School Council

A View From The Chair

Recently I was privileged to be part of a research focus group that was looking into the foundations of what it is that makes our School the extraordinary place it is.

This group was part of a series of similar discussions that have involved parents from all levels, staff and Council members. The aim of these discussions is to help Marilyn and her team continue to develop and improve the School. This activity is part of the ongoing development outlined in the “Towards 2023” Strategic Plan.

It was gratifying to learn that the feelings held by Council members and staff, both the “good” and the “could be better”, were very much in line with those of the parents. This means that the work we are doing on the “could be better” is right and we expect to see continuing improvement in these areas.

Most pleasing for me was to listen to the staff speak about what we are doing and to hear the genuine passion that they have for being part of guiding your children through their schooling and helping them to become the people that they want to be.

I’m no longer a parent of a current student, but were I to have my time over again I would not hesitate to entrust the wellbeing of my kids to these safe, extraordinarily caring hands.

I’m not a futurist but it is easy to tell from research and news reports that the world our children are facing once they leave school will be more uncertain and challenging than at any other time in recent history. All schools need to be educating children for jobs that don’t yet exist and, more so than at any other time in our history, Preshil is able to provide the best pathway to navigate that uncertain future.

In our pedagogical approach at every level from K – 12, now being strengthened through the introduction of the IB programs, we can do what few other schools can do. We can help you raise your children to be the people that they want to be; to be independent; to be able to think critically and creatively and to rise to meet challenges in a way that being spoon fed curricula facts to achieve an ATAR could never conceive of providing.

I’m often asked why it is that I continue to be on Council and to make many of the commitments that being Chair of a small, independent school board requires. Well, it’s because it’s an easy thing to be proud of and it remains constantly empowering to be even a small part of a group of passionate and talented professionals who genuinely care about what they do for our kids.

Speaking of which, your Council is always looking for interested parents to be a part of guiding the School into the future and I would encourage anyone with an interest to speak to Marilyn, who can then put you in touch with me for a discussion about what we do and what you can bring. It is a very rewarding commitment to make.

Andrew McMeekin

President, Preshil Council