Passionate People

Passion is a powerful driving force. When you’re a passionate person, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Being a passionate person is challenging, sometimes heartbreakingly so. It means you lead with your heart, and you put it on the line more often than most.

Joanne Sheehy

As Principal of A.B. Paterson College it is my fundamental belief that it is the quality of the human relationships that exist within a school that define its character, its feel and the essential teaching and learning relationships that are formed.

Schools of substance are often defined by the quality of relationships that exist between students, parents and staff. At A.B. Paterson College, we value these essential partnerships in the education of each and every child. We want students to take educational risks, dare to challenge themselves and aim to succeed. They should feel supported in a caring and nurturing environment with dedicated and highly experienced teachers.

As Principal of A.B. Paterson College, it is my role to lead and direct all Operations from Prep to Year 12 at our campus. I joined A.B. Paterson College in 2003 and have had numerous leadership positions at the College including, Head of Mathematics, Dean of Studies, Head of Senior School, Assistant Principal and now Principal.

My career is in Education and it is something I am extremely passionate about, believing it is the pathway to success at all levels for our children. My qualifications include a Bachelor of Education (Hons) with double majors in both Physics and Mathematics, as well as a Masters of Education in Leadership and Management, something of which I am very proud.

In my time at the College I have worked hard to develop student-related programs, structures and policies, most significantly in the areas of student leadership, personal development curriculum and student services. This combines my strong academic and pastoral background with a collaborative style of leadership and an ardent belief in creating an inclusive educational environment where individual strengths can be encouraged and nurtured.

It is the quality of teaching and well-being within the classroom that has the greatest impact on student achievement. We base our teaching and learning strategies on leading international research and the Teaching for Understanding framework, as conceptualised in Project Zero from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This framework paired with research from Marzano and Hattie drive our Teaching and Learning which facilitates opportunity for our students from Prep to Year 12 to think creatively and learn to apply their skills and knowledge to new and real life-related situations. This leading approach to teaching and learning focuses on the individual student, thereby better providing for their individual needs.

Whilst proud of the very strong academic record that A.B. Paterson College has always maintained, our aim is to develop young men and women of character. The College strives to achieve this by challenging students to develop the intellectual character necessary to become passionate about the ongoing pursuit of learning; to have the skills and confidence to succeed in an increasingly complex world; and to become committed to creating positive futures for the good of all, through leadership and active participation in their communities.

Our College is a thriving and dynamic environment, one with an assortment of outstanding educational opportunities and offerings. I invite you to visit our campus for a personal tour, and an opportunity to see how our community can partner with you, in the education and growth of your child.

PASSIONATE PEOPLE

Eliza Elliott

Talk about your school course choices – dux of business at St Rita’s College – and how it prepared you for the corporate world. Doing hands-on practical work at school was always my thing. Very early into my senior years I knew what I enjoyed doing and where my strengths were, so I started to explore how I could turn that into a career. I found Business and Social Studies so interesting. I understood them well and very quickly because it felt like ‘real world’ work to me. There was great support from my school. I would venture out one day a week during year 11 and 12 to Brisbane North Institute of TAFE to seek extra qualifications. Business was always my favourite subject, it was just natural understanding for me, which led me to being Dux of the class in both years 11 and 12. By the time I was ready to graduate high school and enrol in university, I had four certificates in hospitality, events, tourism and business.

You worked for a PR firm for three years in Brisbane – what did that teach you about clients and the media? One day I walked into a boutique PR agency for a day’s work experience, and I ended up staying for three and a half years. Kath Rose is one of the best in the business and she believed that I would have what it takes to be in the publicity and marketing field. I wouldn’t be here today without her. Nothing can prepare you for what public relations really is - it’s purely on the job learning and no day is ever the same. Experience is the only way you can learn publicity where relationships are everything, expectations of a 9-5 job have to go out the window and tenacity is survival. But it is the most challenging, exhausting and rewarding job. I was so fortunate to work with almost every industry from a PR perspective with Kath Rose & Associates, but as soon as I got a taste for entertainment, I fell down the rabbit hole.

You are the National PR Manager for Southern Cross Austereo – what does that entail? My role is to work with the wider Marketing and Communications team for SCA, looking after publicity for our brands, stations and talent across the Hit Network, Triple M Network and audio on-demand brand, LiSTNR. The key job is to champion and support the incredible people and work delivered by our teams all around the country.

Living on the Gold Coast and handling a national job – how do you make that work? There needs to be excel spreadsheets, processes, a strict to-do list and a lot of colour coordination. My teams deserve to feel as if I am sitting right next to them in their office every day, whether they are in Hobart, Wagga Wagga or Sydney. I’d say most, if not all of my teams, would hear from me at least once a day and I prioritise my relationship building over everything. It’s the only way to gain trust and maintain a quality working relationship. Communication is the key with regular check-ins, action plans and video calls. The PR team at SCA are complete experts in their field and we are constantly learning from each other every day. In such a large business with many stakeholders, we divide and conquer based on our skillset and interests. I definitely lucked out with this team!