Staff Profile

Shaun O'Rourke - Deputy Principal

How long ago did you join The Friends' School?

I started working officially on the 14th of January this year.  I still have my training wheels on!  Prior to that, I was working at Taipei American School for 18 years, and Dominic College before that.  I have held a number of roles throughout my career including being a Counsellor, School Psychologist, Dean of Students, Associate Principal and Principal.  I have taught various subjects including IB Psychology, and have coached a number of different sports. 

What are you excited about this year?

Getting to know and be a part of the Friends' Community.  I grew up on the North West Coast of Tasmania but moved to Hobart for University, and while I have always been aware of the excellent reputation of Friends' as a school and a community, I have been very impressed with the School and the people working here.  My wife Katie and I are very excited about working at the School and just as importantly having our children being Friends' students.

When did you know you wanted to become a teacher?

I have so many family members who are teachers, I tried very hard to do something different, but every move I seemed to make brought me closer and closer to working in schools. It was a struggle that I realised I was losing during my university days, as I enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the close community aspect of being a part of the school and the constant excitement of working with children.  It is great to be in a profession where you can make a difference and have an immediate and long term effect on people.  I realised when I was at university the best part of my day was interacting with children either with my sports coaching or tutoring and that I needed to change my focus from trying to make as much money as I can to instead concentrate on a career where I would be doing something I really enjoyed.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

I have been lucky in that my previous role as an educator in an overseas school allowed my family and me to travel a lot.  We have had some amazing trips in Australia and the world and we have really loved living in Asia.  However, in recent years every time we came back to Tasmania to visit our family and friends, we realised that this place is very special.  Growing up here I took so much of Tasmania for granted, being away for 18 years helped me to appreciate just what this place has to offer.  We are very excited and happy being back and to have the opportunity for our children to grow up as Tasmanians!

Why Friends'? 

When my family and I were looking into moving back to Tasmania there were a few positions available around Hobart.  For me, I was looking not just at a place which would be good for me to work, but would also be the best fit for my children.  I am used to working with my wife and having my children attend the same school in which I worked, so while I know it is unusual for this to be occurring in Tasmania, for an international teaching couple this is normal.  Being able to continue this lifestyle was very attractive for us as a family.

Secondly, I did a lot of research and at the time we were looking at moving home, the same-sex marriage debate was the main topic in Australian news.  I really admired and agreed with the stance that Nelson and The Friends' School took on this national debate, and the more I looked into the Quaker values and the School's Purposes and Concerns, the more I realised I wanted to be a part of this community.  Also, when we toured the School as both potential employees and as potential parents, we were very impressed and struck by how nice the people were!  

Who is your "hero"?

I was lucky in that I was part of a close family which contained a lot of great people - being the baby of the family I always had some fantastic role models and people who would set a great example for me to follow.  I have also worked with some amazing people who have taught me so much in my professional career.  Right now though, I would have to say my wife Katie is pretty cool, and she is amazing with how much she invests into her work with her students as a teacher yet still be the 'glue' for our family at home!