victoria, Mr Mann's career began as a primary school outdoor education teacher in Perth.

"I taught for six years and then left teaching to work as a FIFO miner," he said.

"And when I went back down to Perth on my days off I worked as a casual relief teacher, so on my six days off four of them were spent teaching in classrooms.

"Then I thought, enough is enough, I'm going to be a teacher for real now, because when I was in the classroom, I just came alive."

Mr Mann said being a principal gave him the opportunity to really guide the way children were being educated.

"As a teacher," he said, "I used to have ideas about how children should be educated, and was often getting shot down by the principals."

"Then I thought, wow when I'm the principal, I can actually put my ideas out there.

"It was a chance to actually have an influence on children's lives - that's what drives you"

"One thing I've always believed is schools are not organisations, you're a community, you're a family."

"In every place I've been, one of my number one priorities has been families. We're really close with families and parents - when you all work together you do the best for kids."

However, when the teacher first got his cancer diagnosis in 2018, he refused to let it stop him running the school.

More news: Coroner's court to investigate 17-year-old Kangaroo Flat boy's death at Lake Nagambie

"I had the first operation and didn't stop teaching" he said, "they said I was going to be cured, but it came back.

"I had stereotactic radiation, they once again said it would be cured - then it came back.

"This year I had another round of radiotherapy and it was then I realised it was just coming back and back - I had to change something."

So a few months ago, following his most recent round of radiotherapy, Mr Mann decided it was time to take a step back.

The dedicated principal says mostly he'll miss the community he's built at St Therese's.

"It's the people part of it," he said.

"Working alongside the teachers and the families, and being with the students - people always say to me, 'oh you're so full of energy'.

"(The reality is) the kids give me the energy, it's them and I just live for them.

"What am I not going to miss? The paperwork," he said with a laugh.

While the administrative tasks to the job are tiring, Mr Mann has caught the education bug, and to many community members would be a surprise if he let a cancer diagnosis stop him spending time with the children he loves.

More news:

"I want to stay in education, I believe I have a lot to offer. I've put my name down to do some relief teaching as well, maybe some education consulting."

But for now, Mr Mann is planning on taking a break to recuperate and figure out his next moves.

"My campervan is coming on Tuesday, and I'm hoping to take on a lead guitar role in my cover band - for now I'm just rhythm guitar."

As the longest standing principal at the primary school, Mr Mann has seen it all over his 40-year career.

"Invariably, as a principal I've have to deal with the pointy end of kids behaviour, and I get a lot of the same characters coming through my office every day," he said.

"But, the other day I went out to a highschool and all the kids who came up to talk to me were the ones who had spent an extraordinary amount of time in my office."

"Every kid has good in their heart, you just have to find it."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: