School Choice hears from Brendan Kelly, Principal of CREST Education — Hillcrest Christian College and Rivercrest Christian College.
What prompted you to want to enter teaching?I was on a school excursion for Year 12 Geography. We were on top of Mt Tongariro in New Zealand and I was full of awe for the stunningly beautiful environment I was in, and full of gratitude to my Geography teacher for taking us there. I thought to myself, “This is what I want to do.” I wanted to inspire young people about the beauty of our environment just like I had been. That desire to inspire has never left me.
What do you like most about working in a school?There is a Maori proverb that says:
He aha te mea nui o te ao? What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.
And schools are the same. The most important thing is our people, and it is meeting, talking, teaching, supporting and helping our people that makes my day. I love to be out the front of school in the mornings and to welcome our students and their families as they arrive for another exciting day. It doesn’t get any better than that!
What are some of the changes to education that you have witnessed in your time as principal? Well, change is a constant in education and I have seen many. Particularly with the rise in teaching through technology, which I am glad we are now questioning to a much greater extent. Technology is fine, but nothing can replace the human interaction of a teacher working with a student to inspire them and to help them reach their full potential. Teaching is a craft, and teachers are skilled professionals who can see the gifts and talents of every single student and who work alongside them to enable them to thrive both in the classroom and throughout their entire lives.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?Seeing students thriving. This might be in the classroom, on the sports field, on a stage or just during a conversation in the playground. To see happy, confident young people and to know that you have contributed to that thriving is a precious gift. It’s the best profession in the world.
What are some special achievements of your staff, students and the school that you are most proud of?Well, to be honest, I feel proud every day. I will see a student being kind to another student, and I am proud. I see a teacher staying behind to help a student after school, and I am proud. I see a superbly delivered lesson in a settled and friendly classroom, and I am proud. I see our students being confident and caring as they walk around our campuses, and I am very proud indeed. I guess if I had to be more specific, I would say I have recently been so very proud of the way our senior students have embraced our new Senior Learning Centre precinct. From the moment it opened 18 months ago, these outstanding young adults have demonstrated their qualities as learners and have produced stunning work that demonstrates that when you give people a great learning environment, they can achieve great things. We have visitors come and they say, “This doesn’t feel like a school, it feels like a university,” and we say, “Yes, that’s the point!”
What hopes do you have for the future of your school?We are indeed blessed to be in a rapidly growing area where there is high demand for excellent schooling. This has enabled us to create the type of outstanding environment for learning that our families deserve. All we really want for the future is to be really great at what we do. We want a school that enables every single student to thrive and to realise that incredible God-given potential that exists in every one of them.
What is your motto for running a successful school?Every child matters, it’s as simple as that.
Expanses of green open spaces greet you as you stroll around the grounds of Hillcrest’s 138 acres. A feeling of […]