PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // SHELDON COLLEGE
Sheldon College believes that relationships lie at the heart of the educational enterprise.
Evolving for the future DR LYN BISHOP OAM, PRINCIPAL OF SHELDON COLLEGE TALKS TO EDUCATION MATTERS ABOUT HOW THE COLLEGE CONTINUES TO EVOLE, THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP, AND BUILDING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS.
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HOW DOES THE SCHOOL’S PHILOSOPHY AND ETHOS GUIDE YOU AND YOUR STAFF? The alignment of our College vision, mission and core values comprise the essence of who we are as a College and guide our daily practice. We believe fundamentally that relationships lie at the heart of the educational enterprise. Without quality relationships, schools have no meaning. At Sheldon College the quality of
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relationships is built around our philosophy of “Love, Laughter and Learning.” Our role as educators is to create a learning environment where children feel safe, valued and loved; where learning is fun; and where opportunities are created that enable all students to become lifelong learners. Schools are not comprised of buildings, and bricks and mortar, but are a living expression of their guiding philosophy. The home and the school, working together, are two of the most powerful influences on earth. It has often been said that, “What the homes are, the schools will be, and what the two are, the future will be.” HOW DOES SHELDON COLLEGE DIFFER FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? I believe we are more alike than we are different from other schools. No school is immune in education today from the society in which
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we exist. We must all be agile, innovative and adaptive, and we can’t do that in isolation from one another. Our strength and survival as a nation rests on schools becoming learning communities that work together in forging strategic partnerships, not only with one another, but with universities, business and industry on a world stage. There is far greater strength in a unity of purpose and our students deserve that. We need schools with impact -schools that add value, not only to their own school and its community, but also to the nation. IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE SCHOOL EVOLVED OVER THE PAST 10 TO 20 YEARS? Given that we are a school that is only 23 years old, we have experienced rapid growth and transformation in light of the technological revolution we are all experiencing - one that has seen our world become increasingly diverse,
