When Josh Norton walks into Nuriootpa Primary School each morning, he sees more than a workplace. He sees the very classrooms where he once scribbled in exercise books, built model houses, and dreamed about what he might become. Now, he’s the teacher at the front of the room.

“I knew in high school that I wanted to be a teacher,” Josh says. 

“Probably even when I was a bit younger. I just thought, ‘yep, this is something I can give myself to’.”

That spark grew into a purpose on a life-changing trip to Cambodia in Year 10, where Josh helped build a school for disadvantaged children. It was there he saw the power of education up close.

“Seeing the joy something as simple as a pencil could bring – it really struck me. It was so simple, but it meant everything. I knew then I wanted to work with kids and help them be their best,” he says.

Now teaching Year 5/6, Josh relishes working with students on the brink of adolescence. 

“It’s a good age,” he says. 

“You’re setting them up for high school while helping them build good habits for their wellbeing and the future.”

When planning lessons, Josh often reflects on what sparked his own curiosity. One stand out was a Year 5 sustainability project where the class designed eco-houses. His Pappa and Nanna, Marcus and Roslyn Schulz, were so proud of the little cardboard model Josh built that they have kept it ever since.

“Pappa even asked if I’d based my real house on that design,” Josh says laughing. 

“I was in Year 5, so I’m not sure it would have been the best blueprint! But it stuck with me – the idea that learning could be fun, hands-on, and meaningful. That’s the kind of learning I want my students to experience.”

For Josh, though, relationships come first. 

“In the first week of school, we do no learning, which the kids think is brilliant. It’s all about unpacking values, getting to know each other, and forming connections,” he explains. 

“They go home and tell their parents they’ve done nothing all week, but really, it’s the most important part – if you build trust early, the learning takes care of itself.”

When the school day ends, Josh swaps his hat for another role – President of the Nuriootpa Rover Football Club, the Tigers. His father, Allan Norton, was the club’s first paid recruit in the early 1990s, so footy runs deep in the Norton bloodline.

Josh’s own career as a player didn’t quite pan out. 

“I was the kid digging for worms on the oval or staring at planes overhead,” he admits. 

But by the age of 12 he was already managing his Dad’s team, discovering he loved the behind-the-scenes organising – team sheets, results, and all.

From there, he never looked back – committee member, secretary, and now, for the past three seasons, president. 

“I absolutely love community, and family has really shaped that for me,” Josh says.

In 2025, those values paid off when the Tigers claimed the A-Grade premiership. 

“On grand final day, I woke up at six, knowing I had no impact on the result but feeling so invested. 

“The win was unforgettable. You just want to bottle that feeling after the game and relive it over and over again. It wasn’t just about the players – it was everyone who’d put in, from the trainers to the committee. That was the magic.”

For Josh, the club is more than sport – it’s family. 

“Some of my fondest memories as a kid aren’t of goals kicked, but of Saturday nights spent at the club,” he says. 

“I’d fall asleep under tables while Mum (Tania) and Dad caught up with friends. Now it’s me pulling Mum away at closing time. It’s funny how things swing full circle.”

The Norton name has become part of the club’s fabric, with Josh’s father still on the committee and his younger brother, Mitchell, pulling on the guernsey each week. 

“We’ve just always been around footy. I’ve known nothing else since childhood.”

Josh’s drive to contribute stretches beyond school and sport. Recently, he joined the board of the Vine Inn Barossa Community Hotel. 

“I’m a big believer in being a lifelong learner, and joining the board is a great opportunity. The Vine Inn does incredible work supporting local groups, and I saw it as a chance to give back beyond football.”

At just 27, Josh has already ticked off roles that many spend a lifetime to achieve: teacher, football club president, board member. Yet what he values most is simple.

“I just feel really lucky to live in the Barossa,” he says. 

“We don’t always appreciate how special it is here. If I can contribute – whether through teaching, footy, or community – I’ve done my job.”

From digging for worms on the oval to shaping lives in the classroom, Josh Norton is a Tiger through and through. And for Nuriootpa, that’s something worth celebrating.