Meet Our Board// Michael Tooler

AISNT Board Chair & Principal Sattler Christian College

Michael Tooler is the current Chair of AISNT. The Council at Sattler ticked all the boxes in appointing Michael as the Principal of Sattler Christian College since 2019, dedicating himself to the school for the past 6 years.


Coming from NSW, Michael relocated with his family of 5 children to take on this role. He is a highly capable and dedicated Christian educator, with diverse experience beneficial to his role as Principal. He studied at the University of New England, gaining a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Affairs and Asian Societies. He also gained a Bachelor of laws majoring in Advanced Contract law and Human Rights.


Michael also holds a Graduate Diploma in Education, Legal Studies and History. Later he gained a Graduate Certificate in Management (Education), Management and Educational Leadership. Michael is a Justice of the Peace and a formal Mentor of the Australian Christian Mentoring Network.



He has fitted into Darwin and the Sattler community really well and has moved the school forward with gusto and continues to do so. As Chair of AISNT and an active member of his church, his pleasant nature and good sense of humour compliments his dynamic role as a Principal.


Written by Chris Tudor

Principal Thoughts 2025: Issue 7 Culture is so Important, But Challenging

March 25, 2025
As Principal it is so valuable to have a clear, known definition of these three factors and not simple to look this up just before a board meeting. A shallow understanding is not helpful - it is essential for a principal to really engage with this and to encourage their board to as well. It is also important that staff are encouraged to be able to recognise issues and for students to be observant. It is of no value for the Principal to understand it and keep it hidden.

Principal Thoughts 2025// Issue 6: School Leaders & the Law

March 17, 2025
This excellent program was presented last week, February 27 and 28 in Darwin for both AISNT and Catholic School Leaders. The presenters were our well known Dr Stephen Brown, Managing Director of the Brown Collective and three lawyers who are partners of the noted Law Firm Colin Biggers and Paisley - Megan Kavanagh, Morgan Lane, Mathisha Panagoda. The Principal I had in 1980 had just returned from running a school in Brunei for five years. He had a global view of life and I can see him now, as he addressed the staff in a meeting, noting that we were following the United States trend into the Age of Litigation. And he was certainly right! As a new Principal it was easy to be intimidated when someone said: “Well I’m going to see a lawyer”. I quickly learnt to say: “Fine if you have to.” I knew that I would do likewise immediately.
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