Renwick School principal Simon Heath says it "made my year" to learn he had been awarded a prestigious education fellowship.
Mr Heath is one of four New Zealand principals awarded the Woolf Fisher Trust Fellowship.
He will spend about 14 weeks next year travelling and learning about education overseas.
People cannot apply for the fellowship, but are chosen from recommendations.
The trust has a track record of surprising recipients.
"As I did research into the trust, that's exactly how Woolf Fisher wanted to do it – to make someone's day. It's made my year," Mr Heath said. "It's an amazing gift and deeply humbling."
He was excited about planning the trip with his wife.
Deputy principal Robyn Lyall will take over as acting principal while Mr Heath is away in term three next year.
The fellowship begins with a nine-day leadership course at Harvard University in Boston, in the United States. The recipient is then free to create their itinerary.
Mr Heath planned to travel around North America and Europe, visiting schools and education organisations.
He would combine the 10-week fellowship with his principal's sabbatical.
His trip would focus on environmental education, especially eco-schools in the US and Britain.
"In the UK, all schools will be eco-schools by 2020, and I want to talk to policy makers," he said.
Mr Heath had already set up a meeting with key people working on that policy, and may also look at charter schools while overseas.
He said he would be sad to be away from the school and miss some of the highlights, including the year 8 pupils graduating and the school camp at Abel Tasman National Park.
The first two terms next year would be busy planning for the end of the year to ensure there were "no surprises", he said.
Woolf Fisher was the co-founder of Fisher & Paykel. He set up the trust in 1960 to fund travel fellowships for teachers so they would bring back ideas that would enrich New Zealand education.
About 1000 fellowships have been awarded in total.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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